With our very best wishes for a less plaguey 2021, we offer you a little festive treat in the form of an interview with the King of New Year himself, Mr. Jools Holland OBE DL!

A fixture on the UK music scene for almost half a century, first as the keyboardist for Squeeze, then as a broadcaster with iconic (and iconoclastic) Channel 4 music programme The Tube alongside the late Paula Yates, he has also continued as a recording artist, the director of the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and as a champion of emerging or lesser-known talent via his flagship BBC music programme "Later... with Jools Holland", which has played a part in catapulting many stars into the upper orbits - not least Amy Winehouse, The Buena Vista Social Club and Rag 'n' Bone Man.

He spoke a little while ago to our Artistic Director Paddy Cooper about his life, career and even his more low-key role as a representative of The Queen within Kent.

So, if you're preparing for a boogie-woogie New Year's Eve in front of his annual BBC2 Hootenanny, you can't afford to miss this.

In fact, to make sure you miss nothing from us, make sure you subscribe to this channel and hit the notifications bell, sign up to our newsletter on http://www.darkunicorn.org and follow us on social media:

http://tiny.cc/DUTube

http://www.facebook.com/darkunicorntheatre

http://www.instagram.com/darkunicorntheatre

http://www.twitter.com/DarkUnicornUK

If you would like to help support the arts through the difficulties emanating from the Covid-19 pandemic, you can visit http://www.actingforothers.co.uk or contact your local theatre or gallery for more information on their specific needs.

To support the work of Dark Unicorn, please visit http://www.darkunicorn.org/support-us to find out how you can make a one-off donation or sign up to our benefit-stuffed patron scheme.

Have a very happy New Year and we will see you soon.

Love,

Paddy Cooper and Eleanor Stourton

Artistic Director and Executive Director

Dark Unicorn Productions Ltd.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this last episode of the current series of Dark Unicorn in Conversation, DU's Artistic Director Paddy Cooper talks to veteran actor Paul Freeman, whose career, spanning half a century, has taken in iconic roles such as the villainous Dr. René Belloq in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", arch-villain Ivan Ooze in the 1995 Power Rangers movie and the ambitious but principled Foreign Secretary Tom Makepeace in the final part of the original UK "House of Cards" Trilogy.

In a wide-ranging interview Paul talks openly about his views on contemporary theatre and film, his long career and its many highlights, the moving experiences he has had with fans at conventions and his charitable work, not just as an active supporter of the Healing Children school for HIV/Aids orphans in Uganda, but also with the Refugee Buddy Project on the East Sussex coast which he now calls home and where he and his wife help raise both awareness of and practical help for refugees who land on the coast around Hastings.

To find out more about the Refugee Buddy Project visit: http://www.therefugeebuddyproject.org

To help support the Healing Children school, go to http://www.ukhealingfocus.org to find out how you can assist with the work of the UK Friends of Healing Focus.

Dark Unicorn in Conversation will return with a special or two later in the year before launching a new season in 2021. Thank you to all who have supported our work this year.

Follow Dark Unicorn Productions here and on all good podcast providers for the latest content, and also follow us on:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DarkUnicornUK

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/darkunicorntheatre

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkunicorntheatre

To support the work of Dark Unicorn Productions, visit http://www.darkunicorn.org/support-us

CREDITS: Written, Presented and Edited by Paddy Cooper

Title Sequence: Matt McGurk (http://www.matthewmcgurk.com)

Title Music: Curtis Batson (http://www.curtbmusic.com)

Special thanks to: The estate of James Lipton, Lucasfilm Ltd., Saban Entertainment / Toei Company / Fox Family Films, Phanta Vision Film International B.V., The Refugee Buddy Project: Hastings, Rother and Wealden (particularly Fizzel Castro) and UK Friends of Healing Focus

Executive Producer: Eleanor Stourton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Strange first exploded into the public eye in 1975 as "Kid" Strange, lead singer and guitarist of the proto-punk band Doctors of Madness. Following time as a solo artist following the band's break-up, a period most notable for his concept album/rock opera The Phenomenal Rise of Richard Strange, he turned to cabaret curation, founding the Cabaret Futura strand. He is also an actor and has appeared on stage and screen in a vast variety of roles. He has just re-released the Doctors' LP Dark Times on vinyl and has also recorded an audio-book version of his 2002 memoir Strange: Drunks and Punks and Flicks and Kicks.

To buy the album, visit: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/doctors-of-madness/dark-times-3fbc6450-3f7f-47ca-ac6f-21a57711d1fc

To listen to the audiobook, go to http://www.richardstrange.com

Follow Dark Unicorn Productions here and on all good podcast providers for the latest content, and also follow us on:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DarkUnicornUK

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/darkunicorntheatre

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darkunicorntheatre

To support the work of Dark Unicorn Productions, visit http://www.darkunicorn.org/support-us

CREDITS: Written, Presented and Edited by Paddy Cooper

Title Sequence: Matt McGurk (http://www.matthewmcgurk.com)

Title Music: Curtis Batson (http://www.curtbmusic.com)

Special thanks to: The estate of James Lipton, the Richard Strange photo and video archive, Christiaan Tonnis, Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns, Mick Rock, Paul Rider and NME.

"Sleep the Gentle Sleep": Music and lyrics by Richard Strange, published by Mirage Music Management Ltd.

Executive Producer: Eleanor Stourton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.