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Stephen Graham, new Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, ENO's Dido

Stephen Graham discusses working with Shane Meadows on TV drama The Virtues, and Simon Armitage talks about his new role as poet laureate

The actor Stephen Graham originally made his mark as the racist skinhead Combo in Shane Meadows’s 2006 film This Is England. The actor and director have teamed up again for a new 4-part Channel 4 drama The Virtues, in which he plays a troubled alcoholic trying to get over the trauma of his childhood. The actor discusses making the show, as well as his recent role as undercover cop John Corbett in Line of Duty.

The Unicorn is a theatre devoted to children. Its latest production is Dido, based on Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell. Stig Abell investigates how you make a seventeenth-century opera fun for eleven-year-olds, talking to the director, conductor, a singer and two teachers. But what of the target audience? Two young lads tell him what they thought of it.

Simon Armitage has been announced as the new Poet Laureate. As he begins his decade long post, he reveals his ambitions for the role and also discusses his new book of poems Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic, which brings together his commissioned work including war poetry and poems responding to Henry Moore's sculptures and the life of Branwell Bronte.

Presenter: Stig Abell
Producer: Hannah Robins

Available now

28 minutes

Stephen Graham

Stephen Graham
Stephen Graham
Photo credit L and above:
Dean Rogers/Channel 4

The Virtues Episode One is available on All4, and continues next Wed 22 May on
Channel 4 at 9 pm

ENO's Dido

ENO's Dido
Stig, Purni Morell and 
Valentina Peleggi

ENO's Dido at the until 2 June

Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage
Photo credit:
Peter James Millson

His collection: Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic is out now

Broadcast

  • Thu 16 May 2019 19:15

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