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The biggest ever symphony; smoking on stage; Ben Mezrich

Mark Lawson reports on a rare performance of Havergal Brian's epic Gothic symphony. Ben Mezrich discusses his follow-up to the book which inspired the film The Social Network.

With Mark Lawson.

Havergal Brian's epic Gothic symphony demands a vast orchestra, choirs and unusual percussion effects. Conductor Martyn Brabbins discusses how he's leading 1000 musicians and performers through this rarely-heard piece, in a performance at the 大象传媒 Proms on Sunday.

Ben Mezrich's book about the founding of Facebook inspired the Oscar-winning film The Social Network. His new book also focuses on a true story: Sex on the Moon is the tale of the daring theft of lunar rocks from NASA. Mezrich reflects on the art and the ethics of writing non-fiction in the style of fiction.

A London theatre recently warned its audiences that the actors would be smoking on stage for much of the evening. Mark reports on why the theatre is allowed to remain a public building which permits smoking, including the views of actors Kristin Scott Thomas and Dominic West and director Simon Godwin.

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30 minutes

Chapters

  • Ben Mezrich

    • Ben Mezrich

      Author Ben Mezrich talks about his latest book, Sex on the Moon.

      Duration: 11:38

  • The Gothic

    • The Gothic

      Mark Lawson reports on a rare performance of Havergal Brian's epic Gothic symphony

      Duration: 08:47

  • Smoking on Stage

    • Smoking on Stage

      Kristen Scott Thomas, Dominic West and others talk about the perils of smoking on stage

      Duration: 06:56

Broadcast

  • Fri 15 Jul 2011 19:15

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