This year’s Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, which runs from
10th to19th October, plays host to a number of events exploring the
world of theatre, acting and film:
Saturday 11 October 11am-12.15pm | C2 The Centaur | £14
JULIE WALTERS
From Educating Rita to Harry Potter, Julie Walters is
one of our most popular actresses and comediennes, earning critical
acclaim and numerous awards. With characteristic wit and candour she
presents her new autobiography and discusses the highs and the lows
of her remarkable life.
Saturday 11 October 8.45-10pm| C6 The Centaur | £12
ROGER MOORE
From iconic roles in The Saint and The Persuaders to
his suave performance as 007, the legendary Roger Moore has entertained
generations of cinema goers. In a Cheltenham exclusive he considers
his career on the big and small screen and presents his autobiography,
My Word is my Bond.
Sunday 12 October 12-1pm | Main Hall | £9
Shakespeare on Stage
TIM PIGGOTT-SMITH
Shakespeare and Me
Stage and screen actor Tim Piggott-Smith joins Fiona Lindsay to consider
the influence of Shakespeare on his life and career. Perhaps best
known for his award winning role in The Jewel In The Crown,
he discusses his career as an actor and director.
Sunday 12 October 1.45-3pm | C8 The Centaur | £12
RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH
From Brighton Rock to Jurassic Park, Oscar winner Richard Attenborough
is a screen legend as both actor and director, and a passionate advocate
of British cinema. In this exclusive Festival event he discusses memorable
scenes from his life on and off the screen and his memoir Entirely
up to you, Darling.
Sunday 12 October 2-3pm | Everyman Theatre | £10
Shakespeare on Stage
BECOMING CLEOPATRA
Arguably the most significant female role for the stage, Cleopatra
represents the pinnacle of an actress’ career. RSC actresses
Harriet Walter, Janet Suzman and Noma Dumezweni
consider the transition from drama school to Queen of the Nile.
Sunday 12 October 8-10pm (inc. interval) | Everyman Theatre | £9
MICHAEL PENNINGTON
Sweet William
Leading actor and director Michael Pennington presents Sweet William,
his much-applauded one-man Shakespeare show, weaving together his
own stage experiences with aspects of the playwright’s life and
work. From Hamlet and King Lear to Love’s Labour’s
Lost and Pericles, he brings to life some great Shakespearean
moments, and reveals some of the playwright’s hidden gems.
Wednesday 15 October 12-1pm | Town Hall | £7
Dynasties
MICHAEL HOLROYD
The drama of the extraordinary lives of actor-manager Henry Irving
and actress Ellen Terry rivalled the Shakespearean plays they performed
at London’s Lyceum Theatre. In this illustrated talk, Michael
Holroyd, the biographer of Lytton Strachey, offers A Strange Eventful
History of two theatrical dynasties moving from the Victorian stage
to the modern age.
Wednesday 15 October 8.45-10pm | Everyman Theatre | £8
ELAINE PAIGE
Celebrating forty years on the West End stage, actress, singer and
producer Elaine Paige shares Memories from her glittering career.
Known for her starring roles in Evita, Cats and Chess
the undisputed first lady of British musical theatre discusses her
extraordinary career and offers a revealing, funny and personal insight
into her remarkable life.
Saturday 18 October 3.15- 4.15pm| Garden Theatre | £7
MICHAEL FRAYN
One of our pre-eminent novelists and playwrights, Michael Frayn is
the celebrated author of Spies, and plays including Noises
Off, Copenhagen and Democracy. Here he discusses
his work, as well as his new collection of writings on theatre, Stage
Directions.
Sunday 19 October 10-11am | Everyman Theatre | £7
DIRK BOGARDE
John Coldstream
Dirk Bogarde, the star of more than sixty films and the author of
fifteen bestselling volumes of memoirs and fiction, was also a brilliant
correspondent. In an illustrated talk, his official biographer, John
Coldstream, presents Ever, Dirk – The Bogarde Letters.
Sunday 19 October 12-1pm | Main Hall | £10
The Shakespeare Lecture
ANTONY SHER
Leading actor Antony Sher uses his own theatrical journey through
Shakespeare and his contemporaries to explore the uniqueness of Shakespeare’s
language and characterisations. Illustrated by speeches from the plays
and revealing stories of his own experiences on stage, he traces the
fascinating development of Shakespeare’s art from early plays
like Richard III to late masterpieces such as The Winter’s
Tale.
Sunday 19 October 2-3pm | Main Hall | £12
TONY CURTIS
Joining us from the USA, comes Tony Curtis, star of over 100 films,
including classics such as Spartacus and Some Like It Hot.
This is a rare opportunity to meet a Hollywood legend as he discusses
his life and career on screen and presents his autobiography, American
Prince.
Sunday 19 October 4-5pm | Main Hall | £15
DAWN FRENCH
From establishing one of the most successful partnerships in British
comedy with Jennifer Saunders to starring in the hugely popular Vicar
of Dibley, Dawn French is one of Britain’s best-loved comedy
actresses. Join her as she discusses her autobiography Dear Fatty.
Sunday 19 October 6-7pm | Everyman Theatre | £8
JULIAN FELLOWES
From starring on screen in the acclaimed Aristocrats and Monarch
of the Glen, to writing the Oscar-winning screenplay of Gosford
Park and the bestselling novel Snobs, Julian Fellowes discusses
his wide-ranging career and his new novel Past Imperfect.
Sunday 19 October 6-7pm | Main Hall | £9
PATRICK STEWART, TIMOTHY WEST & TOM PRIESTLEY
J B Priestley
Author of An Inspector Calls, J B Priestley was one of Britain’s
best-loved writers and an influential peace campaigner after witnessing
the horrors of World War I. Actors Patrick Stewart and Timothy West
join the writer’s son, Tom Priestley, to explore Priestley’s
life and perform selections from his previously unpublished letters
from the Front and previously unheard Postscripts.
Sunday 19 October 8.30-9.45 | Book It Tent | £6
Shakespeare on Stage
KEEP ME IN MIND
Writing for Specific Actors
What difference does it make to a dramatist when they write with a
specific cast in mind? Playwright Adriano Shaplin and director Elizabeth
Freestone explore the practicalities of writing and directing a script
written for particular actors. Adriano’s work includes over a
decade with New York based collective The Riot Group and his latest
play, The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes, is being developed with
an ensemble of RSC actors. This promises to be an exclusive insight
into the writing process.
Sunday 19 October 7-8pm | Drawing Room | £7
Shakespeare on Stage
NANCY MECKLER & JONATHAN BATE
The Director’s Cut
Reinventing Shakespeare for modern audiences is at the heart of the
Royal Shakespeare Company’s work. Director Nancy Meckler, who
is well known for her cutting edge work with Shared Experience and
who directed The Comedy of Errors for the RSC in 2005 and Romeo
and Juliet in 2006, joins Jonathan Bate to consider the challenges
facing directors in staging new performances of the Bard’s work.
A full list of all events booking details can be found on the Festival's
website.
