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All of This Unreal Time

Catch the London premiere of the film by Aoife McArdle, Cillian Murphy and Max Porter, followed by live music by Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and Jon Hopkins.

More details for Royal Festival Hall
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‘I came out here to apologise. You know. I find myself, at the midpoint of my life, in a dark wood, and now I’m here, in the forest of my mind, and every tree is shame, every living thing is a reprimand, and I realise, I must speak freely now, before I lose you.’

A man – any man, every man – walks alone through night and the city. From subway to pavement to wide open marshland, he confesses his failings: emotional, physical, political. To whom, and for what?

Ashamed and alarmed, he considers both the smallness of human life and the scale of the world, and ultimately our most pressing obligation: to care for those alongside us, and for the earth that sustains us.

A film starring Cillian Murphy, written by Max Porter, directed by Aoife McArdle, produced by Mary Hickson and Fran Thompson, and with music composed by Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and Jon Hopkins.

The screening is followed by a Q&A and live performances of new work inspired by the film from composers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and Jon Hopkins. The Q&A panel consists of Max Porter, Aoife McArdle, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Jon Hopkins and Mary Hickson, hosted by Misan Harriman.

This event also marks the publication of Rough Trade Books’ edition of All of This Unreal Time, with a new foreword by Cillian Murphy.

Presented by the Southbank Centre in association with Factory International. Commissioned and produced by Manchester International Festival. New music by Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner and Jon Hopkins and commissioned by the Southbank Centre

Need to know

Age guidance
For ages 12+
Event information

Signed copies of Max Porter’s book All of This Unreal Time are available to purchase as an optional add-on for RRP £9.99 when you buy a ticket to the talk. The book must be collected on the night of the event, as we’re unable to distribute copies afterwards.

Aaron Dessner dressed in an blue tshirt and smiling to the camera
Aaron Dessner, image credit: Josh Goleman
View larger image 1 of 3. Aaron Dessner dressed in an blue tshirt and smiling to the camera
Jon Hopkins with closed eyes looking away from the camera
Jon Hopkins, image credit: Imogene Barron
View larger image 2 of 3. Jon Hopkins with closed eyes looking away from the camera
Bryce Dessner in a blue seat and with a blue beanie, smiling in the camera
Bryce Dessner, image credit: Jens Koch
View larger image 3 of 3. Bryce Dessner in a blue seat and with a blue beanie, smiling in the camera

For your visit

This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre

The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.

Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.

A concrete building with flags on the roof, with the London Eye and Big Ben in the background View larger image
A lively crowd cheers with raised hands, while a performer in a white hat and suit plays guitar, against red lighting. View larger image
A guitarist performing on a dark stage at the Royal Festival Hall, lit up by multiple spotlights. View larger image
Pianis Víkingur Ólafsson is seated at a grand piano while playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations on the stage of Royal Festival Hall View larger image
Organist Carol Williams plays the Royal Festival Hall organ whiich is illumiated with bold colours View larger image

Plan your visit

The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.

Getting here

Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues.  More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.

We’re cash-free

Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.

Access

We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.

All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access. 

All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.

Food & drink

On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.

From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.

Other places to eat and drink whilst you’re here