Would you believe it? Our Presidential shed door barely has time to creak before it bursts open, and in strides Stewart Pearson, uninvited, overconfident, and radiating an alarming quantity of managerial nonsense. There is bafflement. There is bullshit. There are hand gestures. And then — mercifully — the penny drops. It’s not Stewart Pearson at all, but Stewart Franklin in human form: the brilliant character actor Vincent Franklin, star of The Thick Of It and currently lighting up screens in The War Between The Land and The Sea.
Once order is restored (and the shed has been reassured it is not about to be “restructured”), we pull on our coats and set off on another ramble. President Franklin guides us through three destinations selected, as tradition demands, by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine — a device that appears to enjoy irony almost as much as Sir Stephen Fry enjoys observing us from his omniscient perch above proceedings.
Our first destination is 424: English and Old English. Accents emerge immediately, as they always must. From Dickensian voices to the rhythms of everyday speech, we wander into why we write at all, how language shapes character, and what it means to build a life as a character actor — inhabiting voices that feel ancient, borrowed, or stubbornly your own. Somewhere along the way, Old English peers in, looks unimpressed, and leaves again.
Next, we head into the unexpectedly rich territory of 060: General Organisation of Museology. This opens the door to captivating ancient places, the strange afterlives of buildings, and the lasting echoes of the dissolution of the monasteries. Chickens are blessed. Pigs are drowned. History proves itself to be a practical, messy business. From there, the conversation takes a sharp turn into how The Thick Of It was actually made — the precision beneath the chaos, and the craft required to make confusion feel terrifyingly real.
Our third and final stop is 777: Photography and Photographs. President Franklin reveals that he doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet, having recently completed a City & Guilds qualification in Photography. Images, framing, and the act of really looking lead us naturally into the rehearsal room, and finally to the quiet, enduring importance of language — particularly the words of Alan Bennett, and why they demand attention, patience, and absolute respect.
And then it’s back to the Presidential shed, where the jargon has been cleared away, the history filed (badly), and Stewart Pearson has finally been escorted from the premises — at least until next time.
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 Researcher- Soula Carmichael
Series Producers- Erica Lear and Mark Hutchinson
Producers- Alan Dyebing & Stuart Morris
Series Executive Producer- Mark Strickson
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