LLC Commemorates VJ Day – War Season - Episode Three

Following on from our second episode ‘LLC Commemorates the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day’ released in August 2020, Episode Three also features spoken extracts from 'The Fighting Cock Being the History of the 23rd Indian Division 1942-1947' by Lieut-Colonel A.J.F. Doulton. The terrible plight of the refugees is described.

 

Podcast editor: Wendy Morgan.

The following music is used in the intro and outro:

INTRO: Bach Cello Suite played by Pablo Casals.

OUTRO: The Last Post played by Corporal Matthew Creek of the Royal Military College Band. Australia.

  

Additional music included is:

Sergeant Alen Bell - 2 tin whistles

Sad War Music Volume II - Only The Dead Have Seen The End Of War

 

Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and visit The Live Literature Company website.

Celebrating Companionship with LLC – Episode 6

Valerie is delighted to release the sixth and final episode of The Live Literature Company’s latest podcast series ‘Celebrating Companionship’.

 

 

In this episode you can hear Victoria Jeffrey talking about her personal companionship with her dog, Alfie. She also talks about her experiences of grief, life during lock down, and how important her companion Alfie has been in these difficult times.

 

 

Podcast editor: Wendy Morgan.

 

 

The piece of music used in the intro/outro for this podcast is BACH CELLO SUITE No.1 G Major, Prelude played by Cooper Cannell.

 

 

Additional music included is:

Sonny Rollins - Alfies Theme differently - 1966.

Alfie · Dionne Warwick The Dionne Warwick Collection: Her All-Time Greatest Hits ℗ 1967 Scepter Records Producer: Burt Bacharach Producer: Hal David Composer: Burt Bacharach Composer: Hal David.

The photo of Vicky and Alfie was taken by Valerie Doulton.

 

 

Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and follow us!

Celebrating Companionship with LLC - Episode 5

 Valerie is delighted to release the fifth episode of The Live Literature Company’s latest podcast series ‘Celebrating Companionship’.

 

This episode is focused on the companionship of friendship. Valerie has chosen to celebrate the friendship of one particular dear friend Fiona McCracken, who is no longer alive. She first met Ona when she was a student at the now, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

 

Phyllis Logan will be reading the emails written by Ona and Valerie her own emails, which they both exchanged in the last year and a half of Ona's life.

 

Podcast editor: Wendy Morgan.

 

The piece of music used in the intro/outro for this podcast is BACH CELLO SUITE No.1 G Major, Prelude played by Cooper Cannell.

 

Additional music included is:

Dashing White Sergeant, "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" by Ray Henderson, Sam Lewis and Joe Young; Played by "Two For Tea"  (feat: Wendy Morgan and Heather Simmons), “Alligator Crawl” by Fats Waller; Piano Solo 1935, Allegro by Emmet Fenn, Remembering Her by Esther Abrami and 'Rebel, Rebel' by David Bowie. 

 

The photo of Ona was taken by Simon Annand.

 

Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and follow us!

Celebrating Companionship with Shakespeare’s Sonnets - Part 2

Valerie is delighted to release the fourth episode of The Live Literature Company’s latest podcast series ‘Celebrating Companionship’.

This is the second episode, featuring a choice of Shakespeare's Sonnets as a companion, leading up to and celebrating Shakespeare's birthday near the end of April.

 

Valerie is delighted to be joined by 5 actors, Margo Cargill, Nicholas Farrell, Geraldine James, Freddie Meredith, and Wendy Morgan, who will speak personally about why they have made their sonnet companion choice, before sharing a reading of it with you.

 

Podcast editor: Wendy Morgan.

 

The piece of music used in the intro/outro for this podcast is BACH CELLO SUITE No.1 G Major, Prelude played by Cooper Cannell.

 

Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and follow us!

Celebrating Companionship with Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Valerie is delighted to release the third episode of The Live Literature Company’s latest podcast series ‘Celebrating Companionship’. 

 

The next 2 episodes will be feature a choice of Shakespeare's Sonnets as a companion, leading up to and celebrating Shakespeare's birthday near the end of April. 

 

Valerie is delighted to be joined by 3 actors, Rosie Sheehy, Joshua Finan, and Jonathan Cullen, who will speak personally about why they have made their sonnet companion choice before sharing their speaking of it with you. 

The piece of music used in the outtro for this podcast is called Allegro by Emmit Fenn. 

 

Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and follow us!

 

Celebrating Companionship with LLC - Episode 2

Valerie is delighted to release the second episode of The Live Literature Company’s latest podcast series ‘Celebrating Companionship’.

 

In this episode Valerie talks about her experience as a twin and and directs a voice recording of her prose poem, 'Song of Innocence'. This is an imaginative prose poem about her time in the womb with her twin brother. This is performed by young actors, recent graduates of RADA, Rosie Sheehy and Freddie Meredith.

 

Bach’s Double Violin Concerto will also be played as part of this podcast.

 

Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and follow us!

Celebrating Companionship with LLC - Episode 1

 Valerie is delighted to launch the first episode of Live Literature Company’s latest podcast series ‘Celebrating Companionship’.

In this episode you can hear Wendy Morgan talking about her personal companionships. She also talks about her experience of life during the lock downs and how important her companions have been in these difficult times.

At the end of this podcast Wendy performs her beautiful musical setting of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18. 

Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and follow us!

LLC discusses Beethoven in celebration of his 250th Birth Anniversary

 We are excited to launch the last episode of our Autumn podcast series focusing on Deafness with a transcription. 

This episode focuses on Beethoven for his 250th Birth Anniversary and his own deafness. Valerie is also going to talk about her own personal journey with some of Beethoven’s music.
At the end of this podcast there is a beautiful piano performance by Sam Haywood of the slow movement of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata.

As a companion piece to this podcast, The Live Literature Company is also releasing on YouTube our latest Shakespeare film, ‘Shakespeare’s Kings and Queens’.

Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and follow us!

LLC Talks About Harriet Martineau

We are excited to launch the next episode in our series on Deafness which focuses on Harriet Martineau, a pioneer in social and gender issues. Please have a listen or click here for the transcription. 

If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to subscribe and follow us.

LLC Discusses Deafness with BSL Expert Christina Lambi - Podcast - October 2020

We are excited to re-launch the last episode of our Autumn podcast series focusing on Deafness with a transcription. This features BSL expert, Christina Lambi and LLC's Founder and Artistic Director, Valerie Doulton, and is linked to the re-launch of our film 'Shakespeare & Sign Language' which you can view on YouTube. Please have a listen or click here for the transcription of this podcast.

If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to visit our website and join our membership for the latest company updates and news.

LLC Commemorates the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day with Podcast - August 2020

Following on from our first podcast episode ‘The LLC Celebrates Wales’, we continue our summer season by focusing on the theme of war. Episode Two features spoken extracts from 'The Fighting Cock Being the History of the 23rd Indian Division 1942-1947' by Lieut-Colonel A.J.F. Doulton. Our launch commemorates the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day – 15th August 1945. 

If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to visit our website and join our membership for the latest company updates and news.

LLC Celebrates Wales - Podcast - July 2020

We performed this recital at the Wales Millennium Centre and are sharing it with you now to coincide with the postponed Ceredigion National Eisteddfod 2020. This war piece is structured around the seven parts of David Jones’ In Parenthesis. It is performed by Gregory Cox, Fiona Evans, and Seiriol Tomos; accompanied by Hannah Gill on the piano. It is devised and directed by Valerie Doulton, Artistic Director of The Live Literature Company.

If you like our podcast, we'd love for you to visit our website and join our membership for the latest company updates and news.

Immersive Blake Performance at Tate Exhibition Opening - February 2020

The Live Literature Company were invited by Tate Britain to give the opening performance for their exhibition on William Blake. Val is pictured at the entrance to this wonderful exhibition after LLC's very successful immersive Blake performance at Tate.

Val Pays Tribute to Tagore With a Speech at The India International Centre - December 2019

In December 2019 Val was invited to speak at The India International Centre, Delhi. The title of her talk was 'Tribute to Rabindranath Tagore'. This followed on from staging Tagore's work at The British Library. There was a warm and appreciative audience for her talk. After time in Delhi Val toured North India and spent a magical and profoundly moving time at the Taj Mahal.

Val Visits Oman and the Historical Sites of the Beautiful Emirate - December 2019

Val in front of the Presidential Palace in Oman. On her recent visit there her host in Oman escorted her on fascinating visits to historical sites in this beautiful Emirate.

Val Visits Abu Dhabi on United Arab Emirates National Day - December 2019

The top image is of Val and Fatima Al Taei at the Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, on the United Arab Emirates National Day. The bottom image is of Val watching a tribe in their camel dance at the United Arab Emirates National Day. After the UAE National Day Val had a meeting for The Live Literature Company with the British Council in Dubai. 

Val Flies Down The Mount Everest Range - November 2019

Val with her Australian travelling companions, Amanda and Steph, celebrating flying down the Mount Everest range in Nepal. 

Celebrating The 17th Anniversary Year of The Live Literature Company - March 2019

Party invite for The Seven Dials Club company party.

It was great to welcome so many supporters of LLC to The Seven Dials Club for this party. It was a wonderful celebration evening and everyone had a lot of fun.

Harmage Singh Kalirai from LLC's 'Post Office'
production telling a good joke at the party.

Photographer Simon Annand chatting to Val
at the party.

Colin Challenger, Val's old neighbour from Islington,
chatting to LLC's Executive Director Rachel Hunter.

Guests found the canapes and drinks delicious!

Fiona Evans from LLC's 'David Jones War Poet's Recital' with Hattie
Hayridge of 'Red Dwarf' fame. 

Ed Halsted, most recently in LLC's 'Joe Orton
celebration for the 50 year anniversary of the end of
stage censorship' with Fiona Evans.

Kathleen Donald, one of LLC's loyal audience
members from Scotland.

A clip from Red Dwarf was played at the party and everyone had a great time watching this. An ex-student of Val's, Hattie Hayridge who featured in Red Dwarf as the character Holly, watched the clip alongside everyone at the party.

You can watch the clip below:

Val and Frieda Hughes - November 2018

Val with Frieda Hughes at her art exhibition in London where Val bought some of Frieda's books. Her painting is of Val's birthday. Val staged a play about Frieda's mother, Sylvia Plath, and Sylvia Plath's play on childbirth, 'Three Women', at The National Theatre.

The Return by Hisham Matar - October 2018

Val was invited to join a local book club, and chose The Return by Hisham Matar as the first book to share reading with the group. She had previously met Hisham at an event at The Royal Society of Literature, where he had inscribed this book to her. It is a book in which Val learnt an enormous amount about the revolution in Libya, and Hisham's journey in search of his father.