Shows
It's All GroovyJames Pearson - Jazz, Ronnie Scott's and himJames Pearson is not someone you easily forget; whether it's his mesmerising fingers dancing across the piano, his 'indefatigable' energy (as quoted by The Times) or the wealth of stories he has to share about all the great musicians that ever existed, you will. Artistic Director, composer, pianist, musician in residence... it seems unconceivable he is able to fit it all in a day, yet he does with a huge smile. In this episode, we will delve into his career that's brought him to travel globally, his arrival and ascension at Ronnie Scott's and the evolution of...
2026-01-271h 21It's All GroovyFabienne - Directrice de casting, le pouvoir de se relever et elleCela ne m'était encore jamais arrivé : rencontrer quelqu'un à travers ses mots écrits, en découvrant les détails les plus durs et parfois nauséeux de sa vie intime, avant de la voir en personne pour l'interviewer.Parue début octobre, sa biographie, 'Moi, Fabienne B., mauvaise fille', s'ouvre sur le récit d'une enfance catastrophique et terrible. Pourtant, malgré tous ces traumas , Fabienne s'est relevée, est arrivée à Paris et s'est frayé son propre chemin. Commençant en tant qu'hôtesse au 24 Heures du Mans, elle a su tisser des liens avec des personnes influentes et gr...
2025-12-161h 13It's All GroovyXhloe & Natasha - Physical theatre, Edinburgh Fringe and themYou’ve got people who squeeze every hour of the day till it’s reduced to pulp, and you’ve got Xhloé and Natasha.To call them a ‘tour de force’ would be mundane and not representative enough of their mind-boggling grandeur. Having managed to squeeze into one of their sold out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, I spent the following 50 minutes realising what staggering talent and energy looks like on stage.Throughout this episode, you’ll realise how assiduous, audacious and completely ingenious these two New York based performers are and what it truly...
2025-11-281h 01It's All GroovyAmy - Clowning, the art of 'flopping' and IThere are people you meet who you instantly forget, and others who leave such an impression you just have to learn more about them. Following a very serendipitous and rocambolesque bump-in at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, I got to see Amy and Claudio’s fantastically ludicrous and clownesque show which to this day has left quite a mark. Delving into her years at Philippe Gaulier’s famous clown school, Amy explains (in her wonderful Suffolk accent) what clowning really is, what it feels to have the dreaded “flop” happen on stage and shows us how we can all benefit...
2025-11-1150 minIt's All GroovyLionel - the Art of AD-ing, Wong Kar-wai and IMet by happenstance on a student film set and after chatting for 5 minutes, I quickly realised Lionel had quite a story to share. To say he had a busy career would be an understatement. Starting as 3rd AD and making his way up to 1st AD and eventually director, Lionel's work has taken him across the globe, working with some of the greatest directors in the world. Seizing every opportunity with one suitcase and the phrase "worst case, if it doesn't work out, they fire me", Lionel has managed to pave an uninterrupted career spanning over 30 years...
2025-10-081h 47It's All GroovyJérôme - Sound, Marcel Pagnol & himI have come to find that most creatives in this industry are very modest and rarely boast about their success. Jérôme definitely is a prime example; his career as sound engineering and boom operator has led him far and wide across the globe, on projects as varied as they are fascinating. His sensibility and passion to his craft and to the world film is extremely touching and I hope you will be as enthralled as I was!Little note: this episode is in french as our dear friend Jé...
2025-08-1552 minIt's All GroovyJasper - Live Poetry, Japan & IHave you ever been moved simply with words? No background music, no back-up singers,…just words and a microphone.I shan’t give out too much information as this episode truly is unique but I introduce you lovely listener to the amazing world of performance poetry. A very fortuitous meeting with a co-actor led me to meet his son, poet and musician, Jasper. I knew when I heard his story that I wanted to bring him on the podcast. So I nudge you to have a listen and let yourself be transported by Jaspe...
2025-06-201h 04It's All GroovyTibo Step - Jazz, saudade & ITo say that I've listened to some of his songs 18 times would be an understatement and it's not just because I happen to (lucky me) to be his cousin. Ever since our family Christmases where his voice and guitar playing clearly stood out from the rest of our cacophony of songs, we knew he'd go somewhere and in London he landed where he is now producing and composing his songs as well as other artists.Tibo has truly managed to craft a style of his own, blending in R&B, Jazz and blues with a touch of "...
2025-06-0248 minIt's All GroovySam Button - Sound Engineering, RAK & IBefore launching this podcast, I had already thought about the guests I wanted to invite, and Sam was one of the first names on the list. Having had the pleasure to live with him for a few months, we quickly bonded and through our many (many) late conversations I was amazed by his dedication to his craft as a sound engineer. Not only is he a walking library of amazing songs, Sam also has an incredible work ethic and is truly a wonderful soul; it was an absolute delight to have been able to talk with him...
2025-05-161h 03It's All GroovyKatherine - Puppets, Bee in My Beanie & IJack of all trades and master of all, Katherine has shown countless times she does not shy away from a challenge. Puppet designer, seamstress, director, teacher - what can’t she do? A true inspiration to anyone in the performing arts industry or even if you’re starting off somewhere and need some guidance, Katherine will share some amazing stories, advice and life experiences, all thrown in with some love and warmth!Happy listening !Katherine’s favourite show: The Ferryman, by Jezz Butterworth. Katherine's recommendations:...
2025-03-1758 minIt's All GroovyYlan - Musical theatre, Gomez Addams and IYou meet passionate people, and then you meet Ylan. Born and raised in, Geneva, Switzerland, he fell in love with musical theatre at 16 and thus began his wonderful journey into the Performing Arts industry. Directing and producing his first show at 17, writing his first musical at 22, Ylan is not one to rest on his laurels. Seizing every opportunity and open door (figuratively and literally as you'll come to discover), always with a great big smile and a box of chocolates, Ylan will inspire you to jump off your sofa, get your hands dirty, and start...
2025-03-0246 minIt's All GroovySam - AI, Indiana Jones & INever would I have imagined that doing an episode on Virtual Production and Green Screens would have ended with us talking about chasing your dreams and the redefinition of being an artist.Such is the journey we will take you on with Sam, teacher and true expert in the field of Virtual Production (or VP as the pros say), visual effects and story telling !Bear with the initial technical jargon as you will learn a heap, (incidentally you'll sound really snazzy name dropping these terms into conversations) but most of all, in the second part...
2025-02-171h 01It's All GroovyFab & Jeff - Improv, Keegan-Michael Key & them(Achtung: this episode is in French so if you want to brush up on your French GCSE lessons, this is the time & place for it)
Je crois que je ne peux décrire d'une façon claire et précise l'épisode que vous allez découvrir...mais je peux vous assurer que nous n'avons ni pris de Red Bull ni de café, c'est simplement l'amour de l'Improvisation qui nous emballe tant! Rejoignez mes amis Fab & Jeff, les pros de l'impro pour 1h de quésaco, accent québécois et comprendre pourquoi nous devrions absolument tous - oui tou...
2025-02-0255 minIt's All GroovyVal Colgan - Steven Spielberg, Donald Sutherland & ITo say she is the Yoda of the acting world would be an understatement - having acted since she was 6 in her hometown of Nova Scotia, Val arrived in London in the 50s and never left. Teacher, mentor, actor, she made her mark just as much in the theatre world as on set, forever giving her heart, soul and talent to the acting world.
I hope you love her as much as I do!
Further reading:
Uta Hagen's Respect for Acting
Val's favourite play in which she played...
2025-01-1952 min
It's All GroovyMaria Abdel Karim - The Middle East, Films & IFilmmaker, doctor and lecturer in Directing at Farnham's UCA, Maria isn't one to go unnoticed... Having met her at the London Film Festival where we shared a fascinating conversation delving into her origin story, films and the industry as a whole, there was no one better suited for my first episode.
Happy listening and hopefully you'll learn a few nuggets!
Further reading:
You'll find hereafter the link to Maria's paper about Queer Representation in Arab and Middle Eastern Films, if you want to read more about it.
An...
2025-01-0535 min