Alan Bennett and Nicholas Hytner, Diversity in children's fiction, Yves Klein at Blenheim Place
Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hytner discuss new play Allelujah!, set in a geriatric ward of a Yorkshire hospital. Plus an exhibition of Yves Klein at Bleinheim Palace.
Alan Bennett's new play Allelujah! is set in the geriatric ward of a Yorkshire hospital threatened with closure. It follows a singing, dancing choir of quick-witted elderly patients whose problem is not that they are ill so much as they have nowhere to go. Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hytner discuss working together and how Alan manages to take on big themes - English identity, education and now the NHS - without being, he says, a "political" writer.
Blenheim Palace is housing a major exhibition of the work of the radical French artist Yves Klein, famous for his ultramarine blue paintings and sculptures. Louisa Buck reviews.
A new survey into ethnic diversity in children's literature has found that only 4% of all the children's books published in the UK last year featured a black, Asian or minority ethnic character. Farrah Serroukh, who led the Reflecting Realities survey, and writer Patrice Lawrence discuss the findings.
Presenter: Kirsty Lang
Producer: Hannah Robins.
Last on
Clips
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What’s behind the lack of diversity in children's fiction?
Duration: 07:45
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Alan Bennett on why he's "doomed to amiability"
Duration: 03:03
Alan Bennett And Nicholas Hytner
Allelujah! runs until 29th September at the Bridge Theatre, in London.
Image: Alan Bennett, Kirsty Lang, and Nicholas Hytner.
Yves Klein Contemporary Art Exhibition
Yves Klein at Blenheim Palace runs from 18th July – 7th October 2018. Image: View of Yves Klein, Relief Portrait of Amman, 1962, Relief Portrait of Claude Pascal, 1962, Courtesy of Blenheim Art Foundation, Photo by Tom Lindboe
Reflecting Realities
Reflecting Realities is a new survey published this week which looks at ethnic diversity in new books being published for children. Farrah Serroukh, who led the survey, and writer Patrice Lawrence discuss the findings.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Kirsty Lang |
| Interviewed Guest | Alan Bennett |
| Interviewed Guest | Nicholas Hytner |
| Interviewed Guest | Louisa Buck |
| Interviewed Guest | Farrah Serroukh |
| Interviewed Guest | Patrice Lawrence |
| Producer | Hannah Robins |
Broadcast
- Wed 18 Jul 201819:15BBC Radio 4
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