Not everybody at the top of BBC Television is happy that Huw Edwards is anchoring its election night coverage. After decades of the incomparable David Dimbleby, Edwards was “promised” that he would host – first the 2015 election and then 2017. But Dimbleby stayed put. So only now has Edwards got the gig. For some, however, his style seems dated, and he can come over as pompous and humourless.
The best presenter/interviewer now at the BBC is clearly Emily Maitlis, not simply for her brilliant demolition of Prince Andrew, but also, more regularly, on Newsnight, where Emma Barnett is on the way to stardom too.
Maitlis’s problem is that she has been regarded as a BBC Two person, though she will get her chance to show her mettle on BBC One when she is handed the election results baton from Edwards at about 10am on the day after the vote. It’s a shame that she hasn’t been given the chance to chair one of the two forthcoming pre-election debates on BBC One with the party leaders – Nick Robinson is handling both.
At last there is a clear changing of the guard at the BBC, with more female news presenters/interviewers taking over from the blokes, who tend to interrupt and metaphorically, sometimes literally, shout. Two more – Mishal Husain on Today and Sarah Montague, now very much making The World at One her own show – are also showing male colleagues that clear-headed and quietly effective probing is now king. Sorry, queen.
The holders of the top creative jobs at the Barbican and Southbank Centre are leaving: Louise Jeffreys from the Barbican, after 10 very successful years as artistic director, and another 11 before as head of theatre and arts, while at the Southbank Madani Younis goes after, well, 11 not so successful months as creative director.
Both organisations will pause to consider if they need direct replacements. One option is to have the heads of the different arts simply reporting to their respective MDs – the hugely experienced Nicholas Kenyon at the Barbican and the Southbank’s Elaine Bedell, who has been in charge since 2017, after three decades as a TV exec.
After refurbishments of its Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery, home currently to an excellent Bridget Riley show, disruptions at the Southbank are over. The Barbican is currently busy raising money for a new music centre, while it has scored a coup by signing the Los Angeles Philharmonic for three annual residencies, under its inspiring leader, Gustavo Dudamel. Whatever is decided about the two top creative posts, both arts centres must continue providing their international programming, especially in a more insular, post-Brexit Britain.
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou? Well, next year: at the National Theatre, twice. First, played by Josh O’Connor in Romeo & Juliet, alongside Jessie Buckley, and staged in modern-day Italy. And then in Romeo and Julie, a new play set in contemporary Britain. If you’ve had enough of Romeo, there’s the musical &Juliet, just opened in the West End, which imagines our heroine not having killed herself and then dumping her lover.
