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Bartlett Sher and The King and I, Olivia Laing, Museum of the Year report

Bartlett Sher on directing The King and I on stage, Olivia Laing on her debut novel Crudo, and an Art Fund Museum of the Year shortlistee The Postal Museum in London.

Bartlett Sher's adaption of The King and I won four Tony Awards during its run on Broadway and is transferring to London this month. The American director was highly praised for his updating of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which is set in 19th century Siam but has been criticised for sexism and orientalism. Bartlett Sher discusses taking on this classic musical for a modern-day audience.

Writer and critic Olivia Laing, known for her non-fiction writing about art, sexuality and cities, discusses her debut novel. Crudo is a highly personal 'real time' account of the political and social upheavals taking place across the world during the summer of 2017, told from the dual perspectives of the writer herself and American experimental novelist Kathy Acker.

Ahead of the announcement next week of the winner of the ÂŁ100,000 Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018, we'll be reporting from each of the five shortlisted museums, starting today with The Postal Museum in London, and its famous subterranean Mail Rail, which opened to the public last year.

Available now

30 minutes

Clip

Chapters

  • Bartlett Sher

    Duration: 08:44

  • The Postal Museum

    Duration: 05:42

  • West Bank News

    Duration: 04:15

  • Olivia Laing

    Duration: 10:40

Bartlett Sher and the King and I

Bartlett Sher and the King and I
Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe
Photo credit: Paul Kolnik

The King and I is on at the London Palladium until 29 Sept

Main image: Ken Watanabe and Kelli O'Hara 
Photo credit: Paul Kolnik

Olivia Laing

Olivia Laing
Olivia Laing
Photo credit: Suki Dhanda

Olivia Laing's novel, Crudo, is out now

Art Fund Museum of the Year Finalists: Postal Museum, London

Art Fund Museum of the Year Finalists: Postal Museum, London
Tim Dunn and Samira Ahmed riding the Mail Rail at The Postal Museum, London 

The , London is one of the finalists for the

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Samira Ahmed
Producer Jerome Weatherald
Interviewed Guest Bartlett Sher
Interviewed Guest Olivia Laing

Broadcast

  • Wed 27 Jun 2018 19:15

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