Becoming Barbara
When Natalie found herself stuck on a story she was writing and struggling for ideas, a friend invited her to a special gathering.
There, during a spiritual dalliance into literary soul-searching, she finally met her muse.
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Russell Stapleton, Sound engineer
A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4
Betwitched – Living with Tourette’s Syndrome
‘The words I want sweat, moan, bleed, spit, get down and do not give birth immaculately.’ – Emma Morgan
Until recently, little was known about this unusual, neurological disorder that compels people to make strange noises, utterances and movements, otherwise known as ‘tics’.
In Betwitched, people with Tourette’s Syndrome talk about living with tics as well as some of the disorders associated with Tourette’s such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder. Betwitched also features poetry, writing and performance by people with Tourette’s.
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Steven Tilley, Sound engineer
For more information on Tourette Syndrome, contact the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia
Buried Alive
‘Readers of Edgar Allan Poe's tales may comfort themselves with the notion that Poe must have exaggerated: surely people of the 1800s could not have been at risk of being buried alive? But such stories filled medical journals as well as popular fiction, and fear in the populace was high.’
– Jan Bondeson
Natalie Kestecher takes a look at the history of the fear of being buried alive, precautions taken against it happening, and some of the stories and anecdotes about the subject that still circulate.
With Jan Bondeson, plus Elliot Cole from the Australian Museum.
Performers: Florian Messner and Rochelle Hersh.
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Florian Messner and Rochelle Hersh, Performers
Jan Bondeson and Elliot Cole, Guests
Burning Bush
No beating around the bush, this week we're talking about our obsession with hairlessness – elaborate pubic hair styling, shaping, ruthless waxing and lasering. Why are we so obsessed when our cultural history is full of hairiness being associated with strength?
We're waxing lyrical on the close shave, in a radio feature that mines popular culture to explore some of the paradoxes of our conceptions of strength and beauty, of what it is to be a real man or an attractive woman. Why do some cultures demand that men never shave and women cover their heads, while others expect both men and women to be smooth and hairless?
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Dark Eyes
Is the face you were born with the one you present to the world? Perhaps you wear a beard to conceal a weak chin or a comb-over to hide a bald patch.
‘Dark Eyes’ is the story of a woman who has been wearing thick black eyeliner since she was a child. The idea of facing the world without it is terrifies her.
Music by Edouard Bronson and Jeremy Sawkins and starring Naomi Fine from Me, Ricky and Him: a radio show about a radio show.
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Steven Tilley, Sound engineer
Double Life
Thirty-six righteous beings, the lamed vav tzaddikim, keep the world turning, according to Jewish tradition. If they didn't exist there would be greater strife in the world than there already is, yet we don't even know who they are.
Radio producer Natalie Kestecher speaks to rabbis, mystics, scholars, and to photographer Todd Weinstein about the idea and, while it appears that it can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, Natalie finds that she is seeing these beings in the most unlikely places.
This program was awarded the Grand Prix Marulic 2008 for best Documentary.
The judges said:
‘The feature revisits the Jewish belief in the existence of thirty-six beings—the lamed vav tzaddikim—without whom the world would be much more troubled. The author-observer asks rabbis, mystics and others who these 36 beings are and what we can learn from them. She also finds a photographer who claims to have photographed the 36, and actually describes some of his snapshots. But the author-observer is also engaged in the search of those mysterious beings herself. Her reflections are like mini-poems on the mystery hidden in every one of us. 'The Double Life' impressed the jury as a beautifully-made radio feature on an unusual, fascinating subject, which was as informative as it was intriguing and evocative.’
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Russell Stapleton, Sound engineer
Echoing Quack
‘Echoing quack’ provides a unique perspective into an alternative universe where audio makers ask bigger questions — some are even up to two paragraphs long.
Listeners are both challenged and comforted by the blending of the natural and the imagined. The vision is sharp but the impact unravels gently, as time, emotion and intellect dance.
Listeners are left with something both challenging and comforting, we realise we already mentioned this but we thought it should be emphasised.
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Mike Williams, Producer and sound engineer
Michelle Macklem and Jess Shane, Commissioning editors
Jess Shane, Artwork
Erotic Recording
Natalie Kestecher on EROTIC RECORDING. Part of a series of nonfiction stories about ILLICIT OBJECTS, published by PROJECT:OBJECT at HiLobrow.com.
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Steven Tilley, Sound engineer
Frozen Garbage
Frozen Garbage brings you deep thoughts on shallow subjects.
Starring Natalie Kestecher and Sophie Townsend, with sound design and original music by Russell Stapleton.
Listen to a small sampling of episodes below.
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Producer
Sophie Townsend, Producer
Russell Stapleton, Music, sound design and sound engineer
#28: frozen garbage
Today's topic: what can and can't be frozen.
#4: weevils
Today's topic: weevils.
#77: the average conversation
Today's topic: how long should the average conversation last?
The Growth
The Growth is an evolutionary series about the business of doing business featuring interviews with innovators, disruptors, thinkers and financial adventurers.
Natalie Kestecher and Steven Tilley star as Naomi Fine and Dave Raydio.
Listen to episodes below.
CREDITS
Natalie Kestecher, Writer and producer
Steven Tilley, Writer, producer and sound engineer
Jesse Cox, Supervising producer
Clown Accountant
In this episode, Naomi Fine and Dave Raydio speak to financial services innovator and disruptor Caitlin O’Connell to find out how she's trying to bring innovation to the accounting industry.
Robot Manager
Naomi and Dave speak to Michael Balthazar about technological developments that will automate the workplace.
The Futurist
In this episode Naomi Fine and Dave Raydio speak to futurist Chris Riddell about embracing change.
Roland Spivey
To finish off the series, Naomi Fine and Dave Raydio chat with Roland Spivey about exciting and inspirational new developments in the edu-business industry.