Patrick Radden Keefe on the Sackler family, Iestyn Davies performs live, sustainable theatre episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 24, 2023 · 42 MIN

Patrick Radden Keefe on the Sackler family, Iestyn Davies performs live, sustainable theatre

from Front Row · host BBC Radio 4

Patrick Radden Keefe, who has been shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize of Prizes award, discusses his book Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. It tells the shocking story of the Sackler family and the part their company, Purdue Pharma, played in America's opioid crisis.“The word ‘divine’,” Iestyn Davies says, ”has changed its meaning to indicate nowadays beauty as well as Divinity.” The songs countertenor Iestyn Davies has selected for his new album, Divine Music: An English Songbook, reflect this change. There are settings by Purcell, Britten and Butterworth and words by Shakespeare, de la Mare and Housman. That prolific artist Anonymous makes a significant contribution, too. Iestyn Davies talks to Tom Sutcliffe about his choices and, accompanied by pianist Joseph Middleton, performs one of them, appropriately titled, ‘A Hymn on Divine Music’.Theatre is not only becoming increasingly focused on telling stories about our climate crisis, but also thinking more about how sustainably it actually stages those stories. Paddy Dillon, theatre architect and founder of the Theatre Green Book, and Kate McGrath, director of Fuel Theatre Company, talk about cutting the carbon footprint of fixed theatres and touring productions. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Julian May

Patrick Radden Keefe, who has been shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize of Prizes award, discusses his book Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. It tells the shocking story of the Sackler family and the part their company, Purdue Pharma, played in America's opioid crisis.“The word ‘divine’,” Iestyn Davies says, ”has changed its meaning to indicate nowadays beauty as well as Divinity.” The songs countertenor Iestyn Davies has selected for his new album, Divine Music: An English Songbook, reflect this change. There are settings by Purcell, Britten and Butterworth and words by Shakespeare, de la Mare and Housman. That prolific artist Anonymous makes a significant contribution, too. Iestyn Davies talks to Tom Sutcliffe about his choices and, accompanied by pianist Joseph Middleton, performs one of them, appropriately titled, ‘A Hymn on Divine Music’.Theatre is not only becoming increasingly focused on telling stories about our climate crisis, but also thinking more about how sustainably it actually stages those stories. Paddy Dillon, theatre architect and founder of the Theatre Green Book, and Kate McGrath, director of Fuel Theatre Company, talk about cutting the carbon footprint of fixed theatres and touring productions. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Julian May

NOW PLAYING

Patrick Radden Keefe on the Sackler family, Iestyn Davies performs live, sustainable theatre

0:00 42:09

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Front Row?

This episode is 42 minutes long.

When was this Front Row episode published?

This episode was published on April 24, 2023.

What is this episode about?

Patrick Radden Keefe, who has been shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize of Prizes award, discusses his book Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. It tells the shocking story of the Sackler family and the part their...

Can I download this Front Row episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!