Gary Williams In Conversation

Today we answer the question that the husbands, wives and significant others of singers and actors have been asking themselves for decades: Are all entertainers needy egomaniacs? I'm delighted to bring together two stellar performers: Anna-Jane Casey, one of the UK's most successful and beloved West End stars appearing in West Side Story, Mack and Mabel, and Spamalot to name a few; and Jon Nickoll, resident piano entertainer of The Savoy who has performed for President Bill Clinton, sung with Amy Winehouse and has been pelted with peanuts by the Royal Family.

Singer Shane Hampsheir opens up about coping with Covid in the UK and how he is keeping his voice in trim and his fans happy.

Is cruising safe now? Are cruise ships actually safer than being on land? Karl Lornie from tribute band Beatles Celebration is performing on the MSC Grandiosa and tells us what it’s like cruising and working on a cruise ship during the Covid-19 pandemic.  We talk about the safety measures on board, when masks need to be worn, one-way systems, how the buffet works, and testing requirements for guests before boarding.  Karl also tells us what it’s like working as an entertainer on board, medical requirements, length of contacts, how many shows they need to do and when entertainers need to quarantine.  The ship’s home port is Genoa. It’s doing 7 day cruises, calling only at Italian ports and guests can only leave the ship on an organised tour. After the interview, Karl told me that in one port a small group of guests decided to take themselves off to a restaurant and for that they were denied boarding. It’s reassuring to know the cruise line is taking it very seriously.

I last interviewed Christina Bianco in Edinburgh back in 2014. As you can tell, I am a big fan. Her singular voice and comedic charm have brought audiences around the world to their feet. Bianco captured international acclaim as a YouTube sensation with her ‘diva’ impression videos, gaining over 24 million views. Dubbed ‘the girl of a thousand voices,’ Christina has performed on major television programs such as The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Meredith Vieira Show, The Queen Latifah Show & The Today Show, in the US alone. We talk about how we are coping with the Coronavirus and how to make the most of the time at home and we even get guests appearances from Liza Minelli, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand, thanks to Christina's amazing voice.

West End star Anna-Jane Casey talks about surviving during lockdown in this very candid interview.  Singer, dancer, actor Anna-Jane Casey has began her career in Cats at 16 and went on to perform in numerous shows including West Side Story, Sunday in the Park With George, Mack and Mabel, Spamalot, Billy Elliot, Forbidden Broadway and Chicago, to name a few. She's performed for the Proms in concert with John Wilson and you may have seen her in EastEnders, The Bill, Heartbeat and Holby City. We talk about how we are coping with the Coronavirus and how to make the most of the time at home.

The lockdown implemented in India as a result of Covid-19 created a humanitarian crisis overnight, with millions of day labourers and migrant workers suddenly trapped with no resources or income. Many fear starvation above contracting the virus. Prints for India is a limited-time photographic print sale showcasing work shot in India by a diverse collective of photographers. The initiative has been set up by Sam and four friends who met on a photography workshop in India, and aims to raise funds to aid some of those in India hit hardest by the virus. For more details on this initiative go to http://www.printsforindia.com

Eric Yves Garcia is a New York based singer, pianist, writer and actor. The Wall Street Journal described his shows as “... Incredibly moving and very funny—often both at the same time." He's performed his cabaret in New York, London, Paris and beyond. We talk about how we are coping with the Coronavirus and how to make the most of the time at home.

The Make A Difference Trust (trading as TheatreMAD) was founded in 2008 by Melanie Tranter, David Pendlebury and Julian Bird, establishing the first official stand-alone Charity to coordinate the theatre community’s fundraising and grant making for HIV and AIDS. In recognition of the theatre industry’s long term fundraising efforts, MAD set up The Make A Difference Trust Hardship Fund to support people in the theatre industry affected by long term chronic illness. A host of fundraising events, including Bucket Collections, Late Night Cabarets, West End Eurovision, West End Bares and A West End Christmas continue to raise funds for projects both in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ventriloquist Gary Hunter talk about Covid on cruise ships. He’s been performing professionally since 1975, when he boarded his first cruise ship in the port of Miami. Hundreds of cruises later with stops in over 165 countries he has visited some of the most famous sites in the world, all because he "Works with Dummies". In 2014, he was voted Best Cruise Director by Porthole Cruise Magazine.

CBSO Chief Exec Stephen Maddock talks openly about the impact of Covid 19 on the CBSO and orchestra throughout the world.