Soundtracking with Edith Bowman

Following Edith's chat with Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, the second of our Christmas Soundtracking offerings to you sees the wonderful Cynthia Erivo return to Soundtracking to discuss her performance as Elpheba Thropp in Wicked. We spoke to director John Chu and composer Stephen Schwartz around release, but we're delighted to have got a little time with Cynthia, who is absolutely magnificent in this role.

First things first: many apologies to Rafael Marmor, producer of Will & Harper, who Edith's producer Ben criminally fails to namecheck in his script to this live show at Everyman Broadgate with Will Ferrell, Harper Steele ... and RAFAEL MARMOR!!!! This is the first of a festive bundle of chats about film and music. And, boy, is it a goodie: as Edith labelled it in the shared folder where we store all our recordings for the podcast. this is the 'actual' Will Ferrell and Harper Steele. Yes, the actual Will Ferrell and Harper Steele joined Edith in front of an audience at Everyman Broadgate to discuss their beautiful documentary, Will & Harper, alongside producer Rafael.

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are Barry Jenkins and Lin Manuel Miranda, who join us to discuss their work on Mufasa, which serves as both a sequel and a prequel to the 2019 remake of the 1994 classic. Set after the events of the original, it sees Rifiki the Mandril recount Mufasa's origin story to Simba's daughter Kiara, with a little help from Timon and Pumbaa. We follow a young orphaned Mufasa as he befriends the prince Taka and is adopted by Taka's family.

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are Sam Yates, Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley - respectively the director, writer and star of the neo-noir thriller, Magpie. In an idea originally developed by Daisy before husband Tom penned the script, it tells the story of a wife left at home with a newborn baby while her husband accompanies their daughter to a film set, where she is shooting with a famous actress. Suffice to say, plenty of twists and turns ensue.

We are so excited to bring you our latest bonus episode of Soundtracking, as two of our favourties Luca Guadagnino and Daniel Craig join Edith to discuss Luca's glorious new film, Queer. Based on a novella by William S Burroughs, it tells the story of Lee who, after fleeing from a drug bust in New Orleans, wanders around Mexico City';s clubs and becomes infatuated with a discharged American navy serviceman. Queer is scored by friends of the show, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

As promised, it's a double dose of Soundtracking to start your week following our episode on Black Doves with Keira Knightley and Joe Barton. Now it's the turn of Zoe Saldaña, star of another Netflix vehicle, Emilia Pérez. Written and directed by Jacques Audiard, the film tells the story of a feared cartel leader who enlists a lawyer to help her disappear and achieve her dream of transitioning into a woman. Its all singing, all dancing, and quite unlike anything you're likely to have seen - with original songs written by Camille and a score provided by Clément Ducol.

Keira Knightly and Joe Barton join Edith to discuss Joe's thrilling take on the espionage genre for Netflix, Black Doves. Keira stars (alongside Ben Wishaw's assassin, Sam) as Helen, the wife of a senior politician, who exploits her relationship with her husband to leak state secrets to a mysterious organisation call the Black Doves. As well as some great needle-drops, Black Doves is scored by friend of the show, Martin Phipps

We have a Kneecap bonus episode for you on our latest episode of Soundtracking, as writer director Rich Peppiatt, composer Mikey J and the three band-members and stars of the film join Edith to discuss their brilliant comedy drama. Based largely on truth, it tells the story of the Republican, Irish speaking hip-hop band as they establish themselves on the Belfast music scene.

Our latest episode of Soundtracking sees a return to the podcast for director Edward Berger and composer Volker Bertelmann to discuss their new film, Conclave. Stariing Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini, the story sees a Cardinal organize a papal to elect the next pop and finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about each candidate. As we'll hear, Edward and Volker struggled more with this score than the Oscar winning one for their previous collaboration, All Quiet On The Western Front. But they got there in the end

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are director John M Chu and composer and lyricist Stephen Schwarz, who join me to discuss John's take on Stephen's classic stage show, Wicked. Set in the Land of Oz, largely before Dorothy's arrival from Kansas, it follows the story of Elphaba beginning her path to becoming the Wicked Witch of the West, and her unlikely friendship with her classmate Galinda, who becomes Glinda the Good. Cythia Erivo and Ariana Grande are knockout as the leads!

In yet another bonus episode - boy, are we busy - we're bringing you a Soundtracking Everyman Film Club, recorded live at Screen on the Green in Islington, north London.This time, director Ian Bonhôte and composer Ilan Eshkeri join Edith to discuss their collaboration on Ian and Peter Ettedgui's beautiful documentary Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story.

Bit of a legend alert for you, as our latest guest on Soundtracking is none other than Ridley Scott, who, of course joins me to discuss Gladiator IISet 20 years after the original, it stars Paul Mescal - and that's all what we'll say about the plot. We think you have a fair idea of what it's all about ...

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is Malcolm Washington, son of Denzel, who joins Edith to discuss his directorial debut, The Piano Lesson, which he also co-wrote and will be available to stream on Netflix on 22nd November. Based on the play by August Wilson, The Piano Lesson is set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of The Great Depression, and follows the lives of the Charles family and a precious heirloom, the family piano. It's got a fabulous cast including Samuel L Jackson, Malcolm's brother John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, and a great composer at the helm in the form of Alexandre Desplat.

We've been spoiling you on Soundtracking recently with plenty of bonus episodes, and we have another one for you today in the shape of the legend that is Steve McQueen. Steve joined Edith in front of an audience at Screen On The Green in Islington, London, as part of our Soundtracking Everyman film club to discuss his new film, Blitz. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Paul Weller, Kathy Burke and 9 year old Elliott Heffernan in his first acting role, the film follows a defiant young boy who goes on an adventure in London during World War II - only to find himself in mortal peril amid the Blitz while his mother searches for him.

We're bringing you another of our Soundtracking Everyman Film Club's today, recorded in front of an audience at Everyman King's Cross. The guests on this occasion are Sir Ian McKellen and Anand Tucker, star and director of Patrick Marber's The Critic. Based on a novel by Anthony Quinn, The Critic tells the story of a powerful theatre critic in 1930s London who gets embroiled in a tangled web of deceit and murder.

We have bonus episodes coming at you thick and fast on Soundtracking, as Laurent Bouzereau joins Edith to discuss his Disney Plus documentary, The Music Of John Williams. Featuring interviews with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Chris Martin, Seth McFarlane and Kate Capshaw, Laurent's film casts a shining light on the career of a true cinematic legend - who has not only scored countless classic movies, but also provided a sonic backdrop to our own lives.

We have a bonus episode of Soundtracking for you today, as none other than Hugh Grant joins Edith to discuss his brilliantly creepy performance as the sadistic Mr Reed in Scott Beck and Bryan Woods's horror thriller, Heretic. Heretic tells the story of two young female Mormons who turn up at Mr Reed's house in an attempt to convert him. What ensues is a twisted game of cat and mouse, chillingly marshalled by Hugh.

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are Cillian Murphy and Tim Mielants, who join Edith to discuss their new film, Small Things Like These. Based on the novel by Claire Keegan, Small Things Like These tells the story of Bill Furlong, a coal worker who makes a discovery at a local convent which forces him to confront secrets in an Irish town. As well as starring, Cillian also produced the film, which was directed by Tim. The score, meanwhile, was provided by Senjan Jansen, who was kind enough to furnish us with a couple of his as yet unreleased cues. Thanks a million, Senjan!

We have another of our Soundtracking Everyman Film Clubs for you in our latest episode, as Alfonso Cuaron and Finneas O'Connell joined Edith in front of an audience to discuss Alfsoso's new series for Apple TV, Disclaimer. Starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, Disclaimer tells the story of a famed documentarian who discovers she's a prominent character in a novel that reveals a secret from her past she has tried to keep hidden. Finneas provided the score having befriended Alfonso in a Milan nightclub while on tour with his sister, Billie Elish.

Our latest episode of Soundtracking sees a welcome return for friend of the show, Hildur Guðnadóttir. Hildur joins Edith to discuss her stunning score for Joker Folie A Deux, following Joaquin Phoenix's recent turn in which we focussed more on the musical numbers.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is Josh Greenbaum, director of the beautiful Netflix documentary, Will & Harper. The film follows friends of 30 years Will Ferrell and Harper Steele as they take a road trip across America, following Harper's transition to a woman in 2022.

We have Hollywood royalty in the house for this bonus episode of Soundtracking, as none other than Joaquin Phoenix joins Edith to discuss his breathtaking performance in Joker: Folie a Deux. Joaquin stars alongside Lady Gaga, who plays Joker obsessive and love of his life, Harley Quinn, and also excels in her role.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is Megan Park, writer and director of whipcrack smart comedy, My Old Ass. We don't want to say too much about the plot, but it basically involves an 18 year old girl meeting her older self having taken magic mushrooms, forcing her to reassess where she's at in life in the most profound of ways. Megan has delivered not only an exceedingly moving film, but also and exceedingly funny one.

We have an absolute guest bonanza on our latest guest on Soundtracking to celebrate the release of The Outrun, which is a quite stunning adaptation of Amy Liptrot's bestselling memoir about her recovery from alcoholism on her home islands of Orkney. As well as speaking to Amy & director Nora Fingscheidt, Edith is also joined by the film's star Saoirse Ronan TWICE - once on her own and once with co-star Paapa Essiedu. The Outrun boasts a magnificent score by Jan Miserre and John Gurtler - of which you'll hear plenty.

We have another Everyman Soundtracking Film Club for you, as Coralie Fargeat, Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore join me in front of a live audience to discuss Coralie's new film, The Substance. The Substance tells the story of fading celebrity, Elizabeth Sparkle, who decides to use a black market drug that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself - unknowingly giving her horrifying side effects.

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are Charlie Covell & Jeff Goldblum - respectively creator and star of the Netflix show KAOS. Also featuring the likes of Stephen Dillane and Billie Piper, KAO is a bold, darkly comedic contemporary retelling of Greek mythology - with a fabulous soundtrack on score by Isabella Summers.

What a treat we have for you in this bonus episode of Soundtracking, as Kate Winslet, Andrea Riseborough and producer Kate Solomon join me to discuss their new film, Lee. Starring Winslet in the title role, Lee tells the extraordinary story of Lee Miller, who made the unlikely transition from muse model to a war photojournalist chronicling the horrors of World War 2 for Vogue magazine.

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are director Iain Softley and musician Don Was, who joined Edith earlier this year to discuss the 30th Anniversary of Backbeat. Starring Stephen Dorf, Iain Hart and Sheryl Lee, Backbeat charts the early days of The Beatles and their pre-fame Hamburg days, focussing on primarily focussing on bassist Stuart Sutcliffe's relationship with John Lennon and photographer Astrid Kirchherr. Backbeat features no original Beatles songs, but rather tracks they performed during their live shows in Hamburg. Don produced these and also wrote the score.

After Zoe Kravitz and producers Tiffany Persons and Garret Levitz discussed Zoe's debut feature Blink Twice in our previous episode, we have another bumper edition of Soundtracking for you this time round, as first Greg Kwedar and then composer Bryce Dessner join Edith to discuss their collaboration on Greg's beautiful, moving and important film, Sing Sing. Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at the world famous Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, the film centers on a group of inmates involved in the creation of theatrical stage shows. It stars professional actors Colman Domingo, alongside many real-life former prisoners who were themselves alumni of the program during their incarceration

We have a double bill on Soundtracking this week - or rather a triple bill - as first Zoe Kravitz and then producers Tiffany Persons and Garret Levitz join Edith to discuss Zoe's directorial debut, Blink Twice, which she also co-wrote. Blink Twice tells the story of Frida, who gets invited to a tech billionaire's private island in what appears to be a dream vacation. But when strange things start to happen, she must figure out what's really going on in order to survive.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is composer Martin Phipps. Among Martin's credits are Ridley Scott's Napoleon and four seasons of The Crown. Martin joined The Crown in season three, which follows the life and early reign of Queen Elizabeth, and his music played a hugely important part in the subsequent development of the show.

Our latest guest in this bonus episode is Paul Feig, who returns to Soundtracking to discuss his latest film, Jackpot!, which is streaming now on Prime Video. Starring Awkwafina and John Cena, Jackpot! is a black comedy caper set in the near future, where winners of a huge lottery only get to keep their billions if they avoid being killed by anyone who wants to have a crack at them by sundown. Despite the dark premise, this is very much fast-paced, gag-driven slapstick fare in which both the protagonists shine.

We have a returning guest on our latest episode of Soundtracking, as Doug Liman joins Edith to discuss The Instigators, which is streaming now on Apple TV. Boasting a stellar cast including Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau and Alfred Molina, The Instigators sees two thieves go on the run in the wake of a botched robbery in the company of one of their therapists.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is Logan Nelson, who joins us to discuss his work on Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes. The Lost Tapes uses her archives and newly found audio to allow Taylor to narrate her own story, interspersing photos, video footage and iconic moments for her film. Logan's score has not yet been released, so we're very grateful to him for sharing a couple of his cues with us.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is Andrew Onwubolu, better known as Rapman, the creator, writer and director of the smash Netflix hit, Supacell. Set in modern-day South London, the series is about a group of five ordinary black people, unified by family history of sickle cell disease, unexpectedly developing superpowers and being pursued by a secret organisation who intends to control them.

We have a bonus episode of Soundtracking today, brought to you by our very good friends at BMW, marking the release of Deadpool & Wolverine. For the past 6 years, BMW have worked incredibly closely with British GQ magazine to help celebrate heroic figures who shape society, culminating in the wonderful GQ Heroes summit, which happens once a year in the Oxfordshire countryside. It’s a few days where the world's most interesting and inspiring minds, game-changers and radical creatives come together to share big ideas with a very small and intimate group of people. We were extremely honoured to be asked back this year - not only to listen to legends of the entertainment industry, design icons, activists and so much more, but also catch up with the trailblazing talent that is Emma Corrin. Emma can be seen playing the role of Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine, which is on general release now. Emma is someone who uses their platform as a voice for so many, in turn giving people the strength to find a voice of their own. This was all the more special for Edith as she was lucky to have conducted their first ever interview, months before anyone had seen them play the role that catapulted them onto television screens around the world - a young Princess Diana in the Crown.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is Erica Tremblay, co-writer and director of Fancy Dance, which is streaming now on Apple TV. Fancy Dance tells the story of Jax - who has cared for her niece, Roki, on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma since the disappearance of her sister. Every spare minute Jax has goes into finding her missing sister as she helps Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is the delightful Lee Isaac Chung, who joins us to discuss his magnificent summer blockbuster, Twisters. A loose sequel to the 1996 film, it stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as a former storm chaser drawn back to the wide-open plains of Oklahoma as multiple weather systems dangerously converge. Twisters is scored by Benjamin Wallfisch - but also features plenty of great country music.

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are writer/director Josh Margolin and composer Nick Chuba, who joined forces on Josh's new film Thelma. Thelma tells the story of a 93-year-old grandmother who loses $10,000 to a con artist on the phone. With help from a friend and his motorized scooter, she embarks on a treacherous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her. Nick's score has echoes of the Ocean's movies, and evokes the spirit of action films from the 60s and 70s with its jazzy sensibility. As always, you'll hear extracts of it throughout the chat.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is something of a cinematic polymath - a writer, director, editor and sound designer - the latter being a job description he basically coined. Walter Murch joined Edith to discuss the 50th anniversary of The Conversation, which has been re-released in selected cinemas so you can enjoy it in all its glory on the big screen. Walter took care of the sound and editing on that for starters! We also unpack (some of) the rest of his long and fruitful relationship with Francis Ford Coppola, which also encompasses Apocalypse Now and the Godfather Trilogy.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is actor Andrew Scott, who joined Edith in front of an audience as part of our Everyman Soundtracking Film Club to discuss the critically-lauded Netflix series, Ripley. Shot in black and white, it's a dark, brooding and beautiful retelling of Patricia Highsmith's classic novel The Talented Mr Ripley - in which Andrew delivers a performance as the titular antihero described by the Guardian newspaper as 'absolutely spellbinding'.

Our guest today is music supervisor extraordinaire Maggie Phillips, who has an incredible list of credits including Normal People, Moonlight, Shogun, The Handmaid's Tale, Mr Robot, Fargo and The Great. I absolutely loved talking to Maggie - and also her dog, who seemed keen to join what was an absolutely fascinating conversation.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is the wonderful Jeff Nicholls, who joins us to discuss his brilliant new film, The Bikeriders. Inspired by a book of the same name by photo-journalist Danny Lyon, it tells the story of The Vandals MC, a motorcycle club from Illinois in the 60s, and features a fantastic cast including Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. By Jeff's reckoning, The Bikeriders showcases over 30 needle-drops, so plenty to discuss.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is someone for whom music has had a hugely important role to play in his films. Richard Linklater joined Edith to discuss Hit Man, which is streaming right now on Netflix. Based on a true story, it follows a psychology professor and undercover police contractor who also poses as a hitman. We know: the truth is indeed often stranger than fiction.

We have a bonus episode for you today, which is an Everyman Soundtracking Live with Jerry Bruckheimer and Joachim Ronning - who joined me live on stage to discuss their wonderful movie Young Woman And The Sea. Starring Daisy Ridley, it tells the story of Trudy Ederie who became the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926, but has since been largely forgotten. Until now, that is!

Edith has been wanting to get our latest guest on Soundtracking for some time, not least because of his wonderful collaborations with the likes of Steve McQueen and Denis Villeneuve. And it's his relationship with the latter that we are focussing on with editor-extraordinaire Joe Walker today, with Dune 2 now available to watch on home entertainment formats.

Our latest guests on Soundtracking are Abi Morgan and Lucy Forbes - respectively the writer and the director of the quite extraordinary Eric, which is available to watch right now on Netflix. To try to describe this series in a couple of sentences would be to do it an injustice, but very broadly speaking it involves a man who believes he can find his missing son with the help of a giant puppet called Eric.

Our latest episode of Soundtracking sees a welcome return to the podcast for composer Amelia Warner, who has provided the score for Young Woman And The Sea. Based on a true story, Young Woman And The Sea stars Daisy Ridley as swimmer Trudy Ederie, the first woman to swim the English Channel way back in 1926. Amelia's score hasn't been released yet, so she very kindly provided us with a couple of her cues by way of illustration.

Brought to you in association with BMW, Edith is joined by composer Tom Holkenborg - aka Junkie XL - post red carpet premiere in Cannes, and by director George Miller in London to discuss the music and making of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Our latest guest on Soundtracking is the musician, style icon and all-round delight, Anna Calvi, who joins Edith to discuss her score for seasons five and six of Peaky Blinders. Anna's music is such a key component to the culmination of the much-loved show, and hearing her talk about her creative process in soundtracking it is utterly captivating. And, thanks to our good friends at Domino Records, we've got a vinyl copy of Anna's score to seasons 5 & 6 to give away. Hurrah! All the details are on our social channels (see below) ...Twitter: twitter.com/soundtrackingukInstagram: instagram.com/soundtrackinguk/Website: edithbowman.com