THE CHORAL 12a

British films don’t come with a stronger creative pedigree: written by Alan Bennett, directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Ralph Fiennes, The Choral is also filmed in nearby Saltaire. Set during World War One, it tells the story of a community dealing with the loss of many of its men, and is centred around a choir which has to adapt to these new circumstances. On top of this, a new choirmaster (played by Fiennes) arrives, with a different approach and just a whiff of scandal. This is a moving film with many strong performances, dealing with grief and how we express (and sometimes have to repress) our emotions.

A great supporting cast includes many familiar faces such as Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong and Roger Allam. Interestingly, this is the first Bennett and Hytner collaboration since 2015’s The Lady in the Van, which we showed at OC several years ago!

The Guardian wrote: “Alan Bennett’s new film, directed by Nicholas Hytner, is a quiet and consistent pleasure: an unsentimental but deeply felt drama which subcontracts actual passion to the music of Elgar and leaves us with a heartbeat of wit, poignancy and common sense.”

The Choral is 1 hour 53 minutes long, plus an interval.