Main content

Viggo Mortensen, Alex Wheatle, William Hill Sports Book of the Year

Viggo Mortensen in new film Falling, A Christmas Carol reviewed, William Hill Sports Book of the Year winner and Alex Wheatle's lockdown discovery - dancing

Viggo Mortensen joins us live to talk about his new film, Falling, his debut as a director, which he also wrote. It's the story of a conservative father moving from his rural farm to live with his gay son's family in Los Angeles.

We’ve been hearing from figures from the creative industries about their Lockdown Discovery, something that has given them great pleasure or solace during the two lockdowns. Today, the novelist Alex Wheatle, aka the Brixton Bard, who has been working with Steve McQueen on his Small Axe series of dramas and who is the subject of this week’s film, reveals his Lockdown Discovery.

Would it be Christmas without A Christmas Carol? Even in 2020, there are still many live productions going on. A new film version by siblings Jacqui and David Morris combines voices of Simon Russell Beale, Daniel Kaluuya and Carey Mulligan with dance performances of Russell Maliphant and others. Sarah Crompton and Tobi Kyeremateng review the film and the phenomenon of Dickens’ story – is it particularly resonant this year? And they’ll consider the new National Theatre at Home subscription service as well as making their own cultural picks of the week.

The winner of this year’s William Hill Sports Book of the Year is The Rodchenkov Affair: How I Brought Down Putin’s Secret Doping Empire. Grigory Rodchenkov was the head of Russian sport’s doping programme, and this is his detailed account of how he blew the whistle on what's been described by the World Anti-Doping Agency as the biggest sporting scandal in world history. Rodchenkov had to flee Russia and is still in hiding in the US. His editor Drummond Moir discusses the story and the challenges this presented.

Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Timothy Prosser
Studio Manager: Emma Harth

Available now

42 minutes

Viggo Mortensen

Falling, cert 15,Ìýis on general release and streaming online

Main image: Viggo Mortensen


Alex Wheatle

Alex Wheatle,Ìýone of the films in Steve McQueen'sÌýSmall Axe series, is on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One on Sun 6 Dec at 9 pm

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol is on at selected cinemas and at the in London on 23 DecÌý

William Hill Sports Book Of The Year

The William Hill Sports Book Of The Year isÌýThe Rodchenkov Affair: How I Brought Down Russia's Secret Doping EmpireÌýby Grigory Rodchenkov

Broadcast

  • Fri 4 Dec 2020 19:00

´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