THIS IS A CHANGE FROM THE PUBLISHED PROGRAMME

Sonia was taken from a life of poverty in Ukraine to a life of privilege in the capital when her maternal uncle adopted her, providing continental holidays, trips to galleries and concerts. Moving to Paris to become an artist in Paris, she knew Matisse, Picasso and Braque, lived, painted and danced in avant-garde circles until the Russian Revolution ended her rental income from St Petersburg, and she now had to earn money. With extraordinary energy and brilliance she created a range of clothing, textiles and homeware, becoming the first living woman artist to be given an exhibition at the Louvre.

This is a talk about booze and intoxication in art. Since the early Romans and Greeks, alcohol has been an important subject for artists. We examine the way drink and drinking are depicted, the social messages portrayed, the happy and unhappy consequences, and how alcohol affected the lives of many artists, their families and friends.​

Andrew Lloyd Webber is probably the most successful creative force within contemporary musical theatre. His music is known worldwide more than any other musical theatre composer, from the intense dramas of Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and The Phantom of the Opera to the ever-tuneful Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Cats. With such a range of stories and styles, what defines a ‘Lloyd Webber’ show? And what has driven such extraordinary achievement? This lecture will explore the biography, works and collaborations of Andrew Lloyd Webber to discover some answers and in the process outline some of the major shifts in pop music and musical theatre that the shows illustrate.