62. Artist and Designer Osman Yousefzada on His New Book and Marcelino Sambé on the Joys of Playing Romeo for the Valentine’s Day Royal Ballet Production

On this week’s podcast, we’re talking to Royal Ballet’s principal dancer Marcelino Sambé about the challenges and joys of following in Rudolf Nureyev’s footsteps – and many more - playing Romeo in Kevin MacMillan’s much-loved ballet. Juliet will be played by Anna Rose O'Sullivan. Since Romeo and Juliet was first performed to Prokofiev’s score in 1965, it’s become a firm favourite and this version, with designs by the late Nicholas Georgiadis, has been filmed and will be streamed to 900 cinemas worldwide on Valentine’s Day. Find out where you can book it and catch it here here. We also talk to Osman Yousefzada, the multi-disciplinary artist behind his eponymous fashion label, who dresses everyone from Beyoncé and Gwynneth Paltrow to Lady Gaga and Claire Foy.  He’s now written a brilliant book The Go-Between, about growing up in Birmingham. As the son of illiterate Pashtun immigrants from the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Osman grew up in a closed, hidden community and tells us movingly about what it was like and what happened to his sisters.  It’s a brilliant read and we highly recommend it. Produced by Audio Coast