The most respected arts programme in the world, The South Bank Show, returns to Sky Arts on 18 April with a great line-up of in-depth interviews, showcasing the works of the finest living practitioners across the arts.

Edited and Presented by Melvyn Bragg, the new series will look at a catholic range of subjects from classical music, dance, theatre and contemporary art.

·         Tim Minchin, the controversial award-winning comedian and songwriter who has enjoyed extraordinary success with his recent project Matilda the Musical, revisits his home in Perth and discusses how his love of music theatre and satire has informed his work.

·         David Hare gives an exclusive television interview for the first time in 30 years, as he discusses his career as a leading playwright, director and Hollywood screenwriter.

·         Alison Balsom, the youngest and one of a few trumpet soloists on the world stage today. She talks with Melvyn Bragg about her intense training, gruelling schedule and performing highs

·         Alfie Boe, the tenor whose unlikely beginnings as a car mechanic have led to the most extraordinary international successes and sell-out performances on Broadway, talks candidly about his life and career in Fleetwood, Washington and the Cotswolds.

·         The series profiles Tamara Rojo, arguably one of the world’s most celebrated and popular dancers, as she takes up her biggest challenge to date – Artistic Director of English National Ballet.

·         The final episode in the series interviews Tracey Emin, Paula Rego, Paul Noble and Peter Doig, with contributions from David Hockney, Damien Hirst and Francis Bacon, as they discuss the revival of drawing and painting in Britain.   

The show came to Sky Arts in 2012. It has been a lynchpin of arts and culture broadcasting for over thirty-three years, exploring the works of some of the finest living artists, musicians, performers and writers.

“We’re delighted that The South Bank Show returns to Sky Arts with such an extraordinary line-up,” comments Melvyn Bragg. “From David Hare to Alfie Boe, Tamara Rojo to Paula Rego, these remarkable people are among the finest contemporary artists at work today and it has been a huge privilege to secure exclusive interviews and access for the series.”  

“The South Bank Show is synonymous with bringing the very best of the arts to our screens, and this is exactly what Melvyn has done with this new series,” comments James Hunt, Channel Director of Sky Arts. “We know our customers will be as delighted as we are to have such a comprehensive and fascinating insight into the worlds of these exceptional artists.”

The South Bank Show will begin on 18^th April, at 9.30pm on Sky Arts 1 HD, and will be available live and on-demand on Sky Go.

The South Bank Show line-up:

18th April: Tim Minchin

Producer: Archie Powell

·         Since his UK debut at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Tim Minchin has gone on to sell out arenas around the country with his unique blend of music comedy, stand-up and satire

·         Minchin is not afraid to court controversy, aiming his satire at anything from the Catholic Church to inflatable sex dolls

·         Melvyn Bragg talks to Minchin about his middle-class upbringing in Western Australia. The episode includes rare early archive and a gig shot exclusively by The South Bank Show

25^th April: David Hare

Producer: Gillian Greenwood

·         David Hare has been producing brilliant and controversial pieces of political theatre, dramas and Hollywood films since the 1970s

·         Melvyn Bragg speaks to David about his sense of morality and politics, discussing everything from George Bush and the Iraq War, Tony Blair, the code of morality and Bill Nighy’s wardrobe

·         There is performance, rehearsal and discussion with Rupert Everett, who recently played Oscar Wilde in Hare’s The Judas Kiss.

2^nd May: Alison Balsom

Producer: Mathew Tucker

·         Alison Balsom has twice been crowned Best Female Classical Artist at the Classical Brits and here, in her first in-depth interview, she discusses her demanding training regime and describes how as a young trumpeter, she used to practice until her lips bled

·         The South Bank Show catches up with her on the road and witnesses her performances in Dublin and Zurich

9^th May: Tamara Rojo

Producer: Suzannah Wander

·         Tamara has danced with leading ballet companies all over the world

·         This programme follows her first few months in her new role as Artistic Director of English National Ballet, and gains intimate insight into her working practices in rehearsals and on tour

16^th May: Alfie Boe

Producer: Alan Benson

·         Alfie Boe is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most popular singers

·         Here Melvyn Bragg examines his journey from car mechanic to sell-out tours in the USA, with performances at the Royal Opera House and in Les Miserablés.

·         Alfie speaks openly about his life in general and his attitudes to music, as Melvyn Bragg accompanies him back to his home town of Fleetwood, Lancashire

23^rd May: Britart: Painting is Back

Producer: James Norton

·         Tracey Emin, Paula Rego, Peter Doig and Paul Noble discuss their recent works and describe why drawing and painting is enjoying such a resurgence in popularity

·          The programme explores the power and endurance of the medium, examining why it is still the finest mean of showing the human condition and the glories of the landscape

·         David Hockney, Damien Hirst and Francis Bacon also make contributions

18^th April: Tim Minchin

25^th April: David Hare

2^nd May: Alison Balsom

 9^th May: Tamara Rojo  

16^th May: Alfie Boe

23^rd May: Britart

The South Bank Show, 9.30pm, Sky Arts 1 HD and available live and on-demand via Sky Go

For further information please contact

Katherine Solomon - PR Manager, Sky Press Office
T: 0207 032 0599
E: katherine.solomon@bskyb.com

Dominic Collett - Sky Arts Publicist, Sky Press Office
T: 0207 032 4892
E: dominic.collett@bskyb.com

Notes to editor

About Sky Arts

Sky Arts offers an eclectic mix of the best music, arts, biographies, chat shows, film, drama and comedy. Sky is the only broadcaster in the UK and Ireland with channels dedicated solely to the arts, with 48 hours of the best arts content from around the world across Sky Arts 1 and Sky Arts 2 daily. Sky Arts now reaches more than 6 million viewers every month.

Recent highlights include Playhouse Presents… a series of one-off comedies and dramas starring world-renowned talent including Jon Hamm, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Thompson, Sir Tom Jones, Brenda Blethyn, David Tennant and Alison Steadman. The channel was also responsible for resurrecting the much-loved South Bank Show and The South Bank Show Awards. Sky Arts also encourages new formats and methods for accessing the arts, working with the ENO and National Gallery to beam the world’s first live opera and first live opening night of an exhibition in 3D to cinemas across the UK and Ireland.

Sky Arts also seeks to connect with culture on the ground; creating and collaborating with the best of the arts in the UK and Ireland to bring new experiences to life. Sky Arts has collaborated with a number of arts organisations including the English National Ballet and has supported the Hay Festival as broadcast partner since 2006.

The Sky Arts Ignition Series launched in in 2011 to invest in the arts landscape of the UK. The Series will seek to collaborate with six arts organisations over the next three years in the creation of brand new works; Sky Arts Ignition Series: Futures Fund will support five young artists with a bursary of £30,000 each, enabling Sky Arts to back the creation of new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent.

Follow us on twitter @skyarts. See sky.com/arts