Bill Bailey’s Vietnam; Making of Lord of the Flies; Fires of the Moon

“Have you had enough of watching obscure celebrities travel around the world for no better reason than to salivate over sunsets and Michelin-quality dinners on the TV company’s expense account? What next, you may wonder? Dion Dublin’s Axis of Evil? Ready, Steady, Gobi with Ainsley Harriott? I wouldn’t bet against either of these happening in the next few years. But in the meantime Bill Bailey’s Vietnam (Channel 4) may be the antidote. The comedian, pianist and surprisingly good Strictly dancer went to the country ten years ago, quite liked it and has now returned with what seems like a skeleton film crew. It is such a mesmerising watch it feels like a holiday in itself.”
Ben Dowell, The Times

“There was a time when the only celebrity travel presenter on offer was Michael Palin – and if watching that charming so-and-so sweet talk his way on to ships wasn’t your bag, well, tough. These days there are celeb-fronted travelogues for every mood and penchant. Want giddy glee? Sandi Toksvig has you covered. A spot of sarc? That’ll be Richard Ayoade. And if you’re after a smart introvert with a dash of relatable “can’t I just have a sit down?”, Bill Bailey’s your man. It’s not a brand that will work everywhere but in this six-part series he’s in Vietnam, where residents have an infectious warmth and a pleasingly low tolerance for grumbling.”
Lucinda Everett, The Guardian

“The sheer emotional power of the child actors in Lord Of The Flies has been so overwhelming, for the past few weeks, that I’ve never stopped to wonder how on earth this remarkable drama was filmed. How does a production crew take more than 30 boys, aged five to 12, to a remote Malaysian island and film them as they act out one of English literature’s best-loved and most surreal stories? With great difficulty, it turns out. It wasn’t just the heat, the torrential rain, the flies and the huge distances involved that made this an almost impossible task, as an hour-long documentary revealed, after the final, shattering episode aired.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail

“This is an absorbing piece of music-theatre which demonstrates the distinctive best of Welsh music and film-making, and offers a way forward for transforming the medium of staged opera into compelling film.”
Nicholas Kenyon, Telegraph