Ben Lawrence

Edinburgh

Commissioning Editor at The Telegraph

Technology, Media & Sports at @endeavor_stream

Articles

I live near a festival site

2 weeks ago | telegraph.co.uk | Ben Lawrence
Great television is being made. So why aren’t we watching it?

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Ben Lawrence

As a rule, I hate awards ceremonies. The idea of sitting and watching several hours of inane acceptance speeches, humblebrags and standing ovations is enough to make me want to infiltrate a lost tribe in the Chaco forest, and stay there till kingdom come. But I have to admit, the Bafta TV Awards on Sunday made me reassess my grouchy stance – for the first time in years I felt that prizes really matter. Because the Bafta TV Awards, by and large, got it right.
Great television is being made. So why aren't we watching it?

3 weeks ago | telegraph.co.uk | Ben Lawrence

Well, no. Of course I realise that taste is subjective and we risk getting into snob territory. Yet while I do broadly believe in people power - that the success of a show like Strictly Come Dancing should be praised, in part, because it is so loved, and that its popularity reflects, in a way, that it is a great show - I also think that we should take note of professional opinion, too.
The insiders' guide to the country house opera season

3 weeks ago | telegraph.co.uk | Serena Davies |Ben Lawrence

From Glyndebourne to Garsington to Grange Park, here's all you need to know from what to wear to how to get thereThe country house opera season is upon us and - in contrast to those Arcadian days when Glyndebourne alone offered culture vultures the twin attractions of high notes and high society in a rural setting - in 2025 there are a host of festivals to pick from. Uncertain which to go for? Not sure if you'll actually like the opera when you get there?
British culture is excluding the majority. Labour is to blame

1 month ago | aol.co.uk | Ben Lawrence

The arts have a class problem. I can’t believe I’m writing this in 2025, but it’s true – in fact, the situation is worse than ever. Class is on my mind thanks to the news that New Writing North, a charity based in Newcastle, has launched an initiative called The Bee. Backed by Michael Sheen, The Bee will include a literary magazine, a podcast and an outreach programme in an attempt to increase working-class representation.
British culture is excluding the majority. Labour is to blame

1 month ago | telegraph.co.uk | Ben Lawrence
British theatre needs to start treating the classics with respect

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Ben Lawrence

Earlier this week, I witnessed Ewan McGregor’s theatrical return in My Master Builder. The 54-year-old actor has not been seen on the London stage in 17 years, and his homecoming has made headlines. The production itself, however, at Wyndham’s Theatre, seemed to me the real story.
British theatre needs to start treating the classics with respect

1 month ago | telegraph.co.uk | Ben Lawrence
So Oscar voters must now watch every film? About time

1 month ago | telegraph.co.uk | Ben Lawrence

But there is also the question of whether book prize judges read everything - including that onerous Booker pre-longlist which can consist of over 160 titles. In the past, actor and comedian Robert Webb caused minor outrage when he said that it was impossible to read them all in the allotted seven months. He had a point, but surely you don't take on the challenge unless you are willing to wholeheartedly commit. Oscars voters, in comparison, have it easy.
Sorry Cate Blanchett, but artists should never ‘retire’

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Ben Lawrence

In one of several parallel fantasy lives that I live, I have retired. I am “dividing my time” between London and Southern France (probably Languedoc-Roussillon), with January spent on an island off the coast of Colombia. But I won’t have made a fuss about my retreat from the rat race: no grand speeches, no pitying donations on collectionpot.com and certainly no leaving drinks. I will have made a French exit.