Event Cinema for July 2015

Another packed month of music, opera, theatre, documentary and satellite filmmaker Q&As at Bristol cinemas. As ever, check the what’s on section for further information and trailers.

English National Opera: Carmen

Horny solider Jose is so crazed with lust for gypsy temptress Carmen (Justina Gringyte) that he deserts the army. Alas, the fickle, sultry minx falls for subsequently falls for dashing toreador Escamillo. Catalan director Calixto Bieito’s much-acclaimed production of Bizet’s fiery opera updates the setting to the dying days of Franco’s Spain, playing out this battle of the sexes in a bullring. It’s broadcast live by satellite from the London Coliseum.

Screening July 1: Cineworld, Cinema De Lux, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green

Lauda: The Untold Story + Live Satellite Q&A

Something of a documentary companion piece to Rush, this Austrian film uses previously unseen footage to take a close look at Formula One driver Niki Lauda ‘s near-fatal crash at Nurburgring in 1976 and his remarkable comeback in Monza just weeks later. The film includes interviews with Lauda and his family, plus Sir Jackie Stewart, David Coulthard, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Jochen Mass and many more. The screening is followed by a live satellite Q&A session with Mark Webber and others TBC.

Screening July 2: Cineworld, Cinema De Lux, Vue Cribbs Causeway

Royal Opera House: Don Giovanni

For the uninitiated, Mozart’s Don Giovanni is the story of the eponymous promiscuous nobleman who shags his way across Europe. But when the incorrigible nobbing nob goes too far and commits murder, he unleashes ‘orrible vengeance from beyond the grave. The Royal Opera’s Director of Opera Kasper Holten’s lightly comic production casts Christopher Maltman as Mozart’s anti-hero and shifts the emphasis towards an exploration of the nobleman’s womanising as an attempt to escape mortality. Set designs are by Es Devlin, whose credits include Les Troyens, the London Olympics Closing Ceremony 2012 and music concerts for performers such as Kanye West. The screening starts at 7pm and admission is free. See our news story here for more details.

Screening July 3: Millennium Square

Royal Opera House: Guillaume Tell

Young Italian director Damiano Michieletto makes his ROH debut with this new production of Rossini’s final opera, which transposes the familiar William Tell story to occupied 13th century Switzerland. Yup, it’s the one with that instantly recognisable overture, better known to disgraceful philistines as the Lone Ranger theme tune. Michieletto’s production of this grand opera reunites conductor Antonio Pappano with three of the stars of his much-admired recording: Gerald Finley, Malin Bystrom and John Osborn.

Screening July 5: Odeon, Orpheus, Cineworld, Cinema de Lux, Vue Cribbs Casueway, Vue Longwell Green

Encore Screening July 12: Cinema De Lux, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green 

Fare Thee Well: 50 Years of the Grateful Dead

Those members of the Grateful Dead who aren’t, well, dead (i.e. Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir) get back together for one final 50th anniversary show, accompanied by Bruce Hornsby, Phish’s Trey Anastasio and Jeff Chimenti of Ratdog. It’s also intended to mark the 20th anniversary of their last gig with the late, great Jerry Garcia. More than half a million people applied for tickets to the show at Soldier Field in Chicago, which is broadcast by satellite to cinemas around the world and promises to remind us of what a great band the Dead always were. Naturally, it’ll be four hours long. And remember – only lightweights go for a piss during Dark Star.

Screening July 6: Cinema De Lux, Vue Cribbs Causeway

Shakespeare’s Globe: The Comedy of Errors

After all that war and tragedy, the 2015 Globe on Screen season concludes with the bard’s frantic comic farce of mistaken identity in which Antipholus of Syracuse travels with his servant Dromio to distant Ephesus in search of their twin brothers, from whom they were separated at birth. No sooner have the duo set foot in this alien metropolis than they’re mistaken for their siblings. This sell-out production employed authentic Renaissance costumes and staging and was described by the London Theatre Guide as boasting “more hilarious anarchy than you can shake a fish, cat or identity-confused servant at.”

Screening July 9: Cinema De Lux, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green

National Theatre Live: Everyman

Chiwetel Ejiofor, BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated star of 12 years a Slave, takes the title role in new NT director Rufus Norris’s production of one of the oldest plays in English drama. The eponymous Everyman is on top of the world, when Death shows up. This proves a bit of a downer, as our hero has to abandon everything he’s built up to embark on a desperate quest for a pal to speak up on his behalf. Norris’s production has words by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and movement choreographed by Javier De Frutos.

Screening July 16; Odeon, Orpheus, Cineworld, Cinema De Lux, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green

Andres Rieu’s 2015 Maastricht Concert

The alarmingly popular, bouffant-haired, self-styled ‘king of the waltz’ returns with for his summer concert live from the Vrijthof in Maastricht, accompanied as usual by his Johann Strauss Orchestra and sundry sopranos, tenors and guests. Expect the usual programme of light popular classics. Excitingly, if you have a question for Andre, you can submit it here and he might even answer it in the interview that’s being broadcast to cinemas with the show.

Screening July 18: Odeon, Orpheus, Cineworld, Cinema De Lux, Vue Cribbs Causeway, Vue Longwell Green

Encore Screening July 19: Cinema De Lux

RSC Live: The Merchant of Venice

Polly Findlay’s production of Shakespeare’s uncompromising tragedy boasts celebrated Israeli actor Makram J. Khoury in his RSC debut as Shylock. The cast also includes Patsy Ferran as Portia, also making her RSC debut following her recent role as Jim in Treasure Island at the National Theatre. Jamie Ballard returns to the RSC as Antonio. In a rapturous review, the London Evening Standard described this as “the RSC at the very top of its game”.

Screening July 22: Orpheus, Cineworld, Cinema De Lux

All Work All Play: Pursuit of eSports Glory

Just when you thought event cinema couldn’t get any stranger, here’s a chance to watch loads of nerdy blokes playing videogames. No, really, this documentary about the ‘eSports phenomenon’ is followed by, it says here, a “thrilling live gaming celebration” broadcast live from ESL Studios in Cologne, Germany.

Screening July 28: Vue Cribbs Causeway