What does The Rocky Horror Show have to do with belonging?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

This week on It’s A Small World!, Tanya and Mich talk about Rocky Horror - the fishnets, the Time Warp, the audience participation and more than 50 years of cult status - and something much bigger:

Why do we all need somewhere we feel we belong?

We talk about being different, finding your people, identity and acceptance, and those spaces where you realise you don't have to change yourself to fit in.

Why are some communities so powerful for people who've spent much of their lives feeling like outsiders? Why does finding “your tribe” matter so much? And is belonging about fitting in - or finding somewhere you don't have to?

We also look at why Rocky Horror became such an enduring home for outsiders and why its message of self-expression still resonates generations later.

And, as always, expect a few tangents along the way. Because it wouldn't be It's A Small World! without them.

Whether you've been doing the Time Warp for decades or you've never seen Rocky Horror in your life, this episode isn't really about a musical.

It's about something most of us spend our lives searching for:

A place where we can simply be ourselves

Buy The Rocky Horror Picture Show Here - https://link.amazon/B0eCTA6Pr

After a few months away, It’s A Small World! is finally back.

And rather than jump straight into one of our usual topics, we thought there was only one way to restart - sit down, switch on the mics and have a proper catch-up.

A LOT has happened.

Tanya talks about losing her partner, navigating grief and then facing another unexpected chapter with cancer, while we reflect on just how quickly life can change when you think you know what the next few months are going to look like.

But this isn't 45 minutes of doom and gloom.

We also talk about friendship, carrying on with ordinary life when things are anything but ordinary, laughing when perhaps you don't expect to laugh, and what the last few months have taught us about what really matters.

There are serious moments, lighter moments and, inevitably, a few tangents along the way.

Basically… we're back. And we've got a LOT to talk about.

Welcome back to It’s A Small World!

Revenge is one of the strongest human emotions, but does getting even really bring the satisfaction we imagine?

In this episode of It's A Small World!, Tanya and Mich explore why we seek revenge, whether it's ever justified, and the difference between revenge, justice and healing.

Inspired by Lily Allen's latest album, written in the wake of her marriage breakdown, Tanya reflects on seeing her perform live and asks whether turning pain into creativity is its own form of revenge.

The conversation also delves into Mich's personal experience of stalking, the powerful themes explored in the play Punch, and why our desire to retaliate can sometimes say more about our own hurt than the person we're trying to hurt.

Along the way, they discuss the psychology of revenge, whether forgiveness is really the harder option, and ask one simple question:

If you had the chance to get even... would you?

As always, this isn't about telling you what to think - it's about exploring the ideas together.

Show links:

Lily Allen - West End Girl https://amzn.to/3Qwy5eB