BBC Radio 3 Monday to Friday next week at approximately 22:45 to 23:00

BBC - BBC Radio 3 Programmes - The Essay, On Directing, Emma Rice

Nick


"In the first essay of the series, Roger Michell reflects on the mix of emotion he feels on the first day of any production, and allows us to accompany him as he travels to the location of his most recent film Hyde Park On Hudson.
A James Cameron film. A Rupert Goold production. The director has become an acclaimed and authoritative figure - even a star in his own right - but the job itself remains the subject of speculation: what does a director actually do? And what is the mysterious 'process' that sees them from idea to first night? In this Essay series, five innovative practitioners of stage and screen reveal the daily grind of a craft which, despite books and interviews on the subject, remains opaque.
Roger Michell's career has spanned theatre, television and film. Earlier in his career, he worked at the Royal Court and the RSC, where he eventually became a resident director. He continues to divide his time between theatre and film, and recent stage productions include Rope (The Almeida) and Tribes (Royal Court). For BBC television he directed The Buddha of Suburbia (1993) and Persuasion (1995). Some of his films include Notting Hill (1999), Changing Lanes (2002), The Mother (2003), Enduring Love (2004), Venus (2006) and Morning Glory (2010).
Later this year he will direct Richard Nelson's Farewell To The Theatre at the Hampstead Theatre, and then Joe Penhall's new play Birthday at the Royal Court. His latest film Hyde Park On Hudson, starring Bill Murray as Roosevelt, will be released in cinemas this year.
The series is produced by Sasha Yevtushenko."


The series also features Emma Rice, Bartlett Sher, Josie Rourke and Mike Figgis.