Front Row

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Magazines & Reviews

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.

BBC Radio 4 FM

Front Row: Paapa Essiedu, Arts Minister Caroline Dinenage, Turning our tragedies into comedy

22/04/2020

Paapa Essiedu, Arts Minister Caroline Dinenage, Turning our tragedies into comedy

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Paapa Essiedu, Arts Minister Caroline Dinenage, Turning our tragedies into comedy

Paapa Essiedu's Hamlet, Arts Minister Caroline Dinenage, Turning tragedy into comedy

Arts Minister Caroline Dinenage answers questions from the industry about the Coronavirus crisis, Paapa Essiedu performs Hamlet, Turning personal tragedies into comedy

Arts Minister Caroline Dinenage on the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis. We put questions to her from arts organisations around the country.

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birthday. To celebrate, actor Paapa Essiedu performs the iconic “To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy from Hamlet for us live from his home. Paapa played Hamlet in Simon Godwin’s highly acclaimed 2016 production at the RSC, which transplanted the action from Denmark to West Africa. It will be available to watch on iPlayer from tomorrow as part of the BBC’s Culture in Quarantine series. 

How can personal tragedy inspire comedy?  Alice Fraser and Darren Harriott discuss talking about the death of a parent on stage – why do it, how do they make it work, and what has been the audience’s reaction.

Presenter: Kirsty Lang 
Producer: Simon Richardson 
Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Front Row

Paapa Essiedu, Arts Minister Caroline Dinenage, Turning our tragedies into comedy

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4