Podcasts about phelim mcdermott

La saison actuelle, tout comme celles à venir, sera caractérisée par des jalons importants pour la mezzo tuniso-canadienne Rihab Chaieb, ce qui comprend notamment son rôle-titre dans Carmen au Festival de Glyndebourne, son rôle de Claire dans Melancholia avec le Kungliga Operan, son rôle de Dorabella dans Così fan tutte tutte à la Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, en plus de ses apparitions auprès du Los Angeles Philharmonic, de la Compagnie nationale d'opéra du Canada et de l'Orchestre symphonique de Québec, ainsi que son retour au Metropolitan Opera et à la Bayerische Staatsoper.Rihab Chaieb a fait ses débuts à la Bayerische Staatsoper lors de la saison de 2022-2023, où elle a ébloui l'audience dans son rôle de Fenena dans Nabucco, sous la direction de Daniele Rustioni, puis au Los Angeles Opera dans le rôle de Cherubino dans Le nozze di Figaro de James Gray, sous la direction de James Conlon. Elle a ensuite repris son interprétation exceptionnelle de Carmen à la Compagnie nationale d'opéra du Canada et au Calgary Opera, avant de retourner au Grand Théâtre de Genève où elle a été mise en vedette dans son rôle de La mère Meryem lors la première mondiale du Voyage vers l'espoir de Jost.Sur les scènes de concert, elle est apparue aux côtés du Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra dans une prestation de Messiah de Handel, elle a également partagé la scène du Vancouver Symphony Orchestra pour présenter Les nuits d'été de Berlioz sous la direction d'Otto Tausk, puis elle a fait son premier spectacle auprès du Manitoba Chamber Orchestra dans le rôle de Ruggiero dans Alcina de Handel.Rihab Chaieb a marqué la saison 2021-2022 en faisant son entrée au Washington National Opera dans le rôle de Dorabella dans Così fan tutte, puis au Palm Beach Opera dans le rôle titre de Carmen. Elle a joué pour la première fois le rôle de Penelope dans Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria en tournée et pour un enregistrement avec l'Ensemble I Gemelli, avant de retourner à l'Opéra National de Montpellier pour jouer Maddalena dans Rigoletto, puis au Metropolitan Opera pour incarner Nefertiti dans la production d'Akhnaten de Philip Glass mis en scène par Phelim McDermott et sous la direction Karen Kamensek.Elle a récemment connu de nombreux succès, notamment en faisant ses débuts au Houston Grand Opera lors de la première mondiale de The Phoenix de Tarik O'Regan, puis au Cincinnati Opera dans le rôle de Rosina dans Il barbiere di Siviglia, ainsi qu'à l'Opéra de Montpellier dans Fantasio d'Offenbach, au Teatro Santiago de Chile en incarnant Dorabella, à l'Opera Ballet Vlaanderen Kasturbai dans Satyagraha de Philip Glass, et enfin à l'Oper Köln dans le rôle de Carmen dans une production de Lydia Steier.Elle a joué le rôle de Charlotte dans Werther pour la première fois à l'Opera Vlaanderen sous la direction de Giedrė Šlekytė et elle a ouvert la saison au Muziektheater dans le rôle de Lola dans Cavalleria Rusticana de Robert Carsen sous la direction de Lorenzo Viotti. Sur les scènes de concert, Rihab Chaieb s'est produite avec l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal dans un programme de Rossini sous la direction de Kent Nagano, ainsi que dans Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen de Mahle sous la direction de Johannes Debus. Elle a également interprété Messiah de Handel sous la direction de Gustavo Gimeno avec le Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Elle a aussi chanté Three-Cornered Hat de Manuel de Falla avec le Vancouver Symphony Orchestra et le Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra sous la direction de Carlos Miguel Prieto.Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/laprescriptiondrfred/?hl=frFacebook :https://www.facebook.com/people/La-prescription-avec-Dr-Fred-Lambert/100078674880976/ Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Today's guest is an amazing person to watch and get to know.  And his name is Dan O'Connor. Dan has been performing and teaching improvisation all over the world since 1986. He has developed engaging methods of narrative improvisation to create visceral unscripted theatre experiences.  He is one of the co-founders of BATS Improv in San Francisco and LA Theatresports, and he is also the founder of the critically acclaimed Impro Theatre in Los Angeles.  Dan has had the opportunity to train and work with some amazing talent including Keith Johnstone, Phelim McDermott, Lee Simpson, and Wayne Brady. He has performed with The Groundlings, Second City, and many other theatre companies around the world.  Dan has co-authored two books, which both talk about using improvisation to lead a happier and more connected life.  Learn more about this fantastic guy by visiting his website, danoconnor.net.  And be sure to check out his two books “Life UnScripted-Using Improv Principles to Get Unstuck, Boost Confidence, and Transform Your Life” and “Ensemble! Using the Power of Improv To Forge Connections in a Lonely World”, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. And as always, don't forget to rate and review!

For this Musicals Magazine Podcast, Edward Seckerson meets Zachary James, who's currently hotting up the Underworld on the other side of that wall in Hadestown. James, who originated the role of Lurch in the Andrew Lippa musicalisation of The Addams Family, is perhaps best known to date – indeed immortalised – as The Scribe/Amenhotep III in Philip Glass's Akhnaten in the jaw-dropping Phelim McDermott, Olivier Award-winning staging at English National Opera in 2016. His work has straddled the opera and Musical Theatre worlds in intriguing ways and as an actor-singer his work is nothing if not diverse. Plus his 6'6” frame makes him hard to miss.   Never miss an issue of Musicals magazine – subscribe today The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records.

Kimber Lee's provocatively titled winner of the first International Award from the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2019, untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, opened in June 2023 at the Royal Exchange Theatre as part of the Manchester International Festival and will transfer to the Young Vic in London later in the year. In the lead role of Kim is Mei Mac, who was nominated for a Best Actress Olivier Award earlier this year for playing 4-year-old Mei Kusakabe in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican in London. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Mei in the middle of the Manchester run and asked her about performing in this often physical and funny production and the serious questions it raises, as well as her experiences in Totoro with the RSC and director Phelim McDermott. untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play is at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester until 22 July 2023, then at the Young Vic in London from 18 September to 4 November 2023. (Photo of Mei Mac as Kim by Other Richard - Richard Davenport)

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Ohhhhh yes!Ladies n' Genminmin (er min...)Welcome to a particularly exciting Episode (in 2 Parts!) of "The Good Listening To Show: Your Life & Times With Me Chris Grimes!"Please welcome to "The Clearing" the incomparable Phelim McDermott from Improbable Theatre: Director, Pioneeing Improviser, Theatre Maker & Conversation Starter.  With a Flotation Tank as his "Clearing" to assist in his 'going deep' whenever a creative endeavour requires, this is a rich and multi-layered conversation indeed. Includes the "world exclusive reveal" of Phelim and Improbable's desire for a "Homecoming" to a dedicated Curated Space to call their HOME at last - called "The Gathering"."If you build it - they will come!"With the vision to build a Community - an Empty Curated Space - for Creativity in all its forms to happen.And resonating beautifully with my own sense of what a Clearing truly is: A Comedy Improvisational "Empty Space" brimming and charged with potential, where anything is possible, with the underlying Mindset of "Yes and...""Yes and..." the very building blocks of Creativity...How exciting!We even use a "Dream Door" (one of Phelim's constructs that we hit upon as we talk) to segue between Parts 1 + 2 of the Programme, as we realise that we're overrunning together and we improvise a bridge between 2 Episodes! (But here as one long Episode - for your enjoyment and delictation - on Buzzsprout!)Hurrah and indeed Huzzah!Enjoy!A lovely, rich and immersive (see what I'm doing there?!) conversation indeed!"Your Life & Times With Me Chris Grimes!" is my Weekly Show version of "The Good Listening To Podcast" on UK Health Radio, with a potential audience reach of 1.2 Million!It's the feelgood Storytelling Show that brings you "The Clearing": Where all good QUESTIONS come to be asked - and all good STORIES come to be told...Think "Desert Island Discs" but in a Clearing - and with Stories rather than Music!There are some lovely juicy storytelling metaphors to also enjoy along the way:The Clearing itself - A Tree (where we get to "shake your tree to see which storytelling apples fall out, in the form of a lovely storytelling exercise called "5-4-3-2-1") - some Alchemy - some Gold - some Shakespare - and a Cake!Also think about William Shakespeare - and about Jaques in "As You Like It" in particular:"All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players;They have their exits and their entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts,His acts being seven ages..."And as my Guest in the Podcast:  Now is your 'moment in the sunshine' to share your story!"Who are you? What's your story? And what 'life-lessons-learned-along-the-way' would you like to share with us?"And whilst we've got you here in "The Clearing": "What would you like your Legacy to be?  How would you most like to be remembered?"The Show where all my guests have at least 2 things in common: They are all Creative individuals  - and all with an interesting Story to be told!If you'd like to find out more, then please do check out my websites www.secondcurve.uk  www.instantwit.co.uk and www.chrisgrimes.uk There's also a dedicated "Good Listening To" Facebook Group c/o the link above (and below)https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860Plus if you'd be interested in the experience of being given "a damn good listening to" yourself, or you'd like to explore the idea of some Personal Impact Coaching with me - to help 'Level Up' your Confidence, Communication Skills or Personal Impact c/o my online Coaching proposition: The 'Level Up' your IMPACT Programme - then, by all means, do get in touch

This week on the Northern Stage Podcast we talk to Annie Rigby of Unfolding Theatre. Annie talks about figuring out how to make the theatre you want to make, trying to remember the words for Talking Heads songs, and her love of darts. It's a proper good conversation, packed full of great thinking, laughter and one that will pick you up if you need a little pick me up. Have a listen and a much needed laugh. Download the transcript here. Notes: Unfolding Theatre: https://www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/ Hold On Let Go: https://www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/hold-on-let-go Best In The World: https://www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/best-in-the-world Putting The Band Back Together: https://www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/putting-the-band-back-together Multiverse Arcade: https://www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/multiverse-arcade Clore Leadership Programme: https://www.cloreleadership.org/ Phelim McDermott: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phelim_McDermott Improbable Theatre: https://www.improbable.co.uk/ Open Clasp Theatre Company: https://www.openclasp.org.uk/ Dodgy Clutch Theatre Company: http://dodgyclutch.com/home/ Theatre Sans Frontier: https://www.tsf.org.uk/ North East Theatre Guide: http://www.northeasttheatreguide.co.uk/ Amy Golding: https://curiousmonkeytheatre.com/about-us/ Curious Monkey: https://curiousmonkeytheatre.com/ Kate Craddock: https://www.britishcouncil.us/programmes/arts/generate/participants/kate-craddock Once In A Lifetime – Talking Heads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=5IsSpAOD6K8 Paul Smith: https://twitter.com/paulsmithmusic Battersea Arts Centre: https://www.bac.org.uk/ Richard Duffy: http://everything-theatre.co.uk/tag/richard-duffy Ross Millard: https://twitter.com/rgtmillard Alan Lyddiard: https://twitter.com/alanlydd Erica Whyman: https://twitter.com/ericawhyman Selina Thompson: https://selinathompson.co.uk/ Mariam Rezaei: https://twitter.com/mariamrezaei Becky Owen: https://beccyowen.bandcamp.com/ Brendan Murphy: http://www.brendanmurphy.me/ Imogen Cloet: https://www.imogencloet.com/ Luca Rutherford: http://www.luca-rutherford.co.uk/ Woodhorn Museum: https://museumsnorthumberland.org.uk/woodhorn-museum/ The Quest of Missing Questions: https://museumsnorthumberland.org.uk/news/woodhorn-museum-marks-reopening-with-the-quest-of-missing-questions Bethan Maddox: http://www.bethanmaddocks.com/ Ruth Johnson: https://www.ruthmaryjohnson.com/ Alphabetti Theatre: https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/ Seven Stories: https://www.sevenstories.org.uk/ Dance City: https://www.dancecity.co.uk/ North East Culture Social: https://www.northernstage.co.uk/ne-culture-social Mortal Fools: https://www.mortalfools.org.uk/ Fuel Theatre: https://fueltheatre.com/ Alison Carr: https://alisoncarr.co.uk/ Flights: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flights-WINNER-BOOKER-INTERNATIONAL-PRIZE/dp/1910695432 Drive Your Plow Over Bones: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drive-Your-Plow-over-Bones/dp/1910695718 Primeval and Other Times: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Primeval-Other-Times-Olga-Tokarczuk/dp/8086264351 Girl Woman Other: https://www.waterstones.com/book/girl-woman-other/bernardine-evaristo/9780241984994 I May Destroy You: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000jyxy/i-may-destroy-you Gardeners World: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006mw1h/gardeners-world GoggleBox: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/gogglebox/on-demand/62780-001

Renowned theatre and opera director Phelim McDermott discusses his journey from Phillip Glass obsessive to collaborating with the man himself, voice and dialect coach Leith McPherson shares more insights into the power of voice, and following the fires in eastern Australia, we ask playwright Campion Decent about the power of verbatim theatre and the impact of his play Embers.

Renowned theatre and opera director Phelim McDermott discusses his journey from Phillip Glass obsessive to collaborating with the man himself, voice and dialect coach Leith McPherson shares more insights into the power of voice, and following the fires in eastern Australia, we ask playwright Campion Decent about the power of verbatim theatre and the impact of his play Embers.

Renowned theatre and opera director Phelim McDermott discusses his journey from Phillip Glass obsessive to collaborating with the man himself, voice and dialect coach Leith McPherson shares more insights into the power of voice, and following the fires in eastern Australia, we ask playwright Campion Decent about the power of verbatim theatre and the impact of his play Embers.

What would you ask your hero? Phelim McDermott, director and co-founder of Improbable Theatre, is making a stage show with Philip Glass - his long-term hero and creative inspiration. After years of following Glass from afar Phelim now has the chance to meet him, and to ask whatever he wants. The only problem is that Phelim has no idea what to ask. In search of the perfect question, Phelim explores his dreams, dredges up memories and speaks to those who know him best, going to the very core of where ideas come from. Including contributions from Matilda McDermott, Ridley McDermott and co-director Kirsty Housley. Music by Philip Glass and Vicky Clarke. Hosted by Isaiah Hull. Produced by Eliza Lomas. A Reduced Listening and Manchester International Festival production. Tickets are still available for Tao of Glass, open at the Royal Exchange Theatre until Saturday 20 July.

American composer Philip Glass is often cited as one of the most influential composers alive, combining minimalist, spare music with the harmonic tradition of Bach, Schubert and Mozart. Now, for the Manchester International Festival, he's teamed up with British performer and director Phelim McDermott to produce a very personal work with ten new pieces of music and ten meditations on life, death and Taoist wisdom. In the month that Ravelry, a community site for knitters with over 6 million members, bans patterns that support US President Donald Trump, we consider the power of knitting as a political tool with Geraldine Warner, author of Protest Knits and crafter and haberdashery owner Rosie Fletcher. How far has the representation of black women on stage changed in recent years? Martina Laird shares her experiences as an actor and tutor ahead of her talk, Standing on Shoulders, at the National Theatre. A colossal statue of Ed Sheeran, relaxing on a green plinth in tight red shorts and shades, has been unveiled in Moscow’s Gorky Park ahead of his concert there this week. Travel writer Simon Calder reports on examples of statues of performers worldwide. Presenter: Shahidha Bari Producer: Hannah Robins

Tim talks to Errollyn Wallen about her BBC Proms commission, Beethoven gets his own back on the Brexit party and Sam reviews John Luther Adams' new disc ‘Become Desert'. Music Credits: Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 1, Mov. 3 performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein. ‘Oil in my Lamp' performed by Timmy Fisher, Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Gordon Brown. Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 Mov. 4 performed by Quatuor Avena. Theme tune from Love Island performed by Timmy Fisher. Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, Mov. 4 performed the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Toscanini. Johannes Brahms, Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Mov. 4 performed by Musopen Symphony. W. A. Mozart, Divertimento in D, K. 136, performed by The Statutory Instruments. John Luther Adams, ‘Become Desert' performed by the Seattle Symphony under Ludovic Morlo for Cantaloupe Music. Jean Sibelius, Symphony No. 5, Mov. 3 performed by Timmy Fisher. Follow us here: instagram.com/classicalpod/ twitter.com/ClassicalPod facebook.com/ClassicalPod/ Tim's interview with Phelim McDermott:https://bachtrack.com/interview-phelim-mcdermott-manchester-international-festival-tao-of-glass-2019

Is it still possible to be original? MIF Originals is a new podcast series where we invite artists developing new work for Manchester International Festival 2019 to design their own audio adventure, investigating what it means to be original. Hosted by the poet Isaiah Hull, MIF Originals kicks off on Wednesday 3 July with award-winning author Adam Thirlwell, exploring the creativity of translation. With a new episode released every Wednesday throughout July, join us each week to hear from Tania Bruguera, Phelim McDermott, Hardeep Pandhal and the artists behind Animals of Manchester (including HUMANZ). Commissioned by Manchester International Festival. Produced by Reduced Listening and Manchester International Festival. Music: Vicky Clarke, Ariel

The 2019 Manchester International Festival will take place at various venues around the city in July. An edited version of the main presentation at the MIF launch on 7 March can be heard in a previous British Theatre Guide podcast episode, but we also spoke directly to some of the artists involved. We asked MIF Artistic Director John McGrath for his highlights of the theatre programme and how Manchester has changed since he was head of the city's Contact Theatre. We also spoke to Leo Warner of 59 Productions about his collaboration with choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, writer Lolita Chakrabarti and Rambert Dance on an adaptation of Italo Calvino's novel Invisible Cities. Finally, we asked director Phelim McDermott about Tao of Glass, his collaboration with composer Philip Glass on a new stage performance featuring ten brand new pieces of music composed by Glass. Invisible Cities will be performed at Mayfield beside Piccadilly Station in Manchester from 4 to 14 July. Tao of Glass will be at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester from 11 to 20 July. The Manchester International Festival 2019 will take place at various venues from 4 to 21 July. Photos: John McGrath, MIF Artistic Director and Chief Executive introduces the MIF19 programme. Image credit Tarnish Vision. Leo Warner, Lolita Chakrabarti, Benoit Swan Pouffer—Invisible Cities. Image credit Joel Chester Fildes. Philip Glass and Phelim McDermott. Image credit Rod Morata.

Highlights of the launch event for the Manchester International Festival 2019, held in Manchester on 7 March 2019. Introduced by MIF artistic director John McGrath, this episode also features announcements from festival participants including Phelim McDermott of Improbable Theatre, Kwame Kwei-Armah of Young Vic Theatre, actors Maxine Peake and Juliet Stevenson, Leo Warner of 59 Productions, writer Lolita Chakrabarti, choreographer Claire Cunningham, Mary Anne Hobbs of BBC 6 Music and grime artist Skepta. Other artists appearing at the festival include Philip Glass, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson and David Lynch. Image from MIF launch: Michael Symmons Roberts, Emily Howard, John McGrath, Maxine Peake, Grainne Flynn, Wesley Thistlewaite, Adam Ali, Kirsty Housley, Claire Cunningham, Leo Warner, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Isaiah Hull, Young identity poet, Reggie Gray, Animals of Manchester child-curators, Sibylle Peters, Karl Hyde, Lois Keidan, Adam Thirlwell, Danny Collins, Adania Shibli, Juliet Stevenson, Lolita Chakrabarti, Benoit Swan Pouffer, Christine Cort, Mark Ball

The keynote talk for 'Collaboration in Theatre symposium' at the University of Oxford, 19 October 2018. Most of the directors presented in David Bradby and David Williams's seminal 1988 volume Directors' Theatre are also renowned as leaders of ensembles. This position has often been problematised in terms of authorship and the implied hierarchies. Simon Shepherd (2012) has noted that director figureheads in ensembles became increasingly unfashionable in the aftermath of poststructuralist anti-authoritarianism. At the turn of the 21st century ensemble directors have sought to emphasise the element of co-authorship in their work or a relativisation of their own authority. Mermikides and Smart (2010) have identified a contemporary prevalence of ensembles led by tandems. My own previous research has encountered reluctant ensemble leaders, directorless ensembles and leaders interested in facilitating self-determination of their groups (Radosavljevic 2013). Using notions of heterarchy and eco-leadership, this paper took the investigation forward in an attempt of defining a 21st century model of ensemble director. More specifically, the paper looked at the case study of Improbable Theatre's directorial tandem Phelim McDermott and Lee Simpson and their use of improvisation as a type of self-sustaining systemic leadership. The case study expands the theme of improvisation established in the original volume, and represents an addition to a revised anniversary edition of the book, edited by Peter Boenisch and David Williams (due in 2018). Dr Duska Radosavljevic is a Reader in Contemporary Theatre and Performance at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She is the author of the award-winning Theatre-Making - Interplay Between Text and Performance in the 21st Century (2013) and editor of The Contemporary Ensemble (2013) and Theatre Criticism - Changing Landscapes (2016). The talk was introduced by Hannah Greenstreet (Jesus College) and Alexander Thomas (University College)

PHELIM MCDERMOTT on theater as a shamanistic event & on trusting the process. Podcast-conversation with actors during our Immersion 2018. Subscribe on iTunes. [18:27]

Hear Aida Set Designer Tom Pye and Costume Designer Kevin Pollard discuss their approach to designing the 2017 ENO production of Aida, including their design inspiration ranging from Egyptian hieroglyphics to contemporary haute couture, and the process through costume and set elements are created in collaboration with director Phelim McDermott’s vision to create stunning theatrical effects onstage.

Artistic Directors Lee Simpson and Phelim McDermott discuss Improbable's new show, Lost Without Words.

Today’s guest on “ADD Comedy with Dave Razowsky,” is Phelim McDermott. Phelim is an innovative performer and director with productions spanning from improv to Broadway to the Metropolitan Opera, and recently directed LA Opera's spectacular production of  Philip Glass's "Akhnaten." Phelim is also co-founder of London’s groundbreaking Improbable Theatre Company. We talk about the tool of tension and the role of improv in our life and work. Improv is a central inspiration for all of Phelim’s work. To quote Improbable’s mission statement:“Whether in performance, rehearsal or development we will use the practice and philosophy of improvisation in the process of creation (even when we’re working on classic plays or operas)." In other words, the product is the process. This was a great interview, recorded in a pub outside of London. Enjoy.  

Episode 42: Phelim McDermottPhelim is the director of our current production of Akhnaten at LA Opera. I love this show. I also love the passion, conviction, and freedom that Phelim has given us to help deliver a truly powerful emotional message to our audience. Phelim also operates an experimental theater company called, Improbable- look him up at www.improbable.co.uk. Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Phelim McDermott co-founded acclaimed theatre company Improbable in 1996. His directing credits including Shockheaded Peter with Julian Crouch and The Tiger Lillies, Philip Glass’s The Perfect American with ENO and Teatro Real in Madrid, The Addams Family on Broadway and, most recently, Jim Broadbent in A Christmas Carol on the West End. Phelim spoke to BTG editor David Chadderton about the origins of Improbable's show Animo that combines improvisation and puppetry, which was revived for the 2016 Latitude Festival led by co-artistic director Lee Simpson. He also looked back on 20 years of Improbable and talked about the importance of improvisation to all of his work, even when script-based, and the influence of the ideas of Keith Johnstone and Jeremy Whelan on his techniques.

We chat to Lee Simpson and Phelim McDermott from Improbable and the Comedy Store Players about his latest venture, teaching improv to elderly actors.

Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor and ENO’s composer in residence plus plus Sarah Lenton, opera and theatre historian, discuss Phelim McDermott's production of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte for English National Opera.

Bridget Kendall looks back at the formative years of Gandhi with the historian Ramachandra Guha and opera director Phelim McDermott. At the turn of the twentieth century Gandhi spent more than twenty years in South Africa and England: Guha argues that these early experiences shaped his future ideas, while McDermott stages Gandhi's spiritual progress towards nonviolent protest in his production of the opera Satyagraha. Gandhi returned to India just after the outbreak of the First World War and the international historian David Reynolds looks at the legacy of the Great War, and its impact on the decision-makers of the future. The Editor of Prospect Magazine, Bronwen Maddox, explores its legacy. Producer: Katy Hickman.

With Mark Lawson Comedian Julian Clary reviews Steven Soderbergh's film Behind the Candelabra, starring Michael Douglas as Liberace, with Matt Damon as his lover Scott Thorson. American composer Philip Glass discusses his latest opera, The Perfect American, which imagines the last few months of Walt Disney's life. It's based on the novel by Peter Stephan Jungk and directed by Phelim McDermott, and is Philip Glass's 24th opera. Novelist P D James reveals her choice for the Cultural Exchange, in which leading creative minds share their passion for a favourite work. She nominates a poem by Philip Larkin. Channel 4's first subtitled drama for two decades, French zombie drama The Returned, is reviewed by novelist Denise Mina. Producer Stephen Hughes.