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This week’s guest President is the wonderfully entertaining Guy Siner. A ctor, raconteur, accidental international man of mystery and, of course, the man who brought Lieutenant Gruber magnificently to life in ’Allo ’Allo! Once safely installed, Tony’s enchanted bingo machine does its usual work, conjuring three numbers from the Dewey Decimal System and sending us off into the great outdoors. And our first destination is… 213 — Creation What do you believe happens when all of this begins? Guy was brought up as a Christian, confirmed at eleven so that he could become a godfather, but eventually arrived at a rather more humanist philosophy: we are here, we have been created somehow, and while we are here we might as well enjoy ourselves. That leads us into faith, atheism, the emotional nature of belief, and whether you can ever actually argue somebody into or out of faith. It also leads, inevitably, to Guy’s considerable love of the natural world. Animals, trees, meadows, landscapes and the simple pleasure of being alive all feature prominently although, as Guy cheerfully admits, he loves animals rather more than he loves people. There is also the small matter of cats. 379 — Educational Policy Our second number gives us an excuse to go back to the beginning. Guy is Anglo-American, born in New York to an American father and English mother, before being brought back to England at the age of five and educated here. That experience of belonging simultaneously to two countries and, in a sense, to neither of them completely. is one of the fascinating threads running through his story. From there we arrive at the extraordinary training ground that was the old repertory system. After drama school, Guy was sent away to learn his trade and, in just thirteen months, appeared in twenty-two plays. Drama, comedy, musicals, old men, young men, singing, dancing- the lot. It was an apprenticeship in the fullest sense, and Guy is passionate about what that kind of training taught him: that everybody in a theatre or studio matters. The actor cannot do their job if the person operating the cable cannot do theirs. 940 — History of Europe And now, surely, we must talk about Europe. There is Doctor Who, where a young Guy Siner terrified a generation as General Raven. There is his extraordinary work in television and film. There is That’s My Bush!, where he discovered that the supposedly German dialogue had been translated into complete gibberish and decided, brilliantly, that the best thing to do was simply perform the nonsense exactly as written. And then, of course, there is ’Allo ’Allo! Guy takes us behind the scenes of one of Britain’s most beloved sitcoms, explaining why the writing of David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd was so extraordinarily precise, why the cast worked so well together, and why the programme could make virtually everyone the butt of the joke without giving anybody the moral high ground. Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear With their special guest President Guy Siner and Sir Stephen Fry as the voice of the Bingo Machine. Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley www.michaellivesley.com Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael 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! 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 magnificent David Schofield and after a brief encounter with darts, Yorkshire tea and a suspicious-looking path through the shed, the enchanted bingo machine sends us off into the great outdoors once again. Our first destination is 324 — Political Processes, which turns out to be a surprisingly good place to begin. Does an actor have to be political? David thinks not. His job, he tells us, is to interpret the writer and director, even when the character’s views are entirely opposed to his own. We wander through Valkyrie, Our Friends in the North, corrupt policemen, the responsibilities of an actor and the dangers of being told, particularly on social media, what you ought to think. But politics also takes us back to David’s childhood in Wythenshawe, and to his father, a committed socialist who worked on the railways and found his political convictions in a very simple realisation: being ordered to stand on a mat so that his working boots didn’t mark the boss’s carpet was, quite simply, wrong. Then the machine gives us 470 — Latin and Classical Languages, which provides our rather tenuous but entirely legitimate route from Rome to Julius Caesar, Shakespeare and the Royal Shakespeare Company. David talks about iambic pentameter, the extraordinary musicality of Shakespeare’s language and the way the rhythm itself can carry an actor through a speech. We hear about his love of Henry V, Michael Bryant’s extraordinary ability to make pentameter sound like ordinary speech, and the strange magic of knowing that Shakespearean text can remain lodged in the memory for decades. Finally, the machine produces 024 — General Reference Works, Libraries and Books, and we find ourselves talking about acting itself. David remembers the extraordinary Michael Bryant, the dangers of trying to “show” the audience how much acting you are doing, and the importance of remembering that the audience is paying to feel something, rather than simply watch an actor feeling it. There is room for Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard, Pirates of the Caribbean, the difference between theatre and enormous Hollywood productions, and David’s feeling that the industry has perhaps become rather too serious about itself. And then, back in the shed, comes perhaps the most revealing moment of all. Asked whether his extraordinary career turned out as he expected, David remembers the advice of his first proper agent, who asked what he wanted from acting. He could have said fame, money or stardom. Instead, he said he wanted to make a living out of it for the rest of his working life. Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear With their special guest President David Schofield and Sir Stephen Fry as the voice of the Bingo Machine. Music composed and performed by Michael Livesley & Andy Frizell The voice of Pwfthhh- Michael Livesley www.michaellivesley.com Series Researcher- Soula Carmichael 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! 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 actor, director and writer Paul Clayton, and the enchanted bingo machine has once again decided that our ramble should take us somewhere we really weren’t expecting. Paul joins us in the great outdoors, where our first destination is 396 — formerly used classifications relating to women’s position and treatment, now part of the great Dewey wilderness of customs and etiquette. And this turns out to be rather a good place to begin, because Paul has some very definite thoughts about manners, politeness and the little customs that help us navigate the world. From the wonderfully theatrical tradition of hearing “Mr Clayton, standby” over the tannoy, to the lost art of saying thank you without immediately being asked to complete twenty-seven boxes about your customer experience, we find ourselves considering whether modern life has given us rather too much access to one another. And then Paul reveals that his own childhood was rather extraordinary. He was adopted as a baby, and grew up in a family-run village shop in Thrybergh, South Yorkshire. His memories of life behind the counter are wonderfully vivid: miners arriving after the night shift, customers sitting down for a chat, his father becoming mortified when women asked for sanitary products, and Paul himself hiding in the shop window to be admired by passing customers. It seems that a lifelong fascination with people, characters and human behaviour may have begun right there. Next, the bingo machine transports us to 355 — Military Science, specifically siege warfare. Cue battering rams, trebuchets, petards and exploding livestock, before we discover that Paul’s remarkably detailed knowledge of siege engines comes largely from playing Worms on the PlayStation. Which is as good a reason as any to discuss one of the most important theatrical connections in Paul’s life: Tony Slattery. Paul directed Tony in Privates on Parade, having first encountered the play as an actor himself. He tells us about Tony becoming Carmen Miranda for the publicity photographs, the chaos and joy of rehearsals, Tony’s return to the stage after the Olivier Awards controversy, touring with the production — and the extraordinary generosity he showed towards the young actors around him. It is a particularly lovely recollection of Tony: mischievous, funny, occasionally difficult, but fundamentally generous. Finally, the machine produces 024 — general reference works, libraries and books. This leads us into Paul’s life as a writer, his dislike of suspense, his love of Pinter and Orton, the importance of simply allowing great writing to do its work, and his belief that “the art is in the hiding of the art.” We discover how voice-activated software rescued him from his hatred of typing and illegible directing notes, and how he has gone on to write books, thrillers and his forthcoming autobiography. And then, having wandered through village shops, social etiquette, siege warfare, Tony Slattery, theatre, writing and exploding cows, it is time to find our way back to the shed. Presented by Paul Carmichael & Allan Lear With their special guest President Paul Clayton and Sir Stephen Fry as the voice of the Bingo Machine. 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! 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.

The Rambling Shed has gone on holiday this week before the last of the good weather departs. In the meantime, please enjoy this classic episode starring Nigel Planer and our late President, Tony Slattery. Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club is a free-associating conversation, involving very special guests. It drops every Friday on every podcasting outlet known to man. We’d love it if you came along for the walk. If nothing else, it’ll help you get your steps in! 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 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 Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk Mark's Instagram: @HuskyFusky Why not check out our sister podcast Nice Things, the antidote to modern living. Available now, wherever you found The Rambling Club! © Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a thump and a grinding of gears, Tony's magic bingo machine has kicked back into action. Yes, normal service has finally been resumed at the Presidential Shed, and, as if to make up for lost weeks, it's a double guest episode today. Alternative comedy icon Rowland Rivron and actor Jess Mann have both vaulted the outer keep and made their way inside the shed, just in time to go a-rambling. And it's just as well we have four heads as the bingo machine is in a particularly brain-stretching mode today. The first number is the distinctly cerebral 221.32: Specific Subdivisions for Historical or Geographical Narratives Within the Old Testament. Straight into the good stuff! We delve into the religious upbringing of our guests, mull the higher matters, and ponder the question of why Paul keeps finding himself in a wicker statue full of candles. But there's no time to castigate Paul for his pagan idolatory! The bingo machine moves us on to 843: French Fiction. Our idiots four can barely read, let alone master the belles lettres of la belle France. We swerve onto safer intellectual ground immediately, wavering through musicals to Adrian Mole and finding time to share stories of the much-missed Rik Mayall. Both our special guests worked with that comedy legend and one of them even lived with him, but maybe not the one you think. Then we stagger on to 334: Cooperatives. Does the bingo machine mean the economic model or the supermarket? We know which one we're more comfortable chatting about - and it's neither of them, it's funerals, graves, death and other hilarious matters. Come and join us for a conversation that covers a lot of ground, in such a wafer-thin layer than you might finish it thinking you've learned nothing at all... 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   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.

The emergency continues. Owing largely to the fact that Paul insists the Presidential Garden Shed contains no technology newer than a black and white Magnavox television with a three-inch screen, plus a water-powered radiogram, once again we find ourselves without a shiny new episode this week. However, Paul and Allan are still joined by the ever-welcome Mark Hutchinson, Tony Slattery's partner for almost forty years. This is another of our Patreon-exclusive conversations, in which our patrons provide the Dewey numbers. Wendy Slattery (no relation) starts us off with a bid of 636: Animal Husbandry. Much appreciated, I'm sure. Paul regales us with tales of his animal hostel and Mark reintroduces us to Molly the Wondercat before Allan relives some childhood trauma. One hopes there is a psychiatrist on call this evening. Blue Peter rears its cobwebby head with its elderly dogs from the olden days, and we think of happier days in Edinburgh with Tony. Paul also has some reproductive tales for us - his own and other animals'. Wendy also asks us how Mark spends his days now he's up on the sunny Wirral with all the nice people, so we get some personal insight as well as more memories of lovely Tony and we engage in some fantasy casting as well as talking about the fabled documentary What's the Matter with Tony Slattery?. Next, the mysteriously mononymous Rachel asks us to take a point at topic 191: Modern Western Philosophy of the United States and Canada. Are there any two nations who enjoy a closer bond than the US and Canada? Apart from maybe North and South Korea, or England and France, or literally any two nations at all. We enjoy a good moan about America, Allan forgets what languages the Canadians speak (dolt), and we sympathise with Americans for their current plight. Probably none of us are getting through US immigration again any time soon, but nevertheless let's draw a hasty veil over that one. Then Rachel redeems herself with a super question about theatre and theatres. More memories, and the lovely Kiki Dee makes an appearance. Digressions digress. Tangents tange. Rambling occurs. And we hope you've enjoyed this further emergency gibberish Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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! 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.

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! 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 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.