The Lonely Arts Club

This week, we bring you the final episode of series 5 of The Lonely Arts Club and what a way to finish.It was such a treat to welcome star of stage and screen, David Morrissey, into the studio. This episode was recorded at the end of 2022 when David was back in Liverpool and we were delighted to have a chat with him.During his reflections, David spoke about his time growing up in Liverpool and what sparked his passion for performing. We hear about David's journey through the arts so far and w...

This week on The Lonely Arts Club, we speak to the Director of Tate, Maria Balshaw. Named the undisputed queen of Britain’s gallery scene, Maria attended university in Liverpool for part of her studies and we chat about what brought her to the city in the first place, the highlights of her time as a student and how her path has taken her to being the Director of one of the country's best loved cultural establishments. Available to download now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and many pod...

Earlier on in this series of The Lonely Arts Club, we heard from writing legend, Jimmy McGovern. We had a brilliant chat with Jimmy, and naturally the conversation moved onto talking about the work that he's done with the families of those killed in the Hillsborough disaster. At the time of releasing part two of our interview with Jimmy, we're approaching the 34th anniversary of the tragedy in which 97 fans lost their lives. Jimmy speaks openly and honestly about his thoughts o...

This week, our conversation takes a slightly different turn to usual as we welcome Brian Seddon into the studio. Brian is what some may describe as a horse whisperer. Brian spent 30 years in the police force and 25 of those years were working with horses, either as a mounted officer, trainer or tactical advisor. Brian tells us all about how his connection with horses allowed him to make improvements to the force and the wider community.Going back to where it all began on a beach in Rhyl ...

This week on The Lonely Arts Club, we're joined by Mickey Starke. Best known for playing the role of Sinbad on Liverpool soap opera, Brookside, Mickey is star of both stage and screen. Martin McQuillan finds out where Mickey's love of entertaining comes from, all the different paths that his career in acting has taken him and what it was like working on a filmset with Samuel L Jackson. These are just a few of the things Mickey talks about during this episode as he recounts tail...

As the saying goes, behind every great man, there's a great woman, and this was certainly the case for comedian, actor and all-round entertainer Sir Ken Dodd. Famous for his fast-paced one liners, Ken's comedy genius meant that he became a household name, performing all the way throughout his life. And the great lady always at his side, both on and off the stage? That would be Anne. In this very special episode of The Lonely Arts Club, we're joined by Lady Dodd who shares with...

Today, we bring you a special bonus episode of The Lonely Arts Club to celebrate International Women's Day. We're joined by Zainab Alema. Zainab, also known as "Bulldozer" is, amongst other things, a rugby player. Zainab has an inspirational story to tell and we're delighted to share her story with you. The rugby pitch is where Zainab comes to life and we hear where the passion for the sport came from and what challenges she has had to overcome since entering into the sporting world...

"People always said that if you had Jimmy McGovern writing and Ken Horn directing, you were onto a winner". These were the words of actress Eithne Browne when she joined us in The Lonely Arts Club earlier this series. We've already had one half of this famous duo in the studio, so it's only right that we hear from the other. In The Lonely Arts Club this week, we welcome television producer and director, Ken Horn. Ken's career in TV spans decades and he's been instrumental in ma...

This week on The Lonely Arts Club, Martin McQuillan is joined by Liverpool star of stage and screen, Eithne Browne. These days, many would think that Eithne has always been a natural performer, but that's not the case. We hear how Eithne went from being a child who shied away from the limelight to a West End superstar and soap opera queen. Although luck may have been on her side just in time for the big break, Eithne also talks about the importance of working hard for what you want....

This week on The Lonely Arts Club, Martin McQuillan is joined by Geoff Beattie. A well known name and face in the world of psychology, many will recognise Geoff from primetime TV as one of the original psychologists on Channel 4's Big Brother. We go right back to the beginning with Geoff, as he delves into what his childhood was like growing up amidst the troubles in Belfast. Geoff recalls situations that many could only imagine and as he takes a trip down memory lane, we hear stori...