Norwegian playwright and theatre director
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Paolo Bolpagni"Hammershøi e i pittori del silenzio tra il nord Europa e l'Italia"Palazzo Roverella, Rovigowww.palazzoroverella.comFino al 29 giugno 2025 a Rovigo a Palazzo Roverella si terrà, promossa dalla Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo, e curata da Paolo Bolpagni, la prima mostra italiana dedicata a Vilhelm Hammershøi (Copenaghen, 1864-1916), che fu il più grande pittore danese della propria epoca, uno dei geni dell'arte europea tra fine Ottocento e inizio Novecento.Da pochi anni è in atto la sua riscoperta, e da personaggio quasi dimenticato Hammershøi è diventato uno dei più richiesti al mondo: nel mercato le quotazioni hanno raggiunto livelli strabilianti, con aumenti esponenziali osservabili addirittura di mese in mese; e i musei di tutto il globo si stanno contendendo le sue opere per organizzare retrospettive. Nel 2025 quella di Palazzo Roverella sarà non soltanto la prima mostra italiana dedicata al pittore danese, ma l'unica a livello internazionale. Ciò rende davvero eccezionale l'impresa rodigina, che si pone anche l'obiettivo di porre a confronto i capolavori di Hammershøi con opere di importanti artisti a lui contemporanei, con un occhio di riguardo – in tali accostamenti – all'Italia, ai Paesi scandinavi, alla Francia e al Belgio. In effetti ci sono elementi che accomunano gli appartenenti a questa poetica del silenzio, della solitudine, delle vedute cittadine deserte, dei “paesaggi dell'anima”. Però i visitatori scopriranno che in Hammershøi c'è qualcosa di più, di sottilmente inquietante, di angoscioso e forse addirittura di torbido: le sue donne sono ritratte quasi sempre di spalle; gli ambienti domestici, in apparenza ordinati e tranquilli, lasciano in realtà presagire o sospettare drammi segreti, o l'attesa di tragedie incombenti, con un senso claustrofobico.La biografia stessa dell'artista, che viaggiò di frequente (in special modo in Italia, in Inghilterra e nei Paesi Bassi), ma in verità fu un uomo solitario, induce a riflettere su alcuni aspetti enigmatici: pur sposatosi, Hammershøi mantenne un rapporto strettissimo, quasi simbiotico, con la madre, tornando spesso a dormire da lei; la moglie e modella prediletta, Ida Ilsted, fu colpita da una grave malattia mentale; la sua pittura, che ispirerà il grande regista cinematografico Carl Theodor Dreyer, fu definita “nevrastenica”. Ce n'è abbastanza per attendere come un autentico e irripetibile evento la mostra di Palazzo Roverella."Hammershøi e i pittori del silenzio tra il nord Europa e l'Italia"Dario Cimorelli Editorewww.dariocimorellieditore.itIl volume accompagna la prima mostra italiana dedicata a Vilhelm Hammershøi (Copenaghen, 1864-1916), il più grande pittore danese della propria epoca. Protagonista dell'arte europea tra fine Ottocento e inizio Novecento, la sua opera viene messa a confronto con le creazioni degli artisti a lui contemporanei, tra il Nord Europa e l'Italia.Più di 100 opere presentano una pittura raramente indagata quanto misteriosa ed affascinante. Una pittura che racconta il silenzio e l'introspezione, dove gli ambienti domestici così come le vedute cittadine descrivono i paesaggi dell'anima.Ma in Hammershøi c'è qualcosa di più, le sue donne, ritratte quasi sempre di spalle, in ambienti ordinati e tranquilli, lasciano presagire tanto la serenità quanto drammi segreti o piuttosto l'attesa di nuovi accadimenti.Il catalogo è arricchito dai testi critici di Paolo Bolpagni, curatore del volume, Annette Rosenvold Hvidt, Claudia Cieri Via, Luca Esposito e Francesco Parisi.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarewww.ilpostodelleparole.itDiventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/il-posto-delle-parole--1487855/support.
Taskmaster star, comic and sitcom actor Alex Horne joins Clive Anderson to talk about season two of his sitcom, to introduce his comedic band The Horne Section and tell us why he's never running out of taskmaster tasks. The lexicographer and broadcaster Susie Dent is now a mystery thriller writer too, she'll be with us to talk about twisty word clues and her all-encompassing love of the English language. Star of Its A Sin, Callum Scott-Howells is currently appearing on stage in Ibsen's Ghosts - he'll tell Clive why this 19th century play still has plenty to tell us today. The historian Kate Williams is often found on our TV screens telling us what's going on during coronations and royal weddings. But she's here to talk about her less sober side hustle - a podcast dishing the gossip from royal history. With music from Anoushka Shankar's latest album, the concluding part of a trilogy which has been orchestrated and will be part of this years' BBC Proms programme.Presented by Clive Anderson Produced by Olive Clancy
Våren är här och med den alla besvärliga vårkänslor. I detta aprilavsnitt pratar vi om några nya föreställningar med terapeutiska inslag. Det handlar om livskriser, utbrändhet, olycklig kärlek och svårigheten att leva tillsammans med vardagstristess, slentriansex och stopp i avloppet - för såväl par som polyfamiljer. Vi har fått besök av Lady Di från den andra sidan och Cecilia har varit och tagit tempen på kulturkrisen internationellt i Aten. Och så noterar vi hur telefonen ännu är ett viktigt verktyg för scenkonsten. Varning: starka, realistiska avloppsljud och ljudliga hulkningar förekommer i detta avsnitt (tack för dem Glitcher) Medverkande: Loretto Villalobos och Cecilia Djurberg (prod och redigering) Föreställningar som avhandlas i detta avsnitt: Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story av och med Linus Karp och Joseph Martin Funeral of Lady Sapiens av Helle Rossing på Uppsala stadsteater, med musik av Kristina Issa som hörs i detta avsnitt I, The End, av Linda Forsell, musik av Ambrose Watts, PotatoPotato,Konträr Sad Boy — cry me a river, monologopera av Joel Janson Johansen (musik) och Sanna Strandberg Colling (libretto) med Richard Hamrin i rollen How to live together av och med Glitcher, gästspel på Konträr, medverkande Joel Forsbacka, Josefine Fri och Martin Paul Showcase 2025, National theatre of Greece, Aten: The inheritance av Matthew Lopez regi Yannis Moschos Caryatid av Giorgos Kapoutzidis, regi Katerina Mavrogeorgi En folkefiende av Ibsen, regi Konstantinos Vasilakopolus Tre systrar av Tjechov, regi Maria Magakanari Pandora av Wichi
Where did Lord Byron and Percy Shelley come to sip coffee while they jotted down their verses? Where did Bizet and Berlioz go to discuss their work? Where could Casanova be found trying to pick up girls? Caffè Greco, where else? Having opened in 1760, Antico Caffè Greco is the oldest café in Rome and the second-oldest in all of Italy! And you can still go there and sit where Hawthorne, Ibsen, Gogol, Goethe, Canova, and many many other literary, art, and musical greats rubbed elbows and drank coffee. On this episode, we visit the famous café, grab some espresso ourselves, and discuss what it feels like to drink coffee in the same place so many brilliant thinkers over the generations did the same. Hear this episode transformed into a bedtime story by Sleep With Me podcast's Drew Ackerman (aka Dear Scooter). If you'd like to learn more about Literary Rome, download Tiffany's VoiceMap audio tour Rome for Readers, a self-guided walking tour that takes you past the residences of the most famous foreign writers who visited and lived in Rome. ***Katy's sister Dana has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 agressive brain cancer. To help with the staggering medical costs—her specialist is outside her insurance network—as well of the costs of temporarily relocating to San Francsico for her treatments, please consider donating to her GoFundMe. Anything you can contribute will be extremely helpful. Thank you. ***The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! In order to help newer listeners discover some of our earlier episodes, every Friday we are now airing an episode from our vast archives! Enjoy!*** ------------------------------------- COME TO ROME WITH US: For the third year in a row, we are hosting an intimate group of listeners for a magical and unforgettable week in Rome, this October 2025! Discover the city with us as your guides, seeing a side to Rome tourists almost never see. Find out more here. ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!
Kaszkadőr nélkül: 680 méter magasból ugrott Florence Pugh InStyle Men 2025-04-16 02:10:09 Film Mozi Marvel A színésznő a Mennydörgők című Marvel-mozi kedvéért vállalta be a mutatványt, mi több, ő maga harcolta ki, hogy ugorhasson. Április 16-án történt kultura.hu 2025-04-16 00:02:00 Film Fesztiválok Kossuth-díj Cannes A Nemzet Színésze Cannes-i filmfesztivál Törőcsik Mari 2021-ben ezen a napon hunyt el Törőcsik Mari, Kossuth-nagydíjas, kétszeres Kossuth-díjas színésznő, a nemzet színésze, aki körhintán hódította meg az országot, díjat nyert a cannes-i filmfesztiválon, mindeközben pedig – a teljesség igénye nélkül – Shakespeare, Ibsen és Brecht drámáiban tűnt fel a színpadon. 2028-tól új kategóriával bővül az Oscar-gála Hamu és Gyémánt 2025-04-15 18:04:01 Film USA Díjátadó Oscar-díj Oscar-gála Az Amerikai Filmművészeti és Filmtudományi Akadémia bejelentette, hogy a 2028-ban tartott, 100. Oscar-díjátadó ünnepség keretében új versenykategóriát indítanak. A csoport igazgatótanácsa nemrég hozta nyilvánosságra, hogy az első Achievement in Stunt Design kategória a 2027-ben bemutatott filmek kaszkadőri munkáját díjazza majd. A világ egyik legjobb zenekara, mégis a nulláról kellett újrakezdeniük Telex 2025-04-15 18:45:17 Zene A Black Country, New Roadé az egyik legfurább zenekari történet. Első két lemezüket ajnározta a kritika, a zenekar nagy indie kedvenc lett, aztán a még nagyobb áttörés előtt a frontember otthagyta őket. De ebből is felálltak. Visszatért a The Last of Us – mutatjuk, mit érdemes tudni a 2. évadról in.hu 2025-04-15 18:37:03 Film The Last of Us Korábban már írtunk arról, hogy a Maxon futó sikeres posztapokaliptikus sorozat, amely egy kultikus videojáték alapján készült, új évaddal tér vissza. Sőt már a 3. évad is zöld utat kapott, ha pedig hihetünk a készítőknek, akár egy negyedik évad is benne lehet a pakliban."Nem gondoljuk, hogy két évad elég lenne a történet elmesélésére, inkább több Máig összejárnak a Família Kft. színészei, pedig már 26 éve véget ért a sorozat – ugye emlékszel még rájuk? Sassy 2025-04-16 10:00:09 Film Bár a sorozat 1999-ben lezárult, az azóta eltelt idő ellenére a szereplők között megmaradt a barátság és az összetartás. Dűne 3: Visszatér a második rész egyik központi szereplője Mafab 2025-04-16 04:00:02 Film Florence Pugh megerősítette, hogy visszatér Irulan Corrino hercegnő szerepében Denis Villeneuve A Dűne messiása című filmjében – írja a MovieWeb. A francise következő része Frank Herbert 1969-es azonos című könyvén alapul, mely a Dűne-könyvsorozat második része. A film forgatása nyáron kezdődik. "Áradjon a kultúra!" – Visszavonta fura pályázatát a budapesti cég, miután közfelháborodást váltott ki a zenészek körében Blikk 2025-04-16 06:09:17 Zene Baranya Pécs Pályázatok Balatonalmádi Alig telt el egy nap azóta, hogy kiderült, a pécsi Káptalan Kert üzemeltetésére a városvezetés egy "furcsa budapesti céget" javasol a Made in Pécs Kft. helyett, az esélyes OHBM Services Kft. máris visszalépett a lehetőségtől. Cyrano slam poetryt tol Budaörsön NLC 2025-04-16 08:06:14 Színpad Színház Budaörs Rostand Cyrano de Bergeracja nem véletlenül kerül időről időre a világ színpadaira: mondanivalója, központi cselekményszála örökérvényű. Ez azonban nem jelenti ezt, hogy ne lehetne frissíteni rajta: Pelsőczy Réka rendezésében a Budaörsi Latinovits Színház társulata egy egészen radikális változatot állított színpadra. Május 5-én dupla epizóddal indul a Határtalan szerelem az RTL+ Premiumon rtl.hu 2025-04-16 08:50:00 Film Párkapcsolat Valóságshow Te meddig mennél el az igaziért? A Határtalan szerelem című párkereső realityben hat egyedülálló, külföldön élő magyar vállalkozó párkeresését követhetjük nyomon. Lakatos Márk visszaszólt Tóth Gabinak: az egyik Cápa sem maradt csendben Story 2025-04-16 09:48:32 Bulvár Tóth Gabi Cápa Lakatos Márk A stylist szerint Tóth Gabit bosszúvágy és nehéz anyagi helyzete inspirálta arra, hogy most álljon elő egy mesével a pedofilügy kapcsán. A további adásainkat keresd a podcast.hirstart.hu oldalunkon.
Kaszkadőr nélkül: 680 méter magasból ugrott Florence Pugh InStyle Men 2025-04-16 02:10:09 Film Mozi Marvel A színésznő a Mennydörgők című Marvel-mozi kedvéért vállalta be a mutatványt, mi több, ő maga harcolta ki, hogy ugorhasson. Április 16-án történt kultura.hu 2025-04-16 00:02:00 Film Fesztiválok Kossuth-díj Cannes A Nemzet Színésze Cannes-i filmfesztivál Törőcsik Mari 2021-ben ezen a napon hunyt el Törőcsik Mari, Kossuth-nagydíjas, kétszeres Kossuth-díjas színésznő, a nemzet színésze, aki körhintán hódította meg az országot, díjat nyert a cannes-i filmfesztiválon, mindeközben pedig – a teljesség igénye nélkül – Shakespeare, Ibsen és Brecht drámáiban tűnt fel a színpadon. 2028-tól új kategóriával bővül az Oscar-gála Hamu és Gyémánt 2025-04-15 18:04:01 Film USA Díjátadó Oscar-díj Oscar-gála Az Amerikai Filmművészeti és Filmtudományi Akadémia bejelentette, hogy a 2028-ban tartott, 100. Oscar-díjátadó ünnepség keretében új versenykategóriát indítanak. A csoport igazgatótanácsa nemrég hozta nyilvánosságra, hogy az első Achievement in Stunt Design kategória a 2027-ben bemutatott filmek kaszkadőri munkáját díjazza majd. A világ egyik legjobb zenekara, mégis a nulláról kellett újrakezdeniük Telex 2025-04-15 18:45:17 Zene A Black Country, New Roadé az egyik legfurább zenekari történet. Első két lemezüket ajnározta a kritika, a zenekar nagy indie kedvenc lett, aztán a még nagyobb áttörés előtt a frontember otthagyta őket. De ebből is felálltak. Visszatért a The Last of Us – mutatjuk, mit érdemes tudni a 2. évadról in.hu 2025-04-15 18:37:03 Film The Last of Us Korábban már írtunk arról, hogy a Maxon futó sikeres posztapokaliptikus sorozat, amely egy kultikus videojáték alapján készült, új évaddal tér vissza. Sőt már a 3. évad is zöld utat kapott, ha pedig hihetünk a készítőknek, akár egy negyedik évad is benne lehet a pakliban."Nem gondoljuk, hogy két évad elég lenne a történet elmesélésére, inkább több Máig összejárnak a Família Kft. színészei, pedig már 26 éve véget ért a sorozat – ugye emlékszel még rájuk? Sassy 2025-04-16 10:00:09 Film Bár a sorozat 1999-ben lezárult, az azóta eltelt idő ellenére a szereplők között megmaradt a barátság és az összetartás. Dűne 3: Visszatér a második rész egyik központi szereplője Mafab 2025-04-16 04:00:02 Film Florence Pugh megerősítette, hogy visszatér Irulan Corrino hercegnő szerepében Denis Villeneuve A Dűne messiása című filmjében – írja a MovieWeb. A francise következő része Frank Herbert 1969-es azonos című könyvén alapul, mely a Dűne-könyvsorozat második része. A film forgatása nyáron kezdődik. "Áradjon a kultúra!" – Visszavonta fura pályázatát a budapesti cég, miután közfelháborodást váltott ki a zenészek körében Blikk 2025-04-16 06:09:17 Zene Baranya Pécs Pályázatok Balatonalmádi Alig telt el egy nap azóta, hogy kiderült, a pécsi Káptalan Kert üzemeltetésére a városvezetés egy "furcsa budapesti céget" javasol a Made in Pécs Kft. helyett, az esélyes OHBM Services Kft. máris visszalépett a lehetőségtől. Cyrano slam poetryt tol Budaörsön NLC 2025-04-16 08:06:14 Színpad Színház Budaörs Rostand Cyrano de Bergeracja nem véletlenül kerül időről időre a világ színpadaira: mondanivalója, központi cselekményszála örökérvényű. Ez azonban nem jelenti ezt, hogy ne lehetne frissíteni rajta: Pelsőczy Réka rendezésében a Budaörsi Latinovits Színház társulata egy egészen radikális változatot állított színpadra. Május 5-én dupla epizóddal indul a Határtalan szerelem az RTL+ Premiumon rtl.hu 2025-04-16 08:50:00 Film Párkapcsolat Valóságshow Te meddig mennél el az igaziért? A Határtalan szerelem című párkereső realityben hat egyedülálló, külföldön élő magyar vállalkozó párkeresését követhetjük nyomon. Lakatos Márk visszaszólt Tóth Gabinak: az egyik Cápa sem maradt csendben Story 2025-04-16 09:48:32 Bulvár Tóth Gabi Cápa Lakatos Márk A stylist szerint Tóth Gabit bosszúvágy és nehéz anyagi helyzete inspirálta arra, hogy most álljon elő egy mesével a pedofilügy kapcsán. A további adásainkat keresd a podcast.hirstart.hu oldalunkon.
I denne ukas episode kan vi by på alt fra a-å. Ikke bare har vi feiret Ibsen sin bursdag, og debbatert brus med og uten sukker, men Emma har blitt fisi i fjeset. Hvordan skal man egentlig reagere på det!??!?! Du kan høre Frokost live HVER hverdag fra 7-9 på din nærmeste radio
Send us a textThis month we welcome actor and director Steph Urquhart onto the podcast to share her life and loves in amateur theatre. Steph is also directing the Crescent Theatre's forthcoming production of Nora: A Doll's House by contemporary playwright Stef Smith, a powerful reimagining of Ibsen's classic play. Steph tells us more about the challenges and rewards of staging this exciting take on A Doll's House, set simultaneously in three different time periods.Meanwhile Luke, who is appearing in Nora: A Doll's House himself, has been backstage with two of his fellow cast members to find out how they are tackling playing their roles in scenes set in 1918, 1968 and 2018.
Katy is the Publisher of Inside Longmont - That new, glossy Longmont magazine you're seeing EVERYWHERE. She's ebullient, passionate, and committed to paying writers and photographers for their work. The result is a gorgeous magazine that acts as a retreat from doom scrolling and headline weariness. Join us to hear the story of Inside Longmont!
Hedda Gabler is the self-absorbed, only daughter of a military officer who has an overblown grandiose sense of her own importance, and a lack of empathy for others. She feels trapped in a world of bourgeois values full of expectations she cannot control. It is her perception that the men around her seem to enjoy much more freedom to pursue their own public and private interests with less scrutiny and fewer consequences.Ibsen's well-crafted story reveals the inadvertent dangers of social pressure and a lifetime of pain that comes to a logical conclusion through events taking place over roughly 48 hours.
In today's episode, Anthony chats with actor Ella Beatty. Ella made her Broadway Debut in the Tony Award winning play APPROPRIATE starring Sarah Paulson and is currently previewing Ibsen's Ghosts opening March 10th at Mitzi Newhouse Lincoln Center Theatre. Daughter of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, the pair chat about the rehearsal process, the exploration of acting classic plays in modern times and the importance of not replicating other actors, but rather bringing your own heart to your work.
durée : 00:27:17 - Les Midis de Culture - par : Marie Labory - Au programme du débat critique, du théâtre : "Une maison de poupée" d'Henrik Ibsen dans une mise en scène d'Yngvild Aspeli et Paola Rizza et "Orlando", opéra en trois actes de Georg Friedrich Haendel mis en scène par Jeanne Desoubeaux. - réalisation : Laurence Malonda - invités : Zoé Sfez Productrice de La Série musicale sur France Culture; Marie Sorbier Rédactrice en chef de I/O et productrice du "Point Culture" sur France Culture
C'est une fantasmagorie inclassable que publia Ibsen en 1867, et qui devait trouver sa forme définitive et populaire grâce à la musique de Grieg : Peer Gynt. Mention légales : Vos données de connexion, dont votre adresse IP, sont traités par Radio Classique, responsable de traitement, sur la base de son intérêt légitime, par l'intermédiaire de son sous-traitant Ausha, à des fins de réalisation de statistiques agréées et de lutte contre la fraude. Ces données sont supprimées en temps réel pour la finalité statistique et sous cinq mois à compter de la collecte à des fins de lutte contre la fraude. Pour plus d'informations sur les traitements réalisés par Radio Classique et exercer vos droits, consultez notre Politique de confidentialité.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
10 lenyűgöző tudományos érdekesség a kék szemekről in.hu 2025-01-15 07:42:05 Bulvár Kék szemed van? És gondolkodtál már rajta, hogy ez mennyi mindent hoz magával? Szakértők véleményét kérdeztük, hogy kiderítsük a kékkel kapcsolatos érdekességeket, amikről valószínűleg még te sem hallottál.Mint a legtöbb emberi tulajdonságot, a kék szemet is a gének határozzák meg, és nincs két ember, akinek pontosan ugyanolyan árnyalatú szeme lenn Elhunyt Békés Itala Tudás.hu 2025-01-15 05:30:22 Színpad Hajdú-Bihar Debrecen Színház Jászai Mari-díj Örkény Színház Elhunyt Békés Itala. A Kossuth- és Jászai Mari-díjas színművész életének 98. életévében hétfőn halt meg – közölte az Örkény Színház az MTI-vel. Mint írták, a sokoldalú és tehetséges művész búcsúztatása saját kérésére szűk családi körben lesz. Békés Itala 1927. március 23-án született Debrecenben. Művészcsalád sarja, apja Békés István újságíró, író, Hó Márton 43 évesen hunyt el Librarius 2025-01-15 08:00:05 Zene Hó Márton zenei pályafutása a 2000-es évek második felében indult, 2009-ben tette fel az internetre fürdőszobában írt dalait. Kraven, a vadász: Vadásztam - Vadásztan Mafab 2025-01-15 06:31:02 Film Volt szerencsém megnézni ezt az újabb képregény-feldolgozást. A történet nekem tetszett, a látvánnyal sem volt problémám. Igazából túl sokat nem vártam a filmtől, de én pozitívumot kaptam, és nem azt néztem, milyen technikával készül, kik játszanak benne, hanem mit tud adni, mi a mondanivaló, vagy van-e benne érzelem, ez érezhető-e. Szóval sajnos o "Akkor tudsz nyugalmasabb életet élni, ha nincs benned félelem, rettegés" WMN 2025-01-15 07:36:00 Színpad Színház Takács Katalin a tavalyi évadban – 73 évesen – elvállalta, hogy A vágy villamosa című világhírű színdarabban életre kelti Blanche alakját. Azét a nőét, aki a darab szerint a harmincas éveiben jár. Nagy színészi- és életbátorságra vall tőle ez a lépés, viszont abszolút megérte, mert nemcsak a nézők fogadták óriási ovációval, de a színházi szakma, ső Nevet változtatott Carter doki: így tért vissza az ikonikus szerepéhez Noah Wyle Blikk 2025-01-15 09:00:07 Film Koronavírus Sürgősségi ellátás Pittsburgh Noah Wyle visszatért ahhoz a szerephez, amellyel befutott, azaz újra magára ölthette a fehér köpenyt, igaz, ezúttal más néven. A Vészhelyzet Pittsburgh-ben című sorozatban egy kiégett sürgősségi osztályvezetőt alakít, aki a Covid utáni világban próbálja életben tartani az osztályát. Bár az eredeti terv szerint a sorozat a 30 éve bemutatott Vészhely 5 sci-fi, amely nem „olyan rossz, hogy az már jó”, hanem tényleg rossz port.hu 2025-01-14 18:00:00 Film háború A Jiu Jitsu, a Háború a Földön és az Alien vs. Predator - A Halál a Ragadozó ellen 2 is csapnivaló, az elejétől a végéig. „Mozarttal segíteni lehet a világon” – a Concerto Budapest idén is megrendezi a Mozart-napot a Zeneakadémián Fidelio 2025-01-15 09:30:00 Zene Fesztiválok Zeneakadémia A fesztivál, amelyre minden évben rekordsebességgel fogynak el a jegyek – ez a Concerto Budapest Mozart-napja, amely 2018 óta hagyományosan március első vasárnapján várja egy teljes napon át a Mozart-rajongókat a Zeneakadémián. Beszámoló: Bran koncert és táncház – Gyömrő, Hankó István Művészeti Központ, 2025. január 12. Ekultura 2025-01-15 10:00:00 Zene Koncert A Bran több, mint harminc éve zenél, s magam is ott voltam, mikor húsz éve utoljára játszottak Gyömrőn. És lehet, hogy szalad az idő, de az biztos, hogy a Bran dalain nem fog. Mely dalok persze Ibsen Peer Gyntjét rendezi a Budapest Bábszínházban Szikszai Rémusz Színház.online 2025-01-15 06:48:00 Színpad Március 8-án mutatják be a Budapest Bábszínház Ország Lili Stúdiójában Ibsen „Peer Gynt” című drámáját, amelyet Szikszai Rémusz rendez. Az előadás Ibsen művét, a világirodalom egyik legszebb és legkülönösebb alkotását dolgozza fel. Új fejezetet nyit a Darkside: február végén érkezik a „Nothing” UZine 2025-01-15 07:56:58 Film A Darkside nevű kísérletező elektronikus zenei formáció harmadik stúdióalbuma, a Nothing, 2024. február 28-án jelenik meg. A lemezt két előfutár, a Graucha Max és a S.N.C című dalok vezetik fel, amelyeket Nicolas Jaar és Dave Harrington duója, valamint az újonnan csatlakozott dobos, Tlacael Esparza közösen alkotott meg. Az album megjelenése után a A további adásainkat keresd a podcast.hirstart.hu oldalunkon.
10 lenyűgöző tudományos érdekesség a kék szemekről in.hu 2025-01-15 07:42:05 Bulvár Kék szemed van? És gondolkodtál már rajta, hogy ez mennyi mindent hoz magával? Szakértők véleményét kérdeztük, hogy kiderítsük a kékkel kapcsolatos érdekességeket, amikről valószínűleg még te sem hallottál.Mint a legtöbb emberi tulajdonságot, a kék szemet is a gének határozzák meg, és nincs két ember, akinek pontosan ugyanolyan árnyalatú szeme lenn Elhunyt Békés Itala Tudás.hu 2025-01-15 05:30:22 Színpad Hajdú-Bihar Debrecen Színház Jászai Mari-díj Örkény Színház Elhunyt Békés Itala. A Kossuth- és Jászai Mari-díjas színművész életének 98. életévében hétfőn halt meg – közölte az Örkény Színház az MTI-vel. Mint írták, a sokoldalú és tehetséges művész búcsúztatása saját kérésére szűk családi körben lesz. Békés Itala 1927. március 23-án született Debrecenben. Művészcsalád sarja, apja Békés István újságíró, író, Hó Márton 43 évesen hunyt el Librarius 2025-01-15 08:00:05 Zene Hó Márton zenei pályafutása a 2000-es évek második felében indult, 2009-ben tette fel az internetre fürdőszobában írt dalait. Kraven, a vadász: Vadásztam - Vadásztan Mafab 2025-01-15 06:31:02 Film Volt szerencsém megnézni ezt az újabb képregény-feldolgozást. A történet nekem tetszett, a látvánnyal sem volt problémám. Igazából túl sokat nem vártam a filmtől, de én pozitívumot kaptam, és nem azt néztem, milyen technikával készül, kik játszanak benne, hanem mit tud adni, mi a mondanivaló, vagy van-e benne érzelem, ez érezhető-e. Szóval sajnos o "Akkor tudsz nyugalmasabb életet élni, ha nincs benned félelem, rettegés" WMN 2025-01-15 07:36:00 Színpad Színház Takács Katalin a tavalyi évadban – 73 évesen – elvállalta, hogy A vágy villamosa című világhírű színdarabban életre kelti Blanche alakját. Azét a nőét, aki a darab szerint a harmincas éveiben jár. Nagy színészi- és életbátorságra vall tőle ez a lépés, viszont abszolút megérte, mert nemcsak a nézők fogadták óriási ovációval, de a színházi szakma, ső Nevet változtatott Carter doki: így tért vissza az ikonikus szerepéhez Noah Wyle Blikk 2025-01-15 09:00:07 Film Koronavírus Sürgősségi ellátás Pittsburgh Noah Wyle visszatért ahhoz a szerephez, amellyel befutott, azaz újra magára ölthette a fehér köpenyt, igaz, ezúttal más néven. A Vészhelyzet Pittsburgh-ben című sorozatban egy kiégett sürgősségi osztályvezetőt alakít, aki a Covid utáni világban próbálja életben tartani az osztályát. Bár az eredeti terv szerint a sorozat a 30 éve bemutatott Vészhely 5 sci-fi, amely nem „olyan rossz, hogy az már jó”, hanem tényleg rossz port.hu 2025-01-14 18:00:00 Film háború A Jiu Jitsu, a Háború a Földön és az Alien vs. Predator - A Halál a Ragadozó ellen 2 is csapnivaló, az elejétől a végéig. „Mozarttal segíteni lehet a világon” – a Concerto Budapest idén is megrendezi a Mozart-napot a Zeneakadémián Fidelio 2025-01-15 09:30:00 Zene Fesztiválok Zeneakadémia A fesztivál, amelyre minden évben rekordsebességgel fogynak el a jegyek – ez a Concerto Budapest Mozart-napja, amely 2018 óta hagyományosan március első vasárnapján várja egy teljes napon át a Mozart-rajongókat a Zeneakadémián. Beszámoló: Bran koncert és táncház – Gyömrő, Hankó István Művészeti Központ, 2025. január 12. Ekultura 2025-01-15 10:00:00 Zene Koncert A Bran több, mint harminc éve zenél, s magam is ott voltam, mikor húsz éve utoljára játszottak Gyömrőn. És lehet, hogy szalad az idő, de az biztos, hogy a Bran dalain nem fog. Mely dalok persze Ibsen Peer Gyntjét rendezi a Budapest Bábszínházban Szikszai Rémusz Színház.online 2025-01-15 06:48:00 Színpad Március 8-án mutatják be a Budapest Bábszínház Ország Lili Stúdiójában Ibsen „Peer Gynt” című drámáját, amelyet Szikszai Rémusz rendez. Az előadás Ibsen művét, a világirodalom egyik legszebb és legkülönösebb alkotását dolgozza fel. Új fejezetet nyit a Darkside: február végén érkezik a „Nothing” UZine 2025-01-15 07:56:58 Film A Darkside nevű kísérletező elektronikus zenei formáció harmadik stúdióalbuma, a Nothing, 2024. február 28-án jelenik meg. A lemezt két előfutár, a Graucha Max és a S.N.C című dalok vezetik fel, amelyeket Nicolas Jaar és Dave Harrington duója, valamint az újonnan csatlakozott dobos, Tlacael Esparza közösen alkotott meg. Az album megjelenése után a A további adásainkat keresd a podcast.hirstart.hu oldalunkon.
"Hellas, Hellas, mitt elskede Hellas" skal ha vært Otto av Bayerns siste ord da han døde i 1867. Han hadde i løpet av livet rukket å regjere nettopp Hellas i 30 år, og satte dermed sitt preg på det nylig selvstendige moderne Hellas. Aleksander Zlatanos Ibsen, nyhetsredaktør i Minerva, gjester denne Audiensepisoden for å snakke om grekernes ukjente konge. Vi lyttes!
Paolo Alliata"L'avventura umana"Quando la letteratura accompagna il nostro camminoMondadori Editorewww.mondadori.itPerché sarebbe necessario un lungo cammino per diventare umani? Vivere appieno è un'opportunità che richiede impegno e consapevolezza, che ci spinge ad aprire gli occhi, su noi stessi e sul mondo. Come il piccolo Martino Testadura, protagonista di un racconto di Rodari, rifiuta di accettare la banalità e affronta «la strada che non porta in nessun posto» trovando ricchezze inaspettate, così anche noi siamo chiamati a sfidare l'ordinario e individuare nuove verità. Prendendo in prestito le parole dei grandi scrittori, don Paolo Alliata ci accompagna in un'esplorazione profonda e illuminante del cammino che ogni essere umano compie dalla nascita alla morte, un'avventura che non si esaurisce nel semplice trascorrere del tempo, ma che vuole conferire significato e direzione alla nostra esistenza. Nonostante i tempi cambino, infatti, la letteratura di ieri e di oggi offre un supporto prezioso nell'affrontare questioni esistenziali come la difesa della libertà e del bene comune, il confronto intergenerazionale, la responsabilità verso gli altri, la verità e l'ineluttabile esperienza della morte. Passando da Remarque a Umberto Eco, da Van Gogh a Tolstoj, Alliata ci guida in un viaggio letterario toccante e inedito ai confini tra terra e cielo. Un'opera che parla di fede, speranza e, quindi, dell'impegnativo e affascinante tragitto che approda alla scoperta di se stessi.Don Paolo Alliata è sacerdote della Diocesi di Milano. Nella sua predicazione e nella sua attività di impegno culturale esplora l'intreccio di sentieri tra letteratura e spiritualità biblica. Propone da otto anni le mensili Passeggiate nella Letteratura. Dal 2019 è responsabile del Servizio per l'Apostolato Biblico per la Diocesi di Milano. Dal 2022 è rettore del liceo Montini di Milano. Ha pubblicato, per Ponte alle Grazie, Dove Dio respira di nascosto (2018), C'era come un fuoco ardente (2019), Gesù predicava ai bradipi (2021), L'amore fa i miracoli (2024); per Ancora, La voce leggera delle pagine (2024).IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarewww.ilpostodelleparole.itDiventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/il-posto-delle-parole--1487855/support.
Send us a textToday's Episode:Lær norsk på B2-nivå med biografier: Henrik Johan IbsenThe Learn Norwegian Podcast is brought to you by the Norwegian Language School. Listening to our podcast is an enjoyable way to learn Norwegian at your own pace, whenever and wherever you are!Visit our website www.nlsnorwegian. Support the showRegister for Norwegian classesCheck your Norwegian level for free here
Send your questions or provocations to Adam or Budi here!In this episode, Budi sits down with Richard Schechner to talk about his extradoinary career in theatre.Richard Schechner, one of the founders of Performance Studies, is a performance theorist, theater director, author, editor of TDR and the Enactments book series, University Professor, and Professor of Performance Studies. Schechner combines his work in performance theory with innovative approaches to the broad spectrum of performance including theatre, play, ritual, dance, music, popular entertainments, sports, politics, performance in everyday life, etc. in order to understand performative behavior not just as an object of study, but also as an active artistic-intellectual practice. He founded The Performance Group and East Coast Artists. His theatre productions include Dionysus in 69, Commune, The Tooth of Crime, Mother Courage and Her Children, Seneca's Oedipus, Faust/gastronome, Three Sisters, Hamlet, The Oresteia, YokastaS, Swimming to Spalding, and Imagining O. His books include Public Domain, Environmental Theater, Performance Theory, The Future of Ritual, Between Theater and Anthropology, Performance Studies: An Introduction, and Performed Imaginaries. As of 2018, his books have been translated into 18 languages. His theatre work has been seen in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. He has directed performance workshops and lectured on every continent except Antarctica. He has been awarded numerous fellowships including Guggenheim, NEH, ACLS, and fellowships at Dartmouth, Cornell, Yale, Princeton, and the Central School of Speech and Drama, London.Support the showIf you enjoyed this week´s podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. To submit a question: Voice- http://www.speakpipe.com/theatreofothers Email- podcast@theatreofothers.com Show Credits Co-Hosts: Adam Marple & Budi MillerProducer: Jack BurmeisterMusic: https://www.purple-planet.comAdditional compositions by @jack_burmeister
Multi-award-winning American playwright Lucas Hnath's Broadway play A Doll's House, Part 2 picks up after Henrik Ibsen's 1879 play A Doll's House ends.
Astrophysicist Tina Ibsen tells us about the northern lights. She talks about her research and gives tips on how to observe the lights. She tells us how Denmark is a space nation and shares her thoughts about the future of space exploration. We also talk about RumSnak, the space podcast she co-hosts with Anders Høeg Nissen.
Show Notes: Jennifer Gibbs shares her journey as a woman and artist who worked in the entertainment field and later became a mother. She enrolled in a PhD program at NYU in comparative literature, focusing on performance and the embodiment of the female and feminine. She was cast in various off Broadway shows and earned her actors equity card. During her graduate studies, Jennifer received a Mellon Fellowship for teaching. She talks about her decision to focus full time on acting and writing for theater and her recognition of limited support in academia for multidisciplinary approaches to performance. Jennifer worked in the theater for a decade, mainly acting and writing plays. In her mid-30s, she became a mother, experiencing unexpected pregnancy losses and serial grief. This led to a shift in focus to writing, which was fruitful and collaborative. She was the artist in residence at the Here Arts Center, where she developed a play called Sounding, which integrated film, music, lyrics, and scene work. The play premiered three weeks before her son Liam's birth. From Working in Theatre to Working in Television As their family relocated to Los Angeles, Jennifer became interested in writing for television and screen. She learned to write for television at the suggestion of an executive at HBO. She took the leap, not knowing how to write for television, but found it fulfilling. For the last decade, Jennifer has been writing new plays and television worlds. Recently, she started a small independent production company, aiming to empower women creators to produce work that might not be produced in film and television or in the multi-platform arena. Jennifer's most recent project is called Riot Mom, a multi-platform universe story that unfolds on various distribution platforms. The company is driven by her connection to her work and her personal connection to her work. The first project they are producing is called Riot Mom, a multi-platform universe story that unfolds on audio, live, and television platforms. Early Influences from the Art World The conversation turns to Jennifer's father, Tom Gibbs, a Chicago-based artist. Jennifer describes her experience as a child of a sculptor, how she was introduced to and influenced by the artists around her. They often had a band of sculptors at their house, some in assistant positions and colleagues from Chicago. They would have meals together, discuss work, and have opinions on various projects. Despite not wanting to do sculpture, Jennifer loved drawing and painting, and would often work in one of the studios. A Young Actor on Tour Jennifer shares her experience as an actor during her national Broadway tour, describing it as exciting and workmanlike. She learned from the technical staff about the complex process of moving from one place to another, like a circus. Gibbs describes the experience as a crash course in self-producing, directing, and balancing personal and professional boundaries. She also discusses the challenges of maintaining a balance in a collaborative environment, where one must leave their family, home, and friends behind to work on a show. Jennifer believes that maintaining healthy boundaries is a challenge for anyone working in theater, film, or television. She found the experience intensive and valuable, making lasting friendships with people she collaborated with in New York. The Artistic Process and Healing Grief Jennifer shares how she processed the grief of two stillbirths through her work. At the time, she was working on a film based on a stage adaptation of an Ibsen play. She met Andre Gregory, who was casting Vanya on 42nd Street, and they had a two-hour conversation in a cafe. Although she did not get the role, she received support, encouragement, and mentorship from Gregory. He advised her to make her own project which inspired Jennifer and others from the Harvard theater community, including Jeannie Simpson and Peter Hirsch, to create a play called Lady from the Sea. They spent two years working on the play in Jennifers' living room, creating a unique and rarely produced piece. Jennifer talks about her journey to create a multi-disciplinary theatre show based on a film adaptation of an Ibsen play. She discovered a deep connection to grief and loss in the original play, which they had not considered in their previous work. After a decade of working on the project, Jennifer realized that grief is a form of radical transformation that is generative and creative. She learned that denying or overcoming grief can deprive individuals of the opportunity to create and acquiesce to the next stage in their transformation. A First Book and a New Project Jennifer's first book, "Oh Mother," is a literary non-fiction book about serial grief and the value of a certain approach to grief. The book is experiential and personal, and was written during the pandemic. Her journey highlights the importance of embracing grief and embracing change in life. She talks about a world created with Jenny Castro, that explores the intersection of women's creative process. The story revolves around two middle-aged women who were estranged from their riot girl days in the 90s, and they reunite in a suburban context. She talks about the project, the production team, pitching, and another project called Train Hoppers, a multi-platform, single episode of a story that can be experienced online, at live events, or through a live pop-up event. Influential Harvard Professors and Courses Jennifer discusses her experiences with Marjorie Garber's Shakespeare and her seminar on ghostwriters. She was influenced by playwright Adrianne Kennedy, who became a lifelong mentor and friend after graduating from Harvard. Jennifer also discusses her love for 16th-century British poetry and the pressure to conform to Aristotelian standards in the world of television, film, and playwriting. Timestamps: 00:02: Journey Through Comparative Literature and Theatre 03:30: Balancing Academia and Acting 06:03: Transition to Motherhood and Writing O9:20: Exploring Television and Film 12:36: Learning from Her Father's Artistic Journey 20:04: National Broadway Tour Experience 26:01: Processing Grief Through Art 37:58: Current Venture: "Riot Mom" 45:46: Influences from Harvard Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-gibbs-27b91386/ Featured Non-profit This week's featured non-profit of this episode is American Pilgrims On the Camino, recommended by Kelly Murphy Mason who reports: “Hello all. I am Kelly Murphy Mason, a fellow classmate from the Harvard class of 1992 and a former resident of Dunster house. The featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is the American Pilgrims On the Camino, a national organization with international reach. Before I walked the Camino de Santiago in the fall of 2023 the American pilgrims provided me with the necessary credentialing, education, information and support for making this pilgrimage, as it has done for so many pilgrims over the decades, it has also contributed generations of volunteers and generous funds to maintain the infrastructure of this Spanish network of routes to Santiago de Compostela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since my return from Santiago, I have stayed active in the Boston chapter of American pilgrims, leading book discussions and training walks for pilgrims past, present and future who live in my area. You can learn more about the work of the American pilgrims at home and abroad at American pilgrims.org and now here is my old friend Will Bachman with this week's episode. To learn more about their work visit:https://americanpilgrims.org/
Wenzel, Tobias www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Fazit
Episode 136:Having given you my own thoughts on ‘Titus Andronicus' last time I'm pleased to say that for this special guest episode I was able to take the discussion even further with Eleanor Conlon, a fellow podcaster and a theatre professional as you will hear Eleanor has a lot to say about the play and insights that, in some cases, go in different directions from what I was able to say about the play.Eleanor Conlon is an actor, director, and award-winning writer based in Sussex.After completing her BA in English Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London, Eleanor earned her MA in Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama at Kings College and Shakespeare's Globe. While at The Globe, Eleanor worked dramaturgically on productions by Dominic Dromgoole Matthew Dunster and Jeremy Herrin, and with Jenny Tiramani on the Original Practices Costume Archive.After achieving success with her theatre company The Barefoot Players in the late 2000s and early 2010s, with which she produced plays including Tis Pity She's a Whore, Doctor Faustus and The Alchemist, the latter two of which she also directed, as well as productions of several of Shakespeare's works, plays by Ibsen, Oscar Wilde, and others, she founded her current and much acclaimed theatre company Rust & Stardust.Writing over a dozen plays rooted in English folklore, Eleanor has worked with her puppet-maker partner Katie Sommers to tour Rust & Stardust's shows all over the UK, including their plays The Wild Man of Orford, Black Shuck, The Marsh Demons of Iken, and Doctor Dee's Daughter and the Philosopher's with celebrated recorder quartet Palisander. In addition to recent adaptations of Shakespeare's plays including The Tempest and Macbeth with Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, in 2023 she launched the Three Ravens Podcast with her partner Martin Vaux – also a writer and actor – which explores history, legends, and diverse aspects of folk culture.Featuring original stories each week based on the lore of England's 39 historic counties, Three Ravens quickly rose into the Top 1% of podcasts globally. It currently sits in the Top 50 UK Fiction Podcasts, with 4.9/5 star ratings on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Spotify and a passionate fanbase across social media.For Three Ravens contact:Website: https://www.threeravenspodcast.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/threeravenspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threeravenspodcastX: @threeravenspodFor Rust + Stardust TheatreInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/eleanorstardust/Website: https://www.rustandstardust.co.ukSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hun er jurist og influencer, har købestop, men bruger gerne penge på oplevelser, som skiferie. Vært Anne Glad. Glæd dig til dagens episode, som du nu kan høre i DR Lyd.
David talks to Mark Ford and Seamus Perry, hosts of the LRB's Close Readings poetry podcast, about what makes a great political poem. Can great poetry be ideological? How much does context matter? And is it possible to tell political truths in verse? From Yeats's ‘Easter 1916' to Owen's ‘Strange Meeting' to Auden's ‘Spain 1937': a conversation about political conviction and poetic ambiguity.To find out more about Close Readings and how to subscribe, just visit the LRB's website https://www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and-videos/podcasts/close-readingsSign up now to PPF+ to get ad-free listening and all our bonus episodes – including bonuses on the Great Political Fictions www.ppfideas.comNext time: Lea Ypi on Ibsen's The Wild Duck Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Theater As Data: Computational Journeys Into Theater Research (U Michigan Press, 2021), Miguel Escobar Varela explores the use of computational methods and digital data in theater research. He considers the implications of these new approaches, and explains the roles that statistics and visualizations play. Reflecting on recent debates in the humanities, the author suggests that there are two ways of using data, both of which have a place in theater research. Data-driven methods are closer to the pursuit of verifiable results common in the sciences; and data-assisted methods are closer to the interpretive traditions of the humanities. The book surveys four major areas within theater scholarship: texts (not only playscripts but also theater reviews and program booklets); relationships (both the links between fictional characters and the collaborative networks of artists and producers); motion (the movement of performers and objects on stage); and locations (the coordinates of performance events, venues, and touring circuits). Theater as Data examines important contributions to theater studies from similar computational research, including in classical French drama, collaboration networks in Australian theater, contemporary Portuguese choreography, and global productions of Ibsen. This overview is complemented by short descriptions of the author's own work in the computational analysis of theater practices in Singapore and Indonesia. The author ends by considering the future of computational theater research, underlining the importance of open data and digital sustainability practices, and encouraging readers to consider the benefits of learning to code. A web companion offers illustrative data, programming tutorials, and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In Theater As Data: Computational Journeys Into Theater Research (U Michigan Press, 2021), Miguel Escobar Varela explores the use of computational methods and digital data in theater research. He considers the implications of these new approaches, and explains the roles that statistics and visualizations play. Reflecting on recent debates in the humanities, the author suggests that there are two ways of using data, both of which have a place in theater research. Data-driven methods are closer to the pursuit of verifiable results common in the sciences; and data-assisted methods are closer to the interpretive traditions of the humanities. The book surveys four major areas within theater scholarship: texts (not only playscripts but also theater reviews and program booklets); relationships (both the links between fictional characters and the collaborative networks of artists and producers); motion (the movement of performers and objects on stage); and locations (the coordinates of performance events, venues, and touring circuits). Theater as Data examines important contributions to theater studies from similar computational research, including in classical French drama, collaboration networks in Australian theater, contemporary Portuguese choreography, and global productions of Ibsen. This overview is complemented by short descriptions of the author's own work in the computational analysis of theater practices in Singapore and Indonesia. The author ends by considering the future of computational theater research, underlining the importance of open data and digital sustainability practices, and encouraging readers to consider the benefits of learning to code. A web companion offers illustrative data, programming tutorials, and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies
In Theater As Data: Computational Journeys Into Theater Research (U Michigan Press, 2021), Miguel Escobar Varela explores the use of computational methods and digital data in theater research. He considers the implications of these new approaches, and explains the roles that statistics and visualizations play. Reflecting on recent debates in the humanities, the author suggests that there are two ways of using data, both of which have a place in theater research. Data-driven methods are closer to the pursuit of verifiable results common in the sciences; and data-assisted methods are closer to the interpretive traditions of the humanities. The book surveys four major areas within theater scholarship: texts (not only playscripts but also theater reviews and program booklets); relationships (both the links between fictional characters and the collaborative networks of artists and producers); motion (the movement of performers and objects on stage); and locations (the coordinates of performance events, venues, and touring circuits). Theater as Data examines important contributions to theater studies from similar computational research, including in classical French drama, collaboration networks in Australian theater, contemporary Portuguese choreography, and global productions of Ibsen. This overview is complemented by short descriptions of the author's own work in the computational analysis of theater practices in Singapore and Indonesia. The author ends by considering the future of computational theater research, underlining the importance of open data and digital sustainability practices, and encouraging readers to consider the benefits of learning to code. A web companion offers illustrative data, programming tutorials, and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts
Send us a Text Message.This week, Lauren and Amanda discuss supposed "gentleman" bank robber, Leslie Ibsen Rogge. They also take some time at the beginning to recap their weekend at the True Crime and Paranormal Podcast Festival in Denver!Sources:The Hustle: “The first fugitive caught by the internet” by Katherine LaidlawCNN: “Internet helps FBI nab a ‘Most Wanted' criminal” by CNN staffFBI: “430. Leslie Isben Rogge” (note the misspelling!)Publisher's Weekly: “Wanted: Gentleman Bank Robber: The True Story of Leslie Ibsen Rogge, One of the FBI's Most Elusive Criminals review”America's Most Wanted show: “Leslie Ibsen Rogge” (Leslie Ibsen Rogge on America's Most Wanted 1990)United States v. RoggeWikipediaSupport us!Drink Moment | Moment Botanical WaterDrink your meditation. Use code MOSTWANTEDAMANDA at checkout!Kind CottonConsciously-sourced, inclusive, impactful, kind clothes. Use code AMOSTWANTEDPOD at checkout!Devon + LangLife changing underwear. Use code MOSTWANTEDAMANDA at checkout!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
If you're enjoying the Hardcore Literature Show, there are two ways you can show your support and ensure it continues: 1. Please leave a quick review on iTunes. 2. Join in the fun over at the Hardcore Literature Book Club: patreon.com/hardcoreliterature Thank you so much. Happy listening and reading! - Benjamin
In this episode, we take a look at the play Loose Ends by Michael Weller. We do so through the lens of realism and the contribution that Ibsen, Strindberg and Chekov made to the modern theater. It's an unusually long episode, but listening to Milton lecture on and analyze the time period of this play is an example of where script analyses can begin. It's an exploration, a deep-dive conversation where the actor layers in information and just begins to consider it. Also— stay tuned for the end where Milton shares his favorite relationship advice! WANT MORE? Become a subscriber on Spotify for bonus content! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/subscribe Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: questionsformilton@gmail.com Also, check out our website: www.idontneedanactingclass.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/message
Alexander Zlatanos Ibsen gjester Tojes time for å snakke om våpen han aldri kjøpte, hvordan woke-giften er i ferd med å drives ut av universitetet og den nye høyrebølgen i Europa.
How do we design for timelessness? And how do we strike a balance between human-centric design features and technical innovation? It's a topic that V-Zug are unpacking in this special episode of ‘Monocle on Design' featuring a panel of creatives including David Thulstrup, Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer and Thomas Ibsen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Einar Duenger Bøhn og Öde Nerdrum har lest Ibsen på nytt. Er vi klare for deres tolkninger?
Join the two creative minds behind Burning Coal Theatre's A HOUSE (after Ibsen's Ghosts), artistic director Jerome Davis and the multi-talented Baltimore-based (but Raleigh native) writer/actor Lucius Robinson. Don't miss your chance to see A HOUSE: June 21st @ 7:30PM and June 22nd @ 4:30PM. Get your tickets today: https://burningcoal.org/second-stage/
“I was quite set on theater. I was going to go out to Los Angeles for one year -- and that was it. Then I was going to go back to New York and devote myself to the theater. It didn't work out that way.” -- Jan Eliasberg80s TV Ladies "Director Ladies" series continues as Susan and Sharon welcome legendary director Jan Eliasberg. Jan began her television director career in the 1980s with an episode of Cagney & Lacey -- and she went on to be the first female director ever on Miami Vice, Crime Story and 21 Jump Street. She has also directed episodes of Dirty Dancing, L.A. Law, Dawson's Creek, Party of Five, Sisters, Parenthood, Nashville, Supernatural, Bull and NCIS: Los Angeles. Jan recently published her first novel, Hannah's War.In this enlightening conversation, Jan discusses how the American Film Institute (AFI) and “The Original Six” opened up opportunities for her and other female directors; how to navigate directing a network television show for the first time -- and how courage, tenacity and little guile can make all the difference …THE CONVERSATIONHow do you get 10,000 hours of experience when directing requires so much time, money and people: Europe or Yale?What can Shakespeare and Ibsen teach you about directing TV? Everything…Frances McDormand, Angela Bassett, John Turturo, Tony Shalhoub and Courtney Vance -- how do you quickly figure out what different actors need to create great performances?What happens when you direct a play about South African apartheid in St. Louis in the early 1980s?On shadowing directors: “I'm already a director -- what am I doing watching these people? I mean, they're good, but I'm good, too. And that was the kind of confidence -- or maybe you could say arrogance, fearlessness - -that it takes to go into a field that is predominantly male and actually make a dent and get a job.”How a twisty game of cat-and-mouse with Barney Rosensweig led to Jan's first directing gig -- on Cagney & Lacey. (S5, EP13 -- “Act of Conscience”).Directing L.A. Law -- and David Kelly's very first script!How asking others for advice is a gift that goes both ways.Directing two classic, fan-favorite episodes of Miami Vice.Jan gets her first feature film in 1988: How I Got Into College -- but you won't believe what happened to her on Day Two of filming…Past Midnight -- working with the great Rutger Hauer and Natasha Richardson.Is the window for women directors opening or closing? Jan gives us her take.So, join Susan, Sharon -- and Jan -- as they talk Dennis Farina, Michael Moriarty, Rutger Hauer, Paul Giamatti, Daniel Craig, Meg Foster, Sela Ward, Swoosie Kurtz, Kirsten Dunst, George Clooney, Patricia Arquette, Stanley Tucci -- and creamsicles!AUDIOGRAPHYFind out more about Jan at JanEliasberg.com.Buy Jan's new novel Hannah's War at Bookshop.Read Michael Cieply's 1988 article on Jan and other fired women directors at LA Times. 80s TV LADIES NEWSCatch 90s TV Baby Serita Fontanesi's “Not Ugly” podcast at Apple.CONNECTRead transcripts and more at 80sTVLadies.com.Get ad-free episodes and exclusive videos on PATREON.Find more cool podcasts at our host sight, Weirding Way Media.
I saw this Ibsen play on Broadway and learned several valuable communication and listening lessons. I explore the choices made in set design to innovate play production and directing and what they can tell us about how to communicate better and also improve our public speaking skills. The play is on Broadway through mid-June. This episode is brought to you by my favorite productivity and well-being app, Brain.fm* and my book on how to become a stellar speaker, Speak From Within. Discover the secrets to unlock your inner leader! Download the free confidence-building tip sheet now! Grab a complimentary 15-minute consultation with me. Leave me a voice message. This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm. I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset It's also brought to you by my podcast host, Podbean! I love how simple Podbean is to use. If you've been thinking of starting your own podcast, Podbean is the way to go!** Support the show. Buy me a coffee. Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic |
Den mest verdifulle og undervurderte ressursen vi har på ledelse i Norge, sa Anita Krohn Traaseth. Denne episoden med Steinar Bjartveit gir påstanden næring og mening. Psykologen, BI-lektoren og lederutvikleren tenker, snakker, reflekterer over, formidler og setter ledelse i et perspektiv som rett og slett gir verdi utover det vanlige. Hør om Venezia. Om Roma. Om Firenze. Machiavelli. Dante. Og Ibsen. Ikke minst Ibsen. Om muligheten til å forstå hva moderne ledelse er og bør være. Til å forstå forskjellen mellom ledelse og administrasjon. Til å forstå og erkjenne hva vi trenger mest av for å skape innovasjonen framtidens samfunn krever. Om Ukrainas Zelenskys genialitet - og begrensning. Om Erna Solbergs symbolkraft. Om datostemplet karisma. Om hvordan narsissisme rammer de beste. Om Venezias kollektive vei fra sump til verdens vakreste by. Om ledere som ikke bør være ledere. Om Skules spørsmål om aksling av kongskåpen etter vunnet slag og makt i seg selv gjør ham til den rette konge. Om svaret som ga Håkon posisjonen han fortjente i Ibsens Kongsemnene i 1863. Og bør fortelle alt om hvem som bør bli din bedrifts og ditt teams neste leder i 2024. Hvorfor vil du være leder? Hilsen Steinar fra Furuset. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Further updates to my long battle for my hospice rights and care. If you, or someone you know is in hospice, pondering hospice, or similar situation, this podcast may be quite useful. Or not. You get what pay for, after-all. Your current balance due is zero. Although, I would accept a real large goose egg. That'd make my day. Dunno why. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yumyumfaceface/support
Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Gordon Thomson, Renowned Actor, Co-Star, “Dynasty” About Harvey's guest: Today's special guest, Gordon Thomson, is an iconic actor who's brought us some very memorable performances in a career that spans 6 decades. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the evil, yet dashing “Adam Carrington” on the blockbuster TV series, “Dynasty”, for which he received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and 3 Soap Opera Digest awards. But his body of work extends FAR beyond “Dynasty”. On the big screen, he's appeared in a number of great movies including “Explosion”, “Leopard in the Snow”, “The Intruder”, “Man of Her Dreams”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Poseidon”, ““Afterburn / Aftershock” and “The Experience”. And on television, besides his role on “Dynasty” and a whole slew of guest appearances and made-for-TV movies, we remember him as “Aristotle Benedict White” on “Ryan's Hope”, “Mason Capwell” on “Santa Barbara”, for which he received a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination, “A.J. Deschanel” on “Sunset Beach”, “Walter” on “Days of our Lives”, “Preston Regis” on “DeVanity”, for which he received 2 Indie Series Award nominations, and “Maximillion Winterthorne” on “Winterthorne”, for which he received another Indie Series Award nomination. And on the stage, our guest has performed in everything from Shakespeare to Ibsen. He's starred in “The Fantastiks”, “Godspell”, “King John”, “Love's Labours Lost”, “The Imaginary Invalid”, “A Month in the Country”, “Loot”, “Eastern Standard” and many more plays. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ #GordonThomson #harveybrownstoneinterviews
DISCLAMER >>>>>> The Ditch Lab Coat podcast serves solely for general informational purposes and does not serve as a substitute for professional medical services such as medicine or nursing. It does not establish a doctor/patient relationship, and the use of information from the podcast or linked materials is at the user's own risk. The content does not aim to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and users should promptly seek guidance from healthcare professionals for any medical conditions. >>>>>> The expressed opinions belong solely to the hosts and guests, and they do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Hospitals, Clinics, Universities, or any other organization associated with the host or guests. Disclosures: Ditch The Lab Coat podcast is produced by (Podkind.co) and is independent of Dr. Bonta's teaching and research roles at McMaster University, Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Queens University. On today's episode of "Ditch the Labcoat," our host Dr. Mark Bonta dives deep with renowned intensive care expert Dr. Niall Ferguson into the world of intensive care, ventilators, and the balance between technology and humanity in critical care medicine.In a compelling conversation, we unlock insights into the evolution of respiratory care, the ethical considerations surrounding life support, and how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped our approach to patient care.Key takeaways from this episode:- The Overuse of ICU Resources: Dr. Ferguson discusses the careful balance required when utilizing ICU facilities, emphasizing the need for proportionate care to maximize patient dignity and humanity, even in unconscious states.- The Evolution of Ventilation Techniques: Delve into the history of ventilatory support, from the iron lung to modern positive pressure ventilation, and understand how these critical interventions have been both a lifeline and a learning curve during pandemics.- Patient-Centered Care: Drs. Bonta and Ferguson underscore the necessity of clear, honest communication between healthcare providers and patients, aligning treatment with patient health goals, especially when considering life-support interventions.Don't miss the heartfelt stories, professional insights, and the fusion of human touch with technology that Dr. Ferguson brings to this enlightening discussion on "Ditch the Labcoat".Dr. Niall Ferguson shares a compelling tale from medical history, asserting the dramatic impact of vaccines in eradicating polio. He recounts the 1952 polio conference in Copenhagen, which, ironically, preceded a polio outbreak later that year in the same city. This outbreak led to deaths from not just respiratory muscle weakness but from bulbar polio, affecting the victim's ability to swallow and clear secretions. The conventional iron lung was unable to aid patients in coughing or clearing these secretions, resulting in numerous fatalities.However, a pivotal moment in medical innovation emerged when an astute anesthetist named Bjorn Ibsen intervened. Recognizing patients were hypoventilating, Ibsen proposed a more effective method: invasive positive pressure ventilation, an invention that has since revolutionized medical care. This story, relayed by Dr. Ferguson, underscores the relentless pursuit of medical advances in the face of disease outbreaks and the critical role that vaccines play in preventing such health crises.00:00 Ventilator's origin, critical care medicine, teamwork in healthcare.05:24 Vaccines ended polio, led to ventilation innovation.14:45 COVID patients may have low oxygen levels.20:50 Setting up province wide COVID response; challenges.25:20 Mechanical ventilation can cause respiratory damage.28:15 Balancing life support on ventilator, ECMO concerns.37:43 Patients' readiness and family's understanding affect decisions.40:40 Importance of end-of-life conversations for clarity.48:27 Some private hospitals have overly luxurious ICUs.52:18 Doctor prioritizes in-person patient interaction during rounds.54:47 Impactful conversation about ventilator history and medicine.01:00:30 Gratitude and encouragement for future engagement.© 2024 ditchthelabcoat.com - All Rights Reserved
Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Michelle Danner, Director, “Miranda's Victim” About Harvey's guests: Today's guest, Michelle Danner, is a highly acclaimed, multi-award winning actress, filmmaker and world renowned acting coach. On the stage, she starred in over 30 plays and musicals including Tennessee Williams' “The Rose Tattoo”, “House of Yes”, “Bright Ideas”, “Ibsen's Ghosts”, and “One White Crow”. She's also directed many award winning stage productions including “The Night of the Black Cat”, “Mental the Musical”, “You're on the Air”, and “Jane Fonda in the Court of Public Opinion.” On the big screen, she's appeared in several movies by other directors, including “Reach” and “Ovation”, as well as in many of her own movies, including “How to Go Out on a Date in Queens”, “Hello Herman”, “The Bandit Hound”, “Bad Impluse”, and “The Runner”. Her movies have won a staggering 56 awards at some of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. She's here to discuss her latest film, entitled “Miranda's Victim”, which in my opinion, is an absolute masterpiece. The movie tells the true story of the origins of the “Miranda warning”, which the police must give to every criminal suspect and accused person, that they have the right to remain silent, and that anything they say can be used against them in a court of law. Until our guest made this movie, most people had no idea about the circumstances behind the landmark 1966 US Supreme Court ruling in the Miranda case – circumstances involving the horrific kidnapping and rape by Mr. Miranda, of Patricia Weir in Phoenix, Arizona in 1963. This riveting movie, starring Abigail Breslin, Andy Garcia, Donald Sutherland, Luke Wilson, Ryan Phillippe and Kyle MacLachlan, tells the jaw dropping story of the many astonishing twists and turns throughout the groundbreaking court case, from the perspective of Ms. Weir, the victim. The movie, which is available for streaming on Hulu, has won 15 film festival awards, and has been universally praised not only by film critics, but also by leading members of the legal profession and justice system. In addition to being a highly acclaimed stage director and filmmaker, our guest is also a renowned acting coach. She's given acting workshops around the world and she's worked with many A-list actors including Donald Sutherland, Henry Cavill, Gerard Butler, Penelope Cruz, Andy Garcia, Salma Hayek and many others. She teaches classes at the Michelle Danner Studio and the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory. She's also the Founding Director of the Creative Center for the Arts, where she has served as Artistic Director for more than 20 years. For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/ To see more about Michelle Danner and the film, go to: https://www.michelledanner.com/https://www.facebook.com/michelledanneractinghttps://www.instagram.com/michelledannerla/https://twitter.com/actingclassla #MichelleDanner #harveybrownstoneinterviews
Episode 077: An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen Host: Douglas Schatz Guest: Kirsten Shepherd-Barr Welcome to The Play Podcast where we explore the greatest new and classic plays. Each episode we choose a single play to talk about in depth with our expert guest. We'll discuss the play's origins, its themes, characters, structure and impact. For us the play is the thing. Henrik Ibsen's play An Enemy of the People is a fable of truth and lies, politics and power, and the challenge and costs of pursuing an unpopular crusade to speak truth to power. It's a story of ‘fake news', manipulation of the media, the dangers of populism, and the environmental cost of capitalism. No wonder it strikes a chord in our time, for as we record this episode there are two major new productions of An Enemy of the People on the world stage. I'm delighted to welcome back to the podcast, Ibsen expert, Professor Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, who I was privileged to talk with in episode 74 on Ibsen's play Ghosts.
Un drama expuesto en cuatro meses con introducción, desarrollo y desenlace. Digno de Shakespeare, Moliere, Ibsen o cualquier clásico de la vida cotidiana. ECDQEMSD podcast El Cyber Talk Show - episodio 5708 Drama Conducen: El Pirata y El Sr. Lagartija https://canaltrans.com Noticias Del Mundo: Chip en el cerebro y telepatía - Ya rebajaron la proyección de Latinoamérica - Las farmacéuticas que extrañan la pandemia - La tumba de San Pedro - Las catacumbas del Vaticano - El regreso de la relaciones carnales. Historias Desintegradas: Un mal diagnostico - Ensayo con arpa - Una etapa en el psiquiátrico - Acierto médico - Cine catástrofe - Supervivientes de Los Andes, Viven y La Sociedad de la Nieve - Los dilemas morales - Igual que Peña Nieto - Cine debate - Carne humana - Juegos de azar - La Power Ball - Record de premio - Lotería del estado - Los Estrambóticos - Sentirse parte - Un mago - La magia del mundo y más... https://www.canaltrans.com/ecdqemsd_podcast_2024/5708_drama.html En Caso De Que El Mundo Se Desintegre - Podcast no tiene publicidad, sponsors ni organizaciones que aporten para mantenerlo al aire. Solo el sistema cooperativo de los que aportan a través de las suscripciones hacen posible que todo esto siga siendo una realidad. Gracias Dragones Dorados: https://www.canaltrans.com/radio/suscripciones.html
If you're looking for a dramedy about reframing your life and learning to fall in love (with yourself) again… consider this powerful Chinese play about love, loss, and artistic identity. Taking place in West China during the Sino-Japanese War, Heaven Challenges centers around Shih Kun-Yi, a housewife who has given up her love of painting to serve her husband. When he divorces her in an attempt to climb the social ladder, Shih Kun-Yi must discover how to fall in love all over again: with herself, her art, and her friends who are just as lost as she is. If the confrontation of gender roles in Ibsen's A Doll's House speaks to you, dive into this striking tale.Hosted by Kalina Ko and Shannon CorenthinSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-is-a-classic-the-expand-the-canon-theatre-podcast/donations
War August Strindberg (geboren am 22.1.1849) Frauenhasser oder erster Feminist? Fest steht: Die Themen des schwedischen Nationaldichters sind auch heute interessant. Von Jana Magdanz.
Episode 171 looks at "Hey Jude", the White Album, and the career of the Beatles from August 1967 through November 1968. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a fifty-seven-minute bonus episode available, on "I Love You" by People!. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Errata Not really an error, but at one point I refer to Ornette Coleman as a saxophonist. While he was, he plays trumpet on the track that is excerpted after that. Resources No Mixcloud this week due to the number of songs by the Beatles. I have read literally dozens of books on the Beatles, and used bits of information from many of them. All my Beatles episodes refer to: The Complete Beatles Chronicle by Mark Lewisohn, All The Songs: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Release by Jean-Michel Guesdon, And The Band Begins To Play: The Definitive Guide To The Songs of The Beatles by Steve Lambley, The Beatles By Ear by Kevin Moore, Revolution in the Head by Ian MacDonald, and The Beatles Anthology. For this episode, I also referred to Last Interview by David Sheff, a longform interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono from shortly before Lennon's death; Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, an authorised biography of Paul McCartney; and Here, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles by Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey. This time I also used Steve Turner's The Beatles: The Stories Behind the Songs 1967-1970. I referred to Philip Norman's biographies of John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney, to Graeme Thomson's biography of George Harrison, Take a Sad Song by James Campion, Yoko Ono: An Artful Life by Donald Brackett, Those Were the Days 2.0 by Stephan Granados, and Sound Pictures by Kenneth Womack. Sadly the only way to get the single mix of “Hey Jude” is on this ludicrously-expensive out-of-print box set, but a remixed stereo mix is easily available on the new reissue of the 1967-70 compilation. The original mixes of the White Album are also, shockingly, out of print, but this 2018 remix is available for the moment. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript Before I start, a quick note -- this episode deals, among other topics, with child abandonment, spousal neglect, suicide attempts, miscarriage, rape accusations, and heroin addiction. If any of those topics are likely to upset you, you might want to check the transcript rather than listening to this episode. It also, for once, contains a short excerpt of an expletive, but given that that expletive in that context has been regularly played on daytime radio without complaint for over fifty years, I suspect it can be excused. The use of mantra meditation is something that exists across religions, and which appears to have been independently invented multiple times, in multiple cultures. In the Western culture to which most of my listeners belong, it is now best known as an aspect of what is known as "mindfulness", a secularised version of Buddhism which aims to provide adherents with the benefits of the teachings of the Buddha but without the cosmology to which they are attached. But it turns up in almost every religious tradition I know of in one form or another. The idea of mantra meditation is a very simple one, and one that even has some basis in science. There is a mathematical principle in neurology and information science called the free energy principle which says our brains are wired to try to minimise how surprised we are -- our brain is constantly making predictions about the world, and then looking at the results from our senses to see if they match. If they do, that's great, and the brain will happily move on to its next prediction. If they don't, the brain has to update its model of the world to match the new information, make new predictions, and see if those new predictions are a better match. Every person has a different mental model of the world, and none of them match reality, but every brain tries to get as close as possible. This updating of the model to match the new information is called "thinking", and it uses up energy, and our bodies and brains have evolved to conserve energy as much as possible. This means that for many people, most of the time, thinking is unpleasant, and indeed much of the time that people have spent thinking, they've been thinking about how to stop themselves having to do it at all, and when they have managed to stop thinking, however briefly, they've experienced great bliss. Many more or less effective technologies have been created to bring about a more minimal-energy state, including alcohol, heroin, and barbituates, but many of these have unwanted side-effects, such as death, which people also tend to want to avoid, and so people have often turned to another technology. It turns out that for many people, they can avoid thinking by simply thinking about something that is utterly predictable. If they minimise the amount of sensory input, and concentrate on something that they can predict exactly, eventually they can turn off their mind, relax, and float downstream, without dying. One easy way to do this is to close your eyes, so you can't see anything, make your breath as regular as possible, and then concentrate on a sound that repeats over and over. If you repeat a single phrase or word a few hundred times, that regular repetition eventually causes your mind to stop having to keep track of the world, and experience a peace that is, by all accounts, unlike any other experience. What word or phrase that is can depend very much on the tradition. In Transcendental Meditation, each person has their own individual phrase. In the Catholicism in which George Harrison and Paul McCartney were raised, popular phrases for this are "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" or "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen." In some branches of Buddhism, a popular mantra is "_NAMU MYŌHŌ RENGE KYŌ_". In the Hinduism to which George Harrison later converted, you can use "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare", "Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya" or "Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha". Those last two start with the syllable "Om", and indeed some people prefer to just use that syllable, repeating a single syllable over and over again until they reach a state of transcendence. [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Hey Jude" ("na na na na na na na")] We don't know much about how the Beatles first discovered Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, except that it was thanks to Pattie Boyd, George Harrison's then-wife. Unfortunately, her memory of how she first became involved in the Maharishi's Spiritual Regeneration Movement, as described in her autobiography, doesn't fully line up with other known facts. She talks about reading about the Maharishi in the paper with her friend Marie-Lise while George was away on tour, but she also places the date that this happened in February 1967, several months after the Beatles had stopped touring forever. We'll be seeing a lot more of these timing discrepancies as this story progresses, and people's memories increasingly don't match the events that happened to them. Either way, it's clear that Pattie became involved in the Spiritual Regeneration Movement a good length of time before her husband did. She got him to go along with her to one of the Maharishi's lectures, after she had already been converted to the practice of Transcendental Meditation, and they brought along John, Paul, and their partners (Ringo's wife Maureen had just given birth, so they didn't come). As we heard back in episode one hundred and fifty, that lecture was impressive enough that the group, plus their wives and girlfriends (with the exception of Maureen Starkey) and Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, all went on a meditation retreat with the Maharishi at a holiday camp in Bangor, and it was there that they learned that Brian Epstein had been found dead. The death of the man who had guided the group's career could not have come at a worse time for the band's stability. The group had only recorded one song in the preceding two months -- Paul's "Your Mother Should Know" -- and had basically been running on fumes since completing recording of Sgt Pepper many months earlier. John's drug intake had increased to the point that he was barely functional -- although with the enthusiasm of the newly converted he had decided to swear off LSD at the Maharishi's urging -- and his marriage was falling apart. Similarly, Paul McCartney's relationship with Jane Asher was in a bad state, though both men were trying to repair their damaged relationships, while both George and Ringo were having doubts about the band that had made them famous. In George's case, he was feeling marginalised by John and Paul, his songs ignored or paid cursory attention, and there was less for him to do on the records as the group moved away from making guitar-based rock and roll music into the stranger areas of psychedelia. And Ringo, whose main memory of the recording of Sgt Pepper was of learning to play chess while the others went through the extensive overdubs that characterised that album, was starting to feel like his playing was deteriorating, and that as the only non-writer in the band he was on the outside to an extent. On top of that, the group were in the middle of a major plan to restructure their business. As part of their contract renegotiations with EMI at the beginning of 1967, it had been agreed that they would receive two million pounds -- roughly fifteen million pounds in today's money -- in unpaid royalties as a lump sum. If that had been paid to them as individuals, or through the company they owned, the Beatles Ltd, they would have had to pay the full top rate of tax on it, which as George had complained the previous year was over ninety-five percent. (In fact, he'd been slightly exaggerating the generosity of the UK tax system to the rich, as at that point the top rate of income tax was somewhere around ninety-seven and a half percent). But happily for them, a couple of years earlier the UK had restructured its tax laws and introduced a corporation tax, which meant that the profits of corporations were no longer taxed at the same high rate as income. So a new company had been set up, The Beatles & Co, and all the group's non-songwriting income was paid into the company. Each Beatle owned five percent of the company, and the other eighty percent was owned by a new partnership, a corporation that was soon renamed Apple Corps -- a name inspired by a painting that McCartney had liked by the artist Rene Magritte. In the early stages of Apple, it was very entangled with Nems, the company that was owned by Brian and Clive Epstein, and which was in the process of being sold to Robert Stigwood, though that sale fell through after Brian's death. The first part of Apple, Apple Publishing, had been set up in the summer of 1967, and was run by Terry Doran, a friend of Epstein's who ran a motor dealership -- most of the Apple divisions would be run by friends of the group rather than by people with experience in the industries in question. As Apple was set up during the point that Stigwood was getting involved with NEMS, Apple Publishing's initial offices were in the same building with, and shared staff with, two publishing companies that Stigwood owned, Dratleaf Music, who published Cream's songs, and Abigail Music, the Bee Gees' publishers. And indeed the first two songs published by Apple were copyrights that were gifted to the company by Stigwood -- "Listen to the Sky", a B-side by an obscure band called Sands: [Excerpt: Sands, "Listen to the Sky"] And "Outside Woman Blues", an arrangement by Eric Clapton of an old blues song by Blind Joe Reynolds, which Cream had copyrighted separately and released on Disraeli Gears: [Excerpt: Cream, "Outside Woman Blues"] But Apple soon started signing outside songwriters -- once Mike Berry, a member of Apple Publishing's staff, had sat McCartney down and explained to him what music publishing actually was, something he had never actually understood even though he'd been a songwriter for five years. Those songwriters, given that this was 1967, were often also performers, and as Apple Records had not yet been set up, Apple would try to arrange recording contracts for them with other labels. They started with a group called Focal Point, who got signed by badgering Paul McCartney to listen to their songs until he gave them Doran's phone number to shut them up: [Excerpt: Focal Point, "Sycamore Sid"] But the big early hope for Apple Publishing was a songwriter called George Alexander. Alexander's birth name had been Alexander Young, and he was the brother of George Young, who was a member of the Australian beat group The Easybeats, who'd had a hit with "Friday on My Mind": [Excerpt: The Easybeats, "Friday on My Mind"] His younger brothers Malcolm and Angus would go on to have a few hits themselves, but AC/DC wouldn't be formed for another five years. Terry Doran thought that Alexander should be a member of a band, because bands were more popular than solo artists at the time, and so he was placed with three former members of Tony Rivers and the Castaways, a Beach Boys soundalike group that had had some minor success. John Lennon suggested that the group be named Grapefruit, after a book he was reading by a conceptual artist of his acquaintance named Yoko Ono, and as Doran was making arrangements with Terry Melcher for a reciprocal publishing deal by which Melcher's American company would publish Apple songs in the US while Apple published songs from Melcher's company in the UK, it made sense for Melcher to also produce Grapefruit's first single, "Dear Delilah": [Excerpt: Grapefruit, "Dear Delilah"] That made number twenty-one in the UK when it came out in early 1968, on the back of publicity about Grapefruit's connection with the Beatles, but future singles by the band were much less successful, and like several other acts involved with Apple, they found that they were more hampered by the Beatles connection than helped. A few other people were signed to Apple Publishing early on, of whom the most notable was Jackie Lomax. Lomax had been a member of a minor Merseybeat group, the Undertakers, and after they had split up, he'd been signed by Brian Epstein with a new group, the Lomax Alliance, who had released one single, "Try as You May": [Excerpt: The Lomax Alliance, "Try As You May"] After Epstein's death, Lomax had plans to join another band, being formed by another Merseybeat musician, Chris Curtis, the former drummer of the Searchers. But after going to the Beatles to talk with them about them helping the new group financially, Lomax was persuaded by John Lennon to go solo instead. He may later have regretted that decision, as by early 1968 the people that Curtis had recruited for his new band had ditched him and were making a name for themselves as Deep Purple. Lomax recorded one solo single with funding from Stigwood, a cover version of a song by an obscure singer-songwriter, Jake Holmes, "Genuine Imitation Life": [Excerpt: Jackie Lomax, "Genuine Imitation Life"] But he was also signed to Apple Publishing as a songwriter. The Beatles had only just started laying out plans for Apple when Epstein died, and other than the publishing company one of the few things they'd agreed on was that they were going to have a film company, which was to be run by Denis O'Dell, who had been an associate producer on A Hard Day's Night and on How I Won The War, the Richard Lester film Lennon had recently starred in. A few days after Epstein's death, they had a meeting, in which they agreed that the band needed to move forward quickly if they were going to recover from Epstein's death. They had originally been planning on going to India with the Maharishi to study meditation, but they decided to put that off until the new year, and to press forward with a film project Paul had been talking about, to be titled Magical Mystery Tour. And so, on the fifth of September 1967, they went back into the recording studio and started work on a song of John's that was earmarked for the film, "I am the Walrus": [Excerpt: The Beatles, "I am the Walrus"] Magical Mystery Tour, the film, has a mixed reputation which we will talk about shortly, but one defence that Paul McCartney has always made of it is that it's the only place where you can see the Beatles performing "I am the Walrus". While the song was eventually relegated to a B-side, it's possibly the finest B-side of the Beatles' career, and one of the best tracks the group ever made. As with many of Lennon's songs from this period, the song was a collage of many different elements pulled from his environment and surroundings, and turned into something that was rather more than the sum of its parts. For its musical inspiration, Lennon pulled from, of all things, a police siren going past his house. (For those who are unfamiliar with what old British police sirens sounded like, as opposed to the ones in use for most of my lifetime or in other countries, here's a recording of one): [Excerpt: British police siren ca 1968] That inspired Lennon to write a snatch of lyric to go with the sound of the siren, starting "Mister city policeman sitting pretty". He had two other song fragments, one about sitting in the garden, and one about sitting on a cornflake, and he told Hunter Davies, who was doing interviews for his authorised biography of the group, “I don't know how it will all end up. Perhaps they'll turn out to be different parts of the same song.” But the final element that made these three disparate sections into a song was a letter that came from Stephen Bayley, a pupil at Lennon's old school Quarry Bank, who told him that the teachers at the school -- who Lennon always thought of as having suppressed his creativity -- were now analysing Beatles lyrics in their lessons. Lennon decided to come up with some nonsense that they couldn't analyse -- though as nonsensical as the finished song is, there's an underlying anger to a lot of it that possibly comes from Lennon thinking of his school experiences. And so Lennon asked his old schoolfriend Pete Shotton to remind him of a disgusting playground chant that kids used to sing in schools in the North West of England (and which they still sang with very minor variations at my own school decades later -- childhood folklore has a remarkably long life). That rhyme went: Yellow matter custard, green snot pie All mixed up with a dead dog's eye Slap it on a butty, nice and thick, And drink it down with a cup of cold sick Lennon combined some parts of this with half-remembered fragments of Lewis Carrol's The Walrus and the Carpenter, and with some punning references to things that were going on in his own life and those of his friends -- though it's difficult to know exactly which of the stories attached to some of the more incomprehensible bits of the lyrics are accurate. The story that the line "I am the eggman" is about a sexual proclivity of Eric Burdon of the Animals seems plausible, while the contention by some that the phrase "semolina pilchard" is a reference to Sgt Pilcher, the corrupt policeman who had arrested three of the Rolling Stones, and would later arrest Lennon, on drugs charges, seems less likely. The track is a masterpiece of production, but the release of the basic take on Anthology 2 in 1996 showed that the underlying performance, before George Martin worked his magic with the overdubs, is still a remarkable piece of work: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "I am the Walrus (Anthology 2 version)"] But Martin's arrangement and production turned the track from a merely very good track into a masterpiece. The string arrangement, very much in the same mould as that for "Strawberry Fields Forever" but giving a very different effect with its harsh cello glissandi, is the kind of thing one expects from Martin, but there's also the chanting of the Mike Sammes Singers, who were more normally booked for sessions like Englebert Humperdinck's "The Last Waltz": [Excerpt: Engelbert Humperdinck, "The Last Waltz"] But here were instead asked to imitate the sound of the strings, make grunting noises, and generally go very far out of their normal comfort zone: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "I am the Walrus"] But the most fascinating piece of production in the entire track is an idea that seems to have been inspired by people like John Cage -- a live feed of a radio being tuned was played into the mono mix from about the halfway point, and whatever was on the radio at the time was captured: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "I am the Walrus"] This is also why for many decades it was impossible to have a true stereo mix of the track -- the radio part was mixed directly into the mono mix, and it wasn't until the 1990s that someone thought to track down a copy of the original radio broadcasts and recreate the process. In one of those bits of synchronicity that happen more often than you would think when you're creating aleatory art, and which are why that kind of process can be so appealing, one bit of dialogue from the broadcast of King Lear that was on the radio as the mixing was happening was *perfectly* timed: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "I am the Walrus"] After completing work on the basic track for "I am the Walrus", the group worked on two more songs for the film, George's "Blue Jay Way" and a group-composed twelve-bar blues instrumental called "Flying", before starting production. Magical Mystery Tour, as an idea, was inspired in equal parts by Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, the collective of people we talked about in the episode on the Grateful Dead who travelled across the US extolling the virtues of psychedelic drugs, and by mystery tours, a British working-class tradition that has rather fallen out of fashion in the intervening decades. A mystery tour would generally be put on by a coach-hire company, and would be a day trip to an unannounced location -- though the location would in fact be very predictable, and would be a seaside town within a couple of hours' drive of its starting point. In the case of the ones the Beatles remembered from their own childhoods, this would be to a coastal town in Lancashire or Wales, like Blackpool, Rhyl, or Prestatyn. A coachload of people would pay to be driven to this random location, get very drunk and have a singsong on the bus, and spend a day wherever they were taken. McCartney's plan was simple -- they would gather a group of passengers and replicate this experience over the course of several days, and film whatever went on, but intersperse that with more planned out sketches and musical numbers. For this reason, along with the Beatles and their associates, the cast included some actors found through Spotlight and some of the group's favourite performers, like the comedian Nat Jackley (whose comedy sequence directed by John was cut from the final film) and the surrealist poet/singer/comedian Ivor Cutler: [Excerpt: Ivor Cutler, "I'm Going in a Field"] The film also featured an appearance by a new band who would go on to have great success over the next year, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. They had recorded their first single in Abbey Road at the same time as the Beatles were recording Revolver, but rather than being progressive psychedelic rock, it had been a remake of a 1920s novelty song: [Excerpt: The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, "My Brother Makes the Noises For the Talkies"] Their performance in Magical Mystery Tour was very different though -- they played a fifties rock pastiche written by band leaders Vivian Stanshall and Neil Innes while a stripper took off her clothes. While several other musical sequences were recorded for the film, including one by the band Traffic and one by Cutler, other than the Beatles tracks only the Bonzos' song made it into the finished film: [Excerpt: The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, "Death Cab for Cutie"] That song, thirty years later, would give its name to a prominent American alternative rock band. Incidentally the same night that Magical Mystery Tour was first broadcast was also the night that the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band first appeared on a TV show, Do Not Adjust Your Set, which featured three future members of the Monty Python troupe -- Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Jones. Over the years the careers of the Bonzos, the Pythons, and the Beatles would become increasingly intertwined, with George Harrison in particular striking up strong friendships and working relationships with Bonzos Neil Innes and "Legs" Larry Smith. The filming of Magical Mystery Tour went about as well as one might expect from a film made by four directors, none of whom had any previous filmmaking experience, and none of whom had any business knowledge. The Beatles were used to just turning up and having things magically done for them by other people, and had no real idea of the infrastructure challenges that making a film, even a low-budget one, actually presents, and ended up causing a great deal of stress to almost everyone involved. The completed film was shown on TV on Boxing Day 1967 to general confusion and bemusement. It didn't help that it was originally broadcast in black and white, and so for example the scene showing shifting landscapes (outtake footage from Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove, tinted various psychedelic colours) over the "Flying" music, just looked like grey fuzz. But also, it just wasn't what people were expecting from a Beatles film. This was a ramshackle, plotless, thing more inspired by Andy Warhol's underground films than by the kind of thing the group had previously appeared in, and it was being presented as Christmas entertainment for all the family. And to be honest, it's not even a particularly good example of underground filmmaking -- though it looks like a masterpiece when placed next to something like the Bee Gees' similar effort, Cucumber Castle. But there are enough interesting sequences in there for the project not to be a complete failure -- and the deleted scenes on the DVD release, including the performances by Cutler and Traffic, and the fact that the film was edited down from ten hours to fifty-two minutes, makes one wonder if there's a better film that could be constructed from the original footage. Either way, the reaction to the film was so bad that McCartney actually appeared on David Frost's TV show the next day to defend it and, essentially, apologise. While they were editing the film, the group were also continuing to work in the studio, including on two new McCartney songs, "The Fool on the Hill", which was included in Magical Mystery Tour, and "Hello Goodbye", which wasn't included on the film's soundtrack but was released as the next single, with "I Am the Walrus" as the B-side: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Hello Goodbye"] Incidentally, in the UK the soundtrack to Magical Mystery Tour was released as a double-EP rather than as an album (in the US, the group's recent singles and B-sides were added to turn it into a full-length album, which is how it's now generally available). "I Am the Walrus" was on the double-EP as well as being on the single's B-side, and the double-EP got to number two on the singles charts, meaning "I am the Walrus" was on the records at number one and number two at the same time. Before it became obvious that the film, if not the soundtrack, was a disaster, the group held a launch party on the twenty-first of December, 1967. The band members went along in fancy dress, as did many of the cast and crew -- the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band performed at the party. Mike Love and Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys also turned up at the party, and apparently at one point jammed with the Bonzos, and according to some, but not all, reports, a couple of the Beatles joined in as well. Love and Johnston had both just met the Maharishi for the first time a couple of days earlier, and Love had been as impressed as the Beatles were, and it may have been at this party that the group mentioned to Love that they would soon be going on a retreat in India with the guru -- a retreat that was normally meant for training TM instructors, but this time seemed to be more about getting celebrities involved. Love would also end up going with them. That party was also the first time that Cynthia Lennon had an inkling that John might not be as faithful to her as she previously supposed. John had always "joked" about being attracted to George Harrison's wife, Patti, but this time he got a little more blatant about his attraction than he ever had previously, to the point that he made Cynthia cry, and Cynthia's friend, the pop star Lulu, decided to give Lennon a very public dressing-down for his cruelty to his wife, a dressing-down that must have been a sight to behold, as Lennon was dressed as a Teddy boy while Lulu was in a Shirley Temple costume. It's a sign of how bad the Lennons' marriage was at this point that this was the second time in a two-month period where Cynthia had ended up crying because of John at a film launch party and been comforted by a female pop star. In October, Cilla Black had held a party to celebrate the belated release of John's film How I Won the War, and during the party Georgie Fame had come up to Black and said, confused, "Cynthia Lennon is hiding in your wardrobe". Black went and had a look, and Cynthia explained to her “I'm waiting to see how long it is before John misses me and comes looking for me.” Black's response had been “You'd better face it, kid—he's never gonna come.” Also at the Magical Mystery Tour party was Lennon's father, now known as Freddie Lennon, and his new nineteen-year-old fiancee. While Hunter Davis had been researching the Beatles' biography, he'd come across some evidence that the version of Freddie's attitude towards John that his mother's side of the family had always told him -- that Freddie had been a cruel and uncaring husband who had not actually wanted to be around his son -- might not be the whole of the truth, and that the mother who he had thought of as saintly might also have had some part to play in their marriage breaking down and Freddie not seeing his son for twenty years. The two had made some tentative attempts at reconciliation, and indeed Freddie would even come and live with John for a while, though within a couple of years the younger Lennon's heart would fully harden against his father again. Of course, the things that John always resented his father for were pretty much exactly the kind of things that Lennon himself was about to do. It was around this time as well that Derek Taylor gave the Beatles copies of the debut album by a young singer/songwriter named Harry Nilsson. Nilsson will be getting his own episode down the line, but not for a couple of years at my current rates, so it's worth bringing that up here, because that album became a favourite of all the Beatles, and would have a huge influence on their songwriting for the next couple of years, and because one song on the album, "1941", must have resonated particularly deeply with Lennon right at this moment -- an autobiographical song by Nilsson about how his father had left him and his mother when he was a small boy, and about his own fear that, as his first marriage broke down, he was repeating the pattern with his stepson Scott: [Excerpt: Nilsson, "1941"] The other major event of December 1967, rather overshadowed by the Magical Mystery Tour disaster the next day, was that on Christmas Day Paul McCartney and Jane Asher announced their engagement. A few days later, George Harrison flew to India. After John and Paul had had their outside film projects -- John starring in How I Won The War and Paul doing the soundtrack for The Family Way -- the other two Beatles more or less simultaneously did their own side project films, and again one acted while the other did a soundtrack. Both of these projects were in the rather odd subgenre of psychedelic shambolic comedy film that sprang up in the mid sixties, a subgenre that produced a lot of fascinating films, though rather fewer good ones. Indeed, both of them were in the subsubgenre of shambolic psychedelic *sex* comedies. In Ringo's case, he had a small role in the film Candy, which was based on the novel we mentioned in the last episode, co-written by Terry Southern, which was in itself a loose modern rewriting of Voltaire's Candide. Unfortunately, like such other classics of this subgenre as Anthony Newley's Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?, Candy has dated *extremely* badly, and unless you find repeated scenes of sexual assault and rape, ethnic stereotypes, and jokes about deformity and disfigurement to be an absolute laugh riot, it's not a film that's worth seeking out, and Starr's part in it is not a major one. Harrison's film was of the same basic genre -- a film called Wonderwall about a mad scientist who discovers a way to see through the walls of his apartment, and gets to see a photographer taking sexy photographs of a young woman named Penny Lane, played by Jane Birkin: [Excerpt: Some Wonderwall film dialogue ripped from the Blu-Ray] Wonderwall would, of course, later inspire the title of a song by Oasis, and that's what the film is now best known for, but it's a less-unwatchable film than Candy, and while still problematic it's less so. Which is something. Harrison had been the Beatle with least involvement in Magical Mystery Tour -- McCartney had been the de facto director, Starr had been the lead character and the only one with much in the way of any acting to do, and Lennon had written the film's standout scene and its best song, and had done a little voiceover narration. Harrison, by contrast, barely has anything to do in the film apart from the one song he contributed, "Blue Jay Way", and he said of the project “I had no idea what was happening and maybe I didn't pay enough attention because my problem, basically, was that I was in another world, I didn't really belong; I was just an appendage.” He'd expressed his discomfort to his friend Joe Massot, who was about to make his first feature film. Massot had got to know Harrison during the making of his previous film, Reflections on Love, a mostly-silent short which had starred Harrison's sister-in-law Jenny Boyd, and which had been photographed by Robert Freeman, who had been the photographer for the Beatles' album covers from With the Beatles through Rubber Soul, and who had taken most of the photos that Klaus Voorman incorporated into the cover of Revolver (and whose professional association with the Beatles seemed to come to an end around the same time he discovered that Lennon had been having an affair with his wife). Massot asked Harrison to write the music for the film, and told Harrison he would have complete free rein to make whatever music he wanted, so long as it fit the timing of the film, and so Harrison decided to create a mixture of Western rock music and the Indian music he loved. Harrison started recording the music at the tail end of 1967, with sessions with several London-based Indian musicians and John Barham, an orchestrator who had worked with Ravi Shankar on Shankar's collaborations with Western musicians, including the Alice in Wonderland soundtrack we talked about in the "All You Need is Love" episode. For the Western music, he used the Remo Four, a Merseybeat group who had been on the scene even before the Beatles, and which contained a couple of classmates of Paul McCartney, but who had mostly acted as backing musicians for other artists. They'd backed Johnny Sandon, the former singer with the Searchers, on a couple of singles, before becoming the backing band for Tommy Quickly, a NEMS artist who was unsuccessful despite starting his career with a Lennon/McCartney song, "Tip of My Tongue": [Excerpt: Tommy Quickly, "Tip of My Tongue"] The Remo Four would later, after a lineup change, become Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, who would become one-hit wonders in the seventies, and during the Wonderwall sessions they recorded a song that went unreleased at the time, and which would later go on to be rerecorded by Ashton, Gardner, and Dyke. "In the First Place" also features Harrison on backing vocals and possibly guitar, and was not submitted for the film because Harrison didn't believe that Massot wanted any vocal tracks, but the recording was later discovered and used in a revised director's cut of the film in the nineties: [Excerpt: The Remo Four, "In the First Place"] But for the most part the Remo Four were performing instrumentals written by Harrison. They weren't the only Western musicians performing on the sessions though -- Peter Tork of the Monkees dropped by these sessions and recorded several short banjo solos, which were used in the film soundtrack but not in the soundtrack album (presumably because Tork was contracted to another label): [Excerpt: Peter Tork, "Wonderwall banjo solo"] Another musician who was under contract to another label was Eric Clapton, who at the time was playing with The Cream, and who vaguely knew Harrison and so joined in for the track "Ski-ing", playing lead guitar under the cunning, impenetrable, pseudonym "Eddie Clayton", with Harrison on sitar, Starr on drums, and session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan on bass: [Excerpt: George Harrison, "Ski-ing"] But the bulk of the album was recorded in EMI's studios in the city that is now known as Mumbai but at the time was called Bombay. The studio facilities in India had up to that point only had a mono tape recorder, and Bhaskar Menon, one of the top executives at EMI's Indian division and later the head of EMI music worldwide, personally brought the first stereo tape recorder to the studio to aid in Harrison's recording. The music was all composed by Harrison and performed by the Indian musicians, and while Harrison was composing in an Indian mode, the musicians were apparently fascinated by how Western it sounded to them: [Excerpt: George Harrison, "Microbes"] While he was there, Harrison also got the instrumentalists to record another instrumental track, which wasn't to be used for the film: [Excerpt: George Harrison, "The Inner Light (instrumental)"] That track would, instead, become part of what was to be Harrison's first composition to make a side of a Beatles single. After John and George had appeared on the David Frost show talking about the Maharishi, in September 1967, George had met a lecturer in Sanskrit named Juan Mascaró, who wrote to Harrison enclosing a book he'd compiled of translations of religious texts, telling him he'd admired "Within You Without You" and thought it would be interesting if Harrison set something from the Tao Te Ching to music. He suggested a text that, in his translation, read: "Without going out of my door I can know all things on Earth Without looking out of my window I can know the ways of heaven For the farther one travels, the less one knows The sage, therefore Arrives without travelling Sees all without looking Does all without doing" Harrison took that text almost verbatim, though he created a second verse by repeating the first few lines with "you" replacing "I" -- concerned that listeners might think he was just talking about himself, and wouldn't realise it was a more general statement -- and he removed the "the sage, therefore" and turned the last few lines into imperative commands rather than declarative statements: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "The Inner Light"] The song has come in for some criticism over the years as being a little Orientalist, because in critics' eyes it combines Chinese philosophy with Indian music, as if all these things are equally "Eastern" and so all the same really. On the other hand there's a good argument that an English songwriter taking a piece of writing written in Chinese and translated into English by a Spanish man and setting it to music inspired by Indian musical modes is a wonderful example of cultural cross-pollination. As someone who's neither Chinese nor Indian I wouldn't want to take a stance on it, but clearly the other Beatles were impressed by it -- they put it out as the B-side to their next single, even though the only Beatles on it are Harrison and McCartney, with the latter adding a small amount of harmony vocal: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "The Inner Light"] And it wasn't because the group were out of material. They were planning on going to Rishikesh to study with the Maharishi, and wanted to get a single out for release while they were away, and so in one week they completed the vocal overdubs on "The Inner Light" and recorded three other songs, two by John and one by Paul. All three of the group's songwriters brought in songs that were among their best. John's first contribution was a song whose lyrics he later described as possibly the best he ever wrote, "Across the Universe". He said the lyrics were “purely inspirational and were given to me as boom! I don't own it, you know; it came through like that … Such an extraordinary meter and I can never repeat it! It's not a matter of craftsmanship, it wrote itself. It drove me out of bed. I didn't want to write it … It's like being possessed, like a psychic or a medium.” But while Lennon liked the song, he was never happy with the recording of it. They tried all sorts of things to get the sound he heard in his head, including bringing in some fans who were hanging around outside to sing backing vocals. He said of the track "I was singing out of tune and instead of getting a decent choir, we got fans from outside, Apple Scruffs or whatever you call them. They came in and were singing all off-key. Nobody was interested in doing the tune originally.” [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Across the Universe"] The "jai guru deva" chorus there is the first reference to the teachings of the Maharishi in one of the Beatles' records -- Guru Dev was the Maharishi's teacher, and the phrase "Jai guru dev" is a Sanskrit one which I've seen variously translated as "victory to the great teacher", and "hail to the greatness within you". Lennon would say shortly before his death “The Beatles didn't make a good record out of it. I think subconsciously sometimes we – I say ‘we' though I think Paul did it more than the rest of us – Paul would sort of subconsciously try and destroy a great song … Usually we'd spend hours doing little detailed cleaning-ups of Paul's songs, when it came to mine, especially if it was a great song like ‘Strawberry Fields' or ‘Across The Universe', somehow this atmosphere of looseness and casualness and experimentation would creep in … It was a _lousy_ track of a great song and I was so disappointed by it …The guitars are out of tune and I'm singing out of tune because I'm psychologically destroyed and nobody's supporting me or helping me with it, and the song was never done properly.” Of course, this is only Lennon's perception, and it's one that the other participants would disagree with. George Martin, in particular, was always rather hurt by the implication that Lennon's songs had less attention paid to them, and he would always say that the problem was that Lennon in the studio would always say "yes, that's great", and only later complain that it hadn't been what he wanted. No doubt McCartney did put in more effort on his own songs than on Lennon's -- everyone has a bias towards their own work, and McCartney's only human -- but personally I suspect that a lot of the problem comes down to the two men having very different personalities. McCartney had very strong ideas about his own work and would drive the others insane with his nitpicky attention to detail. Lennon had similarly strong ideas, but didn't have the attention span to put the time and effort in to force his vision on others, and didn't have the technical knowledge to express his ideas in words they'd understand. He expected Martin and the other Beatles to work miracles, and they did -- but not the miracles he would have worked. That track was, rather than being chosen for the next single, given to Spike Milligan, who happened to be visiting the studio and was putting together an album for the environmental charity the World Wildlife Fund. The album was titled "No One's Gonna Change Our World": [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Across the Universe"] That track is historic in another way -- it would be the last time that George Harrison would play sitar on a Beatles record, and it effectively marks the end of the period of psychedelia and Indian influence that had started with "Norwegian Wood" three years earlier, and which many fans consider their most creative period. Indeed, shortly after the recording, Harrison would give up the sitar altogether and stop playing it. He loved sitar music as much as he ever had, and he still thought that Indian classical music spoke to him in ways he couldn't express, and he continued to be friends with Ravi Shankar for the rest of his life, and would only become more interested in Indian religious thought. But as he spent time with Shankar he realised he would never be as good on the sitar as he hoped. He said later "I thought, 'Well, maybe I'm better off being a pop singer-guitar-player-songwriter – whatever-I'm-supposed-to-be' because I've seen a thousand sitar-players in India who are twice as better as I'll ever be. And only one of them Ravi thought was going to be a good player." We don't have a precise date for when it happened -- I suspect it was in June 1968, so a few months after the "Across the Universe" recording -- but Shankar told Harrison that rather than try to become a master of a music that he hadn't encountered until his twenties, perhaps he should be making the music that was his own background. And as Harrison put it "I realised that was riding my bike down a street in Liverpool and hearing 'Heartbreak Hotel' coming out of someone's house.": [Excerpt: Elvis Presley, "Heartbreak Hotel"] In early 1968 a lot of people seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as if Christmas 1967 had been the flick of a switch and instead of whimsy and ornamentation, the thing to do was to make music that was influenced by early rock and roll. In the US the Band and Bob Dylan were making music that was consciously shorn of all studio experimentation, while in the UK there was a revival of fifties rock and roll. In April 1968 both "Peggy Sue" and "Rock Around the Clock" reentered the top forty in the UK, and the Who were regularly including "Summertime Blues" in their sets. Fifties nostalgia, which would make occasional comebacks for at least the next forty years, was in its first height, and so it's not surprising that Paul McCartney's song, "Lady Madonna", which became the A-side of the next single, has more than a little of the fifties about it. Of course, the track isn't *completely* fifties in its origins -- one of the inspirations for the track seems to have been the Rolling Stones' then-recent hit "Let's Spend The Night Together": [Excerpt: The Rolling Stones, "Let's Spend the Night Together"] But the main source for the song's music -- and for the sound of the finished record -- seems to have been Johnny Parker's piano part on Humphrey Lyttleton's "Bad Penny Blues", a hit single engineered by Joe Meek in the fifties: [Excerpt: Humphrey Lyttleton, "Bad Penny Blues"] That song seems to have been on the group's mind for a while, as a working title for "With a Little Help From My Friends" had at one point been "Bad Finger Blues" -- a title that would later give the name to a band on Apple. McCartney took Parker's piano part as his inspiration, and as he later put it “‘Lady Madonna' was me sitting down at the piano trying to write a bluesy boogie-woogie thing. I got my left hand doing an arpeggio thing with the chord, an ascending boogie-woogie left hand, then a descending right hand. I always liked that, the juxtaposition of a line going down meeting a line going up." [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Lady Madonna"] That idea, incidentally, is an interesting reversal of what McCartney had done on "Hello, Goodbye", where the bass line goes down while the guitar moves up -- the two lines moving away from each other: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Hello Goodbye"] Though that isn't to say there's no descending bass in "Lady Madonna" -- the bridge has a wonderful sequence where the bass just *keeps* *descending*: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Lady Madonna"] Lyrically, McCartney was inspired by a photo in National Geographic of a woman in Malaysia, captioned “Mountain Madonna: with one child at her breast and another laughing into her face, sees her quality of life threatened.” But as he put it “The people I was brought up amongst were often Catholic; there are lots of Catholics in Liverpool because of the Irish connection and they are often religious. When they have a baby I think they see a big connection between themselves and the Virgin Mary with her baby. So the original concept was the Virgin Mary but it quickly became symbolic of every woman; the Madonna image but as applied to ordinary working class woman. It's really a tribute to the mother figure, it's a tribute to women.” Musically though, the song was more a tribute to the fifties -- while the inspiration had been a skiffle hit by Humphrey Lyttleton, as soon as McCartney started playing it he'd thought of Fats Domino, and the lyric reflects that to an extent -- just as Domino's "Blue Monday" details the days of the week for a weary working man who only gets to enjoy himself on Saturday night, "Lady Madonna"'s lyrics similarly look at the work a mother has to do every day -- though as McCartney later noted "I was writing the words out to learn it for an American TV show and I realised I missed out Saturday ... So I figured it must have been a real night out." The vocal was very much McCartney doing a Domino impression -- something that wasn't lost on Fats, who cut his own version of the track later that year: [Excerpt: Fats Domino, "Lady Madonna"] The group were so productive at this point, right before the journey to India, that they actually cut another song *while they were making a video for "Lady Madonna"*. They were booked into Abbey Road to film themselves performing the song so it could be played on Top of the Pops while they were away, but instead they decided to use the time to cut a new song -- John had a partially-written song, "Hey Bullfrog", which was roughly the same tempo as "Lady Madonna", so they could finish that up and then re-edit the footage to match the record. The song was quickly finished and became "Hey Bulldog": [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Hey Bulldog"] One of Lennon's best songs from this period, "Hey Bulldog" was oddly chosen only to go on the soundtrack of Yellow Submarine. Either the band didn't think much of it because it had come so easily, or it was just assigned to the film because they were planning on being away for several months and didn't have any other projects they were working on. The extent of the group's contribution to the film was minimal – they were not very hands-on, and the film, which was mostly done as an attempt to provide a third feature film for their United Artists contract without them having to do any work, was made by the team that had done the Beatles cartoon on American TV. There's some evidence that they had a small amount of input in the early story stages, but in general they saw the cartoon as an irrelevance to them -- the only things they contributed were the four songs "All Together Now", "It's All Too Much", "Hey Bulldog" and "Only a Northern Song", and a brief filmed appearance for the very end of the film, recorded in January: [Excerpt: Yellow Submarine film end] McCartney also took part in yet another session in early February 1968, one produced by Peter Asher, his fiancee's brother, and former singer with Peter and Gordon. Asher had given up on being a pop star and was trying to get into the business side of music, and he was starting out as a producer, producing a single by Paul Jones, the former lead singer of Manfred Mann. The A-side of the single, "And the Sun Will Shine", was written by the Bee Gees, the band that Robert Stigwood was managing: [Excerpt: Paul Jones, "And the Sun Will Shine"] While the B-side was an original by Jones, "The Dog Presides": [Excerpt: Paul Jones, "The Dog Presides"] Those tracks featured two former members of the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and Paul Samwell-Smith, on guitar and bass, and Nicky Hopkins on piano. Asher asked McCartney to play drums on both sides of the single, saying later "I always thought he was a great, underrated drummer." McCartney was impressed by Asher's production, and asked him to get involved with the new Apple Records label that would be set up when the group returned from India. Asher eventually became head of A&R for the label. And even before "Lady Madonna" was mixed, the Beatles were off to India. Mal Evans, their roadie, went ahead with all their luggage on the fourteenth of February, so he could sort out transport for them on the other end, and then John and George followed on the fifteenth, with their wives Pattie and Cynthia and Pattie's sister Jenny (John and Cynthia's son Julian had been left with his grandmother while they went -- normally Cynthia wouldn't abandon Julian for an extended period of time, but she saw the trip as a way to repair their strained marriage). Paul and Ringo followed four days later, with Ringo's wife Maureen and Paul's fiancee Jane Asher. The retreat in Rishikesh was to become something of a celebrity affair. Along with the Beatles came their friend the singer-songwriter Donovan, and Donovan's friend and songwriting partner, whose name I'm not going to say here because it's a slur for Romani people, but will be known to any Donovan fans. Donovan at this point was also going through changes. Like the Beatles, he was largely turning away from drug use and towards meditation, and had recently written his hit single "There is a Mountain" based around a saying from Zen Buddhism: [Excerpt: Donovan, "There is a Mountain"] That was from his double-album A Gift From a Flower to a Garden, which had come out in December 1967. But also like John and Paul he was in the middle of the breakdown of a long-term relationship, and while he would remain with his then-partner until 1970, and even have another child with her, he was secretly in love with another woman. In fact he was secretly in love with two other women. One of them, Brian Jones' ex-girlfriend Linda, had moved to LA, become the partner of the singer Gram Parsons, and had appeared in the documentary You Are What You Eat with the Band and Tiny Tim. She had fallen out of touch with Donovan, though she would later become his wife. Incidentally, she had a son to Brian Jones who had been abandoned by his rock-star father -- the son's name is Julian. The other woman with whom Donovan was in love was Jenny Boyd, the sister of George Harrison's wife Pattie. Jenny at the time was in a relationship with Alexis Mardas, a TV repairman and huckster who presented himself as an electronics genius to the Beatles, who nicknamed him Magic Alex, and so she was unavailable, but Donovan had written a song about her, released as a single just before they all went to Rishikesh: [Excerpt: Donovan, "Jennifer Juniper"] Donovan considered himself and George Harrison to be on similar spiritual paths and called Harrison his "spirit-brother", though Donovan was more interested in Buddhism, which Harrison considered a corruption of the more ancient Hinduism, and Harrison encouraged Donovan to read Autobiography of a Yogi. It's perhaps worth noting that Donovan's father had a different take on the subject though, saying "You're not going to study meditation in India, son, you're following that wee lassie Jenny" Donovan and his friend weren't the only other celebrities to come to Rishikesh. The actor Mia Farrow, who had just been through a painful divorce from Frank Sinatra, and had just made Rosemary's Baby, a horror film directed by Roman Polanski with exteriors shot at the Dakota building in New York, arrived with her sister Prudence. Also on the trip was Paul Horn, a jazz saxophonist who had played with many of the greats of jazz, not least of them Duke Ellington, whose Sweet Thursday Horn had played alto sax on: [Excerpt: Duke Ellington, "Zweet Zursday"] Horn was another musician who had been inspired to investigate Indian spirituality and music simultaneously, and the previous year he had recorded an album, "In India," of adaptations of ragas, with Ravi Shankar and Alauddin Khan: [Excerpt: Paul Horn, "Raga Vibhas"] Horn would go on to become one of the pioneers of what would later be termed "New Age" music, combining jazz with music from various non-Western traditions. Horn had also worked as a session musician, and one of the tracks he'd played on was "I Know There's an Answer" from the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album: [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "I Know There's an Answer"] Mike Love, who co-wrote that track and is one of the lead singers on it, was also in Rishikesh. While as we'll see not all of the celebrities on the trip would remain practitioners of Transcendental Meditation, Love would be profoundly affected by the trip, and remains a vocal proponent of TM to this day. Indeed, his whole band at the time were heavily into TM. While Love was in India, the other Beach Boys were working on the Friends album without him -- Love only appears on four tracks on that album -- and one of the tracks they recorded in his absence was titled "Transcendental Meditation": [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "Transcendental Meditation"] But the trip would affect Love's songwriting, as it would affect all of the musicians there. One of the few songs on the Friends album on which Love appears is "Anna Lee, the Healer", a song which is lyrically inspired by the trip in the most literal sense, as it's about a masseuse Love met in Rishikesh: [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "Anna Lee, the Healer"] The musicians in the group all influenced and inspired each other as is likely to happen in such circumstances. Sometimes, it would be a matter of trivial joking, as when the Beatles decided to perform an off-the-cuff song about Guru Dev, and did it in the Beach Boys style: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Spiritual Regeneration"] And that turned partway through into a celebration of Love for his birthday: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Spiritual Regeneration"] Decades later, Love would return the favour, writing a song about Harrison and their time together in Rishikesh. Like Donovan, Love seems to have considered Harrison his "spiritual brother", and he titled the song "Pisces Brothers": [Excerpt: Mike Love, "Pisces Brothers"] The musicians on the trip were also often making suggestions to each other about songs that would become famous for them. The musicians had all brought acoustic guitars, apart obviously from Ringo, who got a set of tabla drums when George ordered some Indian instruments to be delivered. George got a sitar, as at this point he hadn't quite given up on the instrument, and he gave Donovan a tamboura. Donovan started playing a melody on the tamboura, which is normally a drone instrument, inspired by the Scottish folk music he had grown up with, and that became his "Hurdy-Gurdy Man": [Excerpt: Donovan, "Hurdy Gurdy Man"] Harrison actually helped him with the song, writing a final verse inspired by the Maharishi's teachings, but in the studio Donovan's producer Mickie Most told him to cut the verse because the song was overlong, which apparently annoyed Harrison. Donovan includes that verse in his live performances of the song though -- usually while doing a fairly terrible impersonation of Harrison: [Excerpt: Donovan, "Hurdy Gurdy Man (live)"] And similarly, while McCartney was working on a song pastiching Chuck Berry and the Beach Boys, but singing about the USSR rather than the USA, Love suggested to him that for a middle-eight he might want to sing about the girls in the various Soviet regions: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Back in the USSR"] As all the guitarists on the retreat only had acoustic instruments, they were very keen to improve their acoustic playing, and they turned to Donovan, who unlike the rest of them was primarily an acoustic player, and one from a folk background. Donovan taught them the rudiments of Travis picking, the guitar style we talked about way back in the episodes on the Everly Brothers, as well as some of the tunings that had been introduced to British folk music by Davey Graham, giving them a basic grounding in the principles of English folk-baroque guitar, a style that had developed over the previous few years. Donovan has said in his autobiography that Lennon picked the technique up quickly (and that Harrison had already learned Travis picking from Chet Atkins records) but that McCartney didn't have the application to learn the style, though he picked up bits. That seems very unlike anything else I've read anywhere about Lennon and McCartney -- no-one has ever accused Lennon of having a surfeit of application -- and reading Donovan's book he seems to dislike McCartney and like Lennon and Harrison, so possibly that enters into it. But also, it may just be that Lennon was more receptive to Donovan's style at the time. According to McCartney, even before going to Rishikesh Lennon had been in a vaguely folk-music and country mode, and the small number of tapes he'd brought with him to Rishikesh included Buddy Holly, Dylan, and the progressive folk band The Incredible String Band, whose music would be a big influence on both Lennon and McCartney for the next year: [Excerpt: The Incredible String Band, "First Girl I Loved"] According to McCartney Lennon also brought "a tape the singer Jake Thackray had done for him... He was one of the people we bumped into at Abbey Road. John liked his stuff, which he'd heard on television. Lots of wordplay and very suggestive, so very much up John's alley. I was fascinated by his unusual guitar style. John did ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun' as a Jake Thackray thing at one point, as I recall.” Thackray was a British chansonnier, who sang sweetly poignant but also often filthy songs about Yorkshire life, and his humour in particular will have appealed to Lennon. There's a story of Lennon meeting Thackray in Abbey Road and singing the whole of Thackray's song "The Statues", about two drunk men fighting a male statue to defend the honour of a female statue, to him: [Excerpt: Jake Thackray, "The Statues"] Given this was the music that Lennon was listening to, it's unsurprising that he was more receptive to Donovan's lessons, and the new guitar style he learned allowed him to expand his songwriting, at precisely the same time he was largely clean of drugs for the first time in several years, and he started writing some of the best songs he would ever write, often using these new styles: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Julia"] That song is about Lennon's dead mother -- the first time he ever addressed her directly in a song, though it would be far from the last -- but it's also about someone else. That phrase "Ocean child" is a direct translation of the Japanese name "Yoko". We've talked about Yoko Ono a bit in recent episodes, and even briefly in a previous Beatles episode, but it's here that she really enters the story of the Beatles. Unfortunately, exactly *how* her relationship with John Lennon, which was to become one of the great legendary love stories in rock and roll history, actually started is the subject of some debate. Both of them were married when they first got together, and there have also been suggestions that Ono was more interested in McCartney than in Lennon at first -- suggestions which everyone involved has denied, and those denials have the ring of truth about them, but if that was the case it would also explain some of Lennon's more perplexing behaviour over the next year. By all accounts there was a certain amount of finessing of the story th
Women in the villages of Spain and the repression and passions of five daughters are at the heart of Lorca's last play the House of Bernarda Alba, completed two months before he was assassinated in 1936. Rana Mitter looks at the life and writing of Lorca, with guests including The Observer's theatre critic, Susannah Clapp and Professor Maria Delgado of the Central School of Speech and Drama and Professor Duncan Wheeler, Chair of Spanish Studies at the University of Leeds and Dr Federico Bonaddio who teaches Spanish literature at King's College London.Producer: Ruth WattsThe House of Bernarda Alba in a version by Alice Birch and starring Harriet Walter runs at the National Theatre until 6 January 2024. You can find more discussions about Prose, Poetry and Drama in a collection on the Free Thinking programme website including episodes looking at Ibsen, Moliere, Shakespeare, Lorraine Hansberry, John McGrath, George Bernard Shaw all available as Arts & Ideas podcasts
Michaela Watkins is a talented comic and actor. But when she first started acting, she thought she was going to be an actor actor. The Shakespeare and Ibsen-performing type. But it wasn't A Doll's House or King Lear that made her career. It was the Groundlings. She was almost thirty when she joined the comedy theater that changed the course of her life. Watkins was cast on Saturday Night Live during her time with the group. She thought she'd made it. nine months later, she was fired after one season. But, she's only kept growing. Now, twenty-five years into her career, Watkins is still finding new highs. This year, she's starring in three movies. The latest is an A24 film called You Hurt My Feelings. On Bullseye this week, Michaela Watkins joins us to talk about You Hurt My Feelings. She reminisces on her time in the Groundlings and chats about an awkward encounter with Seth Myers after being fired from SNL. Plus, she answers the question we've all been asking: what does Michaela Watkins ask her pet psychic?