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Hans Kung, Masters of Sex, Roots, Wendy Lower

Anne McElvoy discusses the Donmar Warehouse's new production of Roots, the second play in the 'Wesker Trilogy' exploring domestic lives of working class rural Norfolk.

The Roman Catholic Church is in crisis. Congregations are shrinking, teachings on contraception and sexuality alienate more than they illuminate, and the spectre of child abuse lurks in the background. These are several of the themes dealt with by Catholic theologian Hans Küng in his new work 'Can We Save The Catholic Church?' He discusses the future of his church with Anne McElvoy.

Last night in television world it was Sex Box and tonight it's Masters of Sex - the first episode of a 12 part drama documentary about Masters and Johnson - the couple who "taught America how to love" ...proof, if any were needed, that Channel 4 is as determined as ever to reclaim sex from the pornographers. Anna Raeburn and Adam Mars-Jones have watched the first episode and discuss it and the work of Masters and Johnson.

Arnold Wesker's trilogy of plays 'Chicken Soup with Barley,' 'Roots' and 'I'm talking about Jerusalem' began life on stage in 1958 and the scripts alone have sold more than 750, 000 copies over the ensuing 55 years. Tonight the second in the trilogy, Roots, set in the Norfolk family home of Beatie Bryant and dealing with themes such as the fate of the socialist ideal, the limitations of the welfare state and the stasis of the English class system begins a run at the Donmar Warehouse in London. Susannah Clapp comes straight from the theatre to the studio for a first night review.

The author Wendy Lower has written a new book 'Hitler's Furies - German women in the Nazi Killing Fields' and Anne McElvoy asks her what she found there.

That's Night Waves with Anne McElvoy.

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45 minutes

Last on

Tue 8 Oct 2013 22:00
±«Óãtv Radio 3

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  • Wesker at 80

    Hear the playwright Arnold Wesker looking back at his life and career with Matthew Sweet

Chapters

  • Masters of Sex

    Anna Raeburn and Adam Mars-Jones review the first episode of Masters of Sex

    Duration: 13:54

  • Hans Küng

    Catholic theologian Hans Küng discusses his new work 'Can We Save The Catholic Church?

    Duration: 13:04

  • Roots

    Susannah Clapp comes straight from the theatre for a first night review of 'Roots'

    Duration: 07:07

  • Wendy Lower

    Wendy Lower discusses her new book 'Hitler's Furies'

    Duration: 10:46

Hans Küng

Hans Küng

Can We Save the Catholic Church? written by Hans Küng is published by William Collins on Thursday 10 October 2013.

Ìý

Image Credit:ÌýManfred Grohe. © Stiftung Weltethos

Masters of Sex

Masters of Sex

,Ìýa 12-part dramaÌýstarts on Tuesday 8 October 2013 at 21:00 on Channel 4.

Ìý

Image: Michael Sheen (Dr. William Masters) & Lizzy Caplan (Virginia Johnson)Ìýin Masters of Sex, Sony Pictures Television International.

Roots

Roots

, London until Saturday 30 November 2013.

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Image: Linda Bassett (Mrs Bryant) and Ian Gelder (Mr Bryant) in Roots at the Donmar Warehouse 2013, Credit: Stephen Cummiskey

Wendy Lower

Wendy Lower

Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields written by Wendy Lower is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Ìý

Image Credit: Björn Marquart

Credits

Presenter Anne McElvoy
Interviewed Guest Hans Kung
Interviewed Guest Anna Raeburn
Interviewed Guest Adam Mars-Jones
Interviewed Guest Susannah Clapp
Interviewed Guest Wendy Lower

Broadcast

  • Tue 8 Oct 2013 22:00
    ±«Óãtv Radio 3

Free Thinking

Free Thinking

Radio 3’s new home for arts and ideas.