IMAGINE... WE'LL BE BACK (BBC ONE PREVIEW)

BBC Arts continues its Culture In Quarantine initiative with a timely new documentary presented by Alan Yentob, exploring the massive impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the UK's pioneering and world-renowned performing arts industry.

imagine…We’ll Be Back features footage captured throughout 2020 and looks at the huge challenges being faced in both the short and long term. Alan Yentob discovers the creative ways people are keeping the industry alive until it can re-emerge more fully, and the grave risks posed to this unique network as a result of the pandemic. Speaking with a broad range of creatives; dancers, actors, comedians, musicians, choreographers, writers and directors, as well as promoters and producers.

Yentob explores why the performing arts are so crucial to our cultural fabric. imagine…We’ll Be Back reveals how the UK has developed a powerful performance ecosystem that sustains and connects smaller regional areas with the glamorous West End and beyond into film and television.

From the world’s first drive-in opera to innovative, live-streamed theatre performances on our most iconic stages; urgent new work inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and debut performances of world premiere dance pieces - there is much to admire in spite of the enormous challenges in staging any kind of performance at all in the current climate.

Featuring The Old Vic, Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Opera and Alexandra Palace plus Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo, James Graham, Matthew Warchus, Roderick Williams and Vanessa Redgrave.

imagine…We’ll Be Back airs on BBC One on 9 February at 10.45pm