Main content

Simon McBurney

Actor, writer and director Simon McBurney is interviewed by Kirsty Young.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the actor, writer and director Simon McBurney.

It's 30 years since he set up the ground-breaking theatre company Complicite. It brought extraordinary physical deftness to the stage and its productions won every plaudit going - from an armful of Olivier awards to the Perrier prize for comedy.

His mainstream credits range from TV roles in the Vicar of Dibley and Rev, to screen credits for The Last King of Scotland and Harry Potter. On stage, he's directed Katie Holmes and Al Pacino to critical acclaim in New York.

Of his unconventional directing style, he admits: "Some people have said, it's a bit like going into the jungle with some mad explorer - who everybody knows doesn't have any idea where he's going - but somehow he gives people some sort of confidence to keep on going."

Producer: Leanne Buckle.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 20 Jul 2012 09:00

Music Played

  • Frank Zappa

    I鈥檓 The Slime

    Composer: Frank Zappa

    • Apostrophe鈥 / Overnite Sensation.
    • ZAPPA RECORDS.
  • Gil Scott鈥怘eron

    The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

    Composer: Gil Scott Heron

    • The Best of Gil Scott heron.
    • SONY BMG.
  • Gy枚rgy Ligeti

    L'escalier du Diable

    Artist: Pierre-Laurent Aimard

    • Ligeti 鈥 Works for Piano: Etudes, Musica Ricercata.
    • SONY CLASSICAL.
  • Aretha Franklin

    Young, Gifted and Black

    Composer: Nina Simone

    • Aretha Franklin Young Gifted and Black.
    • ATLANTIC.
  • Alfred Schnittke

    Concerto grosso No. 1 - 5th movement

    Artist: Gidon Kremer, Yuri Smirnov, Tatiana Grindenko and Chamber Orchestra of Europe

    • Kremer Plays Schnittke - Concerto grosso No. 1 / Quasi una sonata / Moz-Art a'la Haydn / A Paganini.
    • Deutsche Grammophon Masters.
  • Esma Redzepova & Stevo Teodosievski Ensemble

    Hajri Ma Te Dike

    Composer: Esma Redzepova

    • Esma Queen of The Gypsies.
    • World Connection.
  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Quartet No. 15 in E flat Minor (Opus 144)

    Artist: Emerson Quartet

    • Shostakovich: String Quartets.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Veronica Oucholin

      J'allume le feu (I light the fire)

      Composer: Traditional

      • Grand Nord Russe (Russian Far North 鈥 the Chukchi).
      • PLAYASOUND.
  • Book Choice

    • And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief as Photos - John Berger

  • Luxury Choice

    • A pillow with the smell of his family

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Simon McBurney

Broadcasts

  • Sun 15 Jul 2012 11:15
  • Fri 20 Jul 2012 09:00

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast