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One on OneVeronica Hyks: the past is not always a foreign country
Although she was born in Britain and has never lived in the Czech Republic,
the actress and broadcaster, Veronica Hyks, is every bit as Czech as she is
English. She speaks Czech without a hint of an accent, and gives every
impression of being totally at home in Prague, even though it has never
been more than her “virtual” home. Veronica Hyks tells David Vaughan
how this came about in this week’s One on One. More
One on OneVeronica Hyks: the past is not always a foreign country
Although she was born in Britain and has never lived in the Czech Republic,
the actress and broadcaster, Veronica Hyks, is every bit as Czech as she is
English. She speaks Czech without a hint of an accent, and gives every
impression of being totally at home in Prague, even though it has never
been more than her “virtual” home. Veronica Hyks tells David Vaughan
how this came about in this week’s One on One. More
Czech BooksEdwin Muir: a Scottish poet in Prague
Literature sometimes makes for some unusual connections. What, for example,
could Franz Kafka possibly have in common with the Orkney Islands off the
north coast of Scotland? To find the answer we start at the busy British
Council office, just a couple of streets down from Czech Radio’s
headquarters. Just after World War II, the British Council here was headed
by Edwin Muir, who was born in 1887 in Orkney and grew up on the tiny
island of Wyre. He is one of Scotland’s best known 20th century poets,
but it is also quite possible that you will have come across his name and
that of his wife Willa on the inside cover of one of Franz Kafka’s novels
or stories. They translated many of his works and did much to establish his
reputation in the English-speaking world. What is less well-known about
Edwin Muir is the time he spent in Prague, first in the 1920s and then
again between 1946 and 1949. Clarice Cloutier, who teaches literature at
two Prague universities, has written about Edwin Muir’s link to this city
– a link which, she tells me, is a good deal more than skin deep:
More
One on OnePrague Fringe founder Steven Gove on mixing goulash and Australian folk
My guest for this week’s One on One is the man behind the Prague Fringe,
Steven Gove. For many years, Steven has been working in his native Scotland
at the Edinburgh Fringe, and is now on the board of directors of what is
said to be the biggest arts festival in the world. A few years ago, he came
up with the idea of bringing a bit of this creative chaos to the Czech
capital, where he is now based. Sitting at his dinner table in Prague’s
leafy Vinohrady, Steven told me why:
More
ArtsThe Edinburgh fringe from a Czech perspective
A walk down the High Street in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh might
normally present you with scenic views and the chance to buy some whiskey
and woolens. But not so during the month of August, when the thoroughfare
is transformed by the city’s fringe festival and, more specifically, the
hundreds of performers clambering to sell tickets to their shows. Now in
its 61st year, the Edinburgh fringe is said to be the biggest arts festival
on the planet, attracting performers and visitors from all over the globe.
This year, more Czechs are on the bill than ever before.
More
Current AffairsCzechs treading the boards at the Edinburgh fringe festival
The Edinburgh fringe is one of the biggest arts festivals in the world,
with the Scottish capital more than doubling in population during the three
weeks each August when the fringe takes place. Parks, churches and even
public toilets are all transformed into venues, attracting performers and
visitors from all over the globe. This year, five Czech theatre groups are
in Edinburgh to perform at the festival. They are part of the ‘Czech
Republic @ The Fringe’ season, coordinated by Ladislav Pflimpfl from the
Czech Centre in London. I caught up with him in Edinburgh recently to ask
whether the Czech Centre had taken a risk planning such a Czech theatre
showcase:
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Current AffairsCzech fairytale headlines Scottish National Theatre’s season
'Little Otik' is topping the bill at the National Theatre of Scotland this
season. The play is an adaptation of Czech animator Jan Švankmajer’s
film ‘Otesánek’, which is in turn an adaptation of a Czech fairytale.
The story? A childless couple carve a baby out of a tree stump, only to
look on in horror as it starts to develop an appetite for human flesh. The
Scottish theatre’s choice sparked controversy when it was unveiled
earlier in the year. On the eve of the play’s final performance, I asked
director Matthew Lenton what had attracted him to the tale of Little Otik:
More
SpecialJan Gregor - reporter for a London-based magazine for Czechs and Slovaks
Jan Gregor is a reporter for Echo, a magazine for Czechs and Slovaks living
in the UK and Ireland. Jan, who comes from the Slovak city of Banska
Bystrice, is himself one of the many thousands of young people from this
part of the world who have moved to the British Isles since European Union
enlargement in 2004.
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