Last Word

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Factual: Life Stories

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

BBC Radio 4 FM

Last Word: Lord Sacks, John Sessions, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, Jim Radford

13/11/2020

Lord Sacks, John Sessions, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, Jim Radford

BBC Radio 4 - Last Word, Lord Sacks, John Sessions, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, Jim Radford

Matthew Bannister on a rabbi, an actor, a podcaster, a singer.

Matthew Bannister on Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, actor John Sessions, podcaster Joanna Harcourt-Smith, singer Jim Radford.

Pictured: Lord Sacks

Matthew Bannister on

The former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, a respected scholar and broadcaster who reached out to other faiths, but had trouble reconciling the different strains of opinion in his own. 

John Sessions, the actor and comedian who used his gift for improvisation and mimicry in TV shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway, Spitting Image and Stella Street. Clive Anderson and Sir Kenneth Branagh pay tribute. 

Joanna Harcourt-Smith, the socialite who was friends with the Rolling Stones, campaigned to get Timothy Leary released from prison and struggled with addiction. Once she entered recovery she hosted an early podcast called Future Primitive. 

Jim Radford, the singer-songwriter and peace campaigner who took part in the D-Day landings aged 15 – and later performed his song based on the experiences at the Royal Albert Hall to mark the 70th Anniversary.

Interviewed guest: Dr Rowan Williams
Interviewed guest: Jenni Frazer
Interviewed guest: Clive Anderson
Interviewed guest: Sir Kenneth Branagh
Interviewed guest: Lara Tambacopoulou

Producer: Neil George

Archive clips from: Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 26/041991; Sunday, Radio 4 25/08/2013; Today, Radio 4 28/11/2019; Whose Line Is It Anyway, Channel 4 1988; Whose Line Is It Anyway, Radio 4 February 1988; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 25/02/1990; Finding Your Feet, directed by Richard Loncraine, Eclipse Films 2017; Napoleon by John Sessions, directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh 1989; Margaret, directed by James Kent, Great Meadow Productions 2009; Future Primitive: Heartmending, 23/08/2020; My Psychedelic Love Story, directed by Errol Morris, Fourth Floor Productions 22/10/2020; Good Morning Britain, ITV 31/05/2019; D-Day Veteran Goes Back to the Beaches, BBC Three Counties Radio 06/06/2019; Jim Radford Goes Back to Normandy, Legasee Educational Trust 01/08/2017; BBC News 05/06/2019.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Last Word

Lord Sacks, John Sessions, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, Jim Radford

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4