Tony Slattery's Rambling Club

This is a very special meeting of Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club. It’s Christmas Day, and we find ourselves once again in the company of our much-loved and much-missed President, Tony Slattery. His absence is felt, of course — how could it not be? — but so is his presence: in the laughter, the mischief, the curious turns of thought, and the unmistakable warmth that shaped this club from the very beginning. Today’s ramble is offered with affection, gratitude, and a quiet smile, just as Tony would have wanted.And so, gloves on, collars up, we set off as normal, guided by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine and the familiar rhythms of the club. The shed door swings open, Sir Stephen Fry’s omniscient voice settles in above us, and the ramble begins.Our first destination is 702: Fine and Decorative Art. Almost immediately we’re into the strange and wonderful world of surreal bingo, followed by recollections of Tony breaking a priceless ornament on television — an act that somehow manages to be both horrifying and completely inevitable. From there, the conversation drifts into the long and symbiotic relationship between art and religion, before taking a diarist’s turn toward Samuel Pepys, proving once again that no subject is ever truly finished, only temporarily paused.Next, the bingo machine whirs and delivers us to 621: Applied Physics — a category that sounds orderly enough until it isn’t. Before we quite realise what’s happened, we find ourselves stumbling into the Whose Line Is It Anyway? studio, encountering a dentist with an infamous skull structure, and grappling with the very real dangers of misremembering the words to the Lord’s Prayer. Physics, it turns out, is less about equations and more about consequences.And then, as always, we drift back toward the shed — a little wiser, a little warmer, and grateful for the company. On Christmas Day especially, this feels like exactly where we’re meant to be.Presented by Tony Slattery, Paul Carmichael & Allan LearMusic 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 Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks! www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive Official Website- www.tonyslattery.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaeluk© Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Christmas, we are honoured to share a very special recording: Tony Slattery’s reading of The Tell-Tale Heart.Recorded in December 2024, this was the final performance Tony ever gave. It stands as a profound testament to his extraordinary gifts as an actor — his musicality with language, his emotional precision, and his instinctive understanding of character and rhythm. In this recording, Tony brings a rare intimacy and control to the piece, guiding the listener deep into its fractured psyche with clarity, menace, and compassion.The Tell-Tale Heart, written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1843, is one of the most enduring works of Gothic literature. A study of guilt, obsession, and the unreliability of the human mind, it unfolds as a confession from a narrator who insists on their sanity while revealing the very madness they seek to deny. Its power lies not in spectacle, but in voice — making it uniquely suited to a performer of Tony’s calibre.To hear Tony inhabit this story is to be reminded of his command of language and his fearless emotional intelligence. This is not simply a reading, but a performance of rare stillness and intensity — one that lingers long after the final line.We present this recording with love, gratitude, and deep respect, in memory of our friend Tony, and in celebration of a remarkable artist at the height of his craft. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 LearMusic 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 Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks! www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive Official Website- www.tonyslattery.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaelukVincent's Instagram: @vincentfranklinVincent's Twitter: @vincentfranklin© Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you credit it? Our guest President this week is the ever-excellent Daniel Hill — actor, sitcom stalwart from Waiting For God, and a man forever entwined with one of Doctor Who’s most tantalising “what might have been” stories: Shada.Pull on something warm and set off with us on another leisurely ramble as President Hill takes the helm, steering us through three destinations drawn entirely at random by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine — a device that hums with quiet menace and occasionally appears to choose subjects based on personal grudges. As always, the calm, all-seeing narration of Sir Stephen Fry hovers reassuringly overhead, like a benevolent weather system.Our first port of call is 992: History. Naturally, this raises the all-important question: if you could time travel, where would you go? For President Hill, the answer is unequivocal — Ancient Rome. What follows is a vivid wander through emperors, architecture, spectacle, and the sheer logistical horror of togas, as we wonder whether history is best observed, corrected, or left firmly alone.Next, we find ourselves veering sharply into 632: Plant Injuries & Diseases, a subject that immediately puts Paul on edge. Childhood trauma resurfaces in the form of a nightmare involving Triffids at the tender age of six — an image that has never truly loosened its grip. Daniel, however, holds the stronger hand this time, recounting a very real-life encounter with a plant that came alarmingly close to blinding him. Botany, it turns out, is not to be trusted.Our third and final destination is 753: Symbolism, Allegory, Mythology & Legend, which opens the doors wide for tales of scarves, Time Lords, and television history that slipped through the cracks. It’s time to talk Tom Baker. As the guest star of the infamous, unfinished Doctor Who story Shada, President Hill shares memories of what was planned, what was filmed, and what was ultimately thwarted by circumstance — alongside whispered legends of fearsome BBC commissioners and the peculiar atmosphere of a production that never quite reached the screen.And then, inevitably, it’s back to the Presidential shed, where history is rewritten, plants are viewed with suspicion, and unfinished stories continue to haunt the corners — much like Shada itself.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 LearMusic 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 Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks! www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive Official Website- www.tonyslattery.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaelukDaniel's Instagram: @danielhillactor© Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you believe it? Our guest President this week is none other than the marvellously versatile actor — and EastEnders legend — Ian Reddington!Grab your gloves and join us for another invigorating wander as President Reddington guides us through three destinations selected entirely at random by Tony’s enchanted bingo machine, which continues to function despite no confirmed evidence of a maintenance check since 1983. As ever, the omniscient voice of Sir Stephen Fry keeps a benevolent (and occasionally judgmental) eye on proceedings.Our first stop is destination 323: Civil and Political Liberties. Are liberties truly civil these days, or simply in need of some? President Reddington shares tales of artistic freedom, the curious dance between authority and expression, and the small rebellions actors must occasionally wage — all while Tony attempts to determine whether “liberty” has a postcode.Next, we ramble toward 391: Costume and Personal Appearance. President Reddington has worn more wigs than the rest of the Club combined, and that’s before we even start on his tenure in Soapland. Together we ponder the transformative power of costume, the hazards of badly secured beards, and the eternal mystery of why stage shoes never fit actual human feet.After that, we’re on to our third and final destination — 129: Origin and Destiny of Individual Souls. A nice easy one to round things off. President Reddington muses on character, identity, and what it means to step into someone else’s soul for a living, while Paul and Allan try (and fail) to keep the conversation philosophical rather than metaphysical… or dermatological.And then it’s back to the Presidential shed, where the kettle is on, the biscuits are defensive, and Tony insists the wind is whispering his name again.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 LearMusic 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 Join the rambling club and receive your club membership card, badges, exclusive content and access to early release episodes, an exclusive extra podcast you won't hear anywhere else and exclusive club-only perks! www.patreon.com/SlatteryLive Official Website- www.tonyslattery.comTwitter/X: @SlatteryLiveInstagram: tony_slattery_officialBlueSky: @ramblingclubPaul's Twitter: @PaulCarmichaelVPaul's Bluesky: @paulcarmichaelukIan's Facebook: Ian Reddington© Fanfaronade Productions 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.