Intermezzo

Behind the scenes of British opera

Tomorrow (Saturday) you can enjoy four hours behind the scenes with the UK's top opera companies: the ROH, ENO, ETO, Northern Ireland Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera and WNO.

The live and recorded footage includes interviews, rehearsals and performance. Watch above or on YouTube from 2pm. The whole thing will be available on demand for 48 hours after the event.

The target audience is newcomers to opera,  but there's a reason Nando's would rather show you sauce-dripping chicken wings than poultry farm videos. I suspect a lot of the content will appeal more to seasoned operagoers who know enough to place it in context.

Full schedule:

Katherine Jenkins joins Tom Jones and Bryn Terfel for TV special

Make an appointment with your sofa on Bank Holiday Monday - the BBC are screening a special one hour TV version of the radio play Under Milk Wood to celebrate Dylan Thomas' centenary.

In addition to a host of Welsh acting talent, they've secured the services of Tom Jones as Captain Cat, Bryn Terfel as Reverend Eli Jenkins and Katherine Jenkins (above, clearly labelled) as Polly Garter. 

It's opera season at the BFI

The BFI Southbank is the location for a mini-operafest in April with its programming strand Broadcasting the Arts: Opera on TV.  

Examining the way that television has covered opera over the years, it will include both individual opera productions and arts documentaries.

Unfortunately it looks for the most part like a wasted opportunity. The focus is firmly on ancient stagings, with no room for the groundbreaking likes of Channel 4's The Death of Klinghoffer  or Powder her Face. However look closely and you may just find something that isn't available on YouTube.

The full programme is:

• Callas Sings Tosca + The Southbank Show: Maria Callas Mar 31, 2014 6:00 PM
• The Tragedy of Carmen Apr 7, 2014 5:50 PM
• Don Carlo at Covent Garden Apr 12, 2014 3:45 PM
• The Magic Flute Apr 14, 2014 5:30 PM
• Tobias & the Angel + Parade – All the King's Men Apr 16, 2014 6:15 PM
• The Mikado + Source of Innocent Merriment Apr 18, 2014 2:45 PM
• Julius Caesar Apr 25, 2014 7:00 PM
• The Lively Arts: Orpheus in the Underground + Monitor: Italian Opera Company Apr 30, 2014 6:15 PM

Tickets for all go on sale from 11:30 on 11 March.

Rolando on telly again

Straight after finishing his recent run as Don Ottavio at the Vienna State Opera, Rolando Villazón dashed off to Prague to shoot a TV documentary about the premiere of Don Giovanni. The BBC are expected to air it in April or May.

Of his recent Vienna performance, the Kurier said "Villazón's a fighter who compensates for any vocal shortcomings with such charisma and commitment that he can shape even a pallid character like Don Ottavio. And the audience loves Villazón for it."

Watch the Proms for free

In case you want to plan your slob-out sofa evenings in advance, here's a list of the Proms that will shown (mostly live) on TV. 

Written on BBC4

Tune into BBC4 at 7.30 tomorrow night for the first TV broadcast of the ROH's Written on Skin.