If you're interested in fantasy, and fancy taking on a responsibility equivalent to a part-time job, Helen recommends Elden Ring. A wildly popular Japanese video game which allows you to live in a world created by George RR Martin. With place and character names reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, we ask why that is the accepted register of fantasy. Could it be the detail and care which Tolkien gave to his languages, and the sounds of words denoting a sense of place, building a rich landscape? And with companies coming out of Silicon Valley with names like 'Palantir' and 'Mithril', why are the Tech-Right so obsessed with his creations?Helen also grills Armando on his video-gaming history (whatever the audio equivalent of a 'blink' is, do that, and you'll miss it).Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Sound Editing: Chris Maclean
Recorded at The Sound CompanyStrong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
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Strong Recommend: The Contestant
In 1998, a Japanese man was filmed in solitary confinement for our entertainment. Naked as the day he was born, which led to his suggestive nickname, the Japanese people were gripped by Tomoaki Hamatsu's journey. Today, can we see how reality TV has infected our storytelling and our language? Whether it's someone in Big Brother proudly declaring they'll 'say it to your face' or an Apprentice-host-turned-President telling you 'you're fired' - are these reality shows replacing the art of storytelling?And Armando asks 'what is structured reality?', 'What is America's Next Top Model, and, more generally, 'What?!'.Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Sound Editing: Chris Maclean
Recorded at The Sound CompanyStrong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
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Strong Recommend: Shamanism, The Timeless Religion by Dr Manvir Singh
What is xenising? And why do authority figures do it? Can we trace Farage back to the shamans of the past? Helen recommends Dr Manvir Singh's book Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, which helps inform a discussion around ritual and our desire for formality, and even otherness, from authority figures.Helen and Armando also debate whether ayahuasca retreats are ego trips, or enlightening experiences, and why they could never follow Thatcher's night time regimen.Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Sound Editing: Chris Maclean
Recorded at The Sound CompanyStrong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
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Strong Recommend: The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
Fancy trying a new author, but don't know where to start? Armando recommends a short novel by Penelope Fitzgerald, and Helen shares a tip on how to try on a new author for size before committing.Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Sound Editing: Chris Maclean
Recorded at The Sound CompanyStrong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
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Strong Recommend: Evita at London Palladium
Helen has been to the theatre recently, so you don't have to! Jamie Lloyd's production of Evita has a moment in it which can be enjoyed by anyone who happens to be near the venue at about 9pm most nights across the summer. You can enjoy the showstopper yourself, whilst also adding to the experience of those in the venue who are missing out.Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Sound Editing: Chris Maclean
Recorded at The Sound CompanyStrong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
In this new series, Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci investigate which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe.Each week Helen and Armando will crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to decode the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and should I be worried?You'll be treated to a crash course in the dark arts of political language from two people both baffled and beguiled by it. They'll walk you through the various verbal fiascos of the modern political lexicon so that by the end you'll be oven-ready for an appearance on Newsnight.Warning: this podcast features strong political language that some listeners may find nonsensical.Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
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