Performance Details: James Bond Short Stories
Project type: Radio recording
Synopsis: Damian Lewis reads four specially selected Bond stories -- The Living Daylights, From A View To A Kill, The Property Of A Lady and For Your Eyes Only. James Bond is the most famous secret agent in literary history. From his Jamaican estate, Goldeneye, Bond's creator Ian Fleming wrote numerous novels featuring the famous British spy. It is often said that the character was a highly romanticised version of Fleming himself. The character and legend of James Bond is perhaps most widely known through the numerous films made over the past several decades, but it's the original 007 short stories that feature in this series. The titles are easily recognisable but the plots are very different from the film adaptations and, more importantly, the Bond featured in these tales could not be further removed from the big-screen version. The stories' moral undertones give this character a much darker, more dramatic depth. The four stories contain none of the films' fancy gadgets, death-defying stunts or corny one-liners, but stay true to Fleming's original books, which rely on good old-fashioned storytelling.
Chronology: Recorded October 23-27, 2006. Presented on BBC Radio 2 in the UK in eight weekly 15-minute episodes from November 17, 2006, through January 5, 2007. The Living Daylights presented again on BBC Radio 2 in the UK in two 15-minute episodes on October 3, 2008, and October 17, 2008; From A View To A Kill presented again on BBC Radio 2 in the UK in two 15-minute episodes on October 24, 2008, and October 31, 2008; The Property Of A Lady presented again on BBC Radio 2 in the UK in two 15-minute episodes on December 5, 2008, and December 12, 2008; For Your Eyes Only presented again on BBC Radio 2 in the UK in two 15-minute episodes on December 19, 2008, and January 9, 2009.
Principal Cast & Crew: Damian Lewis as Reader; Written by Ian Fleming; Produced by Liz Anstee and Joanna Green.
Links:
Episode Guide:
Episode 1 (11/17/06) - The Living Daylights, Part 1: Bond is sent to Berlin at the height of the Cold War to thwart a KGB assassination attempt. This is a tale about the minutiae of a Bond mission, in which 007 patiently waits to exercise his licence-to-kill talents on an unsuspecting sniper.
Episode 2 (11/24/06) - The Living Daylights, Part 2: Bond is holed up in a tower block in Berlin, awaiting his victim; a KGB sniper on the tail of a British agent. But a distraction in female form could jeopardise the job and Bond's entire career.
Episode 3 (12/01/06) - From A View To A Kill, Part 1: Following the murder of a Royal Corps dispatch rider from the SHAPE Intelligence Division, Bond helps his colleagues in Paris investigate. Reluctant at first, a female agent provides him with an incentive to stay.
Episode 4 (12/08/06) - From A View To A Kill, Part 2: Following the murder of a Royal Corps dispatch rider in France, Bond discovers an ingeniously hidden enemy spy unit and puts himself directly in the firing line to catch the killer.
Episode 5 (12/15/06) - The Property Of A Lady, Part 1: The Russians are about to pay off a double-agent for her services by underbidding her "inherited: Fabergé sphere at a Sotheby's auction, thereby pushing up its selling price. Bond deduces that the underbidder will be the KGB's London resident director.
Episode 6 (12/22/06) - The Property Of A Lady, Part 2: Bond attends the Sotheby's auction in hopes of spotting the underbidder -- the KGB resident director. He does, and he ensures that enough evidence is gathered to have the man declared "persona non grata" and expelled from London.
Episode 7 (12/29/06) - For Your Eyes Only, Part 1: Bond takes on a personal mission for M: to avenge the deaths of an elderly British couple from Jamaica.
Episode 8 (01/05/07) - For Your Eyes Only, Part 2: In Vermont, Bond receives some unexpected help on his revenge mission from the murdered couple's daughter.
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Performance Details: Jeffrey Archer: The Truth
Project type: Television film
Synopsis: For years the facts have been concealed for reasons of state security and to protect the innocent, but now the shocking truth can be told. Jeffrey Archer, athlete, statesman and man of letters, takes viewers on a roller coaster ride through his unbelievable life story. With characteristic modesty Archer charts his stratospheric rise to fame and fortune, revealing details of his friendships with the great and the good and exposing the malign forces who sought to destroy him. This is a story of intrigue, conspiracy, heroism and romance -- and a good deal of it true ... or is it?
Chronology: In production approximately from August 2002 through October 2002. UK television premiere on BBC 1 on December 1, 2002.
Principal Cast & Crew: Geoffrey Beevers as Dennis Thatcher; Richard Griffiths as Willie Whitelaw; Rupert Holliday-Evans as Caspar, Tory MP; Damian Lewis as Jeffrey Archer; Gary Lineker as England manager; Ben Miller as Roland Moxley-Nemesis; Emily Mortimer as Diana, Princess of Wales; Steven Pacey as Tony Blair; Rachel Pickup as Casino Girl; Greta Scacchi as Margaret Thatcher; Mark Spalding as DPG Officer/Royal Guard; Danielle Tilley as Emma; Polly Walker as Mary Archer; Geoffrey Whitehead as Chessington; Richard Wilson as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Written by Guy Jenkin; Directed by Guy Jenkin.
Links:
Scene-by-Scene Synopsis: As the opening credits role, the scene is 1940s England. A fancy car pulls up to a modest home and leaves a baby boy in a basket on the doorstep, where a woman finds him. An elegant pen, without its cap, is in the basket as well.
Cut to several decades later, in the near future. Jeffrey Archer meets Emma, whom he has chosen to ghost write his biography to be entitled "Jeffrey Archer: The Truth." And the story begins with the book's first chapter. ...
Chapter 1 - Young, Talented and White: At Oxford, Jeffrey gathers outdoors with the Beatles, where he gives them the title for the Sgt. Pepper album and, in the course of conversation, several ideas that later become other Beatles song and album titles. Jeffrey meets Mary and is enchanted, as is she. He also meets Roland Moxley-Nemesis and throws him over -- literally.
At a dance club with Mary, Jeffrey is talking on one of his latest inventions: the first mobile phone. Roland shows up and tries to vie for Mary's attention. The two men try to out-dance each other. Jeffrey clearly wins with some cool twisting, some disco moves later made famous by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, and some amazing break dancing. Jeffrey and Mary soon marry and ride off on a motorbike.
Chapter 2 - The Honorable Member: Jeffrey becomes a Member of Parliament (MP) at age 29. At a gym, he argues with Roland over a plan by fellow Tory MPs to introduce museum charges -- Jeffrey is against this bill. Margaret Thatcher shows up at the gym, and she tells Jeffrey she'll make him her Junior Minister if he supports her museum charges bill. At the House, Jeffrey makes a moving speech against the bill and apparently succeeds in defeating it. Margaret is furious.
Walking in the garden, surrounded by streakers, Jeffrey tells Mary (both of them are fully clothed, by the way!) that he doesn't want to stand for reelection because of the fallout he's faced following his speech that stopped the museum charges bill. But Mary encourages him to stand and pursue his political career. Meanwhile, a girl who works with the Beatles appears with the original Abbey Road album cover, featuring John, Paul, George, Ringo and Jeffrey crossing Abbey Road. Jeffrey, although flattered, modestly asks that they go with the cover photo of just the Beatles and not him.
Back at the gym, Jeffrey breaks an Olympic record on a treadmill, advises Pope Paul on a few issues, and gets wind of a hot investment tip when he overhears Roland and another Tory MP discussing it in front of him.
Back home, Mary speaks to Jeffrey about his infidelities, essentially telling him she is not concerned about it because their relationship is stronger than any infidelity could be. The ticker tape starts clicking, and Jeffrey discovers he has lost a fortune in that so-called hot investment. He is over Ł300,000 in debt. Fearing bankruptcy -- MPs cannot be bankrupt -- he resigns his seat. Margaret comes to see him, asking if she and Dennis can help. Mary quickly says no thanks, and Jeffrey agrees. Margaret leaves, and Jeffrey notices a look of jealousy in Mary's eyes. Jeffrey denies that there is anything between him and Margaret.
Chapter 3 - A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man: With no money, Jeffrey goes to a local casino for some free food. While there, he starts writing a novel (using the same pen that was in the baby basket at the start of the film). The casino staff and customers start reading the pages and are completely hooked. Jeffrey completes the book at the casino, and the crowd, having read every word, applauds. The book is rejected by 17 publishers. It finally sneaks into print the very day that Roland writes a scathing review of it for the Telegraph. Jeffrey and Mary are forced to sell their house -- their last remaining possession of any value. They move to a flat. But it turns out to be a luxury flat, as despite the opinions of critics and publishers, the book is a tremendous success with the book-buying public.
Margaret is elected Prime Minister.
Terrorists seize the Iranian Embassy, and Jeffrey turns out to be the mysterious man caught on camera scaling the outside walls to help end the siege.
Cut again to the near future. In setting the stage for the next chapter, The Last Romantic, Jeffrey tells Emma that a lady of some fame broke his heart into a thousand pieces, but whose name Emma will never know.
Chapter 4 - The Last Romantic: Jeffrey encourages Margaret to capture the Falkland Islands. While Jeffrey, Mary and Roland are at a fancy-dress (i.e., costume) party celebrating the success of the Falklands maneuver, the Grand Hotel explodes. Hearing that Margaret is inside the Grand Hotel, Jeffrey darts off -- in a Nero/Caesar toga costume -- to go rescue her with all the heroics of a superhero. As Jeffrey carries Margaret from the rubble, she tells him that he needs to end his extramarital affairs. While trying to end one, he and the mistress end up each in a Sinclair C5 (a type of very small scooter-car contraption) with Jeffrey pursuing the mistress in a high-speed chase (well, not all that high-speed, really) through the streets of town.
Cut again to the near future, where Emma repeatedly questions the veracity of Jeffrey's tales, much to Jeffrey's dismay, anger and hurt feelings. The story resumes, still in the same chapter. ...
Roland tells Jeffrey that he (Roland) got involved with some prostitutes and that one of them is blackmailing him (Roland). Roland asks Jeffrey to find out which one. Jeffrey finds out, and he arranges for someone to pay her off. But it was all a trap set by Roland to frame Jeffrey. Suddenly, the newspaper headlines read: "Tory Boss Archer Pays Vice Girl."
Chapter 5 - Tory Boss Pays Vice Girl: Margaret advises Jeffrey to tell the authorities who he's protecting. But Jeffrey says that would bring the government down. He tells her he's going to resign. She says she wanted him to be her successor.
Mary stands by Jeffrey, even though word is he slept with the prostitute in addition to paying her off. Mary encourages Jeffrey to sue for libel, saying he can win if he has an alibi for the night in question. ...
Cut again to the near future. Jeffrey tells Emma (while they are in bed together) that he asked Ted Francis to lie for him in court, pretending to be Jeffrey's alibi. Emma asks who he was with that night, but Jeffrey won't say. Emma gets angry and leaves the bedroom, but when she slams the door, a picture falls, revealing a picture of Jeffrey and Margaret beneath it. Margaret is deceased at this time in the near future, and Jeffrey is upset as he recalls what became of her. He tells Emma he is not ready to tell the story of him and Margaret. But based on the title of the biography, she persists. So he begins telling her, and the fifth chapter resumes. ...
Willie Whitelaw talks Jeffrey into sleeping with Margaret because, according to Willie, she is not herself lately and she needs it. Jeffrey, who does not need much persuasion, agrees, and the two sleep together (probably with very little actual sleeping). In the morning, Dennis Thatcher walks in with a breakfast tray and ample words of thanks for Jeffrey.
Chapter 6 - The Libel Action: Ted Francis provides the alibi Jeffrey has asked him for, and Mary is an impeccable character witness for Jeffrey's defense in court. The day of the poll tax riot, Jeffrey encounters Margaret in the street and tells her they need to end their affair because of a press leak. They each profess their deep feelings for one another. Margaret rides off into the riot on a white horse. Soon after, she despondently announces she won't contest the leadership action. Jeffrey, also despondent, goes to Princess Diana, where he and Diana relax on a sofa, commiserate and binge on junk food.
Chapter 7 - Wilderness Years: Tony Blair takes office. Jeffrey is asked to a secret meeting at a church, where he meets Blair. Blair asks Jeffrey to stand for Mayor of London. Jeffrey stands, and everyone supports him. He meets with Roland and confides that he was not with Ted Francis on that fateful night after all. Naturally, Roland does not keep Jeffrey's confidence. Jeffrey resigns as candidate for Mayor of London. Jeffrey is also charged with perjury and faces prison. The only way out is to reveal who he actually was with that night.
Jeffrey goes to see Margaret. Margaret looks a bit like Bette Davis in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane," except she is in a wedding gown. She is clearly mentally unstable and is surrounded by a slew of cats. Jeffrey decides he cannot tell the court about being with Margaret on that fateful night. He wants to protect her -- he wants people, and himself, to remember her as she was, not as she is.
So he is sent to prison. Everyone who had supported him in the past has turned their backs on him. He is alone, abandoned. Except for Razors -- his cellmate in prison and a big fan of his books. Jeffrey indulges Razors by reading his books to him in their cell. Roland shows up at the prison and has Jeffrey removed to a centuries-old, tomblike, solitary-confinement cell, while telling Jeffrey that he will be sleeping with Mary frequently while Jeffrey is incarcerated.
In the dungeon-like cell, Jeffrey meets Nigel, a smart little mouse. He trains Nigel to fetch objects, and soon the team assembles all of the technological comforts of home and office -- coffee maker, fax machine, microwave, cell phone, and more.
Cut again to the near future. Emma interjects again with doubts about the truthfulness of the story, and Jeffrey refutes her statements and resumes with the chapter. ...
While in prison, Jeffrey is visited by Blair in a drag disguise, seeking guidance from Jeffrey on a World Cup strategy. Jeffrey suggests something be planned for 2006, and Jeffrey plays an integral role in the strategy while still in prison. Jeffrey is released and, on the same day, the UK plays Germany in the 2006 World Cup in the UK and wins. Everyone adores Jeffrey once again as a result.
Cutting to the near future again, Emma mentions Blair having been killed in an airplane tragedy soon after. Then she tells Jeffrey that she has done some research and has discovered that Margaret was in New York on the night that Jeffrey says they had slept together (the alibi night). Emma asks Jeffrey again where he was that night, and she discovers another hidden picture -- one of Jeffrey and Diana. Jeffrey tells her the truth -- he was with Diana that night. And the seventh chapter continues. ...
The story returns to the evening on which Jeffrey and Diana were relaxing on the couch and binging on junk food (see chapter 6). But this time, Jeffrey and Diana admit their love for one another, and they spend the night together. A relationship blossoms, and another time together, while Roland secretly spies on them, Diana tells Jeffrey about a scandalous family secret: The queen had a child out of wedlock when she was in her teens, the child died at age 18, and only a handful of people know about this. She also tells him she is going to divorce Charles.
Suddenly, the people aware of the Queen's scandal start dying mysteriously. Prince Philip warns Jeffrey and Diana to end their affair, but they defy him and make plans to marry as soon as they are legally able.
Cut to the near future once again. Jeffrey shows Emma the engagement ring, which he wears on a chain around his neck, telling Emma he never got to give it to her. ... The chapter continues. ...
Following Diana's death, Jeffrey goes to the roof of Buckingham Palace to lower the flag to half-staff. On his way up, Roland stops him, telling him that he, Jeffrey, is the child born of the Queen in her teens. As proof, he gives Jeffrey the cap to the elegant pen Jeffrey has carried from that baby basket all his life. Philip shows up and tells Jeffrey that he is Jeffrey's father. Philip tells Jeffrey it is time for him to take his rightful place in the Royal Family, but only with one condition: Jeffrey must forget about Diana. Jeffrey refuses and resumes his quest to lower the flag. He and Roland brawl, Jeffrey overcomes Roland, and Jeffrey lowers the flag. As Jeffrey walks down the stairs inside the Palace, the staff people applaud him.
Cut to the near future for the final time, where Emma realizes that this was why Jeffrey was put in prison. Jeffrey expresses that he accepts what has happened to him, both good and bad. He is who he is. A man. Jeffrey Howard Archer.
Then Roland enters the room, telling Jeffrey that the President is on the phone and wishes to speak with Jeffrey, or rather, with Prime Minister Jeffrey Archer.
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Performance Details: The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour - W.H. Auden
Project type: Poetry reading
Synopsis: Since January 2004, Josephine Hart has been hosting The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at monthly readings at the British Library in London. Josephine Hart devotes each evening to one or two poets, introducing and setting their poems in context. As she puts it, "An understanding of the life and philosophy of the poet illuminates the poetry and therefore makes the experience of reading or listening to each poem more intense." The readings by some of our finest actors then ignite the poems. The aim of the poetry hour is to reach a wide audience, namely schoolchildren who may not have been exposed to poetry in the best way. Josephine Hart hopes that by "guiding the reader through the poems in relationship to the poet's life, I hope to help people read the poetry again -- or to read them for the first time." The relevance of poetry to the world today is huge, it can provide one "with a route map through the world and its worldliness. ... Without poetry I would have found life less comprehensible, less bearable, and infinitely less enjoyable." All proceeds net of costs go to the Actor's Centre, a unique space in the heart of London where those who practice the craft of acting can strive for excellence.
Chronology: This poetry reading, featuring the works of W. H. Auden, took place at the British Library in London on September 28, 2005.
Principal Cast & Crew: Marton Csokas as Reader; Damian Lewis as Reader; Harriet Walter as Reader; Presented and Introduced by Josephine Hart.
Links:
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Performance Details: The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour - John Milton
Project type: Poetry reading
Synopsis: Since January 2004, Josephine Hart has been hosting The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at monthly readings at the British Library in London. Josephine Hart devotes each evening to one or two poets, introducing and setting their poems in context. As she puts it, "An understanding of the life and philosophy of the poet illuminates the poetry and therefore makes the experience of reading or listening to each poem more intense." The readings by some of our finest actors then ignite the poems. The aim of the poetry hour is to reach a wide audience, namely schoolchildren who may not have been exposed to poetry in the best way. Josephine Hart hopes that by "guiding the reader through the poems in relationship to the poet's life, I hope to help people read the poetry again -- or to read them for the first time." The relevance of poetry to the world today is huge, it can provide one "with a route map through the world and its worldliness. ... Without poetry I would have found life less comprehensible, less bearable, and infinitely less enjoyable." All proceeds net of costs go to the Actor's Centre, a unique space in the heart of London where those who practice the craft of acting can strive for excellence.
Chronology: This poetry reading, featuring the works of John Milton, took place at the British Library in London on February 22, 2006.
Principal Cast & Crew: Joanna David as Reader; Julian Glover as Reader; Damian Lewis as Reader; Presented and Introduced by Josephine Hart.
Links:
| An audio recording of this production, taped at the British Library on February 22, 2006, is available for listening at the British Library Sound Archives, Euston Road, London. Appointments are recommended (and perhaps required), and the recording is available only for on-site listening. It is not available for loan, rental, duplication or purchase. For information, visit the British Library Sound Archives site or search the catalog using the keywords "damian lewis". |
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Performance Details: The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour - World War One Poets
Project type: Poetry reading
Synopsis: Since January 2004, Josephine Hart has been hosting The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at monthly readings at the British Library in London. Josephine Hart devotes each evening to one or two poets, introducing and setting their poems in context. As she puts it, "An understanding of the life and philosophy of the poet illuminates the poetry and therefore makes the experience of reading or listening to each poem more intense." The readings by some of our finest actors then ignite the poems. The aim of the poetry hour is to reach a wide audience, namely schoolchildren who may not have been exposed to poetry in the best way. Josephine Hart hopes that by "guiding the reader through the poems in relationship to the poet's life, I hope to help people read the poetry again -- or to read them for the first time." The relevance of poetry to the world today is huge, it can provide one "with a route map through the world and its worldliness. ... Without poetry I would have found life less comprehensible, less bearable, and infinitely less enjoyable." All proceeds net of costs go to the Actor's Centre, a unique space in the heart of London where those who practice the craft of acting can strive for excellence.
Chronology: This poetry reading, featuring the works of World War I poets including Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke, Edmund Blunden, Herbert Read, Philip Johnstone, Helen McKay, Rose Macaulay, Vera Brittain, Eleanor Farjeon, Cyril Horne, Alfred Noyes and Rudyard Kipling, took place at the British Library in London on June 5, 2007.
Principal Cast & Crew: Robert Hardy as Reader; Damian Lewis as Reader; Elizabeth McGovern as Reader; Dan Stevens as Reader; Presented and Introduced by Josephine Hart.
Links:
| An audio recording of this production, taped at the British Library on June 5, 2007, is available for listening at the British Library Sound Archives, Euston Road, London. Appointments are recommended (and perhaps required), and the recording is available only for on-site listening. It is not available for loan, rental, duplication or purchase. For information, visit the British Library Sound Archives site or search the catalog using the keywords "damian lewis". |
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Performance Details: The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour - TS Eliot's The Waste Land
Project type: Poetry reading
Synopsis: Since January 2004, Josephine Hart has been hosting The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at monthly readings at the British Library in London. Josephine Hart devotes each evening to one or two poets, introducing and setting their poems in context. As she puts it, "An understanding of the life and philosophy of the poet illuminates the poetry and therefore makes the experience of reading or listening to each poem more intense." The readings by some of our finest actors then ignite the poems. The aim of the poetry hour is to reach a wide audience, namely schoolchildren who may not have been exposed to poetry in the best way. Josephine Hart hopes that by "guiding the reader through the poems in relationship to the poet's life, I hope to help people read the poetry again -- or to read them for the first time." The relevance of poetry to the world today is huge, it can provide one "with a route map through the world and its worldliness. ... Without poetry I would have found life less comprehensible, less bearable, and infinitely less enjoyable." All proceeds net of costs go to the Actor's Centre, a unique space in the heart of London where those who practice the craft of acting can strive for excellence.
Chronology: This special edition poetry reading, which took place at the British Library in London on March 3, 2008, was dedicated to Eliot's masterwork The Waste Land. The Waste Land has become a familiar touchstone of modern literature. Eliot explores the possibilities of dramatic monologue, but it is perhaps the disjointed nature of the poem, the way it jumps from one adopted manner to another, the way it moves between different voices and makes use of phrases in foreign languages, that is the most distinctive feature of the poem's style. The 434-line modernist masterpiece, which opens with the line "April is the cruellest month", is one of the most widely-quoted, and best-known pieces of poetry to have been written in the 20th century. This sold-out event is part of the British Library's Breaking the Rules events programme.
Principal Cast & Crew: Damian Lewis as Reader; Harriet Walter as Reader; Presented and Introduced by Josephine Hart.
Links:
| An audio recording of this production, taped at the British Library on March 3, 2008, is available for listening at the British Library Sound Archives, Euston Road, London. Appointments are recommended (and perhaps required), and the recording is available only for on-site listening. It is not available for loan, rental, duplication or purchase. For information, visit the British Library Sound Archives site or search the catalog using the keywords "damian lewis". |
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Performance Details: The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour - W.H. Auden
Project type: Poetry reading
Synopsis: Since January 2004, Josephine Hart has been hosting The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at monthly readings at the British Library in London. Josephine Hart devotes each evening to one or two poets, introducing and setting their poems in context. As she puts it, "An understanding of the life and philosophy of the poet illuminates the poetry and therefore makes the experience of reading or listening to each poem more intense." The readings by some of our finest actors then ignite the poems. The aim of the poetry hour is to reach a wide audience, namely schoolchildren who may not have been exposed to poetry in the best way. Josephine Hart hopes that by "guiding the reader through the poems in relationship to the poet's life, I hope to help people read the poetry again -- or to read them for the first time." The relevance of poetry to the world today is huge, it can provide one "with a route map through the world and its worldliness. ... Without poetry I would have found life less comprehensible, less bearable, and infinitely less enjoyable." All proceeds net of costs go to the Actor's Centre, a unique space in the heart of London where those who practice the craft of acting can strive for excellence.
Chronology: This poetry reading, featuring the works of W. H. Auden, took place at the British Library in London on May 19, 2009.
Principal Cast & Crew: Damian Lewis as Reader; Helen McCrory as Reader; Presented and Introduced by Josephine Hart.
Links:
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Performance Details: The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour: Auden - Truth Out Of Time
Project type: Poetry reading
Synopsis: Since January 2004, Josephine Hart has been hosting The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at monthly readings at the British Library and other locations in London. Josephine Hart devotes each evening to one or two poets, introducing and setting their poems in context. As she puts it, "An understanding of the life and philosophy of the poet illuminates the poetry and therefore makes the experience of reading or listening to each poem more intense." The readings by some of our finest actors then ignite the poems. The aim of the poetry hour is to reach a wide audience, namely schoolchildren who may not have been exposed to poetry in the best way. Josephine Hart hopes that by "guiding the reader through the poems in relationship to the poet's life, I hope to help people read the poetry again -- or to read them for the first time." The relevance of poetry to the world today is huge, it can provide one "with a route map through the world and its worldliness. ... Without poetry I would have found life less comprehensible, less bearable, and infinitely less enjoyable." All proceeds net of costs go to the Actor's Centre, a unique space in the heart of London where those who practice the craft of acting can strive for excellence.
Chronology: This poetry reading, featuring the works of W. H. Auden, took place at the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre in London on May 17, 2010. Poems read by Damian at the event included The Unknown Citizen, O Tell Me The Truth About Love, and Funeral Blues.
Principal Cast & Crew: Dame Eileen Atkins as Reader; Jeremy Irons as Reader; Damian Lewis as Reader; Presented and Introduced by Josephine Hart.
Links:
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Performance Details: The Josephine Hart Poetry Programme
Project type: Radio recording
Synopsis: This four-part radio programme features poetry readings from the Josephine Hart Poetry Hour. Since January 2004, Josephine Hart has been hosting The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour at monthly readings at the British Library in London. Josephine Hart devotes each evening to one or two poets, introducing and setting their poems in context. As she puts it, "An understanding of the life and philosophy of the poet illuminates the poetry and therefore makes the experience of reading or listening to each poem more intense." The readings by some of our finest actors then ignite the poems. The aim of the poetry hour is to reach a wide audience, namely schoolchildren who may not have been exposed to poetry in the best way. Josephine Hart hopes that by "guiding the reader through the poems in relationship to the poet's life, I hope to help people read the poetry again -- or to read them for the first time." The relevance of poetry to the world today is huge, it can provide one "with a route map through the world and its worldliness. ... Without poetry I would have found life less comprehensible, less bearable, and infinitely less enjoyable." All proceeds net of costs go to the Actor's Centre, a unique space in the heart of London where those who practice the craft of acting can strive for excellence.
Chronology: This four-part series was presented on BBC Radio 4 in the UK in four weekly 30-minute installments in its Book Club programme from April 13, 2008, through May 4, 2008. The first part of this series is from the Josephine Hart Poetry Hour - World War One Poets, recorded at The British Library on June 5, 2007; Damian reads Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen, and joins the other actors in reading Dolores by Cyril Horne, The Victory Ball by Alfred Noyes, and Epitaphs Of The War by Rudyard Kipling.
Principal Cast & Crew: Robert Hardy as Reader; Damian Lewis as Reader; Elizabeth McGovern as Reader; Dan Stevens as Reader; Presented and Introduced by Josephine Hart; Produced by Fiona Couper.
Links:
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Performance Details: Keane
Project type: Cinematic film
Synopsis: A man contending with mental illness searches for his missing daughter while befriending the near-same-age daughter of a neighbor. This is the story of a tormented and tortured man whose every waking moment is a negotiation between sanity and despair. Homeless and on his own, he desperately searches -- with no assistance from anyone -- for his missing daughter in New York City, carrying a photo of the child from a several-weeks-old newspaper. He mutters and rambles as he searches, and sometimes launches into irrational violence and public outbursts. In a rare moment of clarity, Keane comes to the aid of a woman and her daughter, Kira, when they are threatened with eviction. This connection with others offers Keane a reprieve from his own nightmare and, perhaps, a chance at regaining stability. But much tension and suspense follow as the story progresses.
Chronology: In production from February 2004 through about May 2004. Released gradually in cinemas in selected US cities from September 9, 2005 (New York City), through the spring of 2006. Released in cinemas in France on September 21, 2005; Switzerland on November 16, 2005; Greece on December 15, 2005; the UK on September 22, 2006; and Spain on May 11, 2007. Released in cinemas in Israel on June 28, 2007. Released in cinemas in the Netherlands on August 14, 2008. Released on region 1 DVD in the US on March 21, 2006; region 2 DVD in France on March 23, 2006; region 2 DVD in the UK on January 22, 2007; and region 4 DVD in Australia on March 14, 2007.
Film Festivals & Other Special Screenings:
Awards & Nominations:
Damian received the following nomination:
This production also received the following awards:
This production also received the following nominations:
Principal Cast & Crew: Chris Bauer as Bartender; Abigail Breslin as Kira Bedik; Liza Colon-Zayas as 1st Ticket Agent; Brenda Denmark as Commuter; Ray Fitzgerald as 2nd Bus Driver / Ticket Taker; Lev Gorn as Drug Dealer; Stephen Henderson as Garage Employee; Tina Holmes as Michelle; Damian Lewis as William Keane; Mellini Kantayya as Newsstand Cashier; Phil McGlaston as 2nd Cab Driver; Yvette Mercedes as Woman In Department Store; Sean Modica as Ice Rink Employee; Omar Rodriguez as Garage Manager; Amy Ryan as Lynn Bedik; Alexander Robert Scott as 1st Cab Driver; Ted Sod as Gas Station Attendant; John Tormey as 2nd Ticket Agent; Christopher Evan Welch as Motel Clerk; Ed Wheeler as 1st Bus Driver / Ticket Taker; Sharon Wilkins as 3rd Ticket Agent; Frank Wood as Assaulted Commuter; Written by Lodge Kerrigan; Directed by Lodge Kerrigan.
Links:
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Performance Details: Keep On Running: 50 Years Of Island Records
Project type: Television documentary film
Synopsis: Through interviews, news archive footage and performance footage, this 90-minute documentary tells the story of Island Records, the Jamaican-founded record label built by maverick boss Chris Blackwell which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2009. The film covers the label's part in bringing reggae music into the world; its expansion into progressive rock in the late 1960s; the rise of Bob Marley into a global star; and the label's reputation for consistently signing, producing and championing innovative acts from the UK and all over the world.
Chronology: Filmed in early 2009. UK television premiere on BBC 4 on June 5, 2009. Presented again on BBC 4 television in the UK on June 6, 2009; August 28, 2009; June 18, 2010; and March 13, 2011.
Principal Cast & Crew: Ian Anderson as Himself; The B52s as Themselves; Chris Blackwell as Himself; Kid Creole as Himself; Spencer Davis as Himself; Brian Eno as Himself; PJ Harvey as Herself; Toots Hibbert as Himself; Trevor Horn as Himself; Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens as Himself; Grace Jones as Herself; Keane as Themselves; Greg Lake as Himself; Damian Lewis as Narrator; Sly and Robbie as Themselves; Richard Thompson as Himself; U2 as Themselves; Paul Weller as Himself; Amy Winehouse as Herself; Directed by Stuart Watts.
Links:
RETURN TO DAMIAN'S DOMINION: PERFORMANCE GUIDE
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