In Conversation with Lolita Chakrabarti

Part of the Humanities Cultural Programme, one of the founding
stones for the future, Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the
Humanities on Thursday 13th May 2021. Join us for a fascinating
evening with award-winning playwright and actress Lolita
Chakrabarti in conversation with journalist Matt Wolf. Streamed
live from an Oxford venue and chaired by Dr Sos Eltis, the event
will cover Lolita’s wide-ranging career and hone in on her most
recent play, Hymn, at the Almeida Theatre. Lolita Chakrabarti is an
award-winning playwright and actress. Writing credits include the
award-winning stage adaptation of Life of Pi, which will open in
the West End in 2021, the ambitious Invisible Cities (MIF), Hymn
(Almeida) and Red Velvet, which opened at the Tricycle Theatre
before transferring to London’s West End and New York. Acting
credits include playing Queen Gertrude, opposite Tom Hiddleston, in
Sir Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (RADA), Fanny & Alexandra (Old
Vic) and Free Outgoing (Royal Court). A Casual Vacancy (BBC1/HBO),
To Provide All People (BBC2), Beowulf (ITV), Jekyll and Hyde (ITV),
Riviera (Sky), Criminal (Netflix) and Defending The Guilty (BBC).
Matt Wolf is an American theatre critic based in London, where he
has spent his entire professional life. He moved to the UK directly
upon graduating from Yale, where he read English and was co-arts
editor of the Yale Daily News (a good place to begin). Soon upon
arrival in London, he found work in a self-created job as arts and
theatre writer for the Associated Press (AP), where he remained for
21 years.  Along the way, following brief stints at the Wall Street
Journal/Europe and The Hollywood Reporter, Matt became London
theatre critic for Variety from 1992-2005, during which time he was
freelancing regularly for The International Herald Tribune – now
the International New York Times. Following the departure from his
long-held post of the august Sheridan Morley, Matt became London
theatre critic for the IHT/INYT, and in 2009 was thrilled to help
birth The Arts Desk – an arts-centred website that within a few
years of its inception was named best specialism journalism website
at the Online Media Awards in London. He remains theatre editor at
that site and reviews there across the cultural spectrum. In
addition to his journalism, Matt has collaborated on two books –
one about Guys and Dolls, the other about Les Miserables – and is
the author of Sam Mendes at the Donmar: Stepping into Freedom, an
account of the theatre and film director Sam Mendes’s extraordinary
tenure at one of London’s premier theatrical addresses. Matt sits
on the panel of the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and is on the
faculty of both NYU/London and the V&A Museum; he can be heard
regularly on various radio programmes for both the BBC and
Monocle.  Following an acclaimed, sold-out live-streamed and
on-demand runs, Lolita Chakrabarti's Hymn will be broadcast on Sky
Arts on Sunday 18 April at 9pm. The world premiere of this
production was directed by Blanche McIntyre and features actors
Adrian Lester and Danny Sapani. Sky Arts is free to watch on
Freeview Channel 11. Sky and NOW subscribers can also watch Hymn
on-demand after the broadcast. Lolita Chakrabarti is a HCP Visiting
Fellow part of the Humanities Cultural Programme.