Mike Bartlett, staging of art exhibitions, Any One Thing

The work of the playwright and screenwriter Mike Bartlett has become a staple of the theatre and television landscape with his plays, such as Bull, winning prizes, his television dramas, such as Dr Foster, tantalising viewers, and productions such as King Charles III having a life on both stage and small screen. Now he’s written a new ITV drama serial - Sticks & Stones - about workplace bullying. He joins Kirsty to discuss the dark side of office banter.

Looking at art is very popular. Last year 5.9 million people visited Tate Modern, that’s more than those who went to the British Museum. But a visit to a gallery, especially to one of the blockbuster exhibitions such as Tate Britain’s William Blake show or the Leonardo da Vinci at the Louvre in Paris is not always a comfortable experience. Sometimes they are so crowded that you can’t actually see the art. We discusses this dilemma and explore how exhibitions are staged and visitors managed. Sirin Kale, who has written about being elbowed in the ribs at the William Blake exhibition sets out the difficulties and Jennifer Scott, co-curator of the ‘mindful’ Rembrandt’s Light show at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, which includes a room with just a single painting, explains changing approaches to make going to exhibitions more enjoyable.

Any One Thing is an immersive theatre company with a difference. Plot and prop details of their shows are tailored to individual audience members through use of software and technology more usually used for marketing and advert personalisation. Paul Farnell and Justin Fyles, the tech entrepreneurs behind the company explain their unique blend of fringe theatre and personal data.

Presenter: Kirsty Lang Producer: Hilary Dunn