Terry Gilliam's 'Faust' to air on BBC Four

Terry Gilliam's acclaimed production of The Damnation of Faust for the English National Opera (ENO) is to air on BBC Four this autumn.

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus director transposed Berlioz's dramatic legend to the rise of Nazism in 20th-century Germany, with a stellar cast including Christine Rice, Peter Hoare and Christopher Purves.

Gilliam will introduce The Damnation of Faust, a co-production between the ENO, De Vlaamse Opera and La Fondazione Teatro Massimo, when it airs on BBC Four.

Jan Younghusband, commissioning editor for BBC Music and Events, said: "We're thrilled to be bringing ENO back to BBC Television.

"Terry Gilliam's opera directing debut has been hailed as a triumph, and we're delighted to make this major event in the opera calendar accessible to an even wider audience."

John Berry, the ENO's artistic director, added: "Terry Gilliam and ENO have set the benchmark for Berlioz's extraordinary piece.

"I'm delighted the BBC and ENO are working together again and that the BBC is helping us bring opera to a wider audience."

Former Monty Python star Gilliam has directed various hit movies over the years, including Time Bandits, Brazil, 12 Monkeys and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. In January, he helmed a 15-minute short film in Italy called The Wholly Family.