Podcasts about edinburgh festival

Douglas Alexander has been around for ages and he still looks fresh-faced. In this frank and entertaining hour the Secretary of State for Scotland reveals why Labour failed so badly at this year's Holyrood elections.He also takes us behind-the-scenes of the first weeks of the Burnham government as well as the fall of Keir Starmer.PLUS stories from the good old Blair/Brown days and more importantly: what's his ideal Greggs order?See the Political Party Live on Stage:9 November: Liz Kendall (London)21 December: Wes Streeting (London) GET TICKETS for Matt's brand new stand-up show Project Holy Moly at the Edinburgh Festival and touring nationwide in 2027:www.mattforde.comMARCH19 FAVERSHAM The Alex20 DORKING HallsAPRIL7 STOURBRIDGE Town Hall8 GLOUCESTER Guildhall9 LEICESTER Y Theatre12 SALFORD Lowry16 NORTHAMPTON Royal & Derngate21 EXETER Northcott Theatre24 LONDON Bloomsbury Theatre28 ALNWICK Playhouse29 BARNARD CASTLE Witham30 HULL AsylumMAY6 BIRMINGHAM The Glee Club12 COVENTRY Warwick Arts Centre13 WORCESTER Huntingdon Hall14 CHORLEY Theatre18 STAMFORD Corn Exchange19 SHEFFIELD Steamworks20 SHREWSBURY Theatre Severn21 NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal23 LEEDS City Varieties Music Hall26 NORWICH Playhouse27 NORWICH PlayhouseJUNE2 SCUNTHORPE Plowright4 CANTERBURY Gulbenkian Theatre5 READING Concert Hall8 CARDIFF The Glee Club9 BATH Komedia10 MONMOUTH Savoy Theatre11 CHIPPING NORTON The Theatre15 BURY ST EDMUNDS Theatre Royal16 MILTON KEYNES The Stables18 TUNBRIDGE WELLS Trinity Theatre30 LIVERPOOL Everyman PlayhouseJULY1 CARLISLE Old Fire Station2 GLASGOW The Glee Club4 EDINBURGH Lyceum Theatre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex and Sarah get back together to discuss Alex's trip to D23, Disney's huge fan event in California where the creator of Hamilton was celebrated and the West End production of The Greatest Showman was unveiled. Plus more highlights from the Edinburgh Festival and a cracking season of radio drama from the BBC to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Royal Court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the SNP's top talents, Stephen Flynn is on hilarious form at the Edinburgh Festival.He opens up about his frustrations with Nicola Sturgeon's critique of the SNP campaign and exclusively reveals that he'd already resigned as SNP Leader in Westminster BEFORE the 2024 general election had been called. Stephen's got great stories about small talk with ex-Prime Ministers at the Cenotaph as well as his experiences from his summer travelling across the USA with the Tartan Army at the World Cup.It's clear to see why he's so highly regarded, especially as he had to overcome major health problems in his youth.This is a story of resilience, determination. And football. See the Political Party Live on Stage:18 August: Douglas Alexander (Edinburgh)20 August: Malcolm Offord (Edinburgh)9 November: Liz Kendall (London)21 December: Wes Streeting (London) GET TICKETS for Matt's brand new stand-up show Project Holy Moly at the Edinburgh Festival and touring nationwide in 2027:www.mattforde.comMARCH19 FAVERSHAM The Alex20 DORKING HallsAPRIL7 STOURBRIDGE Town Hall8 GLOUCESTER Guildhall9 LEICESTER Y Theatre12 SALFORD Lowry16 NORTHAMPTON Royal & Derngate21 EXETER Northcott Theatre24 LONDON Bloomsbury Theatre28 ALNWICK Playhouse29 BARNARD CASTLE Witham30 HULL AsylumMAY6 BIRMINGHAM The Glee Club12 COVENTRY Warwick Arts Centre13 WORCESTER Huntingdon Hall14 CHORLEY Theatre18 STAMFORD Corn Exchange19 SHEFFIELD Steamworks20 SHREWSBURY Theatre Severn21 NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal23 LEEDS City Varieties Music Hall26 NORWICH Playhouse27 NORWICH PlayhouseJUNE2 SCUNTHORPE Plowright4 CANTERBURY Gulbenkian Theatre5 READING Concert Hall8 CARDIFF The Glee Club9 BATH Komedia10 MONMOUTH Savoy Theatre11 CHIPPING NORTON The Theatre15 BURY ST EDMUNDS Theatre Royal16 MILTON KEYNES The Stables18 TUNBRIDGE WELLS Trinity Theatre30 LIVERPOOL Everyman PlayhouseJULY1 CARLISLEOld Fire Station2 GLASGOW The Glee Club4 EDINBURGH Lyceum Theatre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most petty and ii informed podcast in the world! New Zealand comic Ray O'Leary tells us about his passion for a meal-deal, deaf actor Jamie Rea teaches Tam how to sign, Harthill born and Vegas residing mentalist Colin Cloud dazzles Ray and Tam with some live magic and the brilliant Gyles Brandreth explains why he has Dame Judi Dench's teddy bear in his bag and did Gyles really share a bath with Jimmy Edwards? Click and find out.

Each week, RNIB Connect Radio's Allan Russell sits down with Simon Antrobus, CEO of RNIB, to look at some of the big stories coming from the UK sight loss charity.This week Simon talks about two positive NHS stories, importance of eye checks, and free sighted guides for the Edinburgh Festival.If you, or someone you know, would like information on the support and services available from RNIB, go to www.rnib.org.ukYou can call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or ask your Smart speaker to call RNIB's Helpline.#RNIBConnectImage shows Headshot photograph of Simon Antrobus smiling for the camera. He is a white man with neat, short brown hair, dressed in a white shirt and charcoal suit jacket.

We head to the Edinburgh Fringe to talk to Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson, normally known as comedy duo Britney, who are performing in a brand new play, Jitters. The duo, reflecting on a decade at the Fringe, detail what it's like breaking new ground professionally as they tackle a long-form drama as a twosome, and how the Edinburgh Festivals have changed over the last ten years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australian writer and performer Hannah Reilly talks to us about her much-anticipated one woman show about sex, power and authenticity, Roleplay, which is produced by the team behind Fleabag and Baby Reindeer and which has sold out in Edinburgh but is heading to London for a run in the autumn. Critic Fergus Morgan talks us through the other shows which are making a splash at this year's Edinburgh Festivals - from a radical sequel to Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, which stars Golden Globe-winning actor Wagner Moura, and in which 12 members of the audience are brought on stage to deliver a verdict in A Trial, to a reimagining of Virginia Woolf's The Waves - presented to audiences in a sauna. The first international exhibition from Alabama's Legacy of Slavery Museum has come to Edinburgh this month, and we're joined by its founder, eminent lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson to talk about how it depicts the international slave trade and racial brutality over centuries. We're also joined by writer and director Zora Howard whose powerful production Hang Time sees three performers talk about their lives and loves as they appear to be hanging from a tree, and which is inspired in part by the deaths of two men in Southern California in recent years. And director Louis Paxton talks to us about debut feature film The Incomer, which opens this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival tomorrow night. It's a darkly comic fable in which an awkward council worker (played by Domnhall Gleeson) is sent to a remote Scottish island to relocate a pair of siblings (Gayle Rankin from GLOW and Grant O'Rourke from Outlander), to the mainland, but let's just say things don't quite go to plan. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with multidisciplinary performer Ninon Noiret about her show The Raft of the Crab. The Raft of the Crab Roxy Central, Assembly Tues 18 - Mon 31 August 14:30pm (60 mins) The Raft of the Crab "I remember the crab chewing on my knee. Am I a leftover meal someone forgot on the table? Not rotten yet, but not fresh either. Just sitting there wondering if someone will throw me away or put me back in the fridge." Fresh from their sold-out run at the internationally acclaimed Manipulate Festival 2026, The Raft of the Crab is a performance odyssey through the mind and body of multidisciplinary performer Ninon Noiret - an intensely personal reflection on the nature of illness, pain, healing, and transformation. Created in collaboration with celebrated Scottish puppeteer Gavin Glover, the show blends Ninon Noiret's background in circus and contemporary dance with puppetry, spoken text, and music by Jim Harbourne to explore and contrast the abstract world of the human mind with the tangible realities of recovery. Using puppets as alter egos for herself, Noiret mixes perseverance with playfulness, strength with vulnerability, and humour with honesty to create a striking show that speaks personally to each audience member. A performance grounded in the unique qualities, strengths, and limitations of the human body, Noiret's expertise in Chinese Pole centres The Raft of The Crab in the physical and emotional journey of recovery; strength and resilience carry Noiret upward, opening up a breathtaking playing field in the sky for movement and creativity to reign. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with Dr Nandini Manjunath and Himadri Madan of Theiyaarts about their new show Maiden Mother Whore. Maiden Mother Whore Assembly @ DanceBase, DB-1 18 - 30 August (no shows 24,25) 5:30 (60 mins) Maiden Mother Whore A daring, beautiful dance and multimedia show that challenges assumptions about gender, society, and power - what does it mean, and how does it feel, to be a woman in today's complex patriarchal society? Produced by celebrated Edinburgh dance company Theiyā Arts Dance Collective, Maiden|Mother|Whore is a deeply compelling, fearless, and visually beautiful dance and multi-media performance that unravels the intricate knot of relationships that exist between women, social structures, health and social policies, and institutions. Explored through South Asian classical-contemporary dance (genre of dance that Theiyā Arts Dance Collective has specialised in since the company's inception in 2020), spoken word, interactive projection, visual art, movement exploration, creative text, and multi-linguistic live music from Scotland-based singer-songwriter Giulia Drummond, Maiden|Mother|Whore draws on women's lived experiences and narratives in an interactive, thought-provoking show that boldly asks: What versions of the self become possible as we move between resistance, compliance, and refusal of the roles patriarchy has handed down to us? TICKETS HERE OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

This is an exclusive, the first interview Anas has given since becoming a Minister and a Lord.No stone is unturned as he tells us:What really happened when he called on Keir Starmer to resign.Why Scottish Labour lost so badly.Why he believes there are still legitimate questions the SNP must answer about the party finances...And so much more. It's packed. Best enjoyed with a black coffee...See the Political Party Live on Stage:15 August: Stephen Flynn (Edinburgh)18 August: Douglas Alexander (Edinburgh)20 August: Malcolm Offord (Edinburgh)9 November: Liz Kendall (London)21 December: Wes Streeting (London) GET TICKETS for Matt's brand new stand-up show Project Holy Moly at the Edinburgh Festival and touring nationwide in 2027:www.mattforde.comMARCH19 FAVERSHAM The Alex20 DORKING HallsAPRIL7 STOURBRIDGE Town Hall8 GLOUCESTER Guildhall9 LEICESTER Y Theatre12 SALFORD Lowry16 NORTHAMPTON Royal & Derngate21 EXETER Northcott Theatre24 LONDON Bloomsbury Theatre28 ALNWICK Playhouse29 BARNARD CASTLE Witham30 HULL AsylumMAY6 BIRMINGHAM The Glee Club12 COVENTRY Warwick Arts Centre13 WORCESTER Huntingdon Hall14 CHORLEY Theatre18 STAMFORD Corn Exchange19 SHEFFIELD Steamworks20 SHREWSBURY Theatre Severn21 NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal23 LEEDS City Varieties Music Hall26 NORWICH Playhouse27 NORWICH PlayhouseJUNE2 SCUNTHORPE Plowright4 CANTERBURY Gulbenkian Theatre5 READING Concert Hall8 CARDIFF The Glee Club9 BATH Komedia10 MONMOUTH Savoy Theatre11 CHIPPING NORTON The Theatre15 BURY ST EDMUNDS Theatre Royal16 MILTON KEYNES The Stables18 TUNBRIDGE WELLS Trinity Theatre30 LIVERPOOL Everyman PlayhouseJULY1 CARLISLE Old Fire Station2 GLASGOW The Glee Club4 EDINBURGH Lyceum Theatre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with perfromer Lee Minora about her new show Baby Everything. BABY EVERYTHING Summerhall, Tech Cube 0 Dates: 6 - 31 August (not 17, 24) Time: 10:10 (60 mins) Baby Everything Is it just me, or is all this fascism giving me a lump in my breast? Acclaimed Philadelphia comedian, performer and writer Lee Minora is Baby. Returning to Edinburgh for the first time since her “must-see satire” debut, White Feminist (2018), Lee Minora presents the UK premiere of her new solo show, Baby Everything, at Summerhall this August. Baby Everything is the morning doomscroll you actually want to wake up for, a razor-sharp, hilarious, helter-skelter interrogation of anxiety in the digital age. From the narcissistic comfort of a well-timed panic attack, to calling your mother a fascist and the relentless need to stay informed at all costs, no stone of modernity is left unturned. But audiences are not granted license to simply scroll the pain away, this show is, after all, IRL. Baby needs you to: give a professional breast exam; decide where you'd flee if your country fell apart and; if you're lucky, hold Baby at gunpoint. TICKETS LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's a bumper reviews special! In what might be the biggest theatre opening of the year, the world of Game of Thrones comes to the stage in a gigantic production at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. But does it live up to the hype? Alex and Sarah discuss Dominic Cooke and Duncan Macmillan's efforts and what its future life might look like. Elsewhere, Sarah went to Regent's Park for a night under the (fake) moonlight at Cats, while Alex is trekking between theatres at the Edinburgh Festivals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer Mariann Yar about her new. Show Landsfrau. LANDSFRAU TechCube 0 at Summerhall Dates: 6 - 31 August 2026 Time: 14:50 (60 mins) LANDSFRAU Landsfrau: German, noun. 1) compatriot; 2) fellow countrywoman; 3) هموطن Blending music, choreography and poetry, LANDSFRAU هموطن is an auto-fictional journey into an Afghanistan that may or may not exist. In this searching performance, Mariann Yar twists at the challenges and difficult privileges of a life in the diaspora. As the last planes left in the 2021 evacuation of Kabul airport, Afghanistan vanished from Ariana's reach. The return of the Taliban and the sudden withdrawal of the western troops trigger an internal reckoning with war and memory that transports her as far as twenty years earlier, to the televised reporting of 9/11. Burdened by the many narratives of her parents' birth country, Ariana feels an innate responsibility to dismantle the Western images of Afghanistan and build her own story: fragments of family history, imagined pasts, longing and intermittent rage. LANDSFRAU هموطن asks us to consider how we should hold the conflicting forces of identity; the political and the personal. What does it mean to grow up abroad as a child of Afghan parents? To belong to a place you can never return to? As Ariana weaves these complex threads into a rich collage of her life, biographical episodes slide into stories of nostalgia and fantasy; Afghan folk music collides with electronic beats; Attan meets contemporary dance. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with Katherina Radeva about her new show 40/40. Which is on in the second half of this year's fringe. 40/40 Dancebase, Studio 3 Dates: 18 - 23 August Time: 14:30 (50 mins) 40/40 Kat is a woman (has been for quite a while now). She is a migrant (since 1999) from the Thracian Valley in Bulgaria. In April 2022, surrounded by family and friends, she turned 40. The critically acclaimed, international touring sensation 40/40 returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, celebrating four years of dance, joy and celebration travelling across Europe. Part of the Made in Scotland Showcase 2026, this inspiring, insightful and moving show honours Katherina Radeva's 40 years as a woman, a migrant and an artist. Kat has always danced, but she has never called herself a dancer, until now. Claiming space on the dance floor, she writes stories of her past, present and future – in speech, electrical tape, and in movement. From childhood gymnastics classes and body shaming, to migrancy and moving to the UK at 16, Kat puts it all on the floor. A creative who refuses to be categorised, through choreography we see all the joys and sorrows of Radeva's 40 years in this life affirming piece of radical movement. 40/40 is a celebration of women's - especially women over 40's - strength, labour, hard work, joys and sadnesses. Kat interweaves open, honest audio voice overs with great tunes - including the Eurythmics Sweet Dreams are Made of These, Nick Cave's Rings of Saturn, and more - and great dance moves to create a truly joyful space. Join the middle-aged woman revolution by dancing, claiming and reclaiming the beautiful, glorious and messy complexities of womanhood. TICKET LINK Twodestinationlanguage.com OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with pervious guest and friend of the pod - writer Emery Schaffer about her new play BearGirl. BEARGIRL Assembly Roxy, Roxy Boxy Dates: Wednesday 5th - Monday 31st August 2026 Time: 4:20pm (60 mins) BearGirl Bear suits, bereavement, and big scary feelings...oh my. Premiering at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe is BearGirl - an empowering drama about animal costumes, grief and feminist rage, written by Emery Schaffer (We Used to be Girl Scouts, MONUMENTAL) and directed by Kate Stamoulis. Inspired by Anton Checkhov's The Bear, Bear Girl is a new play about love and hate, desire and guilt, reclaiming yourself when it's all been stripped away, and attempting to make peace with the beast within. Struggling to cope with the death of her husband, a grief-stricken widow unexpectedly finds comfort whilst wearing an oddly sentimental bear suit that reminds her of her lost love. From that day, Bear Girl is born: an unfeeling, thick-skinned beast of a woman who doesn't care that you're staring at her, because she's not really there. Meshing a complicated love affair with the shock of sudden loss, Schaffer's play explores the complex web of weighty emotions that lay within every human going through the worst moment of their life- and what happens when we lose all control of how we ‘should' behave… and start giving into our primal instincts. TICKET LINK emeryschaffer.com heythankstheatrecollective.com OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

WE'RE BACK!!! It's the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 series Elaine chats with performer Martha Knight about her show The King of All Birds. Joining Martha is her director Joy Nisbett who chats about The King of All Birds as well as Julius Ceasar Variety show which she has written and directed. Both shows run for the whole festival at Summerhall. The King of All Birds Summerhall, Former Gent's Locker Room Dates: 6 - 31 August (not 17, 24) Time: 13:40 (60 mins) The King of All Birds I'm going to do a few songs today. In about 60 minutes, we're going to crown a new king. And then, I'm going to fly. Award-winning Irish theatre-maker, sound designer and composer Martha Knight brings her critically acclaimed theatre show to Summerhall for its UK premiere. The King of All Birds blends sound, history and imagination to trace humanity's ever-evolving relationship with the sky - from a time when it lay untouched, through the earliest daring attempts to reach it, to today's relentless ascent up and up. Inspired by the societal phenomenon of aerial photographs displayed in homes across Ireland since the 1960s, The King of All Birds is a playful, tongue-in-cheek one-woman piece of gig theatre which expands this story, tracing Ireland's history from the great birds of Celtic folklore to our modern world of aeroplanes, satellites, and drones. Tracking this journey with the help of classic Irish folk song, Wild Mountain Thyme, performed via voice, musical instrument, and live electronics; Martha Knight tells a radically gentle story of Ireland, identity, and belonging. TICKET LINK Julius Caesar Variety Show Summerhall, Red Lecture Theatre Dates: 6 - 31 August (not 17, 24) Time: 16:45 (60 mins) Julius Caesar Variety Show A Black actor, a woman actor, and a straight white male actor walk into a Shakespeare audition… Acclaimed emerging writer-director Joy Nesbitt premieres her multi-award-nominated play, JULIUS CAESAR VARIETY SHOW, at Summerhall this August. This bold new play puts on the worst audition you've ever seen, asking: what happens when identity, ambition, and artistic authority collide under pressure? During the 2023 Dublin riot, a Black actor, a woman actor, and a straight white male actor audition for a part in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. The three auditionees attempt to impress a revered director set on reinventing the play in "unorthodox" styles - and as the audition unfolds, the actors' identities are called into the audition room and exploited for better performances. What begins as an audition quickly transforms into a battleground. As the director, aided by an ever-present accompanist, pushes the actors to their limits, questions of identity, authorship, and representation come sharply into focus. Performers and audiences alike must confront how their lived experience shapes not only their interpretation of the roles, but also the meaning of the play itself. TICKET LINK OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk IPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

In a busy week Sarah and Alex talk about Ariana Grande's decision to step back from her projected stage appearance opposite Jonathan Bailey in Sondhem's Sunday in the Park with George. And as Alex sets off for Edinburgh, they discuss his top picks for the festival, the failure of Trainspotting and the death of Peter Gill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello guys and welcome back to another Fringe in Fifteen!A series dedicated to fringe artists across the UK and beyond, giving them a fifteen minute elevator pitch style interview promoting what their show is about and where people can see it. Today we welcome Lizzie Bean and her show “Phuckets and Rainbows” at the Edinburgh Festival this year. A one woman show that “bends reality, breaks rules and asks the big questions in the small moments”. Catch it at the Ivy Studio @ Green Side on George Street, Edinburgh, from 7th-15th August.To find out more and buy tickets, link is below:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/phuckets-and-rainbowsThank you Lizzie and good luck with the show!Any artist or group who would like to come on please drop me an email or a DM on Instagram.Oliver GowerSpotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261Instagram: @ollietheuncensoredcriticFor enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.comPlease Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️Thank you all for your support!Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ Track Name. Early Morning 

In the first of our special programmes from the Edinburgh Festivals, actress Stockard Channing - star of Grease, Six Degrees of Separation and Practical Magic - joins us alongside her friend, actor David Westhead, to discuss their production of Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape, in which a cynical and disillusioned older man reflects on his early life as an ambitious and idealistic writer.Jeff Whitty, Tony Award winning creator of the hit musical Avenue Q, which is currently running until 2027 in London's West End, tells us about Midsummer!, his new production inspired by Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's dream, set in the Gilded Age and performed in a contemporary verse translation. We have a live performance from siblings Maddie and Marcus Rice from their show with songs Goodbye Dandelion, an exploration of an unlikely friendship between an 87 year old and their much younger friend, which is the recipient of the inaugural Underbelly Futures Fund Award. And we hear how deaf actors and artists are taking centre stage at this year's Festival, with Stijn Van Opstal, the director of the acclaimed production [seagull], performed in Flemish sign language by Belgian company Olympique Dramatique - and with director Cora Bissett and deaf performer Jamie Rea, whose gig theatre production The Singer, centres on Joe, a deaf artist who 'sings' with his hands, and Andy, a washed-up musician seeking a comeback, and features music by KT Tunstall. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

It's August so that can only mean one thing and that's that the Edinburgh Festival is in full swing so as part of that, Insane In The Men Brain brings you our special Edinburgh season starting off with rising star, the brilliant comedian that is Milo Edwards and what a great chat it was too! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing our Edinburgh Festival special season we have the excellent and very lovely Ollie Horn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the recent Greater Manchester mayoral contest the Conservatives finished behind Reform UK and Restore Britain. The right are split three ways for the first time in British political history, where usually the left vote fractures fatally. What are the implications as Andy Burnham makes his early moves?Rock & Roll Politics is live at the Edinburgh Festival from Sunday 16th of August with a different show each day.Tickets are available here. • Find out if you're owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/steve • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/steve Subscribe to Patreon here for exclusive extra content and bonus episodes, plus the regular podcast a day early and ad-free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon McCoy is the man who made BBC News funny.He is also an absolute news obsessive. In this fascinating and entertaining interview, he tells us what it was like moving from the BBC to GB News, what frustrated him about covering the Brexit referendum, and the intervention that Huw Edwards made about Simon's afternoon slot on News 24. Packed full of behind-the-scenes insight, this is an absolute cracker with one of our most gifted broadcasters. GET TICKETS for Matt's brand new stand-up show Project Holy Moly at the Edinburgh Festival and touring nationwide in 2027:www.mattforde.comMARCH19 FAVERSHAM The Alex20 DORKING HallsAPRIL7 STOURBRIDGE Town Hall8 GLOUCESTER Guildhall9 LEICESTER Y Theatre12 SALFORD Lowry16 NORTHAMPTON Royal & Derngate21 EXETER Northcott Theatre24 LONDON Bloomsbury Theatre28 ALNWICK Playhouse29 BARNARD CASTLE Witham30 HULL AsylumMAY6 BIRMINGHAM The Glee Club12 COVENTRY Warwick Arts Centre13 WORCESTER Huntingdon Hall14 CHORLEY Theatre18 STAMFORD Corn Exchange19 SHEFFIELD Steamworks20 SHREWSBURY Theatre Severn21 NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal23 LEEDS City Varieties Music Hall26 NORWICH Playhouse27 NORWICH PlayhouseJUNE2 SCUNTHORPE Plowright4 CANTERBURY Gulbenkian Theatre5 READING Concert Hall8 CARDIFF The Glee Club9 BATH Komedia10 MONMOUTH Savoy Theatre11 CHIPPING NORTON The Theatre15 BURY ST EDMUNDS Theatre Royal16 MILTON KEYNES The Stables18 TUNBRIDGE WELLS Trinity Theatre30 LIVERPOOL Everyman PlayhouseJULY1 CARLISLE Old Fire Station2 GLASGOW The Glee Club4 EDINBURGH Lyceum TheatreSee the Political Party Live on Stage:9 August: Anas Sarwar (Edinburgh)15 August: Stephen Flynn (Edinburgh)18 August: TBC (Edinburgh)20 August: Malcolm Offord (Edinburgh)9 November: Liz Kendall (London)21 December: Wes Streeting (London) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bongani Bingwa speaks with Sandile Majola, Team Leader of the Ndlovu Youth Choir, about what audiences can expect from the choir's highly anticipated return to Johannesburg for six performances at Montecasino's Teatro. They also discuss the choir's upcoming debut at the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where they will present a specially created one-hour production, 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team bring you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa broadcast on 702: https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/36edSLV or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio7See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A whole series of prime ministers have promised a National Care service, but none have delivered. Can Andy Burnham? Plus brilliant questions in our never-ending debate on the opening of the Burnham era and the political drama in France.Rock & Roll Politics is live at the Edinburgh Festival from Sunday 16th of August with a different show each day.Tickets are available here.Subscribe to Patreon here for exclusive extra content and bonus episodes, plus the regular podcast a day early and ad-free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John McTernan is one of the most fascinating voices on the British left. He worked at the centre of 10 Downing Street as Tony Blair's Political Secretary. But now he's in a slightly different space. His perspective has shifted and he sees new Labour as the end of a different era. Now he believes Labour has to be more left wing. So what's changed? And how many more agree with him?SEE Matt's brand-new stand-up show 'Project Holy Moly' at the Edinburgh Festival 5-30 August:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/matt-forde-project-holy-moly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the buildup to our Edinburgh Fringe 2026 coverage we bring this uncut interview with one of the funniest Edinburgh Fringe guests we've had on the show. The Edinburgh Fringe is part of the world's biggest arts festival and is famous for up and coming comedians and performers to show their wares. Kuan Wen spoke to Graeme Smith at the last festival about doing the festival, his comedy and his feelings on the security of his country of Taiwan in the face of global uncertainties. Kuan-Wen talks about how in his dating experience... ANDREWS ARE THE WORST! In an interview that had us crying laughing that we're bringing to you uncut.

Andy Burnham has promised the biggest change in 40 years. Is his new cabinet ready to deliver - and does he know how to bring about the change he seeks?To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comSubscribe to Patreon here for exclusive extra content and bonus episodes, plus the regular podcast a day early and ad-free. Rock N Roll Politics is live at the Edinburgh Festival from Sunday August 16th. Get your tickets here. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is a tax expert. A proper tax expert. You may have seen him on Channel 4 recently getting immensely frustrated with Gary Stevenson about a wealth tax. Dan doesn't agree with a wealth tax and in this fascinating interview he explains why. He also tells us what really happened during the filming of that infamous interview and what bits were left out... See Matt at the Soho Theatre trying out new material, 21-25 July:https://sohotheatre.com/events/matt-forde-work-in-progress-4/ Subscribe to Andrew's new podcast, The Andrew Neil Report:https://open.spotify.com/show/033rtEM2eq993E22SE0vPm See the Political Party Live on Stage:9 August: Anas Sarwar (Edinburgh)15 August: Stephen Flynn (Edinburgh)18 August: Rachel Reeves (Edinburgh)20 August: Malcolm Offord (Edinburgh)9 November: Liz Kendall (London)21 December: Wes Streeting (London) Get tickets for Matt's brand new stand-up show Project Holy Moly at the Edinburgh Festival:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/matt-forde-project-holy-moly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian RACHEL FAIRBURN gives us the five tracks she will meet in Hell!We are back after four weeks away, and who better to drag you all back to Hell than top comedian Rachel Fairburn? Rachel tells us about her new show, Vexy Beasts, and making the switch between character comedy and stand up. We also talk about working in a library, how Rachel's hit serial killer podcast, All Killa No Filla, increased her confidence as a comedian, and discuss whether Liam Gallagher ever calls his mum after a gig.Rachel is about to appear at the Edinburgh Festival. She's at the Monkey Barrel from August 6th - 30th, tickets for that are here.Then, in October and November, she takes Vexy Beasts on a tour of Great Britain. Dates and tickets can be found here.Watch Rachel in action for free! Rachel's show, Showgirl, is on YouTubeRachel's short story podcast, Harpurvale, is available here.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: www.instagram.com/hellish_podBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hellishpod.comThreads: https://www.threads.net/@hellish_podFacebook: www.facebook.com/hellishpodcastTikTok: www.tiktok.com/hellishpodThe Hellish logo was drawn by Nick Roche https://nickrocheart.bigcartel.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The one-and-only Andrew Neil pops in for a gripping hour of political and media analysis. What's it like working for Rupert Murdoch? Has Andrew ever tried to go into politics? What really happened with Bobby Gillespie? All that and so much more! See Matt at the Soho Theatre trying out new material, 21-25 July:https://sohotheatre.com/events/matt-forde-work-in-progress-4/ Subscribe to Andrew's new podcast, The Andrew Neil Report:https://open.spotify.com/show/033rtEM2eq993E22SE0vPm See the Political Party Live on Stage:9 August: Anas Sarwar (Edinburgh)15 August: Stephen Flynn (Edinburgh)18 August: Rachel Reeves (Edinburgh)20 August: Malcolm Offord (Edinburgh)9 November: Liz Kendall (London)21 December: Wes Streeting (London) Get tickets for Matt's brand new stand-up show Project Holy Moly at the Edinburgh Festival:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/matt-forde-project-holy-moly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brian Bilston is one of the UK's most hilarious and best-loved poets and novelists. With over 500,000 followers on social media, Brian has been dubbed as the “Poet Laureate of Twitter”. He has published four collections of poetry for adults: You Took the Last Bus Home; Alexa, what is there to know about love?; Days Like These; and And So This is Christmas. His novel Diary of a Somebody was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. He has also published collections of poetry for younger readers: 50 Ways to Score a Goal; Let Sleeping Cats Lie; and A Poem for Every Question. His acclaimed poem ‘Refugees' has been made into an illustrated book for children.Brian Bilston is our guest in episode 593 of My Time Capsule and he chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Buy tickets for Brian Bilston's Edinburgh Festival show, How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside, here - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/brian-bilston-how-to-lay-an-egg-with-a-horse-inside .For everything Brian Bilston, visit - https://brianbilston.com .Follow Brian Bilston on Instagram: @brian_bilston .Visit our website! - https://mytimecapsulepodcast.com .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast and get all episodes ad-free, please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I am talking to Liz Bentley, psychotherapist, writer, comedian, poet and performer. Liz has recently released her brand NEW memoir; The Suicidal Therapist, Confessions of a Wounded Healer on Survivors Voices Press. This is her heartfelt and authentic story, diving into some of the aspects of mental health that we often don't talk about. Liz sought therapy in her early twenties, whilst dealing with problems with bulimia, intimate relationships, drugs, grief and being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She talks candidly about these subjects in her book. Liz has worked extensively for over thirty-four years as a psychotherapist, supervisor and facilitator in the NHS, Goldsmiths College, Lewisham College (in London) and private practice. Liz has performed with her comedy poetry at The Poetry Cafe, London Literature Festival, Leicester Square Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, The Ivy House and many other festivals and venues. In the episode today, Liz is going to dive into her life journey, taking us behind the scenes of her imperfect, complicated, persevering and vibrant path. It's an honest and frank conversation to inspire hope and encouragement to anyone who is struggling today. You can order a copy of Liz's book at Survivor's Press https://survivorsvoices.org/survivors-voices-press/ and also from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suicidal-Therapist-Confessions-Wounded-Healer-ebook/dp/B0GC9LS63N Liz's website: https://lizbentley.co.uk/  

You're not going to hear anyone else talk about politics like this. Suzanne is an original thinker. From bunking off school and doing acid while selling Marxism Today to ending up writing for The Telegraph. Her route through her career and life is completely unorthodox. She has a truly adventurous take on life and that informs her unique political analysis. This is a one-of-a-kind episode. See the Political Party Live on Stage:9 August: Anas Sarwar (Edinburgh)15 August: Stephen Flynn (Edinburgh)18 August: Rachel Reeves (Edinburgh)20 August: Malcolm Offord (Edinburgh)9 November: Liz Kendall (London)21 December: Wes Streeting (London) Get tickets for Matt's brand new stand-up show Project Holy Moly at the Edinburgh Festival:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/matt-forde-project-holy-moly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony Cantwell is an Irish comedian, writer and actor. Tony recently appeared in Prime Video's LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland, hosted by Graham Norton, alongside some of Ireland's biggest comedy stars. He also starred in the acclaimed feature film Apocalypse Clown, winner of Best Irish Film at the 2023 Galway Film Fleadh, and has appeared in Amy Huberman's comedy series Finding Joy. He is the creator and host of the hit podcast Tony Cantwell's Hit Show and co-hosts Young Hot Guys, two of Ireland's most popular comedy podcasts. He has sold out live shows across Ireland and the UK, including multiple performances at Dublin's iconic Vicar Street, while his online sketches have amassed millions of views .Tony Cantwell is our guest in episode 592 of My Time Capsule and he chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Buy tickets for Tony Cantwell's Edinburgh Festival show here - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/tony-cantwell-you-cry-weird .Follow Tony Cantwell on Instagram: @tonyhorror .Visit our website! - https://mytimecapsulepodcast.com .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast and get all episodes ad-free, please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are so thrilled to be welcoming back on the playwright/performer Bob Brader and the director Suzanne Bachner to talk about their latest show, Kitty Daddy. The show which is part of the East to Edinburgh Festival at 59E59 Theaters before crossing get pond for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, was so incredible to learn all about. So be sure that you tune in and get your tickets for the show on either side of the ocean!Kitty DaddyPart of East to Edinburgh FestivalJuly 9th, 11th, and 19th @ 59E59TheatersTickets and more information are available at 59e59.org And be sure to follow our guests to stay up to date on all their upcoming projects and productions: kittydaddy.me circletheplay.comjmtctheatre.com bobbrader.com

Let's go back in time five years and see what, if anything, has really changed...In 2021 Andy was Mayor of Manchester but was clearly developing his thinking on where power in the UK lies. This is a great mix of thoughtful political analysis and riveting behind-the-scenes detail as Andy tells the incredible inside story behind his showdowns with the UK and Scottish governments. He also tells the heartbreaking story of the Hlllsborough families' long campaign for justice and his role in changing the Labour government's position, including the moment he stands in front of a packed Anfield at the memorial service. See the Political Party Live on Stage:9 August: Anas Sarwar (Edinburgh)15 August: Stephen Flynn (Edinburgh)18 August: Rachel Reeves (Edinburgh)20 August: Malcolm Offord (Edinburgh)9 November: Liz Kendall (London)21 December: Wes Streeting (London) Get tickets for Matt's brand new stand-up show Project Holy Moly at the Edinburgh Festival:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/matt-forde-project-holy-moly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Extant the UK's leading professional performing arts company of blind and visually impaired artists is continuing to lead the conversation around accessibility in the arts, returning to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer in partnership with Underbelly as principal venue partner which will include three enhance shows alongside a new visually impaired-led showcase on 18 August 2026 spanning theatre, dance and comedy .RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey was joined by Dr Maria Oshodi, Artistic Director and CEO of Extant, for a look back on access at the Edinburgh Festival fringe from taking the ‘Effing and Blinding' Cabaret too the Fringe in 2007, celebrating Extant's 25 anniversary in 2022 by helping Tom Skelton and Amy Bethan Evans to take their shows to the Festival Fringe and following on from the great success of their 2025 programme a look forward to this year's programme including the three enhance shows, the showcase on 18 August at Underbelly and much more besides. To find out more about Extant and their programme of performances and events for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 do visit their website - https://extant.org.uk(Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underlined with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font)

Simon Wallace is a pianist, composer and record producer. As a performer he collaborates with many other jazz musicians, including the singer Sarah Moule. He is a prolific composer and for  nearly twenty years wrote songs with the late American lyricist Fran Landesman.  He has also written for a wide range of TV shows in collaboration with Simon Brint, and for the National Theatre, Young Vic and Edinburgh Festival. I first met Simon several years ago, when he appeared at the Pheasantry in London with the singer Pete Atkin (a previous guest on Countercurrent), performing songs written by Atkin during his decades-long collaboration with the late Clive James. https://www.simonwallace.org

Dan Tiernan is a comedian from Live at the Apollo, QI, The Last Leg, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping, Unforgivable, Comedy Central Live, Stand Up to Cancer, The Stand Up Sketch Show, and Rosie Jones's Disability Comedy Extravaganza. His Edinburgh Fringe debut hour ‘Going Under' saw him received a nomination for Best Newcomer at Edinburgh Comedy Award 2023, win Best Newcomer at the ISH Comedy Awards 2023 and he recorded the show as a BBC Radio 4 stand-up special. In 2022, he was named "British Comedian of the Year", and won the BBC New Comedy Award. Dan is returning to Edinburgh at Monkey Barrel 1 this August 2026 with his new show, Quartz and All .Dan Tiernan is our guest in episode 590 of My Time Capsule and he chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Buy tickets for Quartz and All at Edinburgh Festival - https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/dan-tiernan-quartz-and-all .For all other live shows, visit - https://linktr.ee/dantiernan .Follow Dan Tiernan on Instagram: @tiernancomedian .Visit our website! - https://mytimecapsulepodcast.com .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast and get all episodes ad-free, please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cosy crime, Mams and other people's Mam's and the joy of space travel are all explored on this week's Loose Ends. Death in Paradise creator Robert Thorogood reveals his Aunty Jess, a woman who thought two vegetables of the same colour on a place was "common", inspired his Marlow mysteries ace-investigator Judith Potts. Dublin comedian Emma Doran is heading to Edinburgh Festival, but she's not convinced its anything other than a pyramid scheme. Her tour is called Emmaculate, after the ultimate compliment one Mam would give another Mam in her youth - "your house is immaculate".And award winning playwright Tim Foley talks about his latest play Life Out There, set aboard a drifting space ship full of jobsworth astronauts in the near future. Its going to be staged at Jodrell Bank Observatory - find out what the real scientists make of his ideas.With music from Hot Chip front man Alexis Taylor's new solo album Paris in the Spring and from folk pop act Creepy Crawly aka Rachel Cawley. Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Olive Clancy Assistant Producer: Lizzie Foster Technical Producers: John Benton and John Cole Production Co-ordinator: Pete Liggins

300 years after the publication of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Matthew Sweet looks at satire, past and present. How can satirists reflect critically and humorously on political events in an age of social media saturation and at a time when reality can seem stranger than fiction?He is joined by:Andrew Hunter Murray, comedian, writer and host of Radio 4's The Naked Week. His new book is Bad Deeds.Jan Ravens, actor and impressionist, known for her work on Spitting Image and Radio 4's Dead RingersRosie Holt, actor and comedian. Rosie's shows Churchill's Urinal and Rosie Holt: The Illegal Aliens have landed! will both be at Edinburgh Festival.Tom Peck, Parliamentary sketch writer for The TimesandSiôn Parkinson, artist, Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and 2026 AHRC/BBC New Generation Thinker.Producer: Eliane Glaser

We will soon trust AI more than people with their own agendas. In 50 years, we'll realise 50%+ tax was madness when 20% could have worked. Digital voting will let people vote on issues, not political parties, and we'll have an executive of 40 people (like Singapore) instead of 1,000 MPs arguing endlessly. And Brexit will be remembered as the best thing that happened—because this entrepreneurial little island will reinvent how to govern, and the rest of the world will copy us as they've done throughout history. Simon Woodroffe, founder of Yo! Sushi and YoTel, original Dragon on Dragons' Den, performer at Edinburgh Festival, recording artist with the Blockheads, and now published author of "Yo Man," has built businesses across multiple industries starting at age 45—and he's got radical ideas about politics, taxation, and why megalomaniac control at the beginning is the right way to start any business.In this episode from Thailand (where Simon now lives with his Thai wife after being brought up in old Singapore), he reveals how he started YoSushi after a Japanese TV producer said "conveyor belt sushi bar with girls in black PVC miniskirts," flew to Japan when it was expensive and difficult (Japan was the last great mystery of the East 30 years ago), found 2,500 conveyor belt sushi bars nobody in the UK knew about, and opened Poland Street with everything he had in the world—only to have nobody come for the first two weeks. Then the second Saturday, there was a 100-yard queue down the block because they'd done something so completely different. He shares why he was nicknamed "the steamroller," why megalomaniac control is perfect at the beginning but you must let go after three years, how he hired Robin Rowland who closed all the Yo Below bars much to Simon's chagrin (but was absolutely right), and why he's earned roughly 1% of YoTel turnover every quarter for years—which has funded everything since and probably saved him from going broke.Book recommendations:How to Get Rich - Felix Dennis - https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Get-Rich-Felix-Dennis/dp/0091927447Yo Man - Simon Woodroffe - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yo-Man-Simon-Woodroffe/dp/1398616761About the Guest:Simon Woodroffe is the founder of YoSushi (celebrating 30 years in January) and YoTel (now over 30 hotels worldwide, much bigger business than YoSushi), original Dragon on Dragons' Den (series 1-3), performer at Edinburgh Festival where he did a one-man show, recording artist with the Blockheads, and published author of "Yo Man" (his second book—the first was his autobiography). He's done a few things. He's 77 years old, was brought up in old Singapore, has lived all over the world, and now lives in Thailand with his Thai wife. His home base is Thailand because it's the best place he's found after searching everywhere.Simon started YoSushi at age 45 after a long, hard life that hasn't always been good. He's now a licensor of both YoSushi and YoTel, broadcasting on social media, and trying to give something back to the world to improve it—whether politically or directly helping one person at a time. He always said that when he was knocking on other people's doors, if he was ever the one whose door was knocked on (which is the situation he finds himself in now), he would always try to respond to everybody. And he does.Connect with Simon Woodroffe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosimonwoodroffe/--------Sign up to receive our weekly Curious Leadership newsletter:https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouseChapters:00:00 Introduction01:01 Introduction to Simon Woodroffe's journey and achievements02:37 Simon on world improvements and his life in Thailand03:47 Predictions on digital voting and government change06:37 A small executive model for better governance10:00 Reducing taxes by changing government spending12:00 Trusting AI over human biases for balanced insights14:06 Launch of Simon's book, Yo Man, and the ATM story16:57 Bringing conveyor belt sushi to London20:05 Transition from steamroller to delegator in business21:36 Successful expansion under Robin Rowland's leadership24:10 Involvement in Yotel and its global success28:59 Importance of theatre and 'ziz' in business branding30:07 Letting go of control for business growth31:28 Transition to TV and participation in Dragon's Den35:14 Enjoying Dragon's Den and investments made38:08 Overcoming challenges during Yo Sushi's opening weeks42:29 Creative 'yo' brand extensions and their impacts45:01 Making tough business decisions swiftly and confidently

Sara Pascoe is a comedian and writer who has appeared on programmes including QI, Taskmaster and the Great British Sewing Bee. She is also a screenwriter and the author of three books including her debut novel Weirdo which won the inaugural Jilly Cooper Prize for fiction last year. Sara was born in Dagenham and grew up in Romford. She joined a drama club when she was 14 and set her heart on an acting career but failed to get a place at drama school. She read English Literature at the University of Sussex and after graduating took on various jobs to make ends meet including a stint as a London tour bus guide.In 2007 she performed her first comedy gig to an audience of 12 people in a south London pub. Even though no-one laughed at her jokes, she was well and truly bitten by the stand-up bug and the following year was joint runner-up at the Funny Women Awards. In 2010 she performed her first show at the Edinburgh Festival and appeared on the BBC's Live at the Apollo two years later.She is currently touring her latest stand-up tour, I Am A Strange Gloop. Sara lives in London with her husband Steen Raskopoulos and their two children.DISC ONE: Rhythm Of Life - Sammy Davis Jr. And Ensemble (from Sweet Charity) DISC TWO: Never Forget - Take That DISC THREE: Telemachus - Pascoe & Martin DISC FOUR: Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chilli Peppers DISC FIVE: Gett Off - Prince & The New Power Generation DISC SIX: Rock Star - N.E.R.D DISC SEVEN: Best Friend - 50 Cent DISC EIGHT: Wizardry - Self Esteem BOOK CHOICE: 1984 by George Orwell LUXURY ITEM: A typewriter CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Telemachus - Pascoe & Martin Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Stuart Maconie soaks up Glasgow International Comedy Festival.He is joined by comedian Alana Jackson who went viral with her stories of Glasgow funerals, took home the prestigious So You Think You're Funny? award in 2024, and took time out of her line dancing schedule last year to enjoy a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival. Plus stand-up Sam Lake, who asks guests on his podcast - I've Had A Rosé, Let's Talk About Feelings - to join him on a deep chat with a beverage of their choice. But why did jelly change the way he flies forever? Writer and restaurant critic Candice Chung delves her relationship with her family and how food says things that words can't in her memoir - Chinese Parents Don't Say I Love You.With music from Vitamin String Quartet, whose classical pop-covers help bring the world of Bridgerton alive, and the cast of One Day: The Musical share a track from the new production.Producer: Caitlin Sneddon Production Coordinator: Lauren Stewart

Danny Ward is the winner of the Ish Comedy Awards Panel Prize for his latest Edinburgh show, as well as a recipient of the Victoria Wood Award at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards and the Amused Moose Best Show, Edinburgh Festival 2013 for his debut solo show. For over 17 years, Danny has been delighting crowds across the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand with his unique blend of “slick, quick, funny material.” Danny is also co‑host of the hugely popular Jokes podcast, where he and Mark Simmons speak with comedians and performers about their craft. Danny is also an award‑winning filmmaker, and his documentary about legendary British comedian Ian Cognito is available worldwide on Prime Video.Danny Ward is our guest in episode 559 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .For Danny's tour dates, tickets and more, visit - https://dannywardcomedy.co.uk .Listen to Danny Ward's podcast with Mark Simmons, Jokes with Mark Simmons - podfollow.com/1455723980 .Follow Danny Ward on Instagram @dannywardcomedy .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast, get all episodes ad-free and a bonus episode every Wednesday of "My Time Capsule The Debrief', please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Rosie and Chris are joined by comedian and Taskmaster troublemaker Phil Ellis! They chat all things Taskmaster as well as reminiscing about lock down zoom nights, Edinburgh Festival and why Phil decided to do a kids show. Expect chaos, laughter, and more oversharing than anyone asked for. As always, there's Please Keep Me Anonymous story that Phil shares with Chris and Rosie plus some silver service and seafood chat! You can catch Phil on tour with his new show Bath Mat find tickets at philelliscomedy.com You can also watch Phil on Taskmaster every Thursday at 9pm on Channel 4 or catch up on the series at channel4.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever considered the lighter side of dark matter? Comedy has proved an unexpectedly succesful way to engage people with science - as today's guest knows first-hand.Astrophysicist Catherine Heymans is a Professor at the University of Edinburgh and the current Astronomer Royal for Scotland. She's spent her career studying dark matter and dark energy: the mysterious ingredients that make up an estimated 95% of our cosmos, but which we still know surprisingly little about. Using increasingly powerful telescopes, both on earth and in space, Catherine has spent years building detailed maps of dark matter - even to the extent of capturing rare images of this mysterious cosmic component.On top of her research achievements, she's committed to making science accessible to all; not least by taking an astronomy-themed comedy show to the Edinburgh Festival and beyond.In conversation with Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Catherine talks about her passion for sharing the joys of astrophysics - and reveals how health challenges over the last few years have forced her to readdress her career, her ambitions and even her sense of self...Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor Revised for World Service by Minnie Harrop

Riki Lindhome has been in such fancy titles as "Wednesday" and "Knives Out," as a writer/creator/comedian is one half of Garfunkle & Oates, co-star and co-creator of "Another Period" on Comedy Central, and recently released a comedy album called "No Worries If Not" as well as putting up her one person show "Dead Inside" at the Edinburgh Festival in August. There are some GREAT pieces of advice in here for any creator who might need some guidance getting out of their own way, stopping overthinking before it stops them, and breaking through mental barriers to do the thing they are passionate about. Take a listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump's new tariffs on more than 90 countries will come into effect next Thursday, unless trade deals are negotiated before then. Also: Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, inspects aid sites in Gaza, sacred jewels linked to the Buddha are returned to India, and the Edinburgh Festival begins.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk