People of Note

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PIETER TOERIEN PRODUCTIONS. People of Note is broadcast on Sunday evening at 6 pm on Fine Music Radio with a repeat on Thusday afternoon at 1 pm, presented by Rodney Trudgeon.

Says Rodney: “There are a number of fascinating people who pass through Cape Town and I’ve always felt there to be a need for a programme that allows an in-depth discussion with these personalities. Whether their fields are music, literature, theatre, dance, opera or even politics and economics, we’ll invite them into the studio to talk about their lives, inspirations and role models, among other things.
“Rather like the famous BBC programme, Desert Island Discs, I’ll ask my guests to bring with them their six or seven favourite pieces of music to share with us.”

Among the long list of guests on the programme so far have been people such as Rhoda Kadalie, Lord Robin Renwick, Petronel Malan, Pieter Dirk Uys, Ruby Wax, Jonathan Roxmouth, Imam Rashied Omar and many more.
Weekly English South Africa TV & Film
376 Episodes
20 – 40

People of Note - Rocco De Villiers

In this week’s edition of People of Note, brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions, I’ll be talking to the well-known and much love South African pianist Rocco De Villiers who will be collaborating with the guitarist James Grace in a new show called 5 Nights In November at the…
12 Nov 2023 58 min

People of Note - Bill Robson

During the recent Baroque Festival, I was lucky to be able to attend a recital of music played on harpsichords, spinets and organs in a small concert hall in Noordhoek on the property of Bill Robson who actually built all the instruments we heard. Bill is a well known maker…
9 Nov 2023 58 min

People of Note - Justin Fox

In this week’s edition of People of Note, brought to you by Pieter Toerien Productions, I’ll be talking to travel writer, author, poet and photographer JUSTIN FOX who has just had a new book published called Place. This is a gripping travelogue in which Justin sets off to explore the…
4 Nov 2023 53 min

People of Note - Megan Choritz

There’s an unusual and exciting production happening in the trees and bushes at the Spier Wine Estate in November. It’s called Constellations and is directed by Brett Bailey who invites you to expect a unique cultural experience in the forested wilderness at Spier where atmospheric encounters await in the dark…
27 Oct 2023 52 min

People of Note - Mari Borstlap

Cape Town Opera and the UCT Opera School invite you to step into a world of passion, tragedy, magnificent melody and visual extravagance in their production of Verdi’s timeless masterpiece, La Traviata. The opera will be conducted by Jeremy Silver and directed by Mari Borstlap. Mari is an established theatre…
22 Oct 2023 59 min

People of Note - Zoe Beyers

On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Zoe Beyers, who has established a reputation as one of the finest and most versatile violinists based in the UK. Zoe is also an accomplished chamber musician and is a member of the internationally famous Dante Quartet, which…
15 Oct 2023 57 min

People of Note - Pieter Dirk Uys/Sophia Loren

This week’s People of Note takes on a somewhat different format. Pieter Dirk Uys has had a lifelong love affair with the great Sophia Loren. They have remained close and dear friends over many years. Sophia Loren has just turned 89 and only a week or so ago, she fell…
7 Oct 2023 58 min

People of Note - Louis Heynemann

This week’s People of Note focusses on orchestras in South Africa, specifically the Cape Town Philharmonic and new and somewhat controversial plans to fund orchestral music. My guest will be Louis Heynemann, who is the CEO and Artistic Director of the Cape Town Philharmonic and has been for some 23…
23 Sep 2023 58 min

People of Note - Jennie Reznek

Two years ago a production at the Baxter Theatre was so successful during its debut run that it has been brought back to the Magnet Theatre. It’s called SNAPPED and it was written by Jennie Reznek and directed by Mark Fleishman. The play explores the relationship between fathers and daughters…
18 Sep 2023 34 min

People of Note - Bjorn Bantock

This week Cape Town Opera’s magnificent production of Puccini’s Tosca opens at the Artscape Opera House. The production, which is directed by Magdelene Minnaar, has just moved from Johannesburg, where it enjoyed rave reviews. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the conductor, Bjorn Bantock, about Puccini’s magnificent and opulent score and about…
11 Sep 2023 49 min

People of Note - Steven Stead

For many people, the opera The Tales of Hoffman is Jacques Offenbach’s masterpiece. It was written right towards the end of his life and in fact he died during the rehearsals. The opera is being presented by the UCT Opera School with an exciting cast and Jeremy Silver is conducting…
4 Sep 2023 57 min

People of Note - Sylvaine Strike

In what promises to be one of the most thrilling theatre highlights of the year, the stage production of Damon Galgut’s Booker Prize winning novel The Promise has been adapted for the stage and will have it’s world premier in Cape Town on 14 September. The dazzling cast line up…
28 Aug 2023 37 min

People of Note - Sue Pam-Grant

In celebration of Women’s Month, Abrahamse and Meyer Productions are presenting the world premier of a new play called “Why Do Moths Fly Like Crazy in the Night”. The play was written by award winning actress Sue Pam-Grant who stars in it as well. It’s a one woman show inspired…
13 Aug 2023 57 min

People of Note - Masabane Cecilia Rangwanashe

At the Mzanzi National Philharmonic concert next Saturday at which the main work will be Mahler’s Fifth Symphony conducted by Marin Alsop, the first half will feature dramatic soprano arias sung by Masabane Cecilia Rangwanashe who is based in Europe and who has been dazzling audiences with her radiant voice…
4 Aug 2023 59 min

People of Note - Charmaine Weir-Smith

On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon will be talking to Charmaine Weir-Smith who is directing a play which has won 5 Naledi Theatre awards called The Beauty Queen of Leenane. The play was written by the Tony Award Nominee Martin McDonagh and has been described as a masterpiece…
30 Jul 2023 55 min

People of Note - Darrel Bristow-Bovey

The first think I thought when I saw Darrel Bristow-Bovey’s latest book called ENDURANCE was do we need yet another book about Shackleton’s attempt to reach the South Pole. Yet, once I’d started reading it, I realised that Darrel has unearthed all sorts of new material and that he carefully…
22 Jul 2023 57 min

People of Note - Beverley Roos-Muller

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY PIETER TOERIEN PRODUCTIONS. People of Note is broadcast on Sunday evening at 6 pm on Fine Music Radio with a repeat on Thusday afternoon at 1 pm, presented by Rodney Trudgeon. Says Rodney: “There are a number of fascinating people who pass through Cape Town and I’ve…
16 Jul 2023 58 min

People of Note - Jonathan Blair

A NEW PRODUCTION OF Willy Russell’s classic comedy Educating Rita has just opened at the Theatre on the Bay. It’s produced by Tally Ho productions and the original music is written by Jonathan Blair. I invited Jonathan to the People of Note studio to talk about his score and also…
9 Jul 2023 54 min

People of Note - Fred Abrahamse

We’ve been telling you about the forthcoming production of Cinderella here at Artscape which opens next week. It’s an operatic production presented by Cape Town Opera in association with Abrahamse Meyer productions and the director is Fred Abrahamse. I caught up with Fred earlier this week to talk about what…
2 Jul 2023 57 min

People of Note - Javier Monier Jr

My guest on People of Note this week is one of the international judges at the 10th South African International Ballet Competition. Javier Monier Jr is from Cuba and is currently a member of Mzansi Ballet in Johannesburg. Javier is a hugely talented and well-travelled dancer who brings a wealth…
25 Jun 2023 57 min
20 – 40