Front Row - 101 Dalmations prequel, Cruella; Two Tone Exhibition in Coventry, City of Culture; new play The Merthyr Stigmatist
Disney’s much-anticipated 101 Dalmatians prequel Cruella is the visually stunning origin story of the woman who becomes the puppy-stealing force of evil from Dodie Smith’s original 1956 story. Starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson and directed by I, Tonya’s Craig Gillespie, it is set in late '70s London and channels much of punk’s dark energy and aesthetic. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh joins Front Row to assess whether it makes for compelling viewing – and for what age group.
2 Tone: Lives & Legacies is the first major exhibition dedicated to the music, the message, and the memorabilia of the ska movement. As it opens at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum to mark the start of Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture 2021, Pauline Black, founding member and lead singer of The Selecter, talks to Samira about the impact 2 Tone had on her and British culture.
“Why shouldn’t God send a miracle to Merthyr?” asks Carys, the 16-year-old girl in The Merthyr Stigmatist. She claims to have the wounds of Christ, bleeding from her hands and feet every Friday evening. Her teacher, Siân, isn’t convinced; she thinks Carys should keep quiet, get out of the Merthyr Tydfil and go to university. But why should she have to leave to lead a fulfilling life? Lisa Parry’s talks about her new play, in which faith, reason, class, fame and language all collide.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Julian May
Main image: 2 Tone band The Selecter's lead singer Pauline Black in 1979
Published on Wednesday, 26th May 2021.
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