Main content

Ian McKellen; theatre director Sarah Frankcom; Guilt reviewed

Ian McKellen on playing a con artist who moves in on a rich widow played by Helen Mirren in The Good Liar. He pretends to be someone he's not, so McKellen's acting acting.

In their new film, The Good Liar, Ian McKellen plays Roy Courtnay, a con artist who when he meets Betty McLeish, a well-to-widow played by Helen Mirren, can't believe his luck. Sir Ian talks to John Wilson about this role, which involves playing someone who is himself acting.

Guilt, a new 4-part ±«Óãtv Two drama set in Edinburgh, stars Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives as two very different brothers who find themselves having to join forces when they run over and kill a man. As they cover their tracks they begin to discover they can trust no-one, including each other. Critic Hannah McGill reviews the contemporary black comedy drama.

The Observer’s theatre critic Susannah Clapp said of Sarah Frankcom, artistic director of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, that she was 'creating England’s first mainstream feminist theatre'. Now Frankcom is directing her final production there, Light Falls by Simon Stephens. She talks about this drama of a northern family, her collaborations with Stephens, who has written several plays for the Exchange and, especially, Maxine Peake, whom she cast as Hamlet. Frankcom's next job will be running the drama school LAMDA and she tells John Wilson of her concern about the training of actors because of the expense and the decline of drama teaching in schools.

Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Julian May

Available now

28 minutes

Sir Ian McKellen

The is in UK cinemas from 08 November 2019, certificate 15.

Images:

Main image above: Sir Ian McKellenÌý and Helen Mirren

Image credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images

Ìý

Guilt reviewed

Guilt reviewed

, the 4-part series is on ±«Óãtv 2 at 9.00pm on Wednesdays from 30 October 2019, and on the ±«Óãtv iPlayer

Image:Ìý Jamie Sives as Jake (Left) ad Mark Bonnar as Max.Ìý

Image credit: ±«Óãtv/Expectation/Happy Tramp North/Mark Mainz

Theatre director Sarah Frankcom

Theatre director Sarah Frankcom

The play is at the Manchester Royal Exchange theatre until 16 November 2019.

Image: from left- Lloyd Hutchinson, Witney White, Rebecca Manley, Katie West and David Moorst in Light Falls.

Image credit: Manuel Harlan

Broadcast

  • Wed 30 Oct 2019 19:15

±«Óãtv Arts Digital

The best of British culture live and on demand.

Inspire

Inspire

A season discovering where artists find inspiration and helping listeners get creative.

Podcast