seeing theatre in a new light
If you, like me, have been missing visiting TheatreLand , then here’s a great chance to take a leisurely stroll around one of our favourite areas alongside a Blue Badge tour guide- all from the comfort of your favourite chair!
Culture at risk: Theatreland – a virtual tour with a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide, happens this Saturday 25th September at 11.00am BST and is conducted via the Zoom platform.
I’ll “see” you there!
Click here to book onto the tour
Here is the 2019 dress rehearsal archive recording of My Beautiful Laundrette, our acclaimed Made at Curve, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Leeds Playhouse co-production. This recording will be available to stream until they are able to reopen our building to the public for performances.
Hanif Kureishi’s iconic and Oscar-nominated screenplay My Beautiful Laundrette was brought to the stage in Autumn 2019 and directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster. The drama also includes original music from composers Tennant/Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys. My Beautiful Laundrette was nominated in three categories at the WhatsOnStage Awards this year – Best Regional Production, Best New Play and Hareet Deol was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Play.
Set in London during the Thatcher years, My Beautiful Laundrette tells the story of young British Pakistani, Omar, who transforms his Uncle’s run-down laundrette into a thriving business. After being confronted by a fascist gang, Omar recognises school friend Johnny and uses their history to diffuse the situation. As they renovate the laundrette together, love blossoms between them.
This culture clash comedy is also a subversive work of social realism, sprinkled with magic and joy running through the rich veins of Kureishi’s writing. This bold new production of Kureishi’s ground-breaking film explores cultural conflict, gender equality, class and generational strife, all presented against a funky backdrop of 80s music and culture.
Please note: My Beautiful Laundrette is suitable for ages 15+ and contains strong language and adult themes including violence and racism
Please bear in mind that this recording is an archive recording not originally intended for public viewing. The performance is subtitled as the sound is low and at times, unclear. Nevertheless its still an enjoyable production!
Although this production is free to watch, please strongly consider making a donation to Leicester Curve to enable it to reopen its doors after this crisis has passed.
VIEWING PERIOD ENDED
Broadcast recently again on BBC Sounds, THE NATIONAL is a fascinating listen. Written by Sarah Wooley, this three-part drama about the creation of the National Theatre on London’s South Bank features all the main players: Sir Laurence Olivier, Kenneth Tynan, Lord Goodman, The Lord Chamberlain, Peter Hall and Harold Pinter as well as many others.
You can listen to THE NATIONAL by clicking here
(Please note – users outside the UK may not be able to access BBC online programming – but give it a try anyway!)
This weekend, September 19 and 20, many interesting and usually private buildings will once again open their doors to those of us who take pleasure in exploring their design and construction.
This year, a high proportion of “visits” will be virtual ones as the explorations happen online, but it hasn’t stopped the organisers from gathering an impressive array of different types of building.
Once again theatres will take part, and you can find theatre listings by clicking here
You can visit the Open House website by clicking here
Sky Arts, the TV channel dedicated to culture, arts and music, becomes available on Freeview and Freesat from today, September 17th.
Sky Arts was created in 2000 and was previously only available for paying subscribers to Sky and other pay-TV companies.
The 24 hour- a -day channel includes in its programming documentaries, movies, operas and more – all related to culture and the arts. They also have a number of shows based around competitions, which may or may not be your “bag”. Not being a Sky customer, I have not experienced the channel before, but I must say that I am naturally suspicious of / resistant to anything which has emanated from the diseased empire of the Murdoch clan.
The channel also has a large library of on-demand content, however this will remain exclusive to NOW TV and Sky subscribers.
On Freeview, you can find SkyArts on channel 11, and on Freesat, on channel 147.
