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Woman's Hour: Six the Musical, Author Hannah Jewell on 'snowflakes', Women in Ukraine

25/01/2022

Six the Musical, Author Hannah Jewell on 'snowflakes', Women in Ukraine

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Six the Musical, Author Hannah Jewell on 'snowflakes', Women in Ukraine

The success of the modern musical retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII.

Six the Musical is currently on stage at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. The show follows Henry VIII’s six wives, as they take the microphone for the first time in a ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ style sing-off.  Originally written by two Cambridge University students and showcased at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, it has since taken London’s West End by storm and has just opened on Broadway.   Joining Emma are Lucy Moss, co-director and co-writer of the show, and Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, who plays Henry VIII’s fifth wife Katherine Howard in a brand new London cast.

Boris Johnson is under renewed pressure after Downing Street admitted staff gathered inside No 10 during the first Covid lockdown to mark his birthday in June 2020.  A spokesperson said staff had "gathered briefly" to "wish the Prime Minister a happy birthday", adding that he had been there "for less than 10 minutes".  There have been recent suggestions that No 10 would benefit from having more women in high profile roles to sort out what has been reported to be a 'lad's lair'.  Baroness Kate Fall was Deputy Chief of Staff for David Cameron while he was Prime Minister, and joins Emma.

Are the youth of today oversensitive, mollycoddled and intellectually weak? Is cancel culture spiralling out of control? According to journalist and writer Hannah Jewell, author of new book We Need Snowflakes: In defence of the sensitive the angry and the offended, the term ‘snowflakes’ has been used to demonise young people who care passionately about fighting racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and economic inequality.

As Russian troops mass on the border with Ukraine, and NATO warns of a risk of fresh conflict in Europe, Emma speaks to BBC Ukrainian Service journalist Irena Taranyuk about the pressures and decisions facing women in her country right now.

The MP Sir Edward Leigh, who himself suffers from rosacea, has tabled a debate on the link between skin problems and poor mental health to be held at Westminster Hall later today. He joins Emma Barnett to discuss his concerns alongside the consultant dermatologist Dr Penelope Pratsou who also speaks on behalf of the British Skin Foundation.

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