Celebrated actress Jessie Buckley meets with Ian Rickson on the stage of her local theatre, the Hackney Empire in East London, to discuss her fascinating cultural inspirations: a stunning rendition of the contemporary Georgian Christmas song ’Tsiskris Alilo’ by vocal group Ensemble Basiani, which Jessie stumbled across on social media; Leox Carax’s wild Parisian love story ‘Les Amants du Pont-Neuf’, starring Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant; and the mysticism and mythology in WB Yeats’ masterful sonnet, ‘Leda and the Swan’.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Tsiskris Alilo’ by Vakhtang Kakhidze, as performed by Ensemble Basiani on the YouTube channel Chelo Brat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnpV-nEhnE0)

‘Les Amants du Pont-Neuf’ - dir. Leos Carax; prod. by Films A2, Gaumont International and Les Film Christian Fechner

‘Leda and the Swan’ by WB Yeats

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On the stage of the Hackney Empire in East London, Ian Rickson and folk musician and actor Johnny Flynn discuss the cultural highlights that bring Johnny inspiration: D. A. Pennebaker’s seminal documentary ‘Don't Look Back’, which charts Bob Dylan’s 1965 concert tour of England; Alice Oswald’s epic poem ‘Dart’, which tells the sprawling stories of people who live and work on the River Dart in Devon; and Sandy Denny’s soulful and beautiful folk ballad, ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Don't Look Back’ - dir. D. A. Pennebaker; prod. Leacock-Pennebaker

‘Dart’ by Alice Oswald, published by Faber & Faber

‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’ by Sandy Denny, as performed by Fairport Convention (Island Records)

The episode also features a clip from Johnny's song 'The Water', performed by Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling (Transgressive Records)

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Comedian, actor and, latterly, life-guru Russell Brand meets with host Ian Rickson on the stage of his local arts centre, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead. Russell's cultural choices include the film of seminal stand-up Bill Hicks’ blistering stage show ‘Revelations’; Oscar Wilde’s 19th century fable ‘The Selfish Giant’, which offers up salvation through childhood innocence; and the nostalgic longing of Kazumi Nikaido’s song ‘When I Remember This Life’ from the Studio Ghibli film ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’.

‘What I Love’ is created and hosted by Ian Rickson. The theme music is by PJ Harvey. Sound recording by James Hingley. Photography by Helen Murray. Series Producer Ben Walker. Executive Producer Robert Delamere. Produced for Storyglass by Sarah Murray.

Works discussed:

‘Revelations’ written and performed by Bill Hicks; dir. Chris Bould; prod. Tiger Aspect Productions

‘The Selfish Giant’ by Oscar Wilde

‘When I Remember This Life’ by Kazumi Nikaido, from the original soundtrack to the film 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya' (Tokuma Japan Communications/Studio Ghibli Records)

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