Casts & Crew
Also Directed by Rhodri Huw
Rodrigo / Chabrier / Rachmaninov / Cañizares / Berliner Philharmoniker / Sir Simon Rattle
The French have occupied Sicily, and Hélène is held hostage by Montfort, the French governor, who has had her brother executed. She turns to the partisan Jean Procida and the rebellious patriot Henri in her bid for vengeance. Les Vêpres siciliennes is one of Verdi’s lesser-known mature operas, but was vital to his development as a composer. It was created for the Paris Opéra in 1855, providing Verdi with an opportunity to embrace the elaborate style and traditions of French grand opera. First seen at the Royal Opera House in 2013, this staging of Verdi's rarely-performed opera Les Vêpres siciliennes – directed by Stefan Herheim and conducted by The Royal Opera’s Music Director, Verdi specialist Sir Antonio Pappano – went on to win the prestigious Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production.
A fearless award-winning play about two best friends at the 2017 Notting Hill Carnival, seeking joy and resistance in a society where women’s bodies are frequently under threat.
Highlights from the first ever Doctor Who Prom, which took place at the Royal Albert Hall in July 2008, featuring Murray Gold's celebrated music for the television series, performed by the BBC Philharmonic and London Philharmonic Choir under the baton of Ben Foster. Described as the 'hottest ticket in town', the concert is presented by Freema Agyeman (aka Martha Jones), with a surprise guest appearance by Catherine Tate (aka Donna Noble), and features a specially filmed scene written by Russell T Davies, starring David Tennant and a mischievous Graske. Throughout the concert the music, is accompanied by sequences from the series and Christmas specials, as well as a host of monsters and aliens, including the Doctor's oldest enemies, the Daleks and Cybermen.
Gospel Christmas returns from the heart of Cardiff to celebrate a special evening of music and spiritual cheer with Sir Tom Jones and Beverley Knight. The blend of traditional gospel, carols and songs of spiritual intent from modern greats like Prince and Bob Dylan are performed by choirs and a house band from the British gospel scene, and will add up to the freshest of winter warmers.
Always a highlight of the EFG London Jazz Festival, Jazz Voice returns this year with a host of special guests and a celebration of some of the classic jazz scores written for the silver screen. English jazz trumpeter and composer Guy Barker is once again at the helm of this musical extravaganza, conducting a specially formed 45-piece orchestra, who take centre stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Hosted by Jumoké Fashola, this year’s guest performers include cellist and vocalist Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Kurdish singer Aynur, neo-soul and contemporary jazz singer Ego Ella May, vocalist and composer Georgia Cécile, singer Sachal Vasandani and saxophonist and spoken word artist Lakecia Benjamin.
Documentary following English folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention as they celebrate their 45th anniversary in 2012. Fairport's iconic 1969 album Liege and Lief featured some of folk music's biggest names - including singer Sandy Denny, guitarist Richard Thompson and fiddler Dave Swarbrick - and was voted by Radio 2 listeners as the most influential folk album of all time.
Hamlet captures the Almeida Theatre's 2017 acclaimed production of William Shakespeare's great play, recorded as-live in its West End transfer on the stage of London's Harold Pinter Theatre. Robert Icke's innovative modern-dress production, featuring Andrew Scott, Juliet Stevenson, Angus Wright and Jessica Brown Findlay, has been widely acclaimed as a dazzlingly intelligent, forcefully contemporary staging. The Evening Standard hailed Andrew Scott's 'career-defining performance... he makes the most famous speeches feel fresh and unpredictable.'
Part of BBC Four's Black Music Legends of the 1980s, this documentary explores how Prince - showman, artist, enigma - revolutionized the perception of black music in the 1980s with worldwide hits such as "1999," "Kiss," "Raspberry Beret" and "Alphabet Street." He became a global sensation with the release of the Oscar-winning, semi-autobiographical movie "Purple Rain" in 1984, embarking on an incredible journey of musical self-discovery that continues to this day.
Mike Bartlett's play Albion, directed for the stage by Rupert Goold, is a tragicomic drama about national identity, family, passion and the disappointment of personal dreams. Filmed at London’s Almeida Theatre, the play is set in the garden of an English country house. The house has been bought by successful businesswoman Audrey Walters, who intends to restore the ruined garden to its former glory and create a memorial to the son she recently lost in a foreign war.
