Main content

Alistair McGowan as Jimmy Savile, Amitav Ghosh, Richard Dadd

Presented by Kirsty Lang. Alistair McGowan discusses playing Jimmy Savile, Amitav Ghosh on his novel Flood of Fire, Richard Dadd's exhibition reviewed and trouble at Bayreuth.

Alistair McGowan plays the role of Jimmy Savile in a controversial new play by Jonathan Maitland which opened last night. McGowan and Maitland discuss their mixed feelings about the project and how and why they chose to portray the serial paedophile.

The novelist Amitav Ghosh talks about the final part of his Ibis Trilogy, Flood of Fire, which follows the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted Sea of Poppies and River of Smoke, set during the turbulent times of the Opium Wars.

A new exhibition by the Victorian artist Richard Dadd shows paintings from his early career, when he was seen as one of the most talented and promising artists of his generation, to paintings completed after he suffered a breakdown and was admitted to Bethlem psychiatric Hospital. Historian Kathryn Hughes reviews.

As Wagner's German opera house Bayreuth prepares for the 150th anniversary performance of Tristan and Isolde, music critic and writer Norman Lebrecht considers the almighty row that is taking place between Wagner's two great-grand-daughters who run the festival.

Presenter Kirsty Lang
Producer Jerome Weatherald.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Alistair McGowan as Jimmy Savile

    Duration: 10:21

  • Richard Dadd

    Duration: 04:57

  • Amitav Ghosh

    Duration: 08:11

  • Wagner family in Bayreuth

    Duration: 04:22

An Audience with Jimmy Savile

An Audience with Jimmy Savile

is at the Park Theatre in London until 11 July 2015.

Images (main and left): 漏 Helen Maybanks聽

The Art of Bedlam: Richard Dadd

The Art of Bedlam: Richard Dadd

is at the Watts Gallery in Compton, Surrey from Tuesday 16 June.

Image: Richard Dadd. Contradiction. Oberon and Titania (1854-8). Oil on canvas. Private Collection.

Amitav Ghosh

Amitav Ghosh

Floor of Fire by is available now in hardback and ebook.

Image: 漏 Emilio Madrid-Kuser聽

Wagner family in Bayreuth

Wagner family in Bayreuth

Norman Lebrecht on the feuding聽Wagner family in Bayreuth.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Kirsty Lang
Interviewed Guest Alistair McGowan
Interviewed Guest Jonathan Maitland
Interviewed Guest Amitav Ghosh
Interviewed Guest Kathryn Hughes
Interviewed Guest Norman Lebrecht
Producer Jerome Weatherald

Broadcast

  • Fri 12 Jun 2015 19:15

成人快手 Arts Digital

The best of British culture live and on demand.

Inspire

Inspire

A season discovering where artists find inspiration and helping listeners get creative.

Podcast