A slightly unusual Rambling Club this week.

There was supposed to be a lovely ramble with a celebrity guest. Unfortunately, the computer on which the episode was edited has decided that this is not a thing it wishes to participate in. Rather than leave you entirely ramble-less, however, we have opened the Patreon cupboard and brought out something rather special.

So this week we remain firmly inside the Presidential Garden Shed, where Paul and Allan are joined by the ever-welcome Mark Hutchinson, Tony Slattery's partner for almost forty years. This is one of our Patreon-exclusive conversations, in which our patrons provide both the Dewey numbers and the questions and, on this occasion, there is plenty to talk about.

We begin with a question from Linda Craig: which of Tony's performances remains particularly special to us?

That turns out to be rather more difficult to answer than you might imagine. There's Radio Times, and Tony singing "My Thanks to You" with nothing but a piano. There's an extraordinary evening of Noël Coward with the BBC Radio Orchestra, a balcony scene from Private Lives with Lorraine Chase and Tony singing Coward with forty musicians behind him. There's Neville's Island, The Head of the Class, I Got News for You and a remarkably obscure Lost in Space VHS voiceover. And then there is the performance that Eric has chosen for entirely different reasons.

In other words, the question is answered.

Sort of.

Then the magic bingo machine produces 787: Stringed Instruments.

And suddenly we're talking about the cello, the violin, Paul Tortelier, Truly, Madly, Deeply, Cynthia Erivo and the extraordinary emotional power of strings. We discover that Paul's mother played the cello, that Allan once played the violin, and that Tony himself encouraged Allan to take his long-neglected instrument out of the wardrobe and play it again. There's even the story of a nine-year-old Allan conducting an orchestra at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

From there we begin wondering whether our tastes change as we grow older. Country music enters the conversation. So does The Archers. So does the extraordinary ability of music to transport us instantly back to another time and another place.

And then we get rather more philosophical.

What was it like being a child who didn't quite fit in? What happens when the thing that makes you different suddenly becomes your superpower? We hear about music teachers, terrifying Welsh women, clarinets, singing in school assembly and the extraordinary moment when being the quiet, awkward child suddenly becomes an advantage.

That leads us into education, opportunity and the arts.

Why is access to drama and music becoming increasingly difficult? What has happened to the idea of education as something more than preparation for employment? And what happens when the arts become something available primarily to those whose parents can afford to support them?

Along the way there are memories of Cadbury's remarkable drama department, Jacqueline Hill, RADA, university life, the social importance of education and the simple joy of learning for its own sake.

There are, naturally, tangents.

There are musical digressions.

There is some fairly robust criticism of the 1990s.

And there is a great deal of affection for the man whose name is on the door of the Club.

It's not our usual ramble.

But perhaps, in the circumstances, it's exactly the ramble we needed.

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There are few people better suited to a Rambling Club than a writer. After all, if anyone understands the importance of starting somewhere and having absolutely no idea where you're going to end up, it's a playwright. This week, our guest President is the remarkable Tim Firth, writer, dramatist, screenwriter, songwriter and the man behind everything from Neville's Island and Calendar Girls to The Girls, Our House and The Rottentrolls.

With Tony's magic bingo machine selecting our destinations, we leave the Presidential Garden Shed and head into the great outdoors, where the rambling can begin. And perhaps appropriately for a man whose career has taken so many unexpected turns, the first number sends us somewhere rather useful.

371.3: Methods of Instruction and Study.

Do we actually need a particular methodology when it comes to teaching and learning? And how did Tim's own experiences of education eventually lead him towards a career in writing?

His story includes an extraordinary turning point: an Arvon writing course in Yorkshire run by Willy Russell, attended when Tim was just 18.

But what happens when the lessons end and the professional world begins? How has the process of commissioning scripts changed? What does a writer actually have to navigate before an idea ever reaches an audience? And, somewhere along the way, what on earth is all this about a modern Macbeth in the style of Marillion?

Next, the machine produces 788: Wind and Percussion Instruments.

Which, naturally, means musicals.

Tim's career has taken him into some extraordinary musical territory, from Our House, created around the music of Madness, to The Girls, his musical collaboration with Gary Barlow, and The Band, built around the music of Take That.

So how did a writer of plays find himself working with Madness? What happens when you collaborate with someone like Gary Barlow? And where does the musical instinct come from in the first place?

That takes us back to Tim's childhood and his father, Gordon Firth, whose creativity would eventually become part of one of Tim's best-loved achievements: Roger and the Rottentrolls.

614: The Incidence and Prevention of Disease.

There could hardly be a more appropriate route into one of the Rambling Club's most important subjects: Tony Slattery.

Tim and Tony worked together on Neville's Island, Tim's hugely successful comedy about four businessmen whose team-building exercise goes catastrophically wrong. The original West End production featured Tony alongside Jeff Rawle, James Fleet and Paul Raffield, and the play has subsequently travelled around the world.

Tony, of course, possessed a particular fascination with disease and all its component parts. So what could possibly connect Tim, Tony, a theatre and some dead rats?

You'll have to join us in the great outdoors to find out.

And as the ramble winds its way through education, music, writing, theatre, television and memories of an extraordinary performer, one thing becomes increasingly apparent:

Tim Firth knows how to tell a story.

Which is fortunate.

Because once Tony's magic bingo machine has finished with him, there's every chance we'll be here for a while.

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

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Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Paul's Threads: @paul.carmichael.1213

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

© Fanfaronade Productions 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are guests who arrive at the Tony Slattery's Rambling Club shed expecting a conventional interview. And then there is Mark Strickson.

As Executive Producer of the Club from Day One, Mark knows rather more about what happens inside the Presidential Garden Shed than most. So perhaps we'd better all be on our best behaviour as this week's President takes us on one of our regular rambles into the great outdoors.

Mark is, of course, best known to many as Vislor Turlough, companion to Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor. But that is only the beginning of the story. Since leaving the TARDIS, Mark has forged an extraordinary second career as a television producer and director, particularly in the world of wildlife and natural history. His work has taken him around the world and included the programme that helped bring Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, to international attention.

And so, with Tony's magic bingo machine having selected our destinations, we set off.

First stop is 378: Higher Education. How did education shape the man who would eventually move from acting into zoology and then into the world of international television production? Mark's own journey is rather remarkable: after leaving Doctor Who, he moved to Australia, taught Theatre Studies and studied for an honours degree in Zoology. Somewhere along the way, one career became another.

But what exactly does Mark make of education, and where might this particular ramble lead us? As ever, the number is only the starting point.

Then we're heading for 804: Literature and Rhetoric, an especially appropriate destination for someone born in Stratford-upon-Avon. Mark attended King Edward VI Grammar School in his home town, the same school traditionally associated with Shakespeare, and was a chorister at Holy Trinity Church, where his father was organist and choirmaster.

So Shakespeare is inevitably somewhere on the horizon.

But once the Rambling Club starts walking, there's no guarantee where it will end up. What does the Bard mean to someone who grew up surrounded by Shakespeare's legacy? And what happens when an actor's relationship with words and storytelling develops into a career spent telling very different kinds of stories?

Finally, the bingo machine gives us 577: The General Nature of Life.

And here, perhaps inevitably, we arrive at the world that has dominated so much of Mark's later career: wildlife, natural history and the extraordinary business of making television about the living world.

Mark has produced and directed programmes for major international broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Discovery and Animal Planet. His work has taken him from the world of acting into some very different and occasionally dangerous environments.

Eventually, after our journey through the great outdoors, Tony's magic bingo machine does what Tony's magic bingo machine does best and transports us back to the Presidential Garden Shed.

The walking stops.

The rambling doesn't.

And perhaps, given that Mark has been helping to steer this particular ship since the very beginning, we should be grateful that he hasn't yet revealed everything he knows about us.

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

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Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Paul's Threads: @paul.carmichael.1213

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

© Fanfaronade Productions 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? This week's guest President is the extraordinary Paul Rhys, one of Britain's finest and most respected actors. From Vincent & Theo and A Discovery of Witches to Shakespeare's greatest roles and, most recently, Russell T Davies' acclaimed drama Tip Toe, Paul has quietly built one of the most remarkable careers in British theatre and television. Despite that, he rarely gives interviews and has never before appeared on a podcast, making this a particularly special Rambling Club.

So pull on your walking boots and join us as Tony's enchanted bingo machine once again chooses three entirely unexpected destinations. As ever, Sir Stephen Fry's reassuringly omniscient voice keeps watch while the rest of us happily lose ourselves in conversation.

Our first stop is 292 – Greek & Roman Religion. Since the theatre itself was born from religious ceremony in Ancient Greece, this proves a surprisingly fitting place to begin. Paul's Catholic upbringing, spirituality and the enduring relationship between faith and performance soon come to the fore, before we ask whether modern theatre has lost something by turning its back on the spiritual. Along the way we celebrate King Lear, explore Paul's lifelong fascination with William Blake, and discover how a self-confessed introvert copes with the modern expectation that actors must become their own publicists on social media.

Next, the machine produces 629 – Other Branches of Engineering. None of our ramblers claim to possess much practical engineering ability, but President Rhys immediately confounds expectations by revealing that he once built rather more than a career... he built a house! The conversation gently wanders through family, parents and the curious guilt many of us feel about whether we've somehow let them down, before arriving at a rather different form of engineering altogether. How do you construct a character? How do you breathe life into words on a page? Using his acclaimed performance in Tip Toe as a guide, Paul offers a fascinating insight into the meticulous craft of acting and the invisible work that audiences rarely get to see.

Finally, Tony's bingo machine lands on 179 – Cruelty and Ethics. What begins as a discussion about morality soon develops into a thoughtful conversation about politics, empathy and the responsibilities of artists in an increasingly polarised world. Paul reflects on his father's upbringing and the beliefs it instilled, while considering how today's cultural climate affects actors and the stories they're able to tell. We also celebrate his recent collaboration with the legendary Russell T Davies, asking whether drama still has the power to challenge prejudice, change minds and make us look at one another with greater compassion.

Then it's back to the Presidential Shed, where William Blake is still providing the poetry, nobody has successfully engineered a flat-pack bookcase, and the bingo machine is quietly contemplating the meaning of existence.

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive

Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Paul's Threads: @paul.carmichael.1213

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

© Fanfaronade Productions 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? This week's guest President is the wonderful Liza Goddard, one of Britain's most beloved actresses, whose remarkable career has spanned more than six decades, from Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and Take Three Girls to the stage, television and beyond.

So pull on your walking boots and join us for another ramble as President Goddard guides us through three destinations selected entirely at random by Tony's enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the reassuringly omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry keeps watch while the rest of us happily lose our way.

Our first destination is 909 – World History. Liza's love of history stretches right back to her school days, with the Vikings and Romans holding a particular fascination—perhaps unsurprising for someone whose family can trace its ancestry back to William the Conqueror. But her own history is every bit as compelling. We celebrate her father, the pioneering television producer David Goddard, whose work at the very dawn of television led to one unforgettable childhood moment when a young Liza found herself sitting on Jesus's knee during a live broadcast. Before long we're discussing Take Three Girls, the BBC's groundbreaking first colour drama series and the first to centre on three young women, issuing Gaelic curses from the stage, and heading to Australia when David became Head of Drama at ABC. Which naturally raises the question everyone has wanted answered for years... what was it really like working with Skippy the Bush Kangaroo? And how did an ambition to travel to Siberia ultimately bring Liza back to Britain?

Next, the machine offers 719 – Natural Landscapes. Growing up surrounded by woodland gave Liza a lifelong love of the natural world, and the conversation soon embraces everything from birds and the effects of climate change to the challenges posed by vast new data centres. Artificial intelligence may concern our ramblers, but Liza remains convinced that nothing will ever replace the magic of live theatre. Along the way we celebrate the intelligence of horses, the unconditional love of dogs, and discover why a life spent close to nature has always appealed far more than the trappings of celebrity.

Finally, Tony's bingo machine lands on 104 – Not Assigned, giving our ramblers licence to wander wherever curiosity takes them. Philosophy somehow leads us to Give Us A Clue, where the truth behind Lionel Blair's legendary death stare is finally revealed. Before long we're considering whether Monopoly was secretly designed to destabilise capitalism, discovering a surprisingly gripping board game about managing a haulage company, and asking what Liza really looks for in a script. How do you bring a fresh perspective to a well-loved character? And how do you make an audience believe every word when you're acting opposite... a rubber monster in Doctor Who?

Then it's back to the Presidential Shed, where the birds are singing, the dogs are waiting patiently for a walk, and nobody is quite brave enough to challenge Skippy to a game of charades.

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive

Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Liza's Instagram: lizagoddardofficial

Paul's Threads: @paul.carmichael.1213

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

© Fanfaronade Productions 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? This week, Tony Slattery's enchanted bingo machine has escaped the Presidential Shed and rolled all the way to New Brighton for a very special live edition of Tony Slattery's Rambling Club.

Joining Allan and Paul are TWO guest Presidents: Roland Rivron, actor, comedian, musician and one of Britain's great raconteurs, and fellow adventurer James Payton, actor, broadcaster and writer, whose encyclopaedic knowledge of theatre and television is matched only by his willingness to follow the conversation absolutely anywhere.

With Sir Stephen Fry once again guiding proceedings, it's time to pull on your gloves and see where the bingo machine takes us...

First up is 443 – Dictionaries of Standard French. One member of the Club admits to cheating in their GCSE French exam... and still failing. Along the way, an outbreak of jazz drumming prompts an unexpected cheer from the audience before everyone reluctantly accepts that foreign languages may not be the group's strongest suit.

Next comes 872 – Latin Dramatic Poetry and Drama. We begin by enthusiastically preparing to slit a goat's throat before discovering that this isn't actually what "Latin drama" means at all. Thankfully, the conversation soon wanders into much more familiar territory... namely the curious etiquette of urinating in your own trousers.

Finally, 351 – Public Administration somehow leads us to Russian meerkats, inquisitive ferrets and an important discussion about what should—and definitely shouldn't—go down your trousers. How did we get there? That's the joy of a free-associating ramble.

And then it's back to the Presidential Shed... assuming anyone can remember the way.

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive

Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

© Fanfaronade Productions 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? This week's guest President is Michael Greco; actor, football fanatic and forever remembered by millions as EastEnders' charismatic Beppe di Marco. Tony's enchanted bingo machine is on particularly fine form this week, sending our ramblers on a journey that encompasses dreams, Italy, criminal law and one or two stories that were probably never meant to be told.

So pull on your gloves and join us for another ramble as Sir Stephen Fry's reassuringly omniscient voice guides us through three entirely unpredictable destinations.

Our first stop is 135 – Dreams. Michael has one recurring dream that sounds like heaven for any football fan: pulling on the famous blue shirt of Chelsea. Sadly, the dream rarely goes according to plan. Football has always been a huge part of Michael's life and, remarkably, he even played against the legendary Diego Maradona at Old Trafford in front of 75,000 people. But how did life steer him towards the Guildford School of Acting instead? Along the way we discover how a performance by a certain Tony Slattery inspired him to pursue acting, and the unforgettable feeling of receiving that first pay cheque. We also explore how EastEnders unexpectedly brought Michael into contact with an Oscar-winning director, his latest project alongside the phenomenal 50 Cent, and whether theatre, television or film truly feels like home. His recent appearance in Twelve Angry Men may just provide the answer.

Our next destination is 479 – Other Italic Languages, which turns out to be wonderfully apt. With parents and grandparents from Italy, Michael reflects warmly on his family's heritage and his regret that he no longer speaks Italian as fluently as he once did. The conversation becomes a celebration of family, identity and the Mediterranean way of life. From Sicily and sunshine to olive oil, walking, fresh food and abandoning the dreaded beige diet, our ramblers happily embrace everything that makes Italian culture so enduringly appealing. We also discover how the discipline instilled during Michael's training at the Guildford School of Acting continues to shape his professional and personal life—and why, on occasion, being spat at on stage can actually be a compliment to everyone's craftsmanship.

Finally, Tony's bingo machine delivers

345 – Criminal Law. We begin with some of Britain's more gloriously absurd laws, including the curious prohibition on handling salmon under suspicious circumstances. Before long, however, the conversation turns to policing of a rather different kind, as Michael reflects on playing Detective Beppe di Marco in EastEnders. Would he ever consider returning? Along the way Michael shares memories of working alongside television legends Barbara Windsor and Mike Reid, talks about his time as a professional poker player, and reveals that, impressive though his career has been, his greatest achievement has nothing to do with acting at all. For Michael Greco, nothing comes close to being a father to his two sons.

Then it's back to the Presidential shed, where Chelsea are apparently winning the league, the olive oil is flowing freely, and nobody is brave enough to pick up a suspicious salmon.

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive

Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Michael's Instagram: thegrecs 

Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

© Fanfaronade Productions 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? This week's guest President is Thorsten Nickel, actor, martial artist and one of those performers whose career has taken him to some truly unexpected places. Born in Germany before forging a career in Hong Kong action cinema, Thorsten has shared the screen with the likes of Jackie Chan in the movie spectacular Thunderbolt and built a remarkable life that spans continents, cultures and more than a few spectacular fight scenes.

So pull on your gloves and join us for another ramble as President Nickel guides us through three destinations selected entirely at random by Tony's enchanted bingo machine. As ever, the reassuringly omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry keeps watch while the rest of us happily lose our way.

Our first destination is 005: Computer Programming. Was the world really better before the internet? Are our ramblers simply becoming unapologetic Luddites? Before long we're discussing artificial intelligence, deepfakes and whether we can trust anything we see on a screen anymore. Fortunately, Thorsten is able to steer us back towards happier digital memories, recalling his involvement in the 1995 video game Jackie Chan in Fists of Fire, created during his years working in Hong Kong alongside one of cinema's greatest action stars. Computers, it seems, aren't all bad after all.

Next, the machine offers 355: Military Science. Paul and Allan confess that, as thoroughly artistic souls, military matters are somewhat beyond their expertise. Luckily, President Nickel knows rather more. Before embarking on his acting career, Thorsten completed his national service with the German Air Force, serving in a rocket defence battalion. It's a world far removed from film sets and television studios, and provides a fascinating glimpse into a chapter of his life that eventually led him from Germany to London, and ultimately to the Hong Kong film industry.

Our third and final destination is 393: Death Customs. Every culture has its own rituals surrounding life, death and remembrance, and what begins as a conversation about tradition soon develops into something altogether more thoughtful. Together the ramblers reflect on grief, memory, faith and the nature of God, proving once again that the most unexpected numbers often lead to the most rewarding conversations.

And then it's back to the Presidential shed, where the bingo machine is behaving itself for once, nobody has challenged Jackie Chan to a fight, and artificial intelligence has, mercifully, failed to replace the kettle.

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive

Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

© Fanfaronade Productions 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? This week’s guest President is the wonderful Karen Ford — actor, writer and director, perhaps best remembered by millions as art teacher Miss Booth in Grange Hill, but with a career that has embraced theatre, television and film in equal measure. As ever, Tony’s enchanted bingo machine has no idea who our guest is… and somehow knows exactly where to take us.

So pull on your wellies and join us for another ramble as President Ford guides us through three destinations selected entirely at random. Above it all, the reassuringly omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry keeps watch while the rest of us wander happily off the beaten track.

Our first destination is 819: Not Used (818 – Writings, Miscellaneous). A gift for any actor. Karen takes us back to childhood, when her father first introduced her to Shakespeare through Charles and Mary Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare, igniting a lifelong love of the Bard. We follow that thread through one of her earliest roles as Juliet, discussing how actors discover character, what separates a good script from a great one, and why precious rehearsal time has become such a rarity in modern television. Fond memories of the legendary Acton Hilton rehearsal rooms follow before we arrive in the present day with Karen’s acclaimed new play, All of Them Dead (TICKET LINK BELOW!), and ask the question that concerns everyone who loves live performance: how do we restore theatre to the heart of our cultural life?

Next, the bingo machine presents 922: Travel and Geography of Europe. Naturally, we leave Europe almost immediately. Instead, we head for Japan, where Karen toured with Macbeth, before one delightfully tenuous conversational leap lands us at the White House. Somehow, this becomes the gateway to Britain’s most famous comprehensive school: Grange Hill. Karen reflects on seven memorable years playing Miss Booth, revisiting the programme’s groundbreaking storylines, including Zammo Maguire’s heroin addiction and the unforgettable “Just Say No” campaign. We also celebrate the joy—and occasional unpredictability—of working alongside young actors, remember the magnificent Michael Sheard as the fearsome Mr Bronson, and lament the passing of the days when television brought the entire nation together around a shared story.

Our third and final destination is 132: Not Assigned (133 – Parapsychology). Theatre has always been rich in myths, rituals and superstitions. Never utter the name of the Scottish play. Never whistle backstage. And whatever you do, don’t leave knitting needles in the wings. Karen shares some of the rituals that have accompanied her throughout her career, before reflecting on a life spent performing across stage and screen. Is it possible to choose a favourite medium after such a varied and distinguished career? The answer, as with so much in the Rambling Club, proves rather more interesting than the question itself.

And then it’s back to the Presidential shed, where the props have all been accounted for, nobody has tempted fate backstage, and the bingo machine is already plotting next week’s adventure.

TICKETS TO KAREN'S SHOW----> www.linktr.ee/everybodypanic

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks!

www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive

Official Website- www.tonyslattery.com

Twitter/X: @SlatteryLive

Instagram: tony_slattery_official

BlueSky: @ramblingclub

Paul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelV

Paul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk

© Fanfaronade Productions 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? This week's guest President is the marvellously inquisitive Robin Ince — comedian, broadcaster, author and co-host of the hugely successful The Infinite Monkey Cage. Robin returns to the Presidential shed armed with an insatiable curiosity and the sort of mind that delights in asking impossible questions before wandering happily off in search of even stranger answers.

So pull on your gloves and join us for another ramble as President Ince guides us through three destinations selected entirely at random by Tony's enchanted bingo machine. Above it all, the reassuringly omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry keeps watch while the rest of us attempt to keep pace.

Our first destination is 121: Epistemology – The Theory of Knowledge. A gentle way to begin. Should we spend our lives theorising about knowledge, or simply acquire it for the sheer joy of doing so? Before long we're blagging our way through a wine tasting, discovering why Coca-Cola appears to light up the brain in extraordinary ways, and pondering how something can be both a myth and simultaneously true. William Blake joins the conversation, as does the surprising revelation that horse riding may be considerably more dangerous than recreational drugs... and, under the right circumstances, can even persuade you to resign from your job.

Next, the machine presents 464: Not Assigned (Formerly Spanish Dictionaries and Grammar). Remarkably, none of the ramblers have ever been to Spain... until two of them suddenly remember that they have. This happy confusion allows us to revisit the gloriously ill-fated BBC soap Eldorado before wandering into tales of a cathedral whose architect met an unfortunate end at the hands of his own creation. Along the way we ask whether Christianity owes more than a passing debt to hallucinogenic mushrooms, leaf through The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, and somehow uncover Franz Kafka's alleged collection of pornography.

Our third and final stop is 417: Dialectology and Historical Linguistics. Wilfred Pickles gets the ball rolling before we discover why modern American English may actually be closer to Elizabethan speech than many realise. We also learn why people from Tokyo often think everyone in Britain sounds like Chaucer, and finally tackle one of civilisation's great unanswered questions: precisely how much money does it take for your chicken to become a fish?

And then it's back to the Presidential shed, where the dictionary remains open, the bingo machine insists it knew exactly what it was doing all along, and knowledge—useful or otherwise—has once again increased considerably.

Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear

Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell

The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley

www.michaellivesley.com

Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson

Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris

Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson

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