Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company Erica Whyman joins James King to discuss her favourite stage productions on the big screen.

From Romeo and Juliet to One Man, Two Guvnors, Erica talks about how big screen theatre offers the ultimate form of escapism and how her role is to ensure that audiences are engaged and surprised by theatre, ensuring that it takes them away to new places.

Erica’s big screen theatre picks:

Macbeth

Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet

British Museum- Pompeii

One Man, Two Guvnors

Much ado about nothing

Erica Whyman, OBE is an English Theatre Director who became the Deputy Artistic Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2013.

What would the big screen experience be without music? In the latest episode James is joined by multi-award-winning composer Rachel Portman who discusses how a score can help carry a story. The composer of Chocolat and Emma talks about the impact music can have on how an audience experiences a specific scene as well as how she finds inspiration for the films she’s worked on.

Rachel also reveals her favourite musical moment from Psycho, which might just surprise you.

Rachels’ big screen music picks:

Catch Me If You Can

Far From The Madding Crowd

To Kill a Mockingbird

A Hidden Life

Psycho

Rachel Portman, OBE is a multi-award winning composer who has written over 100 scores for film, tv and theatre.

She is best known for her work on The Cider House Rules and Chocolat.

Performing death-defying stunts for films such as Skyfall and The Bourne Ultimatum, Rowley Irlam knows all about putting his body on the line for the sake of entertainment. So who better to speak to about stunt work in this latest episode?

Rowley discusses how his career began in horse work, how fire stunts are performed and how the introduction of CGI and special effects impacts his line of work.

From the Bond films to Indiana Jones, Rowley shares some of his favourite big screen stunts with James King.

Rowley’s big screen stunts picks:

Raiders of the Lost Arc

Saving Private Ryan opening

Braveheart

Goldeneye

28 Days Later

Rowley Irlam is a professional Stuntman, with all of the big roles under his belt.

Rowley has pulled off death defying stunts on films such as Skyfall, The Bourne Ultimatum and Quantum of Solace.

Legendary screenwriter, producer and director Richard Curtis is the latest guest to join James King. In this instalment, the man behind Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral reveals his favourite love-related moments on the big screen. And no, it’s not all about romance.

Richard talks about finding love at the heart of many films in different forms, the importance of finding the right cast vs casting based on chemistry and why people shouldn’t be embarrassed about love.

Richard’s big screen love picks:

(500) Days of Summer

Brief Encounter

The Son’s Room

Jerry Maguire

This is Spinal Tap

Richard Curtis, CBE is the screenwriter and director behind some of the UK’s most iconic romantic comedies - from Notting Hill to Love Actually.

Outside of film, Richard is dedicated to charity work as the co-founder of Comic Relief and Red Nose Day.

This week 1917 and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor Daniel Mays joins James King to chat all things cinematography.

Daniel reflects upon his own cinematic experiences, including filming the Dunkirk scene in Atonement and how draining but important the process was, method acting and what it was like to be a part of 1917.

Daniel reveals his favourite cinematic moments including the theatricality and visual tricks used in Raging Bull.

Daniel’s big screen cinematography picks:

Atonement

Raging Bull

Apocalypse Now

Nil By Mouth

Road to Perdition

Daniel Mays is an English actor who rose to fame when Mike Leigh cast him in All or Nothing and Vera Drake, roles that he claims defined him as an actor. He has gone on to star in films such as 1917, Atonement and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

In this very first episode James is joined by comedian, writer, actor and self-proclaimed Steven Tyler lookalike, Ellie Taylor, to discuss her favourite big screen comedy moments and getting lost in a great film for a couple of hours.

They talk about Ellie’s love for honesty and awkwardness in comedy, from Four Weddings and a Funeral to Mrs Doubtfire, as well as the unexpected moments of hilarity in Guardians of the Galaxy and THAT dress scene in Bridesmaids.

Ellie’s big screen comedy picks:

Bridesmaids

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Mrs Doubtfire

Guardians of the Galaxy

Ellie Taylor is an English Comedian and regular on panel shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week and The Mash Report.

Series launches 2nd March 2021.