Podcasts about whistledown productions

Nick and Rebecca interview Noel Thomas and Aled Gwyn Jôb, who with Sian Thomas have co-written a book about Noel's experience of being prosecuted by the Post Office for theft and false accounting. The book is called The Stamp of Innocence. It has just been published and currently only available as an e-book from Amazon, but there are plans to make it available as a paperback, most likely early in 2024. Noel has already published the Welsh language version of his story ("Llythyr Noel: Dal y Post"), which you can buy in paperback from www.gwales.com and of course, from all good Welsh language bookshops. In the podcast Noel and Aled talk about the experience of putting the book together, read from both the Welsh and English versions and give their thoughts on the wider Post Office Scandal. Sian sadly had a sore throat so couldn't participate, but she set up the technology to make it all work in Ynys Môn/Anglesey. Our thanks to Whistledown Productions for continuing to provide production support and assistance with our podcast project.

As both Nick and Rebecca were unable to attend the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry Compensation Hearing on 27 April, they thought it best to speak to some people who were. Sadly Rebecca was also unable to co-host the podcast so Nick brought in Professor Richard Moorhead from Exeter University (and member of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board), Helen Lacey from Bath Publishing (and trustee of the Horizon Scandal Fund) and Robert Nicholson, Senior Editor at Whistledown Productions (and award-winning producer of the BBC's Great Post Office Trial series) to help talk around the issues raised. The written submissions, youtube video and transcripts to Thursday's compensation hearing can all be found here on the Inquiry's website. As promised in the podcast, this is the Horizon Scandal Fund website. Prof Moorhead is currently recruiting a post-doc researcher who can help his team investigate the Horizon Scandal more fully. Apply here. And here is a link to The Great Post Office Trial on BBC Sounds.

BBC presenter Laura Trevelyan explores her family's slave owning past in Grenada. Listeners give us their thoughts on her deeply personal documentary and Laura herself tells us what it was like to make. Plus, last weekend the BBC World Service celebrated Eurovision in Music Life - we hear from the show's producer about uncovering the event's song-writing secrets. Presenter Rajan Datar Producer Howard Shannon Made by Whistledown Productions for BBC World Service

Following a coup in 2009, Honduras has consistently been one of the most dangerous places in the world to be an environmental defender. According to Global Witness research, 109 people have been killed since 2012 – for standing up to the exploitation of the country's natural resources and protecting their land. Guapinol is a semi-rural community in the lush, mineral-rich Bajo Agua region in northern Honduras. People there depend on the natural environment for their livelihoods – especially the Guapinol river, which is their sole source of drinking water. The State of Honduras, through its Institute of Geology and Mines, entered into contracts allowing an open pit mine in a national park. The mining operation polluted local water supplies and caused other environmental damage.A peaceful protest camp set up to oppose the open pit mine was stormed by armed security guards employed by the mining company. The protesters arrested are in jail awaiting trial on charges linked to their opposition to the mine. The episode features Juan Antonio Lopez, a member of the Municipal Committee for the Defence of the Common and Public Assets of Tocoa, Juana Zúniga, also a member of the committee, Edy Tabora, a lawyer defending some of the protestors, Rachel Cox, campaigner at Global Witness, and Father Melo, a priest and human rights defender in Guapinol.Defenders of the Earth captures the gripping and inspiring stories of activists around the world who are taking on powerful interests to protect our planet. Our presenter is Vanessa Nakate, climate justice activist from Uganda. Our episodes profile activists in Russia, Liberia, Honduras, and the Philippines. As climate activist and journalist Bill McKibben wrote in Last Line of Defence, a report from Global Witness released in September 2021, land and environmental defenders ”are at risk, in the end, not just because of another local person who pulls the trigger or plunges the blade; they're at risk because they find themselves living on or near something that some corporation is demanding.”In 2020, 227 activists were murdered for taking a stand to defend human rights, their land, and our environment. Over a third of the attacks were reportedly linked to resource exploitation — logging, mining, and large-scale agribusiness — and hydroelectric dams and other infrastructure. And that number is likely to be higher due to poor reporting. Defenders of the Earth is produced by Global Witness and Whistledown Productions. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Derek Cabe is an activist in the Philippines who is continuing the work of her murdered friend and fellow campaigner Gloria Capitan. Gloria, a 57-year-old grandmother, was shot dead in the Lucanin village in the Bataan province of the Philippines. In the weeks running up to her death, Gloria Capitan had been repeatedly threatened and intimidated. But she refused to be silenced. Derek Cabe continues the environmental campaign, organizing communities against coal plants and speaking out against a government disinformation campaign targeting legitimate protestors and environmental human rights defenders.The episode features Derek Cabe, Gretchen Malalad, a freelance journalist based in Manilla who works mostly with Agence France-Presse, Al Jazeera, and the BBC, and Leon Dulce, an organiser with the Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment.Defenders of the Earth captures the gripping and inspiring stories of activists around the world who are taking on powerful interests to protect our planet. Our presenter is Vanessa Nakate, climate justice activist from Uganda. Our episodes profile activists in Russia, Liberia, Honduras, and the Philippines. As climate activist and journalist Bill McKibben wrote in Last Line of Defence, a report from Global Witness released in September 2021, land and environmental defenders ”are at risk, in the end, not just because of another local person who pulls the trigger or plunges the blade; they're at risk because they find themselves living on or near something that some corporation is demanding.”In 2020, 227 activists were murdered for taking a stand to defend human rights, their land, and our environment. Over a third of the attacks were reportedly linked to resource exploitation — logging, mining, and large-scale agribusiness — and hydroelectric dams and other infrastructure. And that number is likely to be higher due to poor reporting. Defenders of the Earth is produced by Global Witness and Whistledown Productions. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

A 2006 recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, Silas Siakor has dedicated his life to fighting for the disempowered in Liberia, a country where corruption and land grabs have led to a massive gap between the haves and have-nots.Liberia is known for its lush rolling forests covering around 45% of the country. But between 1990 and 2010, Liberia lost over 12% of its forest cover. This has left the country even more vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events, while at the same time homes and livelihoods are being destroyed by extensive logging and palm oil production. Although there are laws meant to curtail these practices, Liberia's forests continue to be ‘hijacked' by big business. Silas Siakor has dedicated his life to trying to protect this environment. He, along with other activists, have taken great personal risks to collect evidence of falsified logging records, illegal logging practices, and evidence of associated human rights abuses.The episode features Silas Siakor, human rights lawyer Jonathan Kaufman, and Alfred Brownell, a Liberian environmental activist and lawyer and the founder of Green Advocates International. Defenders of the Earth captures the gripping and inspiring stories of activists around the world who are taking on powerful interests to protect our planet. Our presenter is Vanessa Nakate, climate justice activist from Uganda. Our episodes profile activists in Russia, Liberia, Honduras, and the Philippines. As climate activist and journalist Bill McKibben wrote in Last Line of Defence, a report from Global Witness released in September 2021, land and environmental defenders ”are at risk, in the end, not just because of another local person who pulls the trigger or plunges the blade; they're at risk because they find themselves living on or near something that some corporation is demanding.”In 2020, 227 activists were murdered for taking a stand to defend human rights, their land, and our environment. Over a third of the attacks were reportedly linked to resource exploitation — logging, mining, and large-scale agribusiness — and hydroelectric dams and other infrastructure. And that number is likely to be higher due to poor reporting. Defenders of the Earth is produced by Global Witness and Whistledown Productions. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Defenders of the Earth captures the gripping and inspiring stories of activists around the world who are taking on powerful interests to protect our planet. Our presenter is Vanessa Nakate, climate justice activist from Uganda. Our episodes profile activists in Russia, Liberia, Honduras, and the Philippines. In this episode, we meet 17-year-old Rita Naumenko, one of just a handful of Fridays for Future activists in Russia. As climate activist and journalist Bill McKibben wrote in Last Line of Defence, a report from Global Witness released in September 2021, land and environmental defenders ”are at risk, in the end, not just because of another local person who pulls the trigger or plunges the blade; they're at risk because they find themselves living on or near something that some corporation is demanding.”In 2020, 227 activists were murdered for taking a stand to defend human rights, their land, and our environment. Over a third of the attacks were reportedly linked to resource exploitation — logging, mining, and large-scale agribusiness — and hydroelectric dams and other infrastructure. And that number is likely to be higher due to poor reporting. Defenders of the Earth is produced by Global Witness and Whistledown Productions. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.More info at Global Witness. 

Cathy and Gudrun talk to Sara Mole (Professor of Molecular Cell Biology and UCL Provost’s Envoy for Gender Equality) about the lack of women in senior positions at UCL, and why achieving gender equality won’t happen overnight. Talking to Titans is presented by Cathy Giangrande and Gudrun Moore, music by Caspar Harvey, and is produced by Whistledown Productions. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-minds/podcasts/talking-titans

Talking to Titans is a podcast about gender equality in academia.In celebration of International Women's Day 2020, Cathy Giangrande and Gudrun Moore speak to seven senior women who are the titans of their fields. Together, they discuss sexual harassment, racial inequality, mentorship, mental health, and success - no topic is off the table. They ask some of the big questions about diversity and inclusion, and spotlight the skills needed to fulfil your potential. How do you deal with the challenges women meet in male dominated environments? Is finding a mentor crucial to your well-being and advancement? Is it better to wait till you establish your career before you have children?Dr Gudrun Moore is Professor of Molecular Genetics at UCL, and Cathy Giangrande is a UCL Alumni and Conservation Scientist.The first episode will be available on Monday 2nd March 2020.This podcast was produced by Whistledown Productions for UCL Minds. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Union JACK Radio presents Minds Over Matter - the series that explores male mental health through in depth conversations with musicians and comedians. Because it's worth chatting about.  Comedian and podcaster Rich Wilson, host of Insane In The Men Brain, talks to Beverley Turner about his own mental health problems. If you’ve been affected by what we’ve been talking about in the podcast and want to talk to someone, you can call Samaritans any time day or night on 116 123 for free. Or you can email jo@samaritan.org and they’ll respond within 24 hours. Or, you can speak to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.   CALM is aimed specifically at men. Their helpline is open between 5pm and midnight every day of the year. Telephone (outside London): 0800 58 58 58 Telephone (London): 0808 802 58 58 Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/ (5pm – Midnight every day) Website: www.thecalmzone.net  Minds Over Matter is a Whistledown Production for Union Jack radio Supported by the Audio Content Fund. Minds Over Matter is supported by The Audio Content Fund and produced by Whistledown Productions.

Union JACK Radio presents Minds Over Matter - the series that explores male mental health through in depth conversations with musicians and comedians. Because it's worth chatting about.  Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure always found it difficult to talk about his experiences with mental health. In this week's podcast, the Sheffield-based rock star chats with broadcaster and journalist Rhianna Dhillon. If you’ve been affected by what we’ve been talking about in the podcast and want to talk to someone, you can call Samaritans any time day or night on 116 123 for free. Or you can email jo@samaritan.org and they’ll respond within 24 hours. Or, you can speak to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.   CALM is aimed specifically at men. Their helpline is open between 5pm and midnight every day of the year. Telephone (outside London): 0800 58 58 58 Telephone (London): 0808 802 58 58 Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/ (5pm – Midnight every day) Website: www.thecalmzone.net  Minds Over Matter is a Whistledown Production for Union Jack radio Supported by the Audio Content Fund. Minds Over Matter is supported by The Audio Content Fund and produced by Whistledown Productions.

Union JACK Radio presents Minds Over Matter - the series that explores male mental health through in depth conversations with musicians and comedians. Because it's worth chatting about.  Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Jordan Brookes opens up to broadcaster and journalist Beverley Turner about his struggles with mental health and OCD. If you’ve been affected by what we’ve been talking about in the podcast and want to talk to someone, you can call Samaritans any time day or night on 116 123 for free. Or you can email jo@samaritan.org and they’ll respond within 24 hours. Or, you can speak to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.   CALM is aimed specifically at men. Their helpline is open between 5pm and midnight every day of the year. Telephone (outside London): 0800 58 58 58 Telephone (London): 0808 802 58 58 Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/ (5pm – Midnight every day) Website: www.thecalmzone.net  Minds Over Matter is a Whistledown Production for Union Jack radio Supported by the Audio Content Fund. Minds Over Matter is supported by The Audio Content Fund and produced by Whistledown Productions.

Union JACK Radio presents Minds Over Matter - the series that explores male mental health through in depth conversations with musicians and comedians. Because it's worth chatting about.  Broadcaster Rhianna Dhillon catches up with Babyshambles drummer and psychotherapist Adam Ficek about his own mental health struggles. If you’ve been affected by what we’ve been talking about in the podcast and want to talk to someone, you can call Samaritans any time day or night on 116 123 for free. Or you can email jo@samaritan.org and they’ll respond within 24 hours. Or, you can speak to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.   CALM is aimed specifically at men. Their helpline is open between 5pm and midnight every day of the year. Telephone (outside London): 0800 58 58 58 Telephone (London): 0808 802 58 58 Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/ (5pm – Midnight every day) Website: www.thecalmzone.net  Minds Over Matter is a Whistledown Production for Union Jack radio Supported by the Audio Content Fund. Minds Over Matter is supported by The Audio Content Fund and produced by Whistledown Productions.

Union JACK Radio presents Minds Over Matter - the series that explores male mental health through in depth conversations with musicians and comedians. Because it's worth chatting about.  Broadcaster Rhianna Dhillon speaks to Piers & Kesi from drum and bass legends  Rudimental about their experiences with mental health. If you’ve been affected by what we’ve been talking about in the podcast and want to talk to someone, you can call Samaritans any time day or night on 116 123 for free. Or you can email jo@samaritan.org and they’ll respond within 24 hours. Or, you can speak to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.   CALM is aimed specifically at men. Their helpline is open between 5pm and midnight every day of the year. Telephone (outside London): 0800 58 58 58 Telephone (London): 0808 802 58 58 Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/ (5pm – Midnight every day) Website: www.thecalmzone.net  Minds Over Matter is a Whistledown Production for Union Jack radio Supported by the Audio Content Fund. Minds Over Matter is supported by The Audio Content Fund and produced by Whistledown Productions.

Union JACK Radio presents Minds Over Matter - the series that explores male mental health through in depth conversations with musicians and comedians. Because it's worth chatting about.  Journalist and presenter Beverley Turner hosts this episode with a frank and honest chat with comedian, writer and broadcaster Robin Ince. If you’ve been affected by what we’ve been talking about in the podcast and want to talk to someone, you can call Samaritans any time day or night on 116 123 for free. Or you can email jo@samaritan.org and they’ll respond within 24 hours. Or, you can speak to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.   CALM is aimed specifically at men. Their helpline is open between 5pm and midnight every day of the year. Telephone (outside London): 0800 58 58 58 Telephone (London): 0808 802 58 58 Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/ (5pm – Midnight every day) Website: www.thecalmzone.net  Minds Over Matter is a Whistledown Production for Union Jack radio Supported by the Audio Content Fund. Minds Over Matter is supported by The Audio Content Fund and produced by Whistledown Productions.

Union JACK Radio presents a music special episode - live from a shed in Crewe! A gaggle of musicians have come together to perform some cracking songs and talk about mental health - because it's worth chatting about - with journalist and host Beverley Turner. Minds Over Matter is breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues and male suicide for World Mental Health Day, which was on Friday 10 October. Supported by The Audio Content Fund and produced by Whistledown Productions.

Union JACK Radio presents a comedy special - live from a shed on the Aldridge Industrial Estate! A bunch of comedians do some stand up and talk about mental health - because it's worth chatting about - with journalist and host Beverley Turner. Minds Over Matter is breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues and male suicide ahead of World Mental Health Day on Friday 10 October. Supported by The Audio Content Fund and produced by Whistledown Productions.

The Indian general election is the biggest democratic poll ever held in the world, and in response, the BBC in India has launched its most comprehensive election analysis ever. Listeners want to know how the World Service is battling the threat of fake news. Plus, whatever happened to the Fifth Floor’s Fifi Haroon? Presented by Rajan Datar. Produced by Howard Shannon, Whistledown Productions

The documentary Not#MeToo, I'm French investigated the evidence and specific roots of sexism in France. But is that country the worst example in the world? Listeners make their point, and the show’s presenter answers. Plus, is one’s listener’s dissatisfaction with BBC Sounds and the lack of an online pop-out player about to be remedied? Presented by Rajan Datar Produced by Howard Shannon, Whistledown Productions

Over the summer we recorded a nice chat with the lovely people at Whistledown Productions for a documentary about consent on Radio 4. Presented by Jameela Jalil the New Age of Consent was about consent, sex and relationships post #MeToo and you can hear it here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bh4361 (we're mostly in this second episode). The kind folk at Whistledown let us have the full audio of that interview so here it is. We think it will be a nice podcast for people who haven't heard us chatting before, particularly around consent and having more enjoyable sex. So do share it with people who you'd like to hear it.

In this episode of the Glyndebourne podcast Katie Derham visits the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End which is currently home to a play by one of Britain's foremost playwrights, Sir David Hare. The play is called The Moderate Soprano and tells the extraordinary story of the founding of Glyndebourne by John Christie and his wife Audrey Mildmay. Katie’s guest is the Olivier Award-winning actor Roger Allam who plays the role of John Christie and tells us what it’s like to portray a man for whom opera was the guiding passion and principle of his life. The Moderate Soprano runs until the 30 June at the Duke of York's Theatre. Visit www.themoderatesoprano.com Presenter: Katie Derham Produced by Katherine Godfrey and Nathan Gower for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2018 Image: Nancy Carroll and Roger Allam in The Moderate Soprano at the Duke of York's Theatre. Photographer: Johan Perrson

In this episode of the Glyndebourne podcast Katie Derham is joined by novelist Kate Mosse, author of the multi-million selling Languedoc Trilogy and a major new historical series that starts with the first novel The Burning Chambers, published in May 2018. The music of Debussy has been a lifelong passion for Kate and the composer is an off-stage character in the second book in her Languedoc trilogy – Sepulchre. In this podcast, Kate discusses her love for Debussy and his opera Pelléas et Mélisande, which is being staged at Glyndebourne Festival 2018. Presenter: Katie Derham Produced by Katherine Godfrey and Nathan Gower for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2018 The music in this podcast is from the 1963 recording of Pelléas et Mélisande released on the Glyndebourne Label. Music by kind permission of G.Ricordi & Co(London)Ltd Image of Kate Mosse. Photographer Ruth Crafer

‘It’s romantic opera, reinvented for the twenty-first century.’ In this episode of the Glyndebourne podcast we explore Samuel Barber’s Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, Vanessa, a story of longing, loss and manipulation set to a sumptuous score. Contributions come from critic David Benedict, opera director Keith Warner and Alexandra Coghlan, Glyndebourne’s Opera Content Specialist. Presenter: Katie Derham Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2018 The music in this podcast is from the Chandos and BBC Co-production of Vanessa. Music courtesy of G. Schirmer Inc (Chester Music Ltd). Leonard Slatkin conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the role of Vanessa is performed by Christine Brewer with Susan Graham as Erika, Catherine Wyn-Rogers as The Old Baroness and William Burden as Anatol. Image: Shadric Toop painted collage Images: Wikimedia Commons

Pelléas et Mélisande is Debussy’s only complete opera and with it he rightly earned his place as one of the most imaginative and pioneering composers of the early twenty-first century. In this episode of the Glyndebourne podcast we explore this seminal work with the help of British author Kate Mosse, Julian Johnson, Professor of Music at Royal Holloway College and Glyndebourne archivist Julia Aries. Presenter: Katie Derham Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2018 The music in this podcast is from the 1963 recording of Pelléas et Mélisande released on the Glyndebourne Label. Music by kind permission of G.Ricordi & Co(London)Ltd Image: Shadric Toop painted collage and photography

In this episode of the Glyndebourne podcast, we explore the tangled web of politics and love in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with contributions from top mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, William Fitzgerald, Professor of Latin Language & Literature at King’s College London and Suzanne Aspden, Associate Professor of Music at the University of Oxford. Presenter: Katie Derham Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2018 The music in this podcast is from the Glyndebourne production of Giulio Cesare, directed by David McVicar, which was recorded as a co-production between Glyndebourne and Opus Arte in 2006. The musical edition by Winton Dean and Sarah Fuller is performed by arrangement with Oxford University Press Image: Sarah Connolly as Giulio Cesare and Danielle de Niese as Cleopatra in the Glyndebourne Festival 2005 production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare. Photographer: Mike Hoban

In this episode of the Glyndebourne podcast we explore Mozart’s discourse on the power of forgiveness - La clemenza di Tito - with contributions from Glyndebourne’s Music Director Robin Ticciati, Glyndebourne Dramaturg Cori Ellison, Mozart scholar Julian Rushton and Classicist William Fitzgerald. Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2017 ​​The music you’ve been listening to in this podcast is from the Warner Classics recording of La clemenza di Tito​. Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the​ Orchestra of Zurich Opera House. Philip Langridge sings the role of Tito with Ann Murray as Sesto and Lucia Popp as Vitellia. Image: Glyndebourne Music Director, Robin Ticciati. Photographer: Giorgia Bertazzi

Composer Brett Dean and librettist Matthew Jocelyn are retelling Shakespeare’s Hamlet as an opera. In this bonus podcast episode, we’re eavesdropping on a specially recorded conversation between actor Samuel West, who has played Hamlet to great acclaim at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and British tenor Allan Clayton who is about to take up the role of the Danish Prince in this new opera version. Recorded February 2017. Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2017 Musical extracts are from Brett Dean’s From Melodious Lay, commissioned and recorded by BBC Radio 3 and given its world premiere by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Joshua Weilerstein at the Barbican on Tuesday 1 November 2016. With thanks to the Barbican Centre and the Corporation of London. Music is courtesy of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Limited. Image: Allan Clayton (Hamlet) Photographer: Richard Hubert Smith

In this episode we explore Cavalli’s Hipermestra – an Italian baroque masterpiece that is given its UK premiere at Glyndebourne Festival 2017. Renowned soprano Dame Janet Baker recalls a glorious summer spent singing Cavalli at Glyndebourne in 1970. And conductor William Christie, Cavalli historian Christine Jeanneret and Glyndebourne dramaturg Cori Ellison reveal just how important Cavalli is to the history of opera. Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2017 Music courtesy of NPO Radio 4 Image: William Christie in rehearsals at Glyndebourne. Photographer: Mike Hoban

Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been realised in thousands of versions. The story of the Danish Prince whose father is murdered by his uncle, who then marries Hamlet’s mother, is perhaps the most fascinating of all Shakespeare’s tragedies. In this podcast, composer Brett Dean and librettist Matthew Jocelyn discuss the creation of their new operatic version of the tale. British tenor Allan Clayton looks forward to playing the title role and Shakespeare scholar Ann Thompson reveals how Hamlet passed into popular culture. Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Festival 2017 Musical extracts are from Brett Dean’s From Melodious Lay, commissioned and recorded by BBC Radio 3 and given its world premiere by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Joshua Weilerstein at the Barbican on Tuesday 1 November 2016. With thanks to the Barbican Centre and the Corporation of London. Music is courtesy of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Limited. Image: Matthew Jocelyn and Brett Dean in a Hamlet workshop at Glyndebourne. Photographer: Sam Stephenson

Nagasaki, Japan at the turn of the 20th century; the trees are laden with cherry blossom and a beautiful young Geisha’s fate is about to be determined by her marriage to a handsome American. In this podcast, explore Madama Butterfly, Puccini’s heartbreakingly beautiful exploration of a clash between East and West. With contributions from Glyndebourne Dramaturg, Cori Ellison, Fusako Innami from the Japanese studies department of the University of Durham, and Alexandra Wilson, Reader in Music at Oxford Brookes University. Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Glyndebourne Tour 2016. Music from the EMI Classics recording of Madama Butterfly featuring Sir John Barbirolli conducting the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.

Darkness is never far beneath the enchanted surface in Benjamin Britten’s version of William Shakespeare’s comedy. In this podcast Julie Sanders Professor of English at Newcastle and Professor Mervyn Cooke of the University of Nottingham explain how Britten’s rendering of A Midsummer Night’s Dream manages to be both exceptionally faithful to its source, and one of his most imaginative works. We also hear from Dame Felicity Lott and tenor James Bowman who performed in Sir Peter Hall’s iconic production of the opera when it debuted at Glyndebourne in 1981 and bass Matthew Rose who has performed the role of Bottom in the same production. Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Festival 2016 Music from the Glyndebourne Label recording of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Ilan Volkov conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia - a comedy with a dark heart and some of the greatest operatic earworms ever written. Widely held to be Rossini’s comic masterpiece, it is an opera with real depth, explored here by Stephen Wadsworth, Director of Opera Studies at The Julliard School, Francesco Izzo, Professor of Music at Southampton University and the internationally renowned soprano Danielle de Niese. ​Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Festival 2016. Music from the EMI Classics recording of Il barbiere di Siviglia featuring Vittorio Gui conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Sparks fly in Hector Berlioz’s witty, offbeat opera Béatrice et Bénédict. Taking inspiration from one of the greatest comic works ever written – William Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing – it’s a meditation on the complexities of love and partnership. Actress Zoe Wanamaker, music critic David Cairns, conductor Robin Ticciati and Glyndebourne’s dramaturg Cori Ellison explore the characters and music of this concise gem from the master of epic composition. Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Festival 2016. Music from the LSO Live recording of Béatrice et Bénédict., conducted by Sir Colin Davis

Hot, exotic Andalucía. The setting for a doomed love affair where the romantic, but naïve soldier Don José is led astray by the bewitching Carmen. For Bizet, Spain was warm and colourful, but with a dark and dangerous side. Much like the opera’s femme fatale. Mezzo soprano Stephanie d’Oustrac, musicologist Hugh Macdonald and Glyndebourne dramartug Cori Ellison discuss the enduring appeal of Carmen, a character who is at once both alluring and elusive. Presenter: Katie Derham. Produced by Anishka Sharma for Whistledown Productions for Festival 2015.

An ageing King is driven to murderous intent by the youthful heroisms of David, he of giant-slaying fame. The setting is ancient Israel but the story of a nation in transition hit home to an eighteenth century England still in political flux when Handel premiered Saul in 1739. In this podcast, Suzanne Aspden, associate professor of music at the University of Oxford, Handel specialist Dr Ruth Smith, conductor Ivor Bolton and singers Iestyn Davies and Christopher Purves, discuss the music and themes of Handel’s first great oratorio in English. Presenter: Katie Derham Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Festival 2015.

The form may seem familiar – a feather-light romantic comedy – but Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail is shot through with an emotional and musical core of extraordinary seriousness from the 26 year old composer. And its portrayal of 18th century European attitudes to the meeting of East and West is remarkably insightful. Listen as Matthew Head, Professor of Music at King’s College London, Matthew Dimmock, Professor of Early Modern Studies at the University of Sussex, and Glyndebourne dramaturg Cori Ellison explain how Mozart both reflects and subverts the 18th century European view of ‘the Orient’. ​Presenter: Katie Derham ​​Mozart​ letters read by Peter Marinker Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Festival 2015.

Verdi’s La traviata - one of the greatest love stories ever told in opera and a work of such enduring power that it draws audiences and performers to it again and again. In this podcast Glyndebourne’s dramaturg, Cori Ellison, Dr Francesco Izzo from the University of Southampton, and author, Julie Kavanagh, explain how Verdi’s creation achieves such an exquisite melding of real-life tragedy and dramatic depth. Presenter: Katie Derham, Produced by Katherine Godfrey and Anishka Sharma for Whistledown Productions for Festival 2014.

It’s just over a hundred years since Richard Strauss and his librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal premiered the cheekily comedic Der Rosenkavalier in Dresden but in this podcast we discover that the opera is no mere rom-com. Dame Felicity Lott talks about the work’s emotional depth, Glyndebourne’s Music Director, Robin Ticciati, discusses how clever orchestration allows the singers to shine and Raymond Holden, the Sir John Barbirolli lecturer in Music at the Royal Academy of Music, explains that the opera was an unashamed celebration of both modernity and the past. Producer: Katherine Godfrey, Whistledown Productions for Festival 2014 Presenter: Katie Derham

Blues legend Dr John talks movingly to Sue MacGregor about Hurricane Katrina for The Reunion. A Prime Cut from Whistledown Productions. #SueMacgregor #TheReunion #DrJohn #HurricaneKatrina