The Tower Theatre Podcast

Episode Three continues a celebration of Black History Month.

Landé Belo and BeEbop Curaçao delve into the relationship between the arts and activism, the impact and evolution of British theatre, and the importance of creating theatre for a more inclusive and diverse audience. They catch up with Endy McKay –  international screen and theatre actress, theatre practitioner and playwright about her work, life and her play #Regeneration. They also ask emerging young actress Inez Solomon Gardner about her hopes, aspirations and artivism.

Interview 1: Endy McKay

Interview 2: Inez Solomon Gardner, who also read and wrote Dear The Oppressors

The listener's Question responses were from:

Ruth Sullivan, Gemma Mudu, Paul Woolf, Angelika Michitsch, Rosanna Preston, Bella Hornby, Angharad Ormond and Lucy Moss.

The Radio Drama section was read and written by Endy McKay from her blog: The Only Black In The Village: Part One.

Music was by Jair-Rôhm Parker Wells and Colin Guthrie.

In our first of three podcasts celebrating Black History Month, Landé Belo and Bianca Curaçao continue to delve into the importance of creating theatre for wider and more diverse audiences. They catch up with local Hackney resident and award winning playwright and screen writer Ade Solanke on the cultural influences in her writing and keeping the theatrical experience alive post-Covid; they also chat with Tower actors Tyan Archer and Marie-José Fulgence about working with the National Youth Theatre and its response to #TheatresPullUpOrShutUp call to action for more diversity and inclusion and get great insights from them on how Tower Theatre can attract young talent. The drama section features powerful and topical play: ‘#Matter’ written by Idris Goodwin, with Nancy P Touzé as ‘Kim’ and Nick Edwards as ‘Cole’. Directed by Landé Belo.

A very special thanks to Idris Goodwin for granting us permission to present his play ‘#Matter’ in this podcast.

Thank you to all our contributors and our listeners. In particular, thanks to our listeners: Isabelle Roughol, Simon Lee, Emilia Teglia, Robert Hebblethwaite, Simona Hughes, Annemarie Fearnley, Jonathan Wober and Janet South for their responses to this episode’s listeners’ question.

This episode features music by Jair-Rôhm Parker Wells and Colin Guthrie

Producers - Landé Belo, BeEbop Curaçao and Colin Guthrie

Episode Content Editor – Landé Belo

Sound and Music Design - Colin Guthrie

Next episode’s listeners’ question: what are your best experiences of immersive theatre?

Join Angharad, Lande, Matt and BeEbop as they kick-off Season 2. As we start to emerge from national restrictions we discuss the impact of Covid on the arts and hear from listeners Annemarie Fearnley, Emily Carmichael, Rosanna Preston and Ruth Sullivan about their experiences of post-lockdown theatre. We chat to directors Simona Hughes and Rob Ellis about what the future of theatre looks like and Lande is joined by Emily McCormick to talk about writing this week’s Radio Drama ‘Mug’. ‘Mug’ is performed by Jonathan Wober and Jasmine Rachelle.

'Mug' contains strong language and themes some listeners may find distressing.

Thank you to all our listeners and contributors.

Producers - Lande Belo, Matthew Cranfield, BeEbop Curaçao, Colin Guthrie and Angharad Ormond

Episode Content Editor - Angharad Ormond

Sound and Music Design - Colin Guthrie

Landé Belo and Bianca Curaçao takeover The Tower Theatre Podcast again in episode 9, exploring themes of diversity, social and cultural inclusion, as well as enquiring about music as a tool to challenge the status quo.  Bringing to you insightful and inspiring interviews with Karen Hope, Assistant Artistic Director at Tower and Jair-Rôhm Parker Wells, musical maestro and activist, who created the podcast takeover theme song, ‘Tula’s Tambú’.  

This episode includes a thought provoking drama section: 'Voices From The Past' presenting great leaders in their own words.  Featuring Sam Bulgin as Frederick Douglass, Marie-José Fulgence as Mary Seacole, Nancy P Touzé as Sojourner Truth and Bianca Curaçao as Mary Prince.  Directed by Landé Belo. 

As ever, a big thanks to our contributors and listeners, especially Jude Chalk, Lyndsay Bird, Angelika Mitchitsch and Ruth Sullivan for their responses to this episode’s listeners’ question.  Thanks to Colin Guthrie for his technical wizardry and to Angharad Ormond and Matt Cranfield for allowing us to takeover...again.

The Tower Theatre Podcast will return for the next season in September! 

In their final appearance on the podcast this season, Angharad and Matt, along with our lovely listeners, look back at some of their favourite podcast moments over the previous 8 episodes. Angharad speaks to Ruth Sullivan about all things foley, Colin has a musical chat with Phillip Ley and we plunge into darkness for this weeks radio drama, 'The Dark Zone', written by Andy Marchant and starring Leon Chambers, Dickon Farmar, Jasmine Rachelle and Katie Smith. Directed by Colin Guthrie.

Produced by Matt Cranfield, Colin Guthrie and Angharad Ormond

Presented by Matt Cranfield and Angharad Ormond

Edited by Colin Guthrie

Sound and Music by Colin Guthrie

Thank you to all our contributors and our listeners, especially Annemarie Fearnley and Jacqui Dickson for this week’s Listeners’ Question.

Matt and Angharad are back! We chat with Ian Hoare about stage adaptations. We tell of our own comical stage mishaps and hear from three of our listeners  (Lucy Moss, Colin Guthrie, Emily Carmichael) about theirs. Annemarie Fearnley joins us to introduce this week's Radio Drama section - a collection of poems by Philippa Tatham - and talks about why she chose this collection and the stories behind the poems. This episode is rounded off with a poem for our times, written, composed and performed by Jonathan Wober.

Thank you to all our readers: Lucy Moss, Matt Cranfield, Joanna Nevin, Vyvian Shaw, Annemarie Fearnley, Ruth Sullivan, Lisa Castle, Jill Ruane, Ruth Anthony, John Mcspayden and Deborah Ross.

Edited by the wonderful Colin Guthrie.

Matt and Angharad hand over the reins to introduce our first Tower Takeover episode! Presented and curated by Landé Belo and BeEbop Curaçao episode 5 features interviews, discussions and poetry celebrating black female voices in theatre. This week's theme tune is Tula’s Tambú by Jair-Rôhm Parker Wells.

Beautifully edited as always by Colin Guthrie.

Thank you to our listeners for answering this week's question and to all our contributors. 

Matt chats to Simona Hughes about her new show About 500. Colin Guthrie joins us to talk about music in theatre with extracts from Lark Rise recorded by Joey Braddick and Annemarie Fearnley. We hear from David Taylor about what's been happening at The Tower during the Lockdown and this week's drama "Second Best Bed" is written by Lucy Beacon, performed by Ruth Sullivan, with sound and direction by Colin Guthrie. 

Thank you to all our members and listeners, especially Emily Carmichael, Lucy Moss, Annemarie Fearnley and Joanna Nevin for sharing their experiences of music in theatre.

Matt and Angharad reflect on life in lockdown. Angharad chats to Jude Chalk about the challenges of designing sets. John Chapman checks in for another review roundup. And this week's Radio Drama stars Martin South, Ryan Williams and Arabella Hornby in Chekov's 'The Lottery Ticket'. Thank you to Emily Carmicheal, Roanne Insely, Jonathan Wober, Colin Guthrie, Annemarie Fearnley and Ruth Sullivan for answering this week's Listener's Question.

As always, this episode is beautifully edited, with sound design, by Colin Guthrie.

As Matt and Angharad settle into their roles as presenters we hear from fellow member John Chapman about the best online theatre. Matt chats with Michael Coveney about his new book "Questors, Jesters and Renegades", and Lynne Davis and Ruth Sullivan provide this week's radio drama with a piece of new writing, Wild Life, about a woman living off the land.

In our first episode (EVER!) we get to grips with the challenges of recording remotely and Colin works his magic editing from multiple recording devices and dealing with traffic noises (oddly).  Angharad interviews Emilia Teglia, our listeners response to our question of the week, and our drama section focuses on Poems in Isolation.