Ivan looks back at previous discussions with a variety of guests and picks out the things which they think should be less well known. Foregoing the normal positivity, guests rant, complain and moan about famous people, books, television shows, sports, ideas and 90s dances which they find deeply tiresome. The guests and topics are:
Matthew Rice discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.
Matthew Rice paints, writes and runs courses in the summer which utilise his garden, which is the focus of the rest of his time. Over his career he has published 11 books on architecture, designed many millions of mugs for the business he ran with his then wife Emma Bridgewater, and illustrated for Country Life magazine. His interests in architecture have led to a series of charity roles in that area. Matthew grew up in a household of designers and now lives in Oxfordshire where he paints and writes.
Matthew Rice, educated at Bedales, studied painting and theatre design at Chelsea and Central Schools of Art, is an honorary doctor of Keele and Staffordshire Universities and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Matthew has four children and one grandson.
During the summer, Matthew runs a variety of painting and gardening courses in addition to opening his garden at his home in west Oxfordshire. Further details are available at www.matthewricewatercolours.co.uk.
His 2024 courses include:
Tuesday 30th April – Vegetable & Cut Flower Growing Course
Wednesday 15th & Thursday 16th May – Botanical Drawing Course
Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th May – Sketchbook Course
Wednesday 5th & Thursday 6th June – Sketchbook Course
Wednesday 19th & Thursday 20th June – Botanical Drawing Curse
Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th July – Architectural Drawing Course
His 2024 Open Garden dates are: Sunday 2nd June, Sunday 21st July an Sunday 8th September.
Richard Mills discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.
Dr Richard Mills is Associate Professor in English Literature and Popular Culture at St Mary’s University, London. He has been programme director for the Film and Popular Culture, Cultural Studies and Irish Studies degrees. He has published extensively on popular music, Irish literature and culture, film, fashion and British television. Mills is the author of The Beatles and Fandom: Sex, Death and Progressive Nostalgia (Bloomsbury 2019). He is co-editor of Mad Dogs and Englishness (Bloomsbury 2017) and The Beatles and Humour (Bloomsbury 2023). He is author of the forthcoming The Beatles and Black Music: Post-colonial Theory, Musicology and Remix Culture (Bloomsbury 2024) Richard is a regular contributor to BBC4’s Last Word, Sky News, RTE, Portobello Radio and BBC Live and serves on the editorial board of The Journal of Beatles Studies.
Noreen Masud discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.
Noreen Masud is a Lecturer in Twentieth Century Literature at the University of Bristol, and an AHRC/BBC New Generation Thinker 2020. Her first book for non-academic audiences is A Flat Place (2023): a memoir-travelogue about the beauty of flat places, and how they might help us relate to each other.
Bob Cryer discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.
Bob Cryer is an actor and writer best known for Coronation Street and Hollyoakes. He is the youngest child of Barry Cryer. He collaborated with his father on Barry’s book of anecdotes, Butterfly Brain, in 2010. Shortly afterwards, they created the book series Mrs Hudson’s Diaries, which was adapted into a play for Wilton’s Music Hall. Mrs Hudson’s Radio Show soon followed for Radio 4 in 2018. Their joint podcast, Now Where Were We?, launched just before Barry’s death in January 2022. Bob’s new book is Barry Cryer: Same Time Tomorrow?: The Life and Laughs of a Comedy Legend.
Martin Knight discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.
Martin Knight is a British author. He has written autobiographies with footballers George Best, Dave Mackay, Peter Osgood and Charlie Cooke also Alan Longmuir founder member of the Bay City Rollers.
In addition he has authored true crime titles and novels. His latest book Justice Killer was released in November 2023. His collaboration with ex-criminal Ronnie Field Nefarious will be published by Harper Collins in 2024.
To mark the 300th episode of Better Known, actor Henry Lewis discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.
Henry Lewis is a power house creative: writer, actor, director and puzzle genius. He is the Artistic Director of Mischief and writes, produces and performs for the company. His work with Mischief includes: The Play that Goes Wrong (Broadway, West End, UK & International Tours), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (BBC1, West End & UK Tours), The Comedy About A Bank Robbery (West End & UK Tour), The Goes Wrong Show (BBC1 & Amazon), Magic Goes Wrong (created with magicians Penn & Teller, West End), Groan Ups (West End), Mischief Movie Night (West End & UK Tour). Henry’s work has earned him five Olivier Nominations including a win for Best New Comedy for The Play that Goes Wrong, and his writing has been performed in over thirty countries worldwide. His new book is The Museum Heist. He is currently performing in the Mind Mangler: A Night of Tragic Illusion in New York.
Lucy Eaton discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.
Lucy Eaton’s theatre credits include: The Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic), A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Trafalgar Studios), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Donmar Warehouse), A Midsummer Night’s Dream(Southwark Playhouse), Daisy Pulls it Off(Park Theatre), Khadija is 18 (Finborough Theatre) and Almost, Maine (Park Theatre).
TV credits include BBC1’s lockdown smash comedy Staged, alongside David Tennant and Michael Sheen, and Netflix US’ Murder Maps.
Alongside her acting, Lucy co-runs Go People, a production company specialising in uplifting escapism on an intimate scale. She is also Founding Director of Revels in Hand, an internationally renowned luxury events service that offers world class theatre productions in clients’ private homes. Revels in Hand has been featured in Tatler, The Guardian, Forbes, The Telegraph and Vogue. She hosts the Hear Me Out podcast.
Leah Morgan discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known.
Leah Morgan is a project engineer and science communicator working in fusion energy research. She makes science and engineering videos on her YouTube channel Leah Morgan and gives talks all about the energy of the future! You can find her at www.leahmorgan.co.uk and on TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram @LeahLoveScience.
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