大象传媒

70 years after Sooty first appeared with Harry Corbett on the 大象传媒鈥檚 Talent Night, presenter and current owner of The Sooty Show Richard Cadell talks to Samira about Sooty鈥檚 enduring appeal, as Sooty鈥檚 Magic Show embarks on a new tour and a theme park opens at the end of May.

Annilese Miskimmon, Artistic Director of English National Opera, discusses her directorial debut at the ENO. The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale, the opera written by Poul Ruders and Paul Bentley, is based on Margaret Atwood鈥檚 dystopian novel about a repressive totalitarian state where women are stripped of their identities and their rights.

The winner of Best Supporting Actress at last night's Olivier Awards was Liz Carr of Silent Witness fame, for her role in the National Theatre鈥檚 revival of The Normal Heart. She tells Samira why she made a plea, after the ceremony, for more Covid-safe theatre performances for vulnerable audiences.

As the season for folk festivals approaches, we consider how the times they are a-changing in the world of folk dance. Lisa Heywood, pioneer of gender-free dance calling, and Gareth Kiddier, who organises the dancing at Sidmouth Folk Festival, talk to Samira Ahmed about why gender-free calling matters, how they do it, and how it goes down on the dance floor.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Jerome Weatherald

Image: Presenter Samira Ahmed with Richard Cadell and Sooty