What I Love – Details, episodes & analysis

Celebrated actress Jessie Buckley meets with Ian Rickson on the stage of her local theatre, the Hackney Empire in East London, to discuss her fascinating cultural inspirations: a stunning rendition of the contemporary Georgian Christmas song ’Tsiskris Alilo’ by vocal group Ensemble Basiani, which Jessie stumbled across on social media; Leox Carax’s wild Parisian love story ‘Les Amants du Pont-Neuf’, starring Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant; and the mysticism and mythology in WB Yeats’ masterful sonnet, ‘Leda and the Swan’.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Tsiskris Alilo’ by Vakhtang Kakhidze, as performed by Ensemble Basiani on the YouTube channel Chelo Brat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnpV-nEhnE0)

‘Les Amants du Pont-Neuf’ - dir. Leos Carax; prod. by Films A2, Gaumont International and Les Film Christian Fechner

‘Leda and the Swan’ by WB Yeats

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On the stage of the Hackney Empire in East London, Ian Rickson and folk musician and actor Johnny Flynn discuss the cultural highlights that bring Johnny inspiration: D. A. Pennebaker’s seminal documentary ‘Don't Look Back’, which charts Bob Dylan’s 1965 concert tour of England; Alice Oswald’s epic poem ‘Dart’, which tells the sprawling stories of people who live and work on the River Dart in Devon; and Sandy Denny’s soulful and beautiful folk ballad, ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Don't Look Back’ - dir. D. A. Pennebaker; prod. Leacock-Pennebaker

‘Dart’ by Alice Oswald, published by Faber & Faber

‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’ by Sandy Denny, as performed by Fairport Convention (Island Records)

The episode also features a clip from Johnny's song 'The Water', performed by Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling (Transgressive Records)

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Comedian, actor and, latterly, life-guru Russell Brand meets with host Ian Rickson on the stage of his local arts centre, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead. Russell's cultural choices include the film of seminal stand-up Bill Hicks’ blistering stage show ‘Revelations’; Oscar Wilde’s 19th century fable ‘The Selfish Giant’, which offers up salvation through childhood innocence; and the nostalgic longing of Kazumi Nikaido’s song ‘When I Remember This Life’ from the Studio Ghibli film ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Revelations’ written and performed by Bill Hicks; dir. Chris Bould; prod. Tiger Aspect Productions

‘The Selfish Giant’ by Oscar Wilde

‘When I Remember This Life’ by Kazumi Nikaido, from the original soundtrack to the film 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya' (Tokuma Japan Communications/Studio Ghibli Records)

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Bafta-winning and Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor meets Ian Rickson on the empty locked-down stage of the Young Vic theatre in London in July 2020. They discuss the deep resonance of Michael Kiwanuka’s soulful song ‘Love & Hate’; Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1970 expressionist political drama ‘Il Conformista’, a film which profoundly altered Chiwetel’s relationship with cinema, and inspired him in making his own directorial debut; and Leonard Cohen’s haunting, wise and romantic poem ‘Recitation’.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Love & Hate’, by Michael Kiwanuka (Polydor)

‘Il Conformista’ - dir. Bernardo Bertolucci; prod. Mars Film, Marianne Productions and Maran Films

‘Recitation’ by Leonard Cohen as read on his album 'Live In London' on Columbia Records

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Sat on the set of the lockdown-paused production of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ in London’s West End, Ian Rickson meets with international theatre producer, Sonia Friedman in September 2020. After discussing the devastation and uncertainty the pandemic has wrought on the theatre world, including the premature closure of their production of ‘Uncle Vanya’, they consider Sonia's choices: the song ‘The Golden Days’ written for and performed by her sister Maria Friedman, which illuminates memories of their family history; the psychological insight of Disney-Pixar film ‘Inside Out'; and Kathleen Raine’s rich and meditative poem ‘Change’.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. This episode was recorded by James Hingley at the Palace Theatre, London. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘The Golden Days’ by Maria Friedman (Carlton Sounds Records)

‘Inside Out’ – dir. Pete Docter; prod. Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios

‘Change’ by Kathleen Raine, first published by the Temenos Review

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The Young Vic theatre, London, August 2020. On the stage where she was due to take on the role of Hamlet before lockdown intervened, actress Cush Jumbo discusses her three cultural highlights with host Ian Rickson. These include the transcendent nature - and the producer’s health and safety headache - of classic musical ‘Singin’ in the Rain’; the comfort Cush finds in Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 60’; and the stripped-down power of ‘Redemption Song’ by Bob Marley. More details follow below.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Singin’ in the Rain’ – dir. Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen; prod. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

‘Sonnet 60’ by William Shakespeare

‘Redemption Song’ by Bob Marley (Island Records)

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On the darkened stage of the locked-down Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End, Ian Rickson meets with Bafta and Golden Globe-winning actor Ben Whishaw, in July 2020. They discuss pioneering American independent director John Cassavetes’ 1984 film ‘Love Streams’; Joy Williams’ moving and mysterious short story ‘Chaunt’; and the solace offered to teenage Ben within the original and demo versions of 'The Garden' by PJ Harvey. More details follow below.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Love Streams’ – dir. John Cassavetes; prod. Cannon Films

‘Chaunt’ by Joy Williams, first published in the New Yorker (www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/12/10/chaunt)

'The Garden - demo' by PJ Harvey (Island Records)

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Celebrated poet, spoken word performer, writer and recording artist, Kae Tempest – winner of the Ted Hughes Award, and double Mercury Prize nominee – meets with Ian Rickson on the stage of the locked down Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End in July 2020.

Kae’s choices include the sports documentary series charting Michael Jordan’s tenure with the Chicago Bulls, ‘The Last Dance’; the soulful baroque pop of ‘Four Ethers’ by serpentwithfeet; and William Blake’s 18th century Romantic masterpiece ‘The Marriage of Heaven and Hell’. More details follow below.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘The Last Dance’- dir. James Hehir; prod. ESPN Films and Netflix

‘Four Ethers’ by serpentwithfeet (Tri-Angle Records)

‘The Marriage of Heaven and Hell’ by William Blake

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Created and hosted by Ian Rickson, one of British theatre’s most celebrated directors, What I Love is a series of intimate conversations with actors, writers, comedians, and producers, conducted on the empty stages of some of Britain’s most iconic theatres, shut down due to the pandemic. Against this backdrop of isolation and loss, guests explore what matters most to them through sharing three cultural highlights: a cherished piece of writing, a memorable song and a favourite film.

Guests in series one include Kae Tempest, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cush Jumbo, Ben Whishaw, Sonia Friedman, Russell Brand, Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn. These episodes were recorded by James Hingley and photographed by Helen Murray at the Harold Pinter Theatre, the Young Vic Theatre, the Palace Theatre and the Hackney Empire in London and Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead.

Series theme music by PJ Harvey. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

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