Latest news with #TraitorsProm
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Traitors Prom review – iconic show's greatest hits turn the melodrama up to 11
Even the Royal Albert Hall's public announcement system was getting into the spirit of things. 'Traitors and faithful, this is your five-minute warning. Please take your seats. The concert begins in five minutes.' In the hall references to iconic moments of the TV show upped the ante. Three large screens played montages from the series, and a familiar-looking round table stood in the centre of the promming arena. Twelve dancers dressed alternately in the distinctive traitor cloaks and masks, or as the more cartoonish characters of the tasks (It-referencing clowns, lurching scarecrows trailing straw from a particularly nightmarish Wizard of Oz), stalked through the auditorium. The stage too was packed with the massed ranks of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus and the BBC Singers, all led by Irish conductor Karen Ní Bhroin, making a confident proms debut. Master of ceremonies for the first ever Traitors Prom was its much-loved presenter Claudia Winkleman – knitwear and fingerless gloves understandably missing on a humid July afternoon but clad in an elegant black velvet jacket, eyeliner and fringe intact. She arrived on stage heralded by a piper and a palpable sense of excitement. The reality TV show – basically wink murder in a gorgeously furnished highlands castle – has been one of the BBC's greatest successes in recent years. Its soundtrack, which features slowed down covers of chart hits, big on gothic menace, slow of beat, is an integral part of its atmosphere, with the occasional piece of classical music part of the mix (Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky – so long as the melodrama can be turned up to 11). 'With its themes of betrayal and treachery and intrigue, the Traitors fits classical music like a glove,' said Proms director Sam Jackson at the season's launch in April. In the event however, the classical content was slight, touched only glancingly on betrayal, and was careful not to overstay its welcome, while over-orchestrated cover versions of songs by the likes of Billie Eilish (Bad Guy), Oliva Rodrigo (vampire) and Imagine Dragons (Believer) and Sam Watts' Traitors theme tune dominated the programme. The BBCSSO and Ní Bhroin proved their versatility as they moved from the stodge of Hidden Citizens' Nothing Is as it Seems to whirling colours of Saint-Saëns's Danse macabre; tenor Andrés Presno was impassioned and sparklingly clear in Cavaradossi's heartbreaking aria E lucevan le stelle from Puccini's Tosca, the opening clarinet solo particularly beautiful. During Dance of the Clowns from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet eight performers in fright wigs and boiler suits jerked as if electrocuted at the front of the Albert Hall stage. Singers Hayla and Andrea Lykke, sharing pop performing duties, have powerful voices but in the hall lyrics were lost and both gave curiously uninvolved performances to each of their three numbers. Darrell Smith brought more energy to Believer and Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder on the Dancefloor, which closed the show on a high energy note. Luckily, a handful of ex-contestants were on hand – their tongues firmly in their cheeks – to keep things fun. Minah and Linda were on stage to reminisce briefly with Claudia, Alexander, whose backwards singing (you had to be there) was one of series 3's best moments, was 'discovered' in the ranks of the BBC Symphony Chorus. The concert's finale featured, of course, the unmasking of a traitor. Series 2 winner, Harry Clark, was found sitting at the Royal Albert Hall's organ. 'I'm the best traitor in the Proms,' he shouted, echoing his famous victory cry, twirling his cape. Available to listen again on BBC Sounds until 13 October. The concert was filmed for TV, transmission date to be announced.
Evening Standard
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Claudia Winkleman to host Traitors-themed Proms
'The hit BBC TV series, which drew in an average audience of more than 10 million for Series 3, features a variety of classical music to punctuate the action from the Scottish Highlands castle. The Traitors Prom will playfully feature these well-known classical works from composers including Mozart, Puccini and Tchaikovsky alongside so called 'Traitors Pop': gothic and symphonic versions of chart tracks by artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Britney Spears and The Hanging Tree, which plays a very special part in every series of The Traitors.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Claudia Winkleman to host BBC Traitors Prom
The BBC will stage a Traitors -themed Prom to attract new audiences to classical music. Almost 10 million people watched the series finale of the hit game show in January, and Proms organisers aim to capitalise on the popularity of the programme. The annual season of summer concerts will feature a Traitors Prom hosted by the show's presenter Claudia Winkleman. She will wear a cloak and guide concert-goers through an evening of classical music focussed on themes of deception and betrayal. The show, filmed at a Highland castle, follows contestants in a game of lies and investigation, as they attempt to win £120,000 by trying to identify who among them are 'traitors'. It is understood that a former contestant, opera singer Linda Rands, may feature in the Prom. The Traitors Prom will have an afternoon and an evening performance, and will feature the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Singers. The Singers will reportedly be dressed in the distinctive, long cloaks that feature in the series. The betrayal-themed concert is the latest in a series aimed at attracting a broader public to classical music. In 2024, the BBC raised eyebrows by scheduling pop star Sam Smith to perform during the Proms season, despite some of the singer's previous shows being criticised for having sexualised costumes and choreography. Suzy Klein, the BBC's head of arts and classical music TV, said: 'We know the Traitors is a massive phenomenon. 'We see this as very much hardwired into the DNA of the Proms, which is about reaching the widest and broadest possible audience with classical music. 'Using BBC Proms is a really important thing for us.' Sam Jackson, the head of BBC Radio 3, announced that the first 'all-night Prom' since 1983 had been also scheduled to target a more youthful audience. Mr Jackson added that 'some people may bring sleeping bags'. The radio executive said: 'I would imagine that some people would come, maybe they'll have a small pillow and they'll want to have a lie down.' Other concerts will include a CBeebies Prom, a celebration of the Shipping Forecast, and a Soul Revolution Prom. This event, hosted by Trevor Nelson, will feature songs of protest and politically-themed soul music. BBC bosses have committed to a patriotic Last Night of the Proms, after debates surrounding the potentially colonialist messaging of the finale, which is famed for performances of Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory. The conductors and soloists for the concert will be all-female for the first time in Proms history. The BBC will not weigh in on international conflict, and Russian performers will be welcome at the Proms. Following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there had been some moves to boycott Russian performers, and works by Russian composers. The Royal Albert Hall, and not the BBC, will be responsible for policing political messaging and protest during the season. Last year, the Telegraph revealed that the Hall banned 'protest flags' at the Last Night. The patriotic finale is typically filled with audience members carrying the Union Jack, or the flag of the EU. Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, ticketholders were told that 'flags related to protest' and 'hatred' would be confiscated.
The Guardian
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
BBC announces 2025 Proms lineup – including first female-fronted Last Night
The BBC today announce its eight-week Proms season featuring 86 concerts in London, Bradford, Belfast, Bristol and Gateshead. A record number of female conductors will be at the podium – 15 – and the Last Night will be the first to feature an all-female lineup of conductor and soloists: Elim Chan will conduct, with trumpeter Alison Balsom and soprano Louise Alder, plus the evening will feature two world premieres, by 34-year-old French composer Camille Pepin, and Rachel Portman, who was the first woman to win an Oscar for best original score, both making their Proms debuts. Also making her Proms debut will be Claudia Winkleman, who, fully cloaked, will present a Traitors Prom featuring a mix of symphonic pop and classical music exploring timeless themes of intrigue, treachery and betrayal. Suzy Klein, the head of arts and classical music TV at the BBC, promised that the concert would evoke all the drama of the Highland castle where the hugely popular reality TV show takes place. There won't be gameplay or interaction, she added, but 'it is going to be shaped and curated as a dramatic evening. There's so much music featured in the series that we wanted to take some of that and say to people, 'Welcome to the world of classical music, you're already listening to it and loving it without realising it!'' Winkleman will be joined by the BBC Scottish Symphony and the BBC Singers, with other guests and the full programme to be announced. Will season three fan favourite Linda Rands, a retired opera singer, be taking part? Potentially, said Klein. Successful BBC brands will also be giving shape to the children's concerts: a CBeebies bedtime story prom and the return of the Wildlife Jamboree Prom in Gateshead's Glasshouse Centre for Music. The Ulster Orchestra will perform a concert celebrating the centenary of the Shipping Forecast with music inspired by the sea and a new work composed and performed by poet laureate Simon Armitage. And, although not quite a Proms first (1983's season featured an all-night prom of Indian classical music), the first overnight prom of the 21st century will run from 11pm to 7am and, curated and conducted by organist Anna Lapwood, will also feature Japanese pianist and YouTube sensation Hayato Sumino alongside the much loved Norwegian ensemble Barokksolistene. 'We want it to be very engaging, there will be a real breadth of repertoire,' said Sam Jackson, the controller of BBC Radio 3 and the Proms. 'There's something very special about classical music at night time. The intimacy of certain repertoire really lends itself to that kind of immersive listening,' he continued. 'But the intention is not simply to put people to sleep for eight hours, although audiences can of course come and respond to the music in whatever way you want!' Blankets and pillows will however not be allowed into the Royal Albert Hall, the venue confirmed, nor will the seating be reconfigured. 'The only time Lapwood gets to practice the RAH organ is usually between midnight and four in the morning, because it's the only time when somebody isn't getting in or getting out for another gig. She absolutely knows how to unleash energy at that time of the day!' added Klein. Among some notable anniversaries honoured this year, there will be a focus on the music of Shostakovich, who died in 1975, and a complete performance – only the second ever at the Proms – of his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, with the chorus of the English National Opera. Proms regulars Aurora Orchestra will perform his fifth symphony by heart following a dramatic exploration of its troubled origins and meaning, and Chineke! will celebrate their 10th birthday with guest conductor Simon Rattle leading the Black and ethnically diverse orchestra through a programme that includes Shostakovich's 10th symphony. Ravel – born 150 years ago – features on the opening weekend: his Piano Concerto for the Left Hand will be played by Nicholas McCarthy, which will be the first time the concerto has been played at the Proms by a one-handed pianist since it was performed by the man it was composed for, Paul Wittgenstein, in 1932. Boulez, whose centenary is celebrated this year, features in three proms including a late-night one performed by the Ensemble intercontemporain (the group he founded), which places his modernist music alongside Luciano Berio's, whose centenary it also is. Other international orchestras include the Royal Concertgebouw with their chief conductor designate Klaus Mäkelä, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Twenty-five proms will be televised – more than ever before, said Klein. 'We had record breaking numbers last year, over 5m streams on BBC Sounds, and across TV and iPlayer we reached nearly 13 million people.' The Royal Albert Hall was full to 96% capacity for evening Proms in 2024, said Jackson. He confirmed that the Last Night will end in its now traditional style, with Rule, Britannia among the closing pieces. 'The Last Night always evokes strong opinions and discussion. There are some people for whom it's a really important tradition, and there are some who say it's now part of how they would like to celebrate in the summer,' he said. 'Our job is to cater for as broad an audience as possible, but also to ask, how can we continue to develop this festival? What can we do differently? How can we introduce new music? And how can we over the course of 86 concerts make sure that there's a real breadth of repertoire of artists? And then there's something for everybody.' The Proms will run from 18 July to 13 September. General booking opens at 9am on 17 May.
