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Simon Russell Beale, French Exit, Lisa Taddeo

Simon Russell Beale on playing JS Bach on stage and we review Michelle Pfeiffer in French Exit.

Simon Russell Beale was a choral scholar and the actor remains a serious musician who can play a Bach fugue. Now he is taking the role of Johann Sebastian in Nina Raine’s new play Bach and Sons and he talks to Samira Ahmed about his relationship with the composer. Does being able to play Bach help him to play Bach?

French Exit stars Michelle Pfeiffer as a Manhattan heiress who has to downsize to Paris with her son and cat when her money runs out after her husband’s death. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the comedy drama directed by Azazel Jacobs, adapted by Patrick deWitt from his own novel. Hannah McGill reviews.

Lisa Taddeo came to prominence in 2019 for her nonfiction book Three Women, a chronicle of her subjects' sex lives. Over the course of eight years, the writer not only interviewed the titular three women but also immersed herself in their worlds. The result was one of the hits of the year. Now she returns with Animal, a raw and intense debut novel about sexual trauma and female rage. She tells Samira about the process of writing it and her hope that women who have suffered similar experiences will feel less alone after reading it.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Julian May
Studio Engineer: Sue Maillot

Available now

28 minutes

Simon Russell Beale

Simon Russell Beale
is at The Bridge Theatre, London  from 23 June - 11 September 2021.   Images:  Main image above: Simon Russell Beale as Johan Sebastien Bach.    Image to the left, from Left: Pandora Colin (Maria Bach), Samuel Blenkin (Carl Philippe Bach), Simon Russell Beale (JS Bach) and Douggie McMeekin (Wilhelm Bach).        Image credit: Manual Harlan

French Exit

certificate 15, is in UK cinemas from 02 July 2021.    

Lisa Taddeo

Lisa Taddeo
Lisa Taddeo's new novel Animal  is out now in hardback.     Image:   image credit: Lara Downie.

Peter Zinovieff

Peter Zinovieff
Image: Electronic music pioneer Peter Zinovieff in a 2018 film by Â鶹ԼÅÄ Archives 

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  • Mon 28 Jun 2021 19:15

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