Programme Details

Patrick Hamilton is most famously remembered as the author of Gaslight and Rope, both of which were turned into successful films by Hitchcock. Yet Hamilton's numerous other novels and plays have often been overlooked in any assessment of twentieth century British literature. Now however, his semi autobiographical trilogy, Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky, has been adapted into a three part drama for BBC4. It brings together acclaimed actors such as Sally Hawkins and Phil Davis to tell a story of unrequited love, ambition and disappointment. On Night Waves, Isabel Hilton is joined by Time Out's TV editor Alkarim Jivani and by the writer DJ Taylor to discuss the new television adaptation and to reflect on Hamilton's career and legacy.

Also, a review of the controversial Iranian comic film, The Lizard. The film, a satire cum parable, pokes gentles fun at the country's Islamic clergy, and proved such a hit in Iran that cinema goers queued round the block to see it. It was set to break box office records when, after only a run of three weeks, it was suddenly banned by the Iranian authorities. Critic Tim Robey joins Isabel to give the Night Waves verdict ahead of the film's UK release.

Isabel also talks to the emerging American author Nell Freudenberger whose debut collection of short stories has entranced American critics. Lucky Girls encompasses five stories set in India and South-East Asia, exploring romance, betrayal, and loss against a backdrop of cultural alienation. Nell Freudenberger describes how she drew on her own experiences as an American abroad to inform her writing.

And the writer William Fiennes delivers a lyrical evocation of the experience of walking the Pennine Way, which is forty years old this week.

Night Waves , live at 9.30pm here on BBC Radio 3.


Presenter: Isabel Hilton
Producer: Aasiya Lodhi



Additional Information:
1) Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky is on BBC 4 at 9pm - part one is on Tuesday April 19, part two on Wednesday April 20, and part three Thursday April 21.
2) Lucky Girls by Nell Freudenberger is published by Picador.
3) The Lizard is at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London from Friday April 22 until May 5.