nick higham, think nick has proved that at the nationaltheatre.ick higham, who we had on this programme talking about reducing ticket prices. it's worked. the young on saying we mustn't go there, it is arty, it is difficult, like going back to school, not at all. the place is packed with people with their £10 notes. that's progress. but if one looks at where the theatres are most packed, it's not in the sort of serious theatre that nick higham is doing, it's in the west end with the musicals, musicals which dominate the west end scene now. correction, the west end scene now. correction, the national theatre has been fa ntastically full the national theatre has been fantastically full on its £10 policy. i mean fantastically.” grant you it's been full but with all due respect, there is one national theatre but there are dozens and dozens of west end theatres which are full night after night churning out musicals, what one leading critic has called turning the west end into a virtual disneyland. i think that's a very good parallel, absolutely. well,

but, as nick higham has been finding out, it's now being rediscovered and put on show.likely, he was a clerk for a shipping firm. this was painted by a window cleaner. this eerie street scene by an errand boy. this was the work of a printer. the man who painted this was unemployed, and a basket maker painted this view from his back window. they were known as the east london group. today, these working—class painters of london's shabby, industrial east end are largely forgotten. this exhibition at southampton city art gallery aims to revive their reputation, a band of artists who saw the extraordinary in the everyday. there are views and images that most artists might not choose to paint, but because they saw beauty in what they knew, that is what they painted. they painted in and around the mile end and bow road and bow generally but their work ended up on sale in the west end, at virtually the most prestigious gallery of the time. today, the east london they painted is unrecognisable. this railway bridge in the bow road is still there but the traffic is modern. grace 0

nick higham looks back at his life. i think she wants to be that side.. at stratford aged just 29, he created the royal shakespeare company. not bad for the working class son of a railway man. we're not going to read the play, and embarrass each other and ourselves. the rsc was a company of international standard which attracted the very best actors. wilt thou accept a ransom? yea or no? peggy ashcroft was one, here in an early hall triumph, a reworking of shakespeare's henry vi plays, as the wars of the roses. sir peter was a visionary. he was a colossus bestriding the world of british theatre. in a way, it would be iniquitous to pick out any individual production. i think his greatest legacy must be the company he formed, the royal shakespeare company. but the wunderkind suffered a nervous breakdown and quit, only to re—emerge as laurence 0livier‘s successor as director of the new national theatre being built on london's south bank. he revelled in his new role. it's a very, very stimulating job, because it is both concerned with management and with art

at the age of 29 and went on to become the director of the national theatre. 0ur correspondent nick highamossus". i think she wants to be that side of the camera. give me a stage and three actors and a text and i have the confidence to know instinctively what should be done. he started as britain's most talented young director, charismatic and adventurous. samuel beckett's waiting for godot was a theatrical bombshell — atjust 24, peter hall directed the uk premiere. at stratford, aged 29, he created the royal shakespeare company. not bad for the working—class son of a railwayman. we are not going to read the play — embarrass each other and ourselves. the rsc was a company of international standard which attracted the very best actors. peggy ashcroft was one, here in an early hall triumph — a reworking of shakespeare's henry vi plays as the wars of the roses. sir peter was a visionary. he was a colossus, striding the world of the british theatre. in a way it would be iniquitous to pick out any individual production. i think his greatest legacy must be the company he formed, the royal shakes

despite their early success, much of the artwork has not been seen by the public for decades but as nick higham, it is now being rediscovered and put on show. an east london canal, an unlikely scene for a painting. the artist is equally unlikely, he was a clerk for a shipping firm. this was painted by a shipping firm. this was painted by a window cleaner. this is read street scene by an errand boy. this was the work of a printer. the man who painted this was unemployed and a basket maker painted this view from his back window. they were known as the east london grip. today, these working—class painters of london's shabby, industrial east end i largely forgotten. this exhibition at southampton city art gallery aims to revive their reputation, a band of artists who saw the extraordinary in every day. there are views and images that most artists might not choose to paint, but because they saw beauty in what they knew, that is what they painted. they painted around the mile end and bow road generally but their work ended up on sale in the west end, it is in virtually the most prestigious gallery of

nick higham looks back at his life. i think she wants to be that side of the camera. the text and i have the confidence to know instinctively what should be done. he started as britain's most talented young director, charismatic and adventurous. samuel beckett's waiting for godot was a theatrical bombshell. at just 2a waiting for godot was a theatrical bombshell. atjust 2a peter hall directed the premiere. at stubbs stratford aged 29 he created the royal shakespeare company. not bad for the working—class son of a railwayman. we're not... it was a company of international standard which attracted the very best actors. peggy ashcroft was one, here in an early hold triumphant, a reworking of shakespeare's henry vi blaze as the walls of the roses. but his marriage failed as he suffered a nervous breakdown only to re—emerge as laurence 0livier‘s successor as the director. he revelled in a new role. it is a very complex, stimulating job because it is both concerned with management and with art. he combined creative flair with art. he combined creative flair with a phenomena

nick higham looks back at his life. i think she wants to be that side.an. we‘re not going to read the play, and embarrass each other and ourselves. the rsc was a company of international standard which attracted the very best actors. wilt thou accept a ransom? yea or no? peggy ashcroft was one, here in an early hall triumph, a reworking of shakespeare‘s henry vi plays, as the wars of the roses. sir peter was a visionary. he was a colossus bestriding the world of british theatre. in a way, it would be iniquitous to pick out any individual production. i think his greatest legacy must be the company he formed, the royal shakespeare company. but the wunderkind suffered a nervous breakdown and quit. only to re—emerge as laurence 0livier‘s successor as director of the new national theatre, being built on london‘s south bank. he revelled in his new role. it‘s a very, very stimulating job, because it is both concerned with management and with art. at 26, he directed the uk premiere of samuel beckett‘s waiting for godot, a theatrical bombshell. peter shaffer‘s am

nick higham looks back at the life and career of a man described as a colossus.rs and a text and i have the confidence to know instinctively what should be done. he started as britain's most talented young director, charismatic and adventurous. samuel beckett's waiting for godot was a theatrical bombshell — atjust21i, peter hall directed the uk premiere. at stratford, aged 29, he created the royal shakespeare company. not bad for the working—class son of a railwayman. we are not going to read the play — embarrass each other and ourselves. the rsc was a company of international standard which attracted the very best actors. peggy ashcroft was one, here in an early hall triumph — a reworking of shakespeare's henry vi plays as the wars of the roses. sir peter was a visionary. he was a colossus, striding the world of the british theatre. in a way it would be iniquitous to pick out any individual production. i think his greatest legacy must be the company he formed, the royal shakespeare company. but the wunderkind suffered a nervous breakdown and quit. only to re—eme

at the age of 29, and went on to become the director of the national theatre. 0ur correspondent nick highamthe man described as a colossus. i think she wants to be that side of the camera. give me a stage and three actors and a text and i have the confidence to know instinctively what should be done. he started as britain's most talented young director, charismatic and adventurous. samuel beckett's waiting for godot was a theatrical bombshell — atjust 2a, peter hall directed the uk premiere. at stratford, aged 29, he created the royal shakespeare company. not bad for the working—class son of a railwayman. we are not going to read the play — embarrass each other and ourselves. the rsc was a company of international standard which attracted the very best actors. peggy ashcroft was one, here in an early hall triumph — a reworking of shakespeare's henry vi plays as the wars of the roses. sir peter was a visionary. he was a colossus, striding the world of the british theatre. in a way it would be iniquitous to pick out any individual production. i think his greatest legacy must be the company he