Margaret Atwood's The Testaments reviewed, Ryan Wigglesworth, Robert Battle - podcast episode cover

Margaret Atwood's The Testaments reviewed, Ryan Wigglesworth, Robert Battle

Sep 05, 201928 min
--:--
--:--
Download Metacast podcast app
Listen to this episode in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episode description

Margaret Atwood's long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid's Tale - The Testaments - is due to be published next Tuesday, but following the release of a number of copies by Amazon, reviewers have managed to obtain early copies. M J Hyland reviews Atwood's sequel which takes place 15 years after the original tale of Gilead.

In 1958 Alvin Ailey, aware that there were few opportunities for African-American dancers and choreographers, founded a company to tell the stories of black people through movement. Since then the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has become one of the most popular modern ensembles in the world. The company's artistic director, Robert Battle, talks to Kirsty Lang about its history, ambition and that constant difficulty – how to get boys to dance.

Conductor, composer and pianist Ryan Wigglesworth is playing all three roles in this year's BBC Proms. He discusses the challenge, and considers how his early experience as a chorister influenced his future compositions.

Presenter Kirsty Lang Producer Jerome Weatherald

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android