26 June 2023
Episode 611
31 minutes
Photo: David Corio
We visit a new exhibition at London’s V&A dedicated to all things diva. Curator Kate Bailey joins Robert Bound to discuss how the show celebrates the power and creativity of iconic performers across the ages, while fashion designer Bob Mackie tells us how he created such a wealth of iconic looks. Plus: Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco and film critic Christina Newland share their thoughts on how divas intersect with society.
26 June 2023
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
Monocle on Culture - latest episodes
The wonderful world of Alabaster DePlume
UK musician Alabaster DePlume tells us about his new album, ‘A Blade Because a Blade Is Whole’, and his upcoming tour. DePlume has been drawing ever-larger audiences with his blend of evocative saxophone playing, confident…
Theatre special: the puppets of ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ and the Beckett Biennale
We sit down with puppeteer Basil Twist, the creator of the stunning puppets at the heart of stage production ‘My Neighbour Totoro’. Then: we catch up with Séan Doran, the artistic director of Arts Over Borders. He’s leading…
Dispatch from Arco Madrid 2025
We report from Spain’s biggest contemporary-art fair, Arco Madrid. Every year, exhibition space Ifema Madrid plays host to a rich variety of galleries, curatorial presentations and many beautiful works. It’s here that the…
What’s the legacy of ‘The Face’ magazine?
We head to ‘The Face: Culture Shift’, a new exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery celebrating the magazine’s photography and effect on popular culture. The show is a who’s who of contemporary cool and an ode to…
An Oscars nomination special
Robert Bound highlights select nominees for the 97th Academy Awards. We hear from ‘Sing Sing’ director Greg Kwedar; lead special make-up effects designer for ‘The Substance’, Pierre-Olivier Persin; ‘The Wild Robot’ director…
Iranian New Wave cinema, London’s Sadler’s Wells East and the Château La Coste in Provence
We find out how to design a dance venue from the inside out at Sadler’s Wells East in London. Also in the UK capital, we immerse ourselves in ‘Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave’ at the Barbican. Plus, art and architec…
The captivating work of Noah Davis
We visit two new exhibitions in London by two very different US artists. First, we’ll hear from the curator of the UK’s first Noah Davis exhibition. The glorious, sweeping show at the Barbican serves as a worthy tribute…
Vashti Bunyan
British singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan is celebrating her 80th birthday with a new edition of her 2005 record ‘Lookaftering’, including added demos, live versions and sleeve notes from its producer, Max Richter. The lyric…
Eddie Chacon
Eddie Chacon shot to fame as part of the duo Charles & Eddie, alongside the late Charles Pettigrew, with the release of their enduring 1992 single ‘Would I Lie to You?’ In the years after Charles & Eddie amicably split in…
2025 on the stage
Nancy Durrant and Matt Wolf join Robert Bound in the studio to discuss the best theatre shows coming to the stage in 2025, including a new production of a West End classic, a play about the experiences of the Windrush…
The best cultural releases of 2025
We look ahead to the most exciting books, films and exhibitions in 2025, from the first international retrospective of a beloved US artist to a political thriller so potent that its director was forced to flee his home…
‘Nickel Boys’ and ‘Babygirl’
We start the year off with a bang by celebrating the release of two fantastic new films. We hear from director RaMell Ross about ‘Nickel Boys’, a formally inventive and beautifully rendered adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize…
The year in review
Laura Snapes, Toby Earle and Mia Levitin join Robert Bound in the studio to round up the best of this year’s albums, TV and books.
The best of 2024
We share highlights from this year's programme, including interviews with the likes of Hans Zimmer and Maggi Hambling, and a very special session with folk duo The Staves.
The best Christmas music of 2024
Georgie Rogers and Will Hodgkinson join Robert Bound in the studio for our annual review of the season’s best festive music releases, including albums and singles from Orville Peck, Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Fallon.
