Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

• Rachael Stirling

  Our guest today is Rachael Stirling: the brilliant theatrical actress and one of the stars of BBC comedy Detectorists, who is currently on stage in London in Giant, about the writer Roald Dahl. Gyles and Rachael begin by talking about a memorable conversation Gyles had with Rachael's mother, the great actress Dame Diana Rigg, when he interviewed her 25 years ago. And this interview with Rachael is no less memorable: it's a fascinating discussion of her childhood, her complex relationship with her mother, and her parents' divorce. It's a frank discussion of her first sexual experiences and her boarding school days (NB this episode is more graphic than our usual, with sexual refs and some swearing). And, finally, it's a moving discussion of Rachael's experiences as her mother's carer in the final months of her life. This is a special and very touching episode, thank you so much to Rachael. Rachael Stirling is currently playing Felicity Crosland in Giant, about the writer Roald Dahl, at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London. It's on for the rest of the summer and tickets are available here. Enjoy this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• More Rosebud - Lynda La Plante

  Lynda La Plante - the writer, producer and creator of landmark dramas Widows and Prime Suspect - is Gyles's guest today. Lynda is the powerhouse behind some of the UK's most watched television, and she's also the powerhouse behind this episode of Rosebud - which is full of brilliant stories to make you gasp, laugh and cry. From her childhood growing up on the outskirts of Merseyside in a family tainted by tragedy, to her days at Rada and her first career as an actress, to her experiences trying to conceive and finally adopting her son - Gyles hears the full story of Lynda's remarkable life. Lynda's memoirs, Getting Away With Murder, are out in paperback, and the audiobook is also out now - with star turns from Dawn French and Helen Mirren. Her new novel, Crucified, is also just out. Thank you to Lynda for this wonderful interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Simon Armitage, The Poet Laureate

  It's the week of William Shakespeare's birthday, so Gyles has poetry on his mind... and we thought we'd celebrate with a special conversation recorded with Simon Armitage, who has been Poet Laureate since 2019. Gyles finds out about Simon's childhood and early days, when he played out on the moors with his friends, watched TV and read comics... long before he became turned on to poetry by reading Ted Hughes. Gyles hears about Simon's parents, his love of indy music, and his first career as a probation officer. Gyles and Simon talk about poetry, about Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney. We hope you enjoy this episode, and that it inspires you to read some poetry today - Simon's most recent book, Blossomise, it out now - it's a celebration of blossom and is well worth reading this springtime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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  1:08:13
• More Rosebud - Gyles's diary, episode 13: the second half of 1965 - adventures in Switzerland, school reports and a family argument

  We begin this episode of Gyles's diary in Switzerland, where he's spending the summer as an au pair to the family of the Head of the Swiss Army. He beats the President of Switzerland at cards and attends an underwhelming 'son et lumiere'. Back in England, Gyles returns to another busy term at Bedales, in which he carries on his relationship with Sally and tries to reconcile that with his endless school projects: this term he's arranging activities for the children in the younger years, to involve them more in the life of the school. Plus, Gyles's sisters have an argument and we find out more about his friendship with Simon Cadell. Enjoy this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Sir Tim Rice

  Sir Tim Rice, lyricist extraordinaire, is Gyles's guest today. Tim is one of the few people in the entertainment world to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award, and his songs for shows like Joseph, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess and the Lion King are known and loved all around the world. And yet Sir Tim remains modest and charming, as you'll hear in this conversation - perhaps thanks to the good manners he inherited from his father. Tim tells Gyles about his childhood, his schooldays at Lancing College and how, despite his lack of ambition, he moved to London and got a job with EMI. Much of this conversation, not surprisingly, is about music: the records Tim listened to as a teenager, the band he played with at school, and the first songs he wrote and which helped him to get noticed. We find out how he met Andrew Lloyd Webber and started to make musical history. Thank you Sir Tim Rice for your warmth, wit and wonderful stories. Tim Rice is on a nationwide tour telling his brilliant stories and featuring some of his best-known songs until the end of May, tickets available here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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