Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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Lenny Henry

Lenny Henry presents this groundbreaking BBC radio series exploring a century of black British theatre, TV and film 
 
In this fascinating ten-part series, Lenny Henry traces the long and painful road that black Britons have travelled on stage and screen, from the overt racial discrimination of the 19th Century, via the thinly veiled slurs that persisted through the first 70 years of the 20th, to today's more equal society. 
 
Interviewing playwrights, actors, directors and filmmakers – including Mustapha Matura, Roy Williams, Lolita Chakrabarti, Michael Buffong, Horace Ové and Steve McQueen – he tells the story of black drama and the influential artists who have shaped it over the past hundred years. 
 
Beginning with the breakthrough arrival of Kwame Kwei-Armah's celebrated tragedy Elmina's Kitchen to the West End, he goes on to examine the evolving depiction of Afro-Caribbeans on TV from Love Thy Neighbour to Desmond’s; explores the complex stage history of Othello; focuses on how Caribbean migration has been reflected on stage and screen; and journeys back to the 1960s and 70s to explore the spirit of protest that welled up with the advent of the Black Power movement. 
 
In addition, he looks at the burgeoning black theatre companies of the 1970s and 80s; charts the breakthrough of a host of powerful new voices in the 90s; scrutinizes attitudes towards homosexuality; investigates the current blossoming of new theatrical voices with roots in Africa and concludes with a look at future prospects and opportunities for black British talent.

Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen

BBC Audio

Highlights from Richard Burton’s finest BBC radio performances from the 1940s to the 1980s. 
 
Richard Burton was one of the most famous British actors of the twentieth century, renowned for his magical, mellifluous voice. Before Hollywood tempted him away, he worked frequently for the BBC and many of his most electrifying performances were recorded there. 
 
This classic compilation features some of the very best of Burton, including his very first radio role in The Corn is Green; the heroic Roland in The Dark Tower; the apocalyptic poem 'Fire and Ice'; Henry V on the eve of Agincourt; the spine-tingling Under Milk Wood and the poignant In Parenthesis. Also included is the complete recording of Emlyn Williams’ suspenseful thriller Night Must Fall. 
 
In addition, there are extracts from interviews in which Burton talks about Dylan Thomas, his love of rugby, his deepest ambition and his own feelings about his incomparable voice. 
 
Whether performing Shakespeare, reading Robert Frost or simply talking about his life and career, Burton is never less than compelling, and this unique anthology is a superb tribute to one of the great icons of stage and screen. 
Duration: 2 hrs 50 mins approx.

Burton at the BBC

Classic Excerpts from the BBC Archive

A collection of BBC radio shows presented by comedian and actor Lenny Henry. 
 
Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, TV presenter: Lenny Henry is a multi-talented Renaissance man with a wide range of interests. But there are a few things (and people) he just doesn't get, despite their iconic status - and in What's So Great About...?, he explores them to find out what makes them so appealing. He questions the mystique surrounding Method Acting; discusses the benefits of Life Coaches with Phill Jupitus; hears about the joy of Maths from Carol Vorderman and asks Simon McBurney and Fiona Shaw to persuade him of the genius of Samuel Beckett. He also investigates the art of Jackson Pollock, meets stars from the world of Snooker to discover the lure of the cue and chats about Chaucer with Terry Jones. 
 
Lenny was once sceptical about Shakespeare too, but he's now a passionate convert. In Lenny Henry Plays Othello, we follow him as he embarks on his first straight stage role and first Shakespearean role, playing one of theatre's most tragic characters. From voice coaching to first night nerves, we eavesdrop on his journey from comedian to tragedian. 
 
In August Shines, inspired by his theatrical success in August Wilson's Fences, Lenny travels to Pittsburgh to tell the story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning African-American playwright. The city was also home to the bad-boy pop artist whose work Lenny explores in Andy Warhol: Time Regained. Visiting the Warhol Museum, he learns about the 'Time Capsules' - an artwork consisting of 300,000 eclectic objects assembled across the last 13 years of Warhol's life - and joins the audience for the unboxing of the mysterious Capsule 528... 
 
Finally, in the compelling 10-part series Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen, Lenny traces the long, painful road that black Britons have travelled on stage and screen, from the overt racial discrimination of the 19th Century, via the veiled slurs that persisted throughout the 20th, to today's more equal society. Talking to playwrights such as Kwame Kwei-Armah, and actors and directors including Carmen Munroe, Yvonne Brewster and Steve McQueen, he tells the story of black drama and the influential artists who have shaped it over the past century, and looks to the future to examine the prospects for young black British talent. 
 
Published by Penguin Random House Ltd 
Licensed by BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
MCPS 
Presented by Lenny Henry 
 
What's So Great About...? 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Ellen Burstyn, James Lipton, Phill Jupitus, Carol Vorderman, Celia Hoyles, Professor Brian Butterworth, Simon McBurney, Fiona Shaw, John Calder, James Knowlson, Brian Sewell, Julian Joseph, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Dennis Taylor, John Virgo, John Parrott, Terry Griffiths, Ardis Butterfield, Mike Poulton, Terry Jones 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 July 2008-11 June 2011 
 
Lenny Henry Plays Othello 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 February 2009 
 
August Shines 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Chris Rawson, Professor Larry Glasco, Kim Ellis, Jeff Folino, Sala Udin, Nelson Harrison 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 October 2014 
 
Andy Warhol: Time Regained 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Ben Harrison, Rick Armstrong, Tim Marlow, Erin Byrne, Benjamin Liu, Donald Warhola 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 September 2014 
 
Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen 
Presented by Lenny Henry 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
Series Consultant: Dr Michael Pearce 
Featuring: Bola Agbaje, Yvonne Brewster, Michael Buffong, Lolita Chakrabarti, Isaac Julien, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Mustapha Matura, Steve McQueen, Carmen Munroe, Horace Ové, Winsome Pinnock, Paulette Randall, Roy Williams 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-20 November 2015

Lenny Henry's What's So Great About...?

And 4 other BBC documentaries

Michael Sheen

Michael Sheen explores the strange art of acting, from classic techniques to Method madnessFrom Tony Blair and David Frost to Aziraphale and Hamlet, Michael Sheen has taken on a host of iconic roles, inhabiting each one with complete conviction. But – whether he’s transforming himself into real figures or bringing fictional ones to life – how does he go about immersing himself in his characters? The answer lies in an obscure Russian theatre technique that has evolved to become a central plank of modern-day acting training.In this three-part series, Michael explores Stanislavski’s ‘System’, beginning in 1906, when a bad performance inspired Constantin Stanislavski to develop a revolutionary new process for actors to create authentic, naturalistic characters. He goes on to examine how this formula got lost in translation; how it was interpreted in radically different ways by famed acting teachers Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler; and how it morphed into the famous modus operandi popularised by Hollywood’s elite: ‘The Method’.Speaking to experienced stars including Adrian Lester and Anne-Marie Duff, he analyses their approaches to their craft, and delves into the off-stage drama of drama schools. He also chats to up-and-coming actors Mia McKenna-Bruce and Brandon Grace, discussing their non-traditional routes into the profession and the challenges faced by vulnerable young performers today. And, as he considers the fragile boundaries between actors and the parts they play, he muses on the flip side of getting into character – getting out of character – and reflects on how his many roles have stayed with him, shaping and changing him to make him the actor he is today.Production creditsPresented by Michael SheenProduced by Alice McKee for BBC AudioWith Isaac Butler; Tom McClane, Adrian Lester, Simon McBurney, Patsy Rodenburg, Anne-Marie Duff, Michael Goldfarb, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Brandon Grace, Lou Platt and David ThackerayFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14-28 May 2024

Michael Sheen Gets Into Character

A BBC Radio 4 Series

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