Voice coach to Laurence Olivier becomes 'UK's oldest podcaster'
"It is very interesting and enjoyable to know that my stories about various theatre and TV actors are being remembered in the podcasts."Mr Hall studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 1949 alongside actress Dame Joan Plowright and later became a voice coach for her husband, Lord Olivier.
In the first podcast episode, he tells the story of Dame Joan asking Mr Hall to keep their then-secret relationship at the time under wraps from the press, and claims Lord Olivier was "going through a phase of being absolutely obsessed about colonic irrigation".Mr Hall continues to give weekly Zoom lectures on the history of music to post-graduate students at the Royal Academy of Music and says he encourages people to "try new things", particularly starting a podcast.Other podcast episodes include sitting down with Blackadder's Sir Tony Robinson to speak about his early theatre memories, and speaking to presenter Fern Britton and Only Fools and Horses actress Tessa Peake-Jones.
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Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
I was 19 when I realised I'm not special - I'm just gay
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When people make assumptions about you and your sexuality, it can be really painful, especially when every single one of those assumptions is entirely apt. Could the guy who auditioned for every school musical, had a penchant for Sylvia Plath poetry and designed bespoke costumes for Cheryl Cole in his notebook really be gay? And is water wet, do we know? With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! I read as gay for much of my youth and so my identity was always at the forefront of my mind. When I started to come out to my family and friends, from the age of 14, it meant a lot to me. I could seize control of the narrative and speak my truth – like a gay Malala – but it was a major plot twist for precisely no one. But I had no queer elders to guide me because, while my heterosexual parents are incredibly supportive (shoutout Mum and Dad, you know who you are!), neither of them are gay men. I had understanding, but not empathy. Similarly, I was different to every other boy in my form group; whereas the other 14 boys in my class were of course in no way different to each other. Literally all 14 of them liked football and were called Callum. There were so many things that I thought only I knew about – the Glee cast cover of Smooth Criminal, Andrew Lloyd Webber's competition shows to find the next Nancy or Maria, the TV show Doctor Who. All in all, I was the only gay guy that I knew – which meant I must be the only gay guy, because I knew everyone. Throughout my teenage years, I felt like I was a complete outlier – and that's the biggest cruelty of gay youth. So much queer culture is built on feeling different, unique and out of place. 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And this meant I was not in fact a new frontier, but rather a member of the old guard, a traditionalist, even. There's something simultaneously reassuring and haunting about realising so many people share your life experiences. Will Owen: Looking Fab At Fifty will be performed at 8.30pm in Assembly Roxy (RoxyBoxy) from 30th July – 24th August (not 12th). Book here. I used to have a fantasy when I was younger about becoming some kind of queer icon. I hadn't got very far on how I would achieve that status – but it was a toss-up between starting a grassroots political movement that actively changed the lives of my fellow community members, or saying something kinda slay on a reality show. I could figure out the details later – but either way, I had these visions in my head of me inspiring the next generation and encouraging young queer people to live authentically. But as it became clear at university: I am not special. I am just gay. More Trending If I were to give any advice to my younger self, I would say: Even though it's lonely now, in every single classroom in the country there is a young gay man who has a story just like yours. So you really ought to start your podcast now because the market is going to become really oversaturated. I'm quite happy accepting my status as a generic gay guy, honestly. It took a moment, but the truth is, you can't hate the party from outside. And it will be a good party if there are gay guys there. Everyone thinks they are special because we have all been told it – but the truth is, we are not all special. Except for me. I'm the only one writing a first-person op-ed in Metro, after all. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. 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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mariah Carey wows the crowd in FOUR dazzling outfits during Pride concert
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The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Mariah Carey, 56, wears FOUR figure-hugging outfits and puts on leggy display as she headlines Brighton Pride
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