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Coco Sato is a Tokyo-born origami artist, educator, and performer who reimagines traditional paper folding as large-scale sculpture, installation, and live performance. With a background in printmaking and photo media, she approaches origami as both a visual art form and a choreographed, audience-driven experience. Her work spans workshops for children and families, festival performances using giant paper and full-body movement, and collaborations that connect origami with STEM ideas like geometry and engineering.

In this episode of Variety, Adam Sternberg sits down with origami artist Coco Sato to explore how a simple sheet of paper can become sculpture, performance, and even a tool for teaching maths. Coco shares origami’s roots in Japanese history, from folded poetic letters and gift-wrapping traditions to its modern identity as a widely taught childhood pastime in Japan.

Coco traces her own path from studying paper-based art and photography to building a career after becoming a mother, when she shifted toward teaching and discovered that scaling up origami made it more visible, physical, and performative. She describes moving from small demonstrations to giant outdoor festival work, where the folding itself became the art. They also discuss the difference between precision sculpture and live performance, the minimal tools required, and the real-world problems origami faces, including weather, soggy paper, and the challenges of giving clear instructions in the moment.

Adam learns two simple folds on camera, a butterfly and a cat, and Coco explains why origami can be therapeutic, how it trains focus and concentration, and how it can reshape how people see creativity in everyday materials. The conversation also touches on origami’s links to STEM, including geometry basics, collaborations with mathematicians, and real-world engineering applications like compact folding methods used in space-related design. Finally, Coco reflects on AI, where it can mimic the look of folds in advertising without being physically possible, and offers advice for young artists: stay flexible, say yes to opportunities, take risks, and do the scary thing that leads somewhere new.

00:00 Behind the scenes setup and intro to Coco Sato

00:00:42 What origami is and its origins in Japanese poetic letters

00:02:24 Coco’s background, Tokyo and Yokohama, creativity at home

00:03:55 From childhood play to paper-based art and 3D folded photo work

00:07:08 Motherhood, teaching, and discovering large-scale origami

00:08:18 Giant origami, choreography, performance vs sculpture

00:11:18 Minimal tools and Coco makes Adam a paper bow tie

00:17:47 Origami butterfly tutorial on camera

00:22:30 Adam learns an origami cat and Coco’s philosophy on perception

00:28:00 STEM links, folding limits, things going wrong, AI, and advice for artists

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Kevin Bishop is a veteran television producer and director whose career spans decades at the BBC. Starting behind the scenes in theatre and variety, he went on to work with some of Britain’s most iconic performers, directing and producing shows including French and Saunders, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, The Kenny Everett Show, Wogan, the Royal Variety Show, and the Eurovision Song Contest. Across his career, he has overseen hundreds of live broadcasts and worked closely with stars ranging from Victoria Wood and Elton John to Liza Minnelli, Terry Wogan, and Shirley Bassey.

In this episode of Variety, Adam Sternberg sits down with legendary TV producer and director Kevin Bishop for a rare behind-the-scenes look at British television history. Kevin reflects on his early love of theatre, his first backstage jobs, and the winding path that led him to the BBC, where he helped shape some of the most influential comedy and variety shows of the last 50 years.

The conversation covers Kevin’s experiences working with comedy greats like Victoria Wood, French and Saunders, Fry and Laurie, Roy Bremner, and Larry Grayson, as well as producing and directing ten Royal Variety Shows. Kevin breaks down how acts were chosen, how running orders were built, and why egos were rarely a problem. He also shares memorable moments involving Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Shirley Bassey, Rowan Atkinson, and Bob Monkhouse.

Adam and Kevin then turn to Eurovision, including the UK’s 1997 win, the challenge of hosting the contest in Birmingham in 1998, the last-ever Eurovision with a live orchestra, and the night Dana International won in a moment that helped redefine representation on the world stage. The episode wraps with reflections on the BBC, the meaning of variety entertainment, and Kevin’s question for a future guest.

00:00 Introduction and Kevin Bishop’s career overview

01:00 Working with comedy legends and spotting future stars

02:25 Early passion for theatre and first backstage jobs

04:00 Breaking into television and first producing roles

06:08 Queen Mother’s 90th birthday gala and Royal Variety Shows

07:56 Booking acts and running order decisions

10:07 Rehearsals, live orchestras, and handling big stars

11:31 Starstruck moments and working with Larry Grayson

13:54 Live TV pressure, mistakes, and editing fixes

15:37 Wogan, Eurovision, the BBC, and the meaning of variety

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Judge the Poet is a London-born spontaneous improvised poet who has been creating rhyming poems on the spot for over three decades. A performer and writer with a background in English literature, he has taken his act around the world, appearing on TV, performing at private and public events, and writing his own book of poetry. His work blends quick-thinking craft with audience-reading empathy, turning live moments into tailored poems that tell real stories.

For more on Judge the Poet visit:

https://www.instagram.com/judgethepoet/

In episode 2, Adam Sternberg welcomes Judge the Poet for a deep dive into the unusual art and business of improvised poetry. Judge opens by demonstrating his spontaneous poet skill, asking Adam for three random prompts, Christmas, entertainment, and pink, then instantly shaping them into a coherent rhyming poem.

From there, Judge shares how he has been making up poems since primary school, how he trained his craft like a musician or athlete, and how he built a career the hard way by knocking on doors, taking low-paid early gigs, and growing through word of mouth. They explore the two sides of performance, technical skill and stagecraft, plus the reality of resilience, instability, and why live entertainment matters, especially post-COVID.

The conversation also tackles poetry’s image problem in schools, why poetry should be felt like music rather than solved, and how rhyme and rhythm pull language into the heart. They also discuss AI, why it can imitate poems but cannot truly read the room. Judge closes by improvising a final poem that sums up the episode’s themes, poetry, variety, and AI.

00:00 Cold open poem and quick intro

00:45 Who Judge is and what a spontaneous poet does

01:50 Live demo setup and how the game works

02:12 Demo poem using Christmas, entertainment, and pink

03:32 What makes it more than a party trick, story and meaning

04:11 Judge’s background, London to Devon to English Lit in Yorkshire

06:00 Origins and practice, childhood poems and building the craft

09:00 Making a living, knocking on doors, sales, and word of mouth growth

11:40 Performing styles, close-up tables vs stage, tailoring to the room

13:28 Poetry, arts value, education, rhyme, and accessibility

30:31 Adam tries improv poetry, then AI vs human creativity, and closing poem

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Bounder & Cad are a London-based musical comedy duo known for sharp, lyrical satire set to classic crooner, jazz, and operatic styles. Formed at the University of Cambridge, the pair blend close harmony singing with original parody songs that skewer politics, power, culture, and modern absurdities—always punching up. Regular performers at venues including Crazy Coqs, they draw inspiration from Noël Coward, Flanders & Swann, Dudley Moore, and Kit & The Widow, combining musical virtuosity with wit, warmth, and theatrical flair.

In this episode of Variety, host Adam Sternberg welcomes musical comedy duo Bounder & Cad for a wide-ranging conversation following a bold opening performance skewering Vladimir Putin. The pair trace their origins from university choirboys and jazz crooners to becoming a fully-fledged satirical act, sharing stories of May Balls, their first original parody song about Prince Harry, and a last-minute, near-missed debut gig at 10 Downing Street.

They unpack their approach to satire—why they prefer timeless absurdity over partisan politics, how they balance provocation with kindness, and why comedy works best when it releases tension rather than fuels anger. The episode also dives into creative partnership, disagreement, privilege, performance mishaps, and the importance of humor as a coping mechanism. It wraps with a playful operatic finale: a comic English-language take on La donna è mobile, featuring Adam joining them on stage.

Don’t miss out on how we plan to bring this podcast to life with Variety Live shows.

🎵 Original title music written by Peter O'Donnell and produced by Chris Burgess.

Join Adam Sternberg next time for another captivating glimpse into the world of live entertainment.

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Andrew Robley is a British musical-theatre performer and singer from Carlisle who began his career as a cathedral chorister, later winning a BBC “Search for a Star” competition and going on to play leading-man roles in shows like Grease (Danny Zuko) and classic musicals including Carousel and Oklahoma!. He’s now a regular performer at London’s Brick Lane Music Hall, where he’s become best known for his work as a pantomime dame—an unexpectedly demanding, fast-paced role he grew into after years as a principal boy/leading man.

For more on Andrew Robley visit:

👉https://www.instagram.com/andrew.robley

In this Christmas special of Variety, host Adam Sternberg chats with Andrew about his unusual route into panto: from choirboy beginnings and a brief detour as a chef, to musical theatre leading roles, and finally being thrust into dame duties at the last minute when another performer was injured. Andrew breaks down what makes pantomime unique—ad-libbing, timing, audience interaction, and relentless quick-changes—plus the character work, voice choices, slapstick, and how panto traditions are evolving (and enduring). The episode also features a playful spoken “duet” of Sonny Boy and wraps with details of Andrew’s upcoming run at Brick Lane Music Hall in Jack and His Giant Stalk (over-16s), followed by a family version later.

Don’t miss out on how we plan to bring this podcast to life with Variety Live shows.

🎵 Original title music written by Peter O'Donnell and produced by Chris Burgess.

Join Adam Sternberg next time for another captivating glimpse into the world of live entertainment.

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Artist Bio

Aaron Clark (“Keith Ripoff”) and Alex Larke (“Mock Jagger”) are the long-time twin engines of premier Rolling Stones tribute act The Rolling Clones. Growing up in neighboring Hertfordshire towns, both were shaped by early musical influences: Aaron gigging from age 11 with a Stones riff book smuggled into lessons, Alex trading a teenage go-kart racing career (he once raced Jenson Button) for frontman life after being dubbed a “modern-day Mick Jagger” in the local press. United by a deep love of the Stones’ catalogue, obsessive attention to detail, and a shared refusal to live the actual Stones’ lifestyle (these days it’s post-gig tea, not Jack Daniel’s), they’ve spent well over a decade touring the world, from French town squares to theatres and Middle Eastern stages, bringing Mick-and-Keith swagger to audiences of every age.

For more on The Rolling Clones visit:

👉https://www.instagram.com/rollingclones

Episode Summary

In this episode, they talk about how they fell in love with the Rolling Stones, why they think the Stones out-rock the Beatles, and what it really takes to “become” Mick and Keith on stage night after night. They share stories of massive gigs, weird audiences, fire alarms killing the PA mid-show, and one particularly drunk early gig where “Mick” fell off the stage and was rescued by the man who played Bungle from Rainbow. We hear how the Rolling Clones evolved from cabaret act to a high-energy modern live-Stones experience, why Aaron convinced Alex to stop drinking on stage, and why tribute work turned out to be a “golden ticket” to make a living in music without fame.

Don’t miss out on how we plan to bring this podcast to life with Variety Live shows.

🎵 Original title music written by Peter O'Donnell and produced by Chris Burgess.

Join Adam Sternberg next time for another captivating glimpse into the world of live entertainment.

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Artist Bio

Joe Stilgoe is an acclaimed British pianist, singer, composer and all-round musical entertainer, known equally for his virtuosic musicianship and his theatrical flair. With five UK jazz chart-topping albums, Joe moves effortlessly between jazz, cabaret, theatre and improvisation, whether performing at Ronnie Scott’s, collaborating with orchestras, or creating bespoke shows that blend humour, spontaneity and dazzling musicality. A gifted improviser, he’s renowned for transforming audience suggestions into brilliantly inventive medleys, as well as for his work as a musical theatre writer and performer. His career spans Disney cruise ships to royal performances, radio and TV appearances, and an ever-evolving presence on the UK jazz and theatre scenes.

For more on Joe Stilgoe visit:

👉https://www.instagram.com/thejoestilgoe

Episode Summary

In this rich and entertaining conversation, Joe takes us through his musical upbringing—opera-singing mother, legendary father, and a Surrey childhood filled with sound—before charting his journey from university uncertainty to Disney cruise contracts, jazz education, and eventually the London scene. He dives into the craft of improvisation, the joys and dangers of live performance, his theatre work (including High Society at the Old Vic), and some unforgettable moments—like a royal gig where no one would shout out a song request. Joe also speaks passionately about the fragile state of UK jazz clubs and his campaign to support and protect them. Full of humour, stories, musical quirks, and heartfelt advocacy, this episode is a celebration of live performance and the vibrant, unpredictable world Joe Stilgoe inhabits.

• 35:01–37:48 — Demonstration and discussion of the mouth-trumpet solos
• 38:48–40:17 — The parlor-trick clapping game he learned from his mum
• 41:05–44:44 — Performing at the Queen & Prince Philip’s 70th anniversary, the awkward silence after asking for song suggestions, and King Charles requesting “Scriabin’s Third Piano”
• 49:13–52:43 — Getting fired during intermission of Footloose because of the keyboard patches

Don’t miss out on how we plan to bring this podcast to life with Variety Live shows.

🎵 Original title music written by Peter O'Donnell and produced by Chris Burgess.

Join Adam Sternberg next time for another captivating glimpse into the world of live entertainment.

Join us on this captivating journey into the fascinating world of live entertainment. Host Adam Sternberg brings you engaging conversations with remarkable entertainers, from magicians and jugglers to aerial artists and contortionists. Discover the unique stories behind their extraordinary careers, the challenges they have faced, and the motivations that drive them. If you are passionate about live entertainment or simply curious about the lives of extraordinary performers, this podcast is a must-listen.

In this episode, Adam welcomes Reverend Bazil Meade, founder of the London Community Gospel Choir, widely recognised as a pioneering force in British gospel music. Bazil traces his path from a childhood on the Caribbean island of Montserrat to becoming one of the most influential figures in UK choral music. He shares moving and sometimes dramatic stories about migration, racism, faith, early musical mentorship, the formation of LCGC in the early 1980s and its rapid rise to performing on global stages and collaborating with major artists including Paul McCartney, George Martin, Luther Vandross, Foreigner and Madonna. Basil also breaks down the sound, history and emotional heart of gospel, the distinction between spirituals and modern gospel music, and how improvisation, movement and community inform the choir’s world-renowned style. We hear candid reflections on creativity, the transition to handing leadership to his children, unforgettable stage moments and a live lesson in singing that leads Adam to his first gospel duet.

Key Discussion Points

• Origins and Early Life in Montserrat: Born in Montserrat in the Caribbean, raised in a small wooden house and living largely off the land and the sea.
• Migration to the UK and Culture Shock: Travelled alone at age nine on a two week boat journey to Southampton, experiencing seasickness, unfamiliar food and the tight communal conditions typical of early Windrush-era ships.
• Early Musical Influences and Church Community: Grew into music through church life in Hackney and Dalston Lane.
• A Dramatic Escape and New Beginnings: Recounted a frightening confrontation with his stepfather that led him to flee the house, land in Leicester Square and impulsively leave for Germany with a group selling encyclopedias to US bases.
• Founding the London Community Gospel Choir: Co founded LCGC in 1982 with Lawrence Johnson, John Francis and Delroy Powell.
• Weekly Rehearsals and National Influence: Wednesday rehearsals began in the early years and continue to this day.
• Gospel: History, Sound and Soul: Explains the origins of Negro spirituals in slavery, the emotional weight of songs reflecting suffering, longing and coded expressions of hope.
• Improvisation, Movement and Choir Culture: Contrasts gospel with classical choral traditions, emphasising freedom, spontaneity and connection.
• Collaborations with Major Artists: Shares vivid stories from working with Paul McCartney on Give My Regards to Broad Street and with producer George Martin who had Montserrat ties.
• Recounts multiple recording and rehearsal sessions with Madonna, describing her intense focus, high standards and direct creative involvement.
• Reflects on an unforgettable collaboration with Luther Vandross, praising his warmth, respect and genuine connection with the choir.
• Passing the Baton to the Next Generation: Bazil’s children, Leon and Venetta, now lead LCGC. He speaks honestly about the challenge of stepping back after four decades, learning to let go and trusting a new creative vision.
• New Music and British Gospel Identity: Previews tracks from the upcoming LCGC album written by Leon and...