Showing titles in Entertainment & Performing Arts

At the age of 17, in the glory days of moviemaking, Piper Laurie was living every little girl's dream. A contract star with Universal, Piper was elevated to the heights of Hollywood, her name emblazoned on 1950s marquees across America for hit movies like The Prince Who Was a Thief, The Mississippi Gambler, and Ain't Misbehavin'. Meanwhile, Piper's beauty was admired by the likes of Ronald Reagan, Howard Hughes, Paul Newman, and Tony Curtis as well as dozens of directors and legions of fans.

This unique anthology of Alan Bennet's BBC radio and television work features extracts from his diaries and readings, as well as tributes to friends Russell Harty and Peter Cook.

Michael McIntyre is back with his brand-new show, Happy and Glorious. Following the record-breaking successes of Live and Laughing, Hello Wembley and Showtime, Michael returns to the stage to do what he does best: make everyday life face-achingly hilarious. Happy and Glorious was recorded at the O2, where Michael has now performed 27 times - more than any other artist in the world.

Legendary cricket broadcaster Henry Blofeld takes the listener on a journey from A-Z through the world of cricket. In his trademark charming style, Blowers goes through the alphabet, explaining some of the puzzling cricket terminology and regaling his favourite anecdotes from his 50 years in the sport, covering the most important moments in the sport's history as well as the most entertaining and amusing.

Phil Wang hates scary films. Not only does the spine tingling, adrenaline pumping, heart lurching experience make him feel queasy rather than excited, he also cannot see any value at all to horror cinema. In this series, he gives fellow comedians, friends and entertainers a rare chance to convince him otherwise. In each episode, Phil will be joined by a famous guest who has one shot at converting him by offering up the film they see as the pinnacle of the genre, in a bid to turn him to the dark side.

Ian Moore is a stand-up comedian in the UK and a husband, father of three boys, farmhand and chutney-maker in France. He is a mod in both walks of life and most of his time is spent travelling grumpily between the two. Comedian, mod and professional grump Ian Moore has had enough. Tired of being unable to park anywhere near his cramped house in a noisy town he doesn’t like, he hatches a plan to move his wife and young son to a remote corner of the Loire Valley in search of serenity and space.

Kevin Bridges - The Story So Far…Live From Glasgow is the debut from the UK’s fastest rising comedy star, recorded in May 2010 at Glasgow’s SECC arena in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 fans. Kevin’s unique brand of social commentary, astute observations and sharp one-liners arguably make him the hottest act to come out of Scotland in the last 10 years.

You start with a vision, and you deliver a compromise. You want a play to be challenging, ambitious, nuanced and complicated. You also want it to sell tickets. You want to make art, and you know you're in show business. These are some of the balancing acts that the National Theatre and this book are about. This is the inside story of 12 years at the helm of Britain's greatest theatre. It is a story of lunatic failures and spectacular successes.

BBC’s Asian Provocateur, Romesh Ranganathan recorded his debut DVD in front of a sell-out audience at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. The BAFTA nominated star takes shots at everyone from his kids to a stranger in a coffee shop. This highly-anticipated tour perfectly showcases his acerbic take on the world around him.

Noel Fielding seamlessly bridges the imagined worlds and counterculture references we have been led through courtesy of Mighty Boosh and Luxury Comedy. This is a live recording taken from his 2016 stand up tour of the UK, USA and Australia....

The complete Genius radio series, in which Dave Gorman and his celebrity guests consider the ridiculous, unworkable, but sometimes genius inventions of the public. Guests such as Stewart Lee, Johnny Vegas, Germaine Greer and Charlie Brooker peruse a parade of proposals, be they innovations, gadgets, gizmos, philosophies or follies, in an attempt to sort the worthy from the worthless. Will they unearth some genuine gems of genius? And which pitch will win the legendary Genius trophy?

A short life of Dickens which celebrates the impact of the theatre on his life and work. Two hundred years after his death, Dickens’s work is more popular than ever, in a variety of media, most of them undreamed of during his lifetime. Over the last few decades of intensive research, Dickens the man has become much better known to us and the sheer originality of his personality blazes forth as never before.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show's debut, Sepinwall and Seitz have reunited to produce The Sopranos Sessions, a collection of recaps, conversations, and critical essays covering every episode. Featuring a series of new long-form interviews with series creator David Chase, as well as selections from the authors' archival writing on the series, The Sopranos Sessions explores the show's artistry, themes, and legacy, examining its portrayal of Italian Americans, its graphic depictions of violence, and its deep connections to cinematic and television classics.

It’s Christmas Eve, and Lara anxiously anticipates the arrival of her sister, Cleo, so she can reveal a shocking family secret that has been haunting Lara since their mother’s death. By confronting revelations about their grandfather’s shameful past, Lara is hopeful that she and Cleo can make reparations and exorcise this ghost from their lives. The ghost, however, won’t be appeased so easily....

Ricky with comedian chums and eminent guests discuss the big issues. Entertaining, thought-provoking and often taboo-crunching chat about ethics, science and art. Featuring Huey Morgan, Ben Bailey Smith, Professor Brian Cox, David Baddiel, Robin Ince, Richard Dawkins, Noel Gallagher, and Sean McLoughlin.

The hilarious new live stand-up show from the star of Jonathan Creek.

In The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy shares stories about her family, her relationships, her career, good - and bad - sex, recounting the experiences that have shaped who she is today: from the riches to rags story of her childhood to her teenage quest for popularity (and boys) to becoming one of the most sought-after comedians on the planet and an outspoken advocate for women's rights.

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 16 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy. Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. Over the course of 16weekly episodes it carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo.

In great cities of the world, humanity congregates, and commerce, culture, and cosmopolitan sophistication blossom in their gardens. But in the shadows that lie beyond the broad boulevards and glare of electric lights, great cities give birth to something else. In these shadows thrives a dim underworld, peopled by nefarious characters brought together from every godforsaken corner of the globe. Can a lone policeman make a stand for decency against the godless denizens of New York’s most loathsome slum, or will he find himself consumed by the filth and depravity of nameless cults?

Kevin Bridges is in a league of his own as he blows the roof off the SSE Hydro in front of 12,000 fans with his brand-new show, A Whole Different Story. Recorded as part of his UK and Ireland tour and 16-night residency at Glasgow’s newest venue. Kevin is in explosive form as he mixes economic theory, art history and diet tips with the rigors of growing up and adapting to his new found place in the world. It is a comic masterpiece.