Post by mouseinthetheatre on Mar 27, 2023 21:49:43 GMT
I have just listened to the radio 4 documentary "The Showstopper" about how the HIV/Aids crisis effected the theatre industry in the 1980's.
A fascinating insight into what happened and I'd recommend a listen. Fans of It's a Sin will appreciate the discussion of Jill Nalder, who inspired the channel 4 series.
It's available on iPlayer for the next 21 days - www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001k91r
BBC blurb below:
40 years ago the HIV virus, and the resulting disease Aids, were named. It devastated people’s lives all over the world, and brought immeasurable heartbreak to the theatre community of Broadway and the West End.
Theatre, however, became a voice of awareness, rebelling against the stigma and the destructive advertisements at the time. There were plays, one-man performances and musicals highlighting the disease and its effects on people, spreading messages of hope and support and helping to quash hurtful and misleading information.
In this programme, actor Jonathan Bailey, who performed as a child in Les Misérables in the West End at the time, tells the story of HIV/AIDS impact on the theatre community, and tells how this community supported those affected. This documentary includes powerful stories from those at the heart of the theatre community at the time, including producers Cameron Mackintosh and Nick Allott, lyricist Tim Rice and musical director Jae Alexander, alongside performers such as actor and activist Jill Nalder (Les Misérables, Oliver!), Claire Moore (Phantom of the Opera), Craig Revel Horwood, Stifyn Parri (Les Misérables, Brookside) and Make a Difference charity’s Melanie Tranter.
A fascinating insight into what happened and I'd recommend a listen. Fans of It's a Sin will appreciate the discussion of Jill Nalder, who inspired the channel 4 series.
It's available on iPlayer for the next 21 days - www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001k91r
BBC blurb below:
40 years ago the HIV virus, and the resulting disease Aids, were named. It devastated people’s lives all over the world, and brought immeasurable heartbreak to the theatre community of Broadway and the West End.
Theatre, however, became a voice of awareness, rebelling against the stigma and the destructive advertisements at the time. There were plays, one-man performances and musicals highlighting the disease and its effects on people, spreading messages of hope and support and helping to quash hurtful and misleading information.
In this programme, actor Jonathan Bailey, who performed as a child in Les Misérables in the West End at the time, tells the story of HIV/AIDS impact on the theatre community, and tells how this community supported those affected. This documentary includes powerful stories from those at the heart of the theatre community at the time, including producers Cameron Mackintosh and Nick Allott, lyricist Tim Rice and musical director Jae Alexander, alongside performers such as actor and activist Jill Nalder (Les Misérables, Oliver!), Claire Moore (Phantom of the Opera), Craig Revel Horwood, Stifyn Parri (Les Misérables, Brookside) and Make a Difference charity’s Melanie Tranter.
