Main content

Aladdin composer Alan Menken, Amitav Ghosh, Georgia boycott

Alan Menken on creating the music for Aladdin and many other Disney classics, and Amitav Ghosh discusses climate change and displacement in his latest novel, Gun Island.

At the piano, composer Alan Menken discusses his music which led the rebirth of Disney animation with hits such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, which he’s reworked for the new live-action version currently top of the box office.

Georgia's state governor has signed legislation banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected (except in reported cases of rape or incest). In response, several major production companies including Netflix and Disney have said they are considering a boycott of the state. Last year 455 film and television productions were made in Georgia, where film companies enjoy a 30% tax rebate and 92,000 people work in the industry so the impact could be significant. American film writer, Michael Carlson, considers the story.

In Amitav Ghosh’s new novel Gun Island, the protagonist Deen Datta finds himself on a journey from the muddy Sunderbans of Bangladesh – the world’s largest mangrove forest – to Los Angeles and Venice, to solve a linguistic mystery. Ghosh discusses his desire to include in his narrative the powerful issues of today: climate change, migration, and the displacement of people around the world.

Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Hannah Robins

Available now

28 minutes

Alan Menken

Alan Menken
Naomi Scott & Mena Massoud
Photo credit: Disney

Aladdin is on general release, cert PG

Main image: Mena Massoud & Will Smith 
Photo credit: Disney

Amitav Ghosh

Amitav Ghosh
John Wilson and Amitav Ghosh

Amitav Ghosh's novel Gun Island is out on 6 Jun

Broadcast

  • Thu 30 May 2019 19:15

´óÏó´«Ã½ Arts Digital

The best of British culture live and on demand.

Inspire

Inspire

A season discovering where artists find inspiration and helping listeners get creative.

Podcast