Raph - Williamstown Theatre Festival, the art of challenging things & I

Raph - Williamstown Theatre Festival, the art of challenging things & I

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 my interest. A few months and km later, I am delighted to present you with this episode in which you will discover an incredible festival nestled in the Berkshires in West Massachusetts. Managing Director of Strategy and Transformation Raph Picciarelli takes us through his rocambolesque career, a blend of creative and corporate roles, leading him to this role and describes his first few weeks at the reins of such an institution.   Whether you are in the creative industry or not, I am confident you will find yourselves in Raph’s experiences, challenges, doubts, and I hope his words of wisdom and humility will push you too to dare to take on new challenges. Stay tuned for more details on the next Williamstown Theatre Festival on the below website link and happy listening! A few links: Williamstown Theatre Festival [https://www.wtfestival.org/] ⁠Raph's NYT article⁠ [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/opinion/williamstown-theater-festival-youth.html] ⁠Raph's Instagram account⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/rjpicc/]

Evie - Costume Design, Ralph Lauren & I

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 intensive googling I was determined to have Evie as my next guest so I reached out! A few weeks later, I present to you an absolutely wonderful episode covering Evie's wild, risk-taking and not at all linear career path all the way to her current role of Costume Designer. From her formative years at Central St Martins, to working at prestigious fashion houses, to finally arriving into costume designing where she worked in some of of the world's most renowned theatres, Evie takes us through her incredible journey where her innate and absolute confidence in herself and her abilities led her from one step to the other. So pop your headphones in, sit back in a relaxing sofa with a warm tea and let yourself be transported to the wonderful world of costume designing and the art of storytelling. You can follow Evie's projects on her: Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/evieonfire/ & her website: https://eviegurney.com/ The National Theatre Natural Dye and Wellbeing Green garden we discuss: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/your-visit/things-to-do/natural-dye-wellbeing-garden/ Evie's favourite costume book recommendations if you want a collection of works detailing workwear, uniforms, traditional folk and carnival costumes from around the world: https://www.charlesfreger.com/books/

JeanLuc Bertrand - Magic, Hypnosis & I

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 world, thanks to Jean Luc’s stories and see the immense hard work that lies beneath it. Happy listening! - Pour introduire cet épisode, je vais tenter de ne pas trop en dire, car la magie réside vraiment à l'écoute (petit clin d'oeil). Avant de rencontrer JeanLuc, j'avais mes préconceptions et de cet art, qui ont très rapidement été remplacées par de l'ébahissement. A travers cet épisode, j'espère que vous aussi vous vous laisserez emporter dans ce monde merveilleux, grace aux histoires incroyables de JeanLuc et l'immense travail derrière qui rend ce spectacle possible. JeanLuc's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/jeanlucbertrand_magic_story/ [https://www.instagram.com/jeanlucbertrand_magic_story/]  JeanLuc's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JeanLucBertrand-MagicBoxShow/null [https://www.youtube.com/c/JeanLucBertrand-MagicBoxShow/null]

James Pearson - Jazz, Ronnie Scott's & I

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 with a huge smile. In this episode, we will delve into his career that's brought him to travel globally, his arrival and ascension at Ronnie Scott's and the evolution of Jazz music, the whole interspersed with live piano tunes, ranging from Gershwin to bebop. You can absolutely stand up and dance along. Happy listening! James's website: http://www.jamespearsonmusic.com/ [http://www.jamespearsonmusic.com/] Some of the few great musicians he collaborated with: - Dame Cleo Lane [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO4yuhgK?si=SYR3olBHTIm3rY9hHHq1QQ] - Elvin Jones [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO2t7ztx?si=0xDOP-RQQCGiwzTxnniaHA] - Gregory Porter [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evNZZmaDC?si=WRlWlxsaS9C7w4IlR0WHHg] His favourite musicians: - Fats Waller [https://open.spotify.com/artist/0DYWCXTkNqGFZIf67SrWEa?si=oVNp4GWDQwqMszchr7k-PQ] - Oscar Peterson [https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zkX5fhrSD4tdVOmimR9wB?si=TEdWvLg-S2Ov33vf2rPTHQ] - Vladimir Horowitz [https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ws5hSoABAwvGJ4LhHwHgq?si=lKXsjsUySbuHI9ZMO7txoQ] And his go to film, with Dudley Moore, his contagious laughter (and a scene where you see his great piano skills) and Liza Minnelli: Arthur [https://www.imdb.com/fr/title/tt0082031/]

Fabienne - Directrice de Casting, Le pouvoir de se relever & Moi

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 relevée, est arrivée à Paris et s'est frayé son propre chemin. Commençant en tant qu'hôtesse au 24 Heures du Mans, elle a su tisser des liens avec des personnes influentes et gravir ardemment les marches du monde du cinéma jusqu'à devenir Directrice de Casting. Plongée dans cet univers, Fabienne nous confie ses amitiés nouées, les tournages rocambolesques, les coulisses parfois cruelles mais surtout la magie du cinéma. Dans cet épisode, vous découvrirez une femme forte, sensible, passionnée et profondément touchante. Une femme dont le parcours, je l'espère, vous invitera à changer de perspective sur vos blessures et à y reconnaître, une source de force. Vous pouvez acheter son livre à la ⁠⁠Fnac⁠⁠ [https://www.fnac.com/a21816796/Fabienne-Bichet-Moi-fabienne-b-mauvaise-fille] et chez ⁠⁠Payot⁠⁠ [https://www.payot.ch/Detail/9782386291234] en France ou en Suisse. Cet épisode sera en français. - Never had I met someone through their words, discovering all the intricate and harsh details about their inner life, before seeing them in person, to interview them. Published beginning of October, Fabienne's biography "Moi, Fabienne B., mauvaise fille", opens with a raw telling of her terrible childhood. She nevertheless picked herself up, came to Paris and decided to forge her own path. Starting as a hostess at the 24 Heures du Mans, Fabienne befriended influential people and arduously climbed the ranks of the film industry to become Casting Director. In this episode, Fabienne shares her wonderful on set experiences, the sometimes cruel behind the scenes of the industry, the friendships she forged and above all the magic of cinema. You will discover a woman who is strong, passionate and deeply touching. This episode will be in French. Fabienne's top film picks: - ⁠Chariots of Fire ⁠ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082158/] - ⁠All That Jazz⁠ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078754/] - ⁠Mon nom est Personne⁠ [https://www.imdb.com/fr/title/tt0070215/] Thank you as always to my friend Mory at Pars Studio for the sound engineering.