Repeat Attenders, Lockdown in your 20s, Kindness

What makes someone want to go to see the same show at the theatre time and time again? We talk to documentary maker Mark Dooley about his film, Repeat Attenders – which follows some of musical theatre’s super-fans – and to Gudrun Mangel who features in the film and has found the confidence to be herself as a huge fan of Starlight Express.

Most young people are at low risk of catching or falling seriously ill because of COVID-19 but it’s still having a serious impact. From future job prospects to living arrangements, how is the Coronavirus pandemic and lockdown affecting women in their twenties? Jackie Adedeji is 26 and has moved back in with her parents. Erin Bradshaw is 22 and taking her final exams in her third year at university.

We are currently living through a time when kindness is very much to the fore, frequently commented on and valued. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to spontaneous, widely recognised and (literally) applauded acts of kindness, from individuals and communities across the UK. From the one million-plus volunteers who signed up to assist the most vulnerable, to the donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) equipment by businesses. Today the Mental Health Foundation are publishing the results of a poll about attitudes to kindness and mental health as part of Mental Health Awareness Week which this year is focusing on the theme of kindness. Lucy Thorpe is their head of policy.

Comics are attracting an increasing female readership and is filled with women telling their stories. Trina Robbins is a collector, art historian and one of the pioneering women in the underground comic scene of the late 60s and 70s. She’s the co-creator of a new exhibition ‘Women in Comics: Looking Forward and Back’ in New York. UK Comics Laureate Hannah Berry is undertaking a national survey gathering data to ensure the best representation for comic creators whose voices often aren’t heard. Charlotte Mei is an illustrator whose first narrative comic is being featured in an upcoming publication, featuring an all-female group of artists.

Presented by Jane Garvey Produced by Jane Thurlow

Interviewed guest: Jackie Adedeji Interviewed guest: Erin Bradshaw Interviewed guest: Mark Dooley Interviewed guest: Gudrun Mangel Interviewed guest: Lucy Thorpe Interviewed guest: Trina Robbins Interviewed guest: Hannah Berry Interviewed guest: Charlotte Mei