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Simon Russell Beale; Lucy Hughes-Hallett

Mark Lawson talks to Simon Russell Beale about playing King Lear at the National Theatre, and Lucy Hughes-Hallett discusses her award-winning biography of D'Annunzio.

With Mark Lawson.

Simon Russell Beale is playing King Lear at the National Theatre, in a new production directed by Sam Mendes. Last night one of the actors lost his voice, prompting Mendes to apologise and bring on the understudy. Simon Russell Beale discusses his approach to the challenging role and what happened behind the scenes last night.

Costa biography prize-winner Lucy Hughes-Hallett talks about The Pike, her biography of the Italian poet and daredevil Gabriele D'Annunzio, which also won the 2013 Samuel Johnson prize for non-fiction.

Quentin Tarantino has announced that he is dropping his new film Hateful Eight, a follow-up to Django Unchained, after the script was leaked. Film critic Mark Eccleston discusses some of the more extreme examples of script security and why film-makers are so keen to keep their scripts secret.

Producer: Timothy Prosser.

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Wed 22 Jan 2014 19:15
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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Chapters

  • Simon Russell Beale

    Duration: 16:03

  • Lucy Hughes-Hallett

    Duration: 09:16

  • Secret scripts

    Duration: 04:25

Simon Russell Beale

Simon Russell Beale
Actor Simon Russell Beale plays in the National Theatre's current production of the play in London.

Main image: presenter Mark Lawson and Simon Russell Beale outside the National Theatre.Β 

Lucy Hughes-Hallett

Lucy Hughes-Hallett
by Lucy Hughes-Hallett is available in hardback, paperback and ebook published by Fourth Estate.

Credits

Presenter Mark Lawson
Interviewed Guest Simon Russell Beale
Interviewed Guest Lucy Hughes-Hallett
Interviewed Guest Mark Eccleston
Producer Timothy Prosser

Broadcast

  • Wed 22 Jan 2014 19:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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