The Trickster: A Thistle up the Backside of Society

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Archive on 4: The Trickster: A Thistle up the Backside of Society

01/04/2024

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, The Trickster: A Thistle up the Backside of Society

Trickery - is it what we need to keep society moving forward?

An audio essay on the role of the trickster in society. Is he or she there to keep us on our toes, make us think differently and keep culture moving forwards?

What's the role of the trickster in society? Is his or her sleight of hand just what we need to keep culture and society on its toes, to keep us thinking differently and avoid getting stuck in a cultural rut? David Bramwell leafs through the BBC archives to look at stunts, hoaxes, tricks and tomfoolery, examining the motivation of the trickster and the positive effects of their activities.

We hear archive going back to the early 1960s and talk about jokes, tricks and stunts pulled on you and me by corporations and individuals. We encounter familiar names like Ken Campbell, Orson Welles, Chris Morris, Marcel Duchamp, Banksy, Pussy Riot and perhaps some less familiar, like Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, The Leeds 13 and identity fraud victim Steve Bustin.

We also hear new interviews with 'classical trickster' expert Lewis Hyde, Daisy Campbell, Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Suki Webster, Marcus Brigstocke, Neil Forsyth and others.

It's not all fun and laughter though as we examine the darker, unintended consequences that can arise from a trickster trying to pull the wool over the unsuspecting eyes of their victim. 

Written and Presented by David Bramwell
Additional Voices: Anne Rupert and Shelley Blond
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4

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