It's All Groovy

I knew upon reading Anya's (lengthy) profile, many many projects and interviews that this would be a special one. And it did not fail to be. Not only can Anya recite almost every single Shakespeare line, but she truly has the kindest soul, which is no wonder theatre and film actors (such as Felicity Huffman and Zach Woods) go to her for acting classes and coaching. I am confident that you will rev...

I did not think when reading a brilliant essay in the New York Times that I would end up 1 year later in an office in Times Square with said author. We are all moved by articles we read, but rarely do we dive deeper into the subject, let alone reach out to interview the writer. Williamstown Theatre Festival was unbeknownst to me up until then but something about the magic beneath the words piqued...

What I absolutely love about the performance arts industry is that you never cease to learn. Not only are there heaps of sectors, but each artist has their own way of doing things, their way of bringing their magic into this world. I was fortunate enough to discover artist Evie Gurney in an article in The Stage, discussing the links between the fashion industry & costume design and after some...

To introduce this episode, I shall try not to say too much, as the magic truly lies in it (pun intended). Before I met JeanLuc, I had a conception and reservations about this craft. After our encounter, I was gobsmacked and couldn’t shake the feeling of “wowness” I felt. And that is exactly why JeanLuc does this job. Throughout this episode, I hope you too will let yourself enter this incredible w...

James Pearson is not someone you easily forget; whether it's his mesmerising fingers dancing across the piano, his 'indefatigable' energy ( as quoted by The Times) or the wealth of stories he has to share about all the great musicians that ever existed, you will. Artistic Director, composer, pianist, musician in residence... it seems unconceivable he is able to fit it all in a day, yet he does wit...

Cela ne m'était encore jamais arrivé : rencontrer quelqu'un à travers ses mots écrits, en découvrant les détails les plus durs et parfois nauséeux de sa vie intime, avant de la voir en personne pour l'interviewer. Parue début octobre, sa biographie, 'Moi, Fabienne B., mauvaise fille', s'ouvre sur le récit d'une enfance catastrophique et terrible. Pourtant, malgré tous ces traumas , Fabienne s'est...

You’ve got people who squeeze every hour of the day till it’s reduced to pulp, and you’ve got Xhloé and Natasha. To call them a ‘tour de force’ would be mundane and not representative enough of their mind-boggling grandeur. Having managed to squeeze into one of their sold out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, I spent the following 50 minutes realising what staggering talent and energy looks like on s...

There are people you meet who you instantly forget, and others who leave such an impression you just have to learn more about them. Following a very serendipitous and rocambolesque bump-in at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, I got to see Amy and Claudio’s fantastically ludicrous and clownesque show which to this day has left quite a mark. Delving into her years at Philippe Gaulier’s famous clown sc...

Met by happenstance on a student film set and after chatting for 5 minutes, I quickly realised Lionel had quite a story to share. To say he had a busy career would be an understatement. Starting as 3rd AD and making his way up to 1st AD and eventually director, Lionel's work has taken him across the globe, working with some of the greatest directors in the world. Seizing every opportunity with one...

I have come to find that most creatives in this industry are very modest and rarely boast about their success. Jérôme definitely is a prime example; his career as sound engineering and boom operator has led him far and wide across the globe, on projects as varied as they are fascinating. His sensibility and passion to his craft and to the world film is extremely touching and I hope you will be as...

Have you ever been moved simply with words? No background music, no back-up singers,…just words and a microphone. I shan’t give out too much information as this episode truly is unique but I introduce you lovely listener to the amazing world of performance poetry.  A very fortuitous meeting with a co-actor led me to meet his son, poet and musician, Jasper. I knew when I heard his story that I want...

To say that I've listened to some of his songs 18 times would be an understatement and it's not just because I happen to (lucky me) to be his cousin. Ever since our family Christmases where his voice and guitar playing clearly stood out from the rest of our cacophony of songs, we knew he'd go somewhere and in London he landed where he is now producing and composing his songs as well as other artis...

Before launching this podcast, I had already thought about the guests I wanted to invite, and Sam was one of the first names on the list. Having had the pleasure to live with him for a few months, we quickly bonded and through our many (many) late conversations I was amazed by his dedication to his craft as a sound engineer. Not only is he a walking library of amazing songs, Sam also has an incred...

Jack of all trades and master of all, Katherine has shown countless times she does not shy away from a challenge. Puppet designer, seamstress, director, teacher - what can’t she do? A true inspiration to anyone in the performing arts industry or even if you’re starting off somewhere and need some guidance, Katherine will share some amazing stories, advice and life experiences, all thrown in with s...

You meet passionate people, and then you meet Ylan. Born and raised in, Geneva, Switzerland, he fell in love with musical theatre at 16 and thus began his wonderful journey into the Performing Arts industry. Directing and producing his first show at 17, writing his first musical at 22, Ylan is not one to rest on his laurels. Seizing every opportunity and open door (figuratively and literally as yo...

Never would I have imagined that doing an episode on Virtual Production and Green Screens would have ended with us talking about chasing your dreams and the redefinition of being an artist. Such is the journey we will take you on with Sam, teacher and true expert in the field of Virtual Production (or VP as the pros say), visual effects and story telling ! Bear with the initial technical jargon as...

(Achtung: this episode is in French so if you want to brush up on your French GCSE lessons, this is the time & place for it) Je crois que je ne peux décrire d'une façon claire et précise l'épisode que vous allez découvrir...mais je peux vous assurer que nous n'avons ni pris de Red Bull ni de café, c'est simplement l'amour de l'Improvisation qui nous emballe tant! Rejoignez mes amis Fab & J...

To say she is the Yoda of the acting world would be an understatement - having acted since she was 6 in her hometown of Nova Scotia, Val arrived in London in the 50s and never left. Teacher, mentor, actor, she made her mark just as much in the theatre world as on set, forever giving her heart, soul and talent to the acting world. I hope you love her as much as I do! Further reading: Uta Hagen's Re...

Filmmaker, doctor and lecturer in Directing at Farnham's UCA, Maria isn't one to go unnoticed... Having met her at the London Film Festival where we shared a fascinating conversation delving into her origin story, films and the industry as a whole, there was no one better suited for my first episode. Happy listening and hopefully you'll learn a few nuggets! Further reading: You'll find hereafter t...