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Talking to Strangers
Talking to Strangers
Nov 25, 2024 6:49 PM

Author:Sally Phillips,Lily Bevan,Olivia Colman,Emma Thompson,Sally Phillips,Lily Bevan,Jessica Hynes,Mike Wozniak,Full Cast

Talking to Strangers

Comic monologue character studies by Sally Phillips and Lily Bevan, with star guests

'Seriously funny' Gillian Reynolds, Telegraph

In this delightfully inventive series of short solo sketches, an eclectic range of unusual individuals find themselves cheerfully engaging in a deeply un-British activity: chatting to a stranger. And in each scenario, the silent recipient of their confidences is the listener themselves.

We may encounter these garrulous souls in a lift or the post office queue, at a yoga class or café, or over the tannoy on the last train home. They may be a stranger you thought you knew, a stranger you've just met, or the only stranger in a room full of friends. But whatever the situation, they all want to open their hearts to us - and they're not shy about sharing...

Meet the woman who isn't twins, the Swedish executive with a herring-smoker for a husband, the woman who likes to help too much ('I'm a serial helpist...'), and the ethnologist who's spent her whole life among lions. There's also an aggrieved allotment-holder, a plain-speaking palm-reader and a frustrated falconer, not to mention a nervous historical re-enactor, a not-very-motivational speaker, a musical barista and a really rubbish spy...

Frank, perceptive, touching and beautifully observed, these marvellous miniature playlets will introduce you to a host of surprising characters, with stories both beguiling and hilarious. Written and performed by Sally Phillips and Lily Bevan, they feature special guest stars Emma Thompson, Olivia Colman, Jessica Hynes, Steve Evets, Mike Wozniak, Sinead Matthews and Joel Fry.

Production credits

Written and performed by Sally Phillips and Lily Bevan

With guest stars including Emma Thompson, Olivia Colman, Jessica Hynes, Steve Evets, Mike Wozniak, Sinead Matthews and Joel Fry

Produced by Sam Bryant

A BBC Comedy production

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 4-25 February 2016

©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Reviews

Engrossing...A stirring narrative that mirrors pop's twists and turns from its earliest days to the present

—— Slate

A hugely enjoyable read for anyone who has ever bought a record, told with Hepworth's characteristic dry humour, beautifully illustrated and with a foreword by Paul McCartney...Engrossing, extansively researched

—— Roger Alton , Daily Mail

Hepworth captures the feeling of immediacy and excitement that exemplified the storied St John's Wood studio...An appropriately pacy chronicle of rapid cultural/technological evolution

—— Ian Fortnum , Classic Rock

The story of recorded music itself. Great details leap from every page

—— Tom Doyle , Mojo

Hepworth, one of the most authoritative music journalists and historians, brings the studio in suburban London to life

—— Big Issue

Genius. So great... Wonderful!

—— Jamie Laing , Private Parts

Oh, how I longed to be in California with the glamourous Riva siblings when I was reading this [...] I did not want this book to end!

—— Prima, Book of the Month

With Malibu Rising - a novel as redolent of California dreamin' as a Lana del Rey track - Jenkins Reid has lost none of her touch ... A stroke of genius ... Imagine Blue Water High and Selling Sunset had a lovechild, or Jackie Collins rewrote The O.C. , then combine these ingredients with warm, propulsive storytelling, and you'll get an inkling of this family saga's escapist magic ... Immersive and relaxing, as every great beach read should be.

—— Evening Standard

When the party starts, it's celebrity mayhem but the heart of the book is family, love and loyalty. I adored everything about this punchy and incisive take on fame and its consequences, from the sympathetic characters to the salty surf atmosphere.

—— Daily Mail

Think Selling Sunset with knobs on as Taylor Jenkins Reid again plunges us into the intoxicating, heat-heavy realm of intrigue of Malibu, this time amidst the world of the filthy rich.

—— 2021 look ahead , BBC News

Perfect pure escapism.

—— Simon Savidge

A beautifully touching and thought provoking novel interspersed with Jenkins Reid's trademark wit and humour.

—— Essential Marbella Magazine

Malibu Rising is as much an impressionistic whirl of neon sunsets, acid-wash denim and high-cut bikinis as it is a grand set piece about a glamorous party ... Jenkins Reid has an easy, breezy style that serves melodrama on a daring scale . . . Never has so much sex, tragedy, celebrity and tanned skin been crammed into one thinking person's beach read. It's 365 pages of pure exhilaration.

—— The Times

Perfect for whatever holiday you hopefully get to take this summer.

—— Irish Independent

A riveting, propulsive bookwith characters that stayed with me, not because they are complicated but because they are so vivid ... Full of warmth and tenderness ... Deliciously escapist, conjuring the sun and the sand.

—— i paper

A gorgeous, sun-soaked novel that delves into the glamour and desperate hope of 1980s Malibu.

—— The Skinny

Fast-paced and addictive, Reid's vivid world-building provides the ultimate in summer escapism. With touches of 1980s glamour and scandal, Malibu Rising is another thrilling read from a talented writer, sure to delight old fans, as well as winning her new ones.

—— Independent

Perfectly evoking the sun-drenched and debauched backdrop that made Daisy Jones and The Six so immersive ... Addictive and fun, it's an essential addition to your summer reading list.

—— Stylist

Hot off the success of the immensely enjoyable 1970s band story Daisy Jones & The Six comes Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest, a superfun foray into the 1980s ... Delicious.

—— Sunday Telegraph, Novel of the Week

Simmering with sexual tension, this hugely enjoyable ensemble narrative turns on a raucous party.

—— Mail on Sunday

Malibu Rising is finely crafted commercial fiction, escapism in high definition, a quintessential beach read... If Nina Riva's party is the hottest ticket of the summer, then Malibu Rising is a front-row seat at the main event.

—— Irish Times

A gorgeous, sun-soaked novel that delves into the glamour and desperate hope of 1980s Malibu, and the saga of a family that will never be the same again.

—— The Skinny

The perfect summer novel, a vibrant story filled with sun, surfing, and flawed but lovable characters.

—— Daily Beast

After a year where most people stayed home, it's a great time to escape to the beach, even if only through Reid's writing.

—— Independent

This glamourous, compulsive novel is best enjoyed from your sun lounger with a cocktail in hand.

—— Good Housekeeping

A deliciously decadent tale of sex, tragedy, celebrity, surfboards and tanned skin in 1980s Malibu.

—— The Times

I absolutely loved her book.... It's an absolute blast to read

—— Alice- Azania Jarvis

JACKIE COLLINS, BUT BETTER Sacrilege to say "better", I know, but there we are. Set in the 1980s, Taylor Jenkins Reid's Malibu Rising is wonderfully written, intensely evocative and concerns the model/ surfer children of a rock star. Tons of glamour, tons of sharply observed insights about sibling relationships, plus a massive party. Beach read par excellence. See also her brilliant Daisy Jones & the Six, which is heaven (more rock stars).

—— Anonymous

When we picked up Malibu Rising, the new novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, we could barely put it down

—— That's Life

You'll never want this book to end, it will suck you in and spit you out!

—— Muddy Stilettos
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