Latest news with #JulietStevenson
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Artist or activist? For Juliet Stevenson and her husband, Gaza leaves them with no choice
Read any celebrity-signed open letter advocating for social justice over the past few years and you'll probably spot Juliet Stevenson's name. When the veteran actor is not gracing screens or on a stage somewhere, she's out on the streets brandishing a placard or giving speeches about human rights, gender equality and the Palestinian right to self-determination. Just last month, she wrote in the Guardian about the British government's 'complicity' in the Gaza atrocities and what she called an attempt to repress civil liberties by proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group. Critics may – and they do – disparage Stevenson as a 'luvvie' engaging in typical performative liberal politics, but spend just a few minutes with the actor and her husband – the anthropologist, film-maker and writer Hugh Brody – and you quickly discover that the roots of their activism run far deeper than that. In fact, the fight for peace and justice in Palestine is something that has defined the couple's relationship for 32 years, particularly because Brody is Jewish and the son of a Holocaust survivor. 'We've both been very concerned with issues around Palestine for a very long time,' Stevenson tells me from her kitchen table in north London, where she's sitting with her husband. 'We were both absolutely horrified by what happened on 7 October. But as the onslaught on Gaza began, and the numbers of dead quickly rose, we became increasingly upset, angry and anxious about it.' 'Israel and Palestine has been a huge issue for me for the entirety of my adult life, and it was inevitably something I brought to the conversation with Juliet when we met,' Brody says. Listening to him as he delves into his family history, it's not difficult to see why. 'My mother, Gertrude Schaefer, was brought up with a sense of enormous tragedy and death, which she passed on to me. She came from an Austro-Polish family in Vienna, and was a part of the city's highly assimilated, sophisticated and cultured Jewish community. Her mother had been a student of Adler, my mother knew the Freuds.' But, after the Anschluss in 1938, when it 'became evident that it was very dangerous to be a Jew under the German occupation', Gertrude – a mere 18-year-old at the time – fled Austria for the UK with the help of some Quakers. 'She was transferred to Sheffield to work at the hospitals as a junior nurse.' Brody's grandmother eventually managed to join her daughter and her daughter's new husband (a Jewish doctor) in Sheffield. 'But by the end of the war, she discovered that almost everybody else in her family was dead.' All of this contributes towards the couple's commitment to the Palestinian cause. Stevenson and Brody have never given an interview together, but the escalating crisis in the Middle East has compelled them to move beyond artistic power couple and into the far more risky territory of campaigning. The couple are confident that Gertrude would have entirely supported their stance. 'She was a woman with a very strong sense of social justice,' Brody says. 'She was appalled by what she saw in Palestine in the last years of her life.' Stevenson talks of how much she adored her mother-in-law, whom she calls an 'absolutely brilliant' woman. 'She could have done anything, but her whole life was marked by the Holocaust. I know that she would be absolutely horrified by what's gone on in the last 21 months in Gaza, as have many of our Jewish friends. There have been some very difficult conversations around this kitchen table.' Stevenson and Brody met at a mutual friend's dinner party in 1993. She is unbelievably glad that she didn't give in to her impulse to cancel that night, she says. 'By that point I'd had to play a lot of characters in Shakespeare who fell in love at first sight, and I always thought it was ridiculous. But when I walked into the room and met Hugh, something really weird happened to me. Something shifted in my gut. All evening I sat and listened to his stories and thought: 'You are the most interesting and gorgeous man I've ever met.'' The actor's screen credits include a Bafta-nominated turn as a grieving wife in Anthony Minghella's 1990 film Truly, Madly, Deeply (opposite Alan Rickman), a hapless mother in Bend it Like Beckham, and a nurse in Mona Lisa Smile. On stage, she has been in productions including Measure for Measure, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Death and the Maiden – for which she received the Olivier award for best actress. Her calendar remains jam-packed: she recently starred in the Virginia Gilbert film Reawakening, the BBC series Wolf, and Robert Icke's play The Doctor (which was, ironically, about a doctor cancelled for standing up for her principles). But much of what has been occupying her recently is helping to organise a fundraising event with Health Workers 4 Palestine, a grassroots group of medical workers who came together to support colleagues in Gaza. Voices of Solidarity, an evening of music, comedy and spoken word taking place at the Troxy in London on 19 July, is billed as the UK's largest cultural fundraiser for Palestine and aims to raise £1m for medicines and medical equipment. Stevenson will also be doing a reading on the night, alongside a lineup that includes Bassem Youssef, Paloma Faith, Khalid Abdalla and Alexei Sayle. She says it is more important than ever for those with a platform to speak for the voiceless. Both she and Brody believe 'a fear of being branded as antisemitic' is a big factor in many people's silence. 'In my industry, every institution, every arts organisation who could and should be standing up is too frightened, because of the risk of losing money and sponsorship,' she says. 'It kind of makes you crazy, because you think: have you not seen the footage of Israelis in Israel sitting in the streets holding pictures of dead Palestinian children and saying, 'not in our name'? Have you not seen the hundreds of rabbis sitting down in Grand Central station in New York and saying, 'not in our name'? Have you not seen the Jewish bloc at the protests on Saturdays in London streets saying, 'not in our name'?' 'This equation of anti-Zionism and antisemitism has been a very difficult thing for me and many others,' Brody says. 'It's an absurdity and an ideological trap. It lays the foundation for a whole new kind of antisemitism. My view of Israel evolves, my relationship to Zionism changes, but my Jewishness hasn't changed. That's fixed.' The evolution Brody is talking about has taken place over the course of several decades, and was recorded in his 2022 book, Landscapes of Silence. He speaks at length about the months he spent as a 19-year-old living in a socialist kibbutz on the border of Israel and Gaza, and the 'extraordinary egalitarianism' that filled him with hope and excitement. 'As someone brought up in the shadow of the Holocaust, Israel represented to me, and to my family, a place of safety in a world that was deeply and chronically unsafe,' he says. But the events of the subsequent years seeded a dichotomy within him. With each conflict, he says, he was torn between a deep need for Israel and growing outrage over the actions of the Israeli state. 'It became a question in my mind: what has happened here? Whatever bit of idealism might have been there faded away.' Then came the horrifying events of 7 October and the Netanyahu government's subsequent war on Gaza. 'That war has grown into a genocide,' he says, 'and a point comes where the silence must be broken. The crimes have to be challenged. If we care for the safety and survival of Israel, all the more reason to protest as loudly as possible against its current regime.' The international court of justice is weighing the charge of genocide against Israel. According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's campaign in Gaza (a robust independent survey recently put the count at almost 84,000). The war was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas's attack killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 hostage. Stevenson's anger extends to the UK government's 'moral bankruptcy' and what she describes as the mainstream media's 'shameful' coverage of the situation in Gaza. She mentions the selling of arms to Israel, the proscription of Palestine Action, attempts to ban Kneecap from Glastonbury, and the uproar over Bob Vylan's set. 'That weekend when Bob Vylan was on the front of every newspaper and the subject of every talkshow, something like 90 starving Palestinians were shot dead in Gaza while queueing for food. Nobody covered that at all,' she says. Stevenson and Brody have two children together – a son and a daughter – but Brody's first son from a previous relationship, Tomo, died suddenly in 2020 at the age of 37. The tragedy has given the couple first-hand experience of the grief that surrounds the loss of a child. I ask the actor what she thinks the connection is between art and activism, whether it's the case that both require you to communicate the entirety of the human experience, including its unbearable tragedies. 'I've been negotiating that myself,' she says. 'I've talked to Hugh so much about how exactly I can help. I always try to bring the human story to crowds, to appeal to the Jo Cox principle, that we have more in common than that which divides us.' 'Can I say something about the connection between Juliet's art and Juliet's activism?' Brody says. 'There are some words that come to mind to describe Juliet's qualities on stage and on screen. Words like clarity, integrity and seeking truth in the text. She is transcendently wonderful on stage because of these characteristics, but they are inseparable from her commitment to speaking truth.' At this point Stevenson tears up and begins rubbing her husband's back. 'That's making me cry,' she says. 'I'm not being soppy, but I find this concealing or manipulation of the truth unbearable. People's babies are being shot, children are being buried under rubble. Unspeakable trauma is being inflicted on children and parents.' Does she ever fear the repercussions of her activism on her career? Actors such as Melissa Barrera and Susan Sarandon were dropped by Hollywood companies for their comments on Israel and Palestine. 'I do, as do my kids. But I just don't feel like I've got a choice. Does my career really matter, alongside what's going on in Gaza? 'I look at younger actors, and I completely understand why they feel too frightened to speak. They have everything to lose. But I enjoy a lot of status in the industry. I've done a huge amount of work and I continue to work. What really matters to me is that when I get to the end, I can look back and know that I did what I thought was right at the time.' This article was amended on 13 July 2025. An earlier version said that the character Nina in Truly, Madly, Deeply was a cellist. In fact, her husband Jamie was the cellist.
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Artist or activist? For Juliet Stevenson and her husband, Gaza leaves them with no choice
Read any celebrity-signed open letter advocating for social justice over the past few years and you'll probably spot Juliet Stevenson's name. When the veteran actor is not gracing screens or on a stage somewhere, she's out on the streets brandishing a placard or giving speeches about human rights, gender equality and the Palestinian right to self-determination. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Just last month, she wrote in the Guardian about the British government's 'complicity' in the Gaza atrocities and what she called an attempt to repress civil liberties by proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group. Critics may – and they do – disparage Stevenson as a 'luvvie' engaging in typical performative liberal politics, but spend just a few minutes with the actor and her husband – the anthropologist, film-maker and writer Hugh Brody – and you quickly discover that the roots of their activism run far deeper than that. In fact, the fight for peace and justice in Palestine is something that has defined the couple's relationship for 32 years, particularly because Brody is Jewish and the son of a Holocaust survivor. 'We've both been very concerned with issues around Palestine for a very long time,' Stevenson tells me from her kitchen table in north London, where she's sitting with her husband. 'We were both absolutely horrified by what happened on 7 October. But as the onslaught on Gaza began, and the numbers of dead quickly rose, we became increasingly upset, angry and anxious about it.' 'Israel and Palestine has been a huge issue for me for the entirety of my adult life, and it was inevitably something I brought to the conversation with Juliet when we met,' Brody says. Listening to him as he delves into his family history, it's not difficult to see why. 'My mother, Gertrude Schaefer, was brought up with a sense of enormous tragedy and death, which she passed on to me. She came from an Austro-Polish family in Vienna, and was a part of the city's highly assimilated, sophisticated and cultured Jewish community. Her mother had been a student of Adler, my mother knew the Freuds.' But, after the Anschluss in 1938, when it 'became evident that it was very dangerous to be a Jew under the German occupation', Gertrude – a mere 18-year-old at the time – fled Austria for the UK with the help of some quakers. 'She was transferred to Sheffield to work at the hospitals as a junior nurse.' Brody's grandmother eventually managed to join her daughter and her daughter's new husband (a Jewish doctor) in Sheffield. 'But by the end of the war, she discovered that almost everybody else in her family was dead.' All of this contributes towards the couple's commitment to the Palestinian cause. Stevenson and Brody (82) have never given an interview together, but the escalating crisis in the Middle East has compelled them to move beyond artistic power couple and into the far more risky territory of campaigning. The couple are confident that Gertrude would have entirely supported their stance. 'She was a woman with a very strong sense of social justice,' Brody says. 'She was appalled by what she saw in Palestine in the last years of her life.' Stevenson talks of how much she adored her mother-in-law, who she calls an 'absolutely brilliant' woman. 'She could have done anything, but her whole life was marked by the Holocaust. I know that she would be absolutely horrified by what's gone on in the last 21 months in Gaza, as have many of our Jewish friends. There have been some very difficult conversations around this kitchen table.' Stevenson and Brody met at a mutual friend's dinner party in 1993. She is unbelievably glad that she didn't give in to her impulse to cancel that night, she says. 'By that point I'd had to play a lot of characters in Shakespeare who fell in love at first sight, and I always thought it was ridiculous. But when I walked into the room and met Hugh, something really weird happened to me. Something shifted in my gut. All evening I sat and listened to his stories and thought: 'You are the most interesting and gorgeous man I've ever met.'' The actor's screen credits include a Bafta-nominated turn as a grieving cellist in Anthony Minghella's 1990 film Truly, Madly, Deeply (opposite Alan Rickman), a hapless mother in Bend it Like Beckham, and a nurse in Mona Lisa Smile. On stage, she has been in productions including Measure for Measure, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Death and the Maiden – for which she received the Olivier award for best actress. Her calendar remains jam-packed: she recently starred in the Virginia Gilbert film Reawakening, the BBC series Wolf, and Robert Icke's play The Doctor (which was, ironically, about a doctor cancelled for standing up for her principles). But much of what has been occupying her recently is helping to organise a fundraising event with Health Workers 4 Palestine, a grassroots group of medical workers who came together to support colleagues in Gaza. Voices of Solidarity, an evening of music, comedy and spoken word taking place at the Troxy in London next Saturday (19 July), is billed as the UK's largest cultural fundraiser for Palestine and aims to raise £1m for medicines and medical equipment. Stevenson will also be doing a reading on the night, alongside a lineup that includes Bassem Youssef, Paloma Faith, Khalid Abdalla and Alexei Sayle. She says it is more important than ever for those with a platform to speak for the voiceless. Both her and Brody believe 'a fear of being branded as antisemitic' is a big factor in many people's silence. 'In my industry, every institution, every arts organisation who could and should be standing up is too frightened, because of the risk of losing money and sponsorship,' she says. 'It kind of makes you crazy, because you think: have you not seen the footage of Israelis in Israel sitting in the streets holding pictures of dead Palestinian children and saying, 'not in our name'? Have you not seen the hundreds of rabbis sitting down in Grand Central station in New York and saying, 'not in our name'? Have you not seen the Jewish bloc at the protests on Saturdays in London streets saying, 'not in our name'?' 'This equation of anti-Zionism and antisemitism has been a very difficult thing for me and many others,' Brody says. 'It's an absurdity and an ideological trap. It lays the foundation for a whole new kind of antisemitism. My view of Israel evolves, my relationship to Zionism changes, but my Jewishness hasn't changed. That's fixed.' The evolution Brody is talking about has taken place over the course of several decades, and was recorded in his 2022 book, Landscapes of Silence. He speaks at length about the months he spent as a 19-year-old living in a socialist kibbutz on the border of Israel and Gaza, and the 'extraordinary egalitarianism' that filled him with hope and excitement. 'As someone brought up in the shadow of the Holocaust, Israel represented to me, and to my family, a place of safety in a world that was deeply and chronically unsafe,' he says. But the events of the subsequent years seeded a dichotomy within him. With each conflict, he says, he was torn between a deep need for Israel and growing outrage over the actions of the Israeli state. 'It became a question in my mind: what has happened here? Whatever bit of idealism might have been there faded away.' Then came the horrifying events of 7 October and the Netanyahu government's subsequent war on Gaza. 'That war has grown into a genocide,' he says, 'and a point comes where the silence must be broken. The crimes have to be challenged. If we care for the safety and survival of Israel, all the more reason to protest as loudly as possible against its current regime.' The international court of justice is weighing the charge of genocide against Israel. According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's campaign in Gaza (a robust independent survey recently put the count at almost 84,000). The war was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas's attack killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 hostage. Stevenson's anger extends to the UK government's 'moral bankruptcy' and what she describes as the mainstream media's 'shameful' coverage of the situation in Gaza. She mentions the selling of arms to Israel, the proscription of Palestine Action, attempts to ban Kneecap from Glastonbury, and the uproar over Bob Vylan's set. 'That weekend when Bob Vylan was on the front of every newspaper and the subject of every talkshow, something like 90 starving Palestinians were shot dead in Gaza while queueing for food. Nobody covered that at all,' she says. Stevenson and Brody have two children together – a son and a daughter – but Brody's first son from a previous relationship, Tomo, died suddenly in 2020 at the age of 37. The tragedy has given the couple first-hand experience of the grief that surrounds the loss of a child. I ask the actor what she thinks the connection is between art and activism, whether it's the case that both require you to communicate the entirety of the human experience, including its unbearable tragedies. 'I've been negotiating that myself,' she says. 'I've talked to Hugh so much about how exactly I can help. I always try to bring the human story to crowds, to appeal to the Jo Cox principle, that we have more in common than that which divides us.' 'Can I say something about the connection between Juliet's art and Juliet's activism?' Brody says. 'There are some words that come to mind to describe Juliet's qualities on stage and on screen. Words like clarity, integrity and seeking truth in the text. She is transcendently wonderful on stage because of these characteristics, but they are inseparable from her commitment to speaking truth.' At this point Stevenson tears up and begins rubbing her husband's back. 'That's making me cry,' she says. 'I'm not being soppy, but I find this concealing or manipulation of the truth unbearable. People's babies are being shot, children are being buried under rubble. Unspeakable trauma is being inflicted on children and parents.' Does she ever fear the repercussions of her activism on her career? Actors such as Melissa Barrera and Susan Sarandon were dropped by Hollywood companies for their comments on Israel and Palestine. 'I do, as do my kids. But I just don't feel like I've got a choice. Does my career really matter, alongside what's going on in Gaza? 'I look at younger actors, and I completely understand why they feel too frightened to speak. They have everything to lose. But I enjoy a lot of status in the industry. I've done a huge amount of work and I continue to work. What really matters to me is that when I get to the end, I can look back and know that I did what I thought was right at the time.'
Morocco World
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Over 100 Journalists Sign Letter Accusing BBC of Acting as ‘PR for Israel'
Rabat – Over 100 BBC journalists have formally expressed deep concern about the Corporation's coverage of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza. The 111 journalists signed anonymously out of fear of consequences to their job. In a letter dated July 2, addressed to Director-General Tim Davie, they accuse the BBC of acting as 'PR for the Israeli government,' and suppressing critical reporting, including the decision not to publicly broadcast the BBC 'Gaza: Medics Under Fire.' The signatories say that this and other editorial choices were 'agenda‑driven' and 'crippled by fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government.' The letter, which was endorsed by hundreds more journalists from other outlets and celebrities such as Juliet Stevenson, Zawe Ashton, and Miriam Margolyes, says it does not necessarily demand a pro‑Palestinian stance. Instead, it simply urges impartial, transparent news reporting, citing significant omissions like BBC's failure to investigate UK arms sales to Israel. Conflicts of interest At the heart of the criticism is Sir Robbie Gibb, BBC board member and chair of the Editorial Standards Committee, whose ties to the Jewish Chronicle and long-standing Conservative Party affiliations raise significant concerns of partiality. The letter calls his role 'untenable,' arguing that his ideological influence has led to 'double standards' in how internal newsroom objections and external editorial choices are handled. The BBC has recently pulled two films on Gaza. 'Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone,' narrated by 14‑year‑old Abdullah Al‑Yazouri ( reportedly son of a Hamas official), sparked accusations of insufficient disclosure and prompted a tribunal from the UK government. 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' was also withdrawn over 'impartiality concerns', which critics argue was due to political pressure rather than editorial flaw. Media commentators argue these decisions reflect a broader reluctance to shed light on Palestinian suffering, and an double-standard sensitivity to accusations of bias when covering Israel. Accusations of anti‑Palestinian racism The internal letter asserts that the BBC's coverage is defined by 'anti‑Palestinian racism,' citing disproportionate use of emotional language and humanizing imagery for Israeli victims versus minimal empathy or acknowledgement for Palestinians. Signatories argue this echoes past data-driven studies showing stark disparities in coverage. The wave of internal dissent follows high‑profile exits in the global media giant, such as BBC North Africa correspondent Bassam Bounenni, who resigned in October 2023 over, stating he could no longer reconcile his conscience with the BBC's framing of the war on Gaza. The BBC's critics also point to incidents such as presenter Lucy Hockings minimizing Palestinian civilian deaths, which generated widespread public backlash. She interrupted a Palestinian as he was speaking about Israeli Occupation Forces' aggression against civilians before she sarcastically said, while smiling: 'And civilians have been dying.' The BBC is not alone. In October 2023, several Tunisian journalists resigned from French media outlets in protest at how coverage of Gaza downplayed civilian suffering. These include Achouad Hannachi and Amani Oueslati from Canal+ who resigned over the French outlet's biased coverage of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. 'Since October 7, my Tunisian colleague and friend, Amani Oueslati, and I have decided to resign from Canal+. We have not set foot in it since then! Our professionalism, our upbringing, and our unwavering support for the Palestinian cause do not allow for compromise! #FreePalestine,' Hannachi said. In a vague response to the letter, the BBC said it remains committed to impartiality and is reviewing its coverage guidelines. The media giant added that its management insists all pulled content adhered to editorial policy and will resubmit one documentary (the Gaza medics film) through internal oversight. 'We have ongoing discussions about coverage and listen to feedback from staff and we think these conversations are best had internally,' a BBC spokesperson said. Although many activists, journalists, and everyday media consumers who are fighting for the Palestininan cause have been long-aware of stark biases within mainstream media on Gaza genocide coverage, this scandal marks a notable turn. As Israel's relentless genocide rages on in the enclave, more global media conglomarete's are realizing that they cannot get away with turning a blind eye to the livestreamed carnage, not matter the internal ties to Israel. Tags: BBCGazagenocideIsraelLetterwar
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
More than 400 media figures urge BBC board to remove Robbie Gibb over Gaza
More than 400 stars and media figures including Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle, Juliet Stevenson and Mike Leigh have signed a letter to BBC management calling for the removal of a board member, Robbie Gibb, over claims of conflict of interest regarding the Middle East. The signatories also include 111 BBC journalists and Zawe Ashton, Khalid Abdalla, Shola Mos-Shogbamimu and the historian William Dalrymple, who express 'concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine'. Delivered on the eve of Channel 4's airing of the documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, which the BBC commissioned but shelved as it said it 'risked creating a perception of partiality', the letter alleges the decision to drop the film 'demonstrates, once again, that the BBC is not reporting 'without fear or favour' when it comes to Israel'. It also accuses the BBC of being 'crippled by the fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government' and claims the 'inconsistent manner in which guidance is applied draws into focus the role of Gibb, on the BBC Board and BBC's editorial standards committee' as 'we are concerned that an individual with close ties to the Jewish Chronicle … has a say in the BBC's editorial decisions in any capacity, including the decision not to broadcast Gaza: Medics Under Fire'. Gibb, Theresa May's former spin doctor and a former head of the BBC's Westminster political team, led the consortium that bought the Jewish Chronicle in 2020 and, up until August 2024, was a director of Jewish Chronicle Media. The letter, organised by a group of BBC insiders, says: 'For many of us, our efforts have been frustrated by opaque decisions made at senior levels of the BBC without discussion or explanation. Our failures impact audiences. 'As an organisation we have not offered any significant analysis of the UK government's involvement in the war on Palestinians. We have failed to report on weapons sales or their legal implications. These stories have instead been broken by the BBC's competitors.' The statement alleges Gibb has a 'conflict of interest' which 'highlights a double standard for BBC content makers who have themselves experienced censorship in the name of 'impartiality'.' It adds: 'In some instances staff have been accused of having an agenda because they have posted news articles critical of the Israeli government on their social media. By comparison, Gibb remains in an influential post with little transparency regarding his decisions despite his ideological leanings being well known. We can no longer ask license fee payers to overlook Gibbs's ideological allegiances.' The letter concludes: 'We, the undersigned BBC staff, freelancers and industry figures are extremely concerned that the BBC's reporting on Israel and Palestine continues to fall short of the standards our audiences expect. We believe the role of Robbie Gibb, both on the board, and as part of the editorial standards committee, is untenable. We call on the BBC to do better for our audiences and recommit to our values of impartiality, honesty and reporting without fear or favour.' Owing to their fear of repercussions, the 111 BBC journalists signed anonymously. A BBC spokesperson said: 'Robust discussions amongst our editorial teams about our journalism are an essential part of the editorial process. We have ongoing discussions about coverage and listen to feedback from staff and we think these conversations are best had internally. 'Regarding our coverage of Gaza, the BBC is fully committed to covering the conflict impartially and has produced powerful coverage from the region. Alongside breaking news, ongoing analysis, and investigations, we have produced award winning documentaries such as Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101.'
The Guardian
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Rehearsal to The Ballad of Wallis Island: the week in rave reviews
Sky Comedy & Now; episodes weekly Summed up in a sentence A mind-boggling comedy-cum-documentary-cum-reality show that helps people prepare for big life events by staging hugely elaborate mockups – currently focusing on how to prevent aviation disasters by improving communication in the cockpit. What our reviewer said 'As with season one, the producers have managed to find civilians who are so uniquely awkward that they feel like integral parts of the chaos. These are people who blur the line between committed normie and aspiring actor so well that many have, in fact, been accused of being fake. But they are all real.' Hannah J Davies Read the full review Further reading The Rehearsal: Nathan Fielder makes genius appointment TV … that may spoil you for ever BBC Two; full series on iPlayer now Summed up in a sentence A loving, exhaustive docuseries celebrating the author on the 250th anniversary of her birth, narrated by Juliet Stevenson. What our reviewer said 'The mood is impassioned and enthusiastic without being emetic – suffused with love of the work, and mapping the contours of the specific genius without anyone getting un-Janeishly carried away. You feel she would approve.' Lucy Mangan Read the full review Further reading 'Much darker than Pride and Prejudice!': authors pick their favourite Jane Austen novel Netflix; full series available now Summed up in a sentence Arrogant detective ends up accidentally causing a death, and is sidelined to a dank basement investigating cold cases – only to assemble a crack team. What our reviewer said 'It is all fantastically well, and rigorously, done. The pacing has a leisurely confidence that some may find a touch slow, but allows for a character-first approach, creating a richness that amply rewards initial patience.' Lucy Mangan Read the full review Further reading Dept Q's Kelly Macdonald on her Trainspotting teen highs and hitting her stride in her 40s BBC Two; full series on iPlayer now Summed up in a sentence A deep dive into the life of the entrepreneur, from fly-on-the-wall footage of her starting a lingerie empire, through to an investigative thriller about the PPE political scandal. What our reviewer said 'In some ways, this is a parable of fame. Mone courted it and won it, but eventually learned that once you turn on the faucet of public attention, trying to turn it off again is a sisyphean task.' Rebecca Nicholson Read the full review Netflix; all episodes available Summed up in a sentence A sensitive, sweet modern-day reimagining of Judy Blume's 1975 novel about teen desire which has been repeatedly banned by less tolerant schools and libraries. What our reviewer said 'As a teen drama, it works because, Heartstopper-style, its teenagers actually look and behave like teenagers. The performances are excellent, especially Karen Pittman and Xosha Roquemore as the mothers, but it all rides on whether you can buy into what leads Michael Cooper Jr and Lovie Simone are selling, and they sell it perfectly.' Rebecca Nicholson Read the full review Further reading Judy Blume forever: the writer who dares to tell girls the plain truth In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Funny/melancholy story of a former folk duo (Carey Mulligan and Tom Basden) who are inveigled into a comeback performance on a remote island for a single superfan. What our reviewer said 'You'll leave wanting your own island, your own gig and your own lock of Carey Mulligan's hair.' Catherine Bray Read the full review Further reading 'There's no chance an American will laugh': Tim Key on his very British new film and the US Office sequel In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan team up in a charming throwback sequel to the 2010 remake, with Ben Wang as the latest kid to don the bandana and learn the age-old secret of kicking ass with a dose of moral philosophy. What our reviewer said 'It's warm, it's breezy – it's a burst of summery family fun that is sure to inspire long looks back at the old movies and Cobra Kai episodes while sparking renewed interest in martial arts apprenticeship. Anyone would get a kick out of it.' Andrew Lawrence Read the full review Further reading Ralph Macchio on kicking it as The Karate Kid for 41 years In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Affecting drama based on Raynor Winn's memoir, in which Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs undertake a redemptive hike along the English south-west coast. What our reviewer said 'Somehow, they all bring a real sense of meaning and truth to cheap-sounding messages about living in the moment, and the possibility of long-term relationships deepening and growing in ways impossible to predict.' Cath Clarke Read the full review Further reading Walk on the wild side: Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs on their epic hiking movie The Salt Path In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Complex relationship movie from French director Katell Quillévéré, focusing on the marriage of a single mother and closeted gay academic. What our reviewer said 'The awful toxicity of love … is an underground stream that has become very much an overground stream in this new, heartfelt movie.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Sky Cinema and Now; available now Summed up in a sentence Jesse Armstrong's post-Succession uber-wealth satire about four plutocrats on a lodge weekend that goes awry when the planet descends into chaos. What our reviewer said 'More than any comedy or even film I've seen recently, this is movie driven by the line-by-line need for fierce, nasty, funny punched-up stuff in the dialogue, and narrative arcs and character development aren't the point. But as with Succession, this does a really good job of persuading you that, yes, this is what our overlords are really like.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Review by James Smart Summed up in a sentence Her latest autofictional work finds the great graphic novelist exploring midlife contentment. Our reviewer said 'Writing about herself from a greater fictional distance seems to have given Bechdel more room to have fun: dramas and mishaps unspool with a lightly comic charm that belies the darkness in the world outside.' Read the full review Further reading Alison Bechdel: 'The Bechdel test was a joke… I didn't intend for it to become a real gauge' Review by Blake Morrison Summed up in a sentence Coming of age in 70s England. Our reviewer said 'Toy soldiers, conker fights, fizzy drinks, Wall's ice-creams, chicken-in-a-basket pub lunches, swimming lessons (plus verrucas): Dyer's recall of period detail and brand names is exceptional.' Read the full review Further reading Best seat in the house: writer Geoff Dyer on why sitting in a corner is so satisfying Review by Arin Keeble Summed up in a sentence Migration and heritage are explored through one woman's life, in 60s Italy and present-day Ireland. Our reviewer said 'A powerful and beautifully written story of family, friendship and identity.' Read the full review Further reading Novelist Sarah Moss: 'Hunger numbed my shame and humiliation' Review by Stuart Jeffries Summed up in a sentence A peek inside the seaborne world of the super-rich. Our reviewer said 'It's not just how big your superyacht is, but what you put inside it. The latest fashions include Imax theatres, ski rooms where guests can suit up for a helicopter trip to a mountaintop, and hospital equipment.' Read the full review Review by Kitty Drake Summed up in a sentence A cultural history of female friendship. Our reviewer said 'In this book, Watt Smith trawls through the archives to trace the history of imperfect, ordinary friends – who hurt and disappoint each other, but keep striving for connection regardless.' Read the full review Further reading The big idea: should you dump your toxic friend? Out 13 June Summed up in a sentence Jazz artist Halvorson is one of the most exciting guitarists in North America. Her new album features one of her largest backing bands to date. What our reviewer said 'Recently discussing Robert Wyatt in Jazzwise magazine, Halvorson said she loved his ability to blend 'the weird with the beautiful'. She wouldn't dream of it, but she could have been saying much the same of herself.'. John Fordham Read the full review Further reading Jazz guitar 'genius' Mary Halvorson on cocktails, tarot and making music that combusts Out now Summed up in a sentence After the blockbuster success of Flowers, Cyrus clearly has carte blanche to do what she wants – and has billed her new album as psychedelic and healing. What our reviewer said 'It's all about as psychedelic as a baked potato. But it's still all very well written and well made.' Alexis Petridis Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence This Scottish indie-folk artist has been creating some sizeable buzz around their spellbindingly beautiful voice and arrangements. What our reviewer said 'These story songs – about youthful infatuation, reckless hedonism and one-sided obsession – are brittle and wounded, each zeroing in on a different strain of disappointment or heartache.' Shaad D'Souza Read the full review Further reading One to watch: Jacob Alon Out now Summed up in a sentence Marking the 400th anniversary of the death of English pre-baroque composer Gibbons, this is a set of his works with a new piece by American composer Muhly at its centre. What our reviewer said 'Muhly's composition, with its urgent string figures, contrasts beautifully with the flowing imitations of Gibbons' fantasias around it.' Andrew Clements Read the full review O2 Academy, Glasgow; touring to 7 June Summed up in a sentence On her first tour since 2018, the Walsall soul-R&B-garage singer shows off how adventurous her songcraft has become. What our reviewer said 'Her searing, smoky voice is used sparingly to start, sometimes even drowned out by the power of the band's two drummers. But by Feelings, Smith drops the wall. She beams megawatt charisma through the track's lyrically chilly push-and-pull, and slinks between risers, glamorously at ease.'. Katie Hawthorne Read the full review
