Susannah York

Speaker 10:00

Hello, I'm Kirsty Young and this is a download from the Desert Island Discs archive. This edition may be slightly different from what was actually broadcast, but it's the only version we have. It comes from the British Library's radio collection. It was archived without the music, so although the Castaways choices are introduced, they're not part of this recording. Full details can be found on the Castaways page on the Desert Island Discs website.

Speaker 10:26

The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen eighty.

Speaker 10:30

And the presenter was Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:33

On our desert island this week is the actress Susannah Yorke.

Presenter0:37

Susannah, could you put up with your own company for a long, long time?

Susannah York0:41

Well, I'm a great make doer.

Susannah York0:44

And

Susannah York0:45

I think I quite enjoyed, actually. I'd be busy trying to think about how I could get off, and I'd be busy looking at my books and reading my records, I think, and perhaps trying to connect with other people on other desert islands, but

Susannah York0:56

How important in your life is music?

Susannah York0:59

Oh, it's very important. I like it around me. I like it to be able to have

Susannah York1:02

Easy access to it. I like variety. Yes, music's important to me. Do you have any musical skill yourself? None at all. Do you sing?

Presenter1:09

Uh

Susannah York1:10

Uh

Presenter1:11

Barely.

Susannah York1:11

Yeah.

Presenter1:12

I mean loudly, but barely. Did you have any plan for choosing your record?

Susannah York1:17

Well, I

Susannah York1:19

Wanted variety.

Susannah York1:21

I wanted um

Susannah York1:23

Something I could sing to, something I could dance to, something I could listen to. What's the first one? Why do you choose this disc?

Susannah York1:34

Um because A I love Bessie Smith and B a good man is hard to find.

Presenter1:41

Bessie Smith. Susannah, you were born in London, but you weren't brought up in London. No, I was brought up in Scotland, on the west coast.

Susannah York1:47

Did you go to school there? Yes. It was a sort of country.

Susannah York1:52

early life and I went to school in Truon. I used to go there by bicycle and

Susannah York1:56

Not much theatre in Trul. None at all. No. I used to go to the Air Pantomime once a year.

Speaker 11:59

Note.

Susannah York2:02

And that was my Christmas tree to my stepfather and mother and family. Was there a lot of school

Presenter2:07

School Theatre

Susannah York2:07

Yes. And of course, I mean, at home I was always sort of writing plays for cousins and doing things and we'd put on our own shows, just like my own children are doing nowadays. Did you have brothers and sisters? I had three sisters and one brother and I had cousins. We weren't all together all at the same time and quite often I had to simply create the people. Sometimes I was on my own and I I just had to be everybody.

Presenter2:07

Yeah.

Presenter2:17

Okay.

Susannah York2:28

and create

Presenter2:29

But there was a nucleus for a company.

Susannah York2:31

There was a nucleus, yes, a chair, you know, dogs and cats and all these things.

Presenter2:34

Uh

Susannah York2:34

Rip demon. Were you bright at school? I was lazy till I was about eleven, and I think my mother was quite often told I was bright.

Susannah York2:42

And then at eleven when I just happened to want to get into a certain class, yes, I turned out to be bright. And you had already made up your mind that the theatre was going to be your future? I think I must have done it. Certainly I remember getting my first laugh in a in a school play when I was nine as the elderly sister in Cinderella, and that that was absolute nectar.

Susannah York2:58

What happened when you

Presenter2:59

Don't have school.

Susannah York3:00

Uh

Presenter3:00

Remember to to drama school, Radha. Now you did rather well at Radha, several awards. And a great rarity, you acquired an agent before you left the academy.

Susannah York3:09

Yes, I was terribly lucky. Al Parker just happened to see a performance. I was playing Nora in the dolls' house and he saw that and wrote me a letter in red and blue, a man name in red, which impressed me a lot, and uh said he wanted to represent me. And I didn't really partic wasn't very much with what an agent was at that moment, but

Susannah York3:29

He seemed to want to work very hard for me, and seemed to like me a lot, and that pleased me so.

Presenter3:33

What was the first job he got you, your first professional appearance?

Susannah York3:33

Yeah.

Susannah York3:37

Um worthing rep.

Susannah York3:39

Uh

Presenter3:39

Uh

Susannah York3:39

And I think it was sailor beware.

Susannah York3:42

Sailor Beware I played Daphne Pink.

Presenter3:45

Well done.

Susannah York3:45

Living rev.

Presenter3:47

Let's have your second record.

Susannah York3:49

My second record is concerto in D minor for violin and oboe Bach. Why'd you choose it?

Susannah York3:56

Um because, you know, I think that I'd like to

Susannah York4:00

spend time with this record, and I think I'd have time on a desert island. I like it anyway, from what I know of it, and I would just like to spend more time with it. I I suppose that's true of all my records, in fact.

Susannah York4:11

Um I just like it. I like I like the violin and the oboe talking away to themselves and each other and I like the music.

Presenter4:20

Part of the second movement of the Bach concerto in D minor for violin and oboe, with Yehudi Manuin and Leon Gussens as the soloists. Right, so you made your professional debut in Worthing.

Presenter4:32

What was the next thing to happen?

Susannah York4:33

Yeah.

Presenter4:34

I Uh

Susannah York4:34

was given um a small part in a television series called All Aboard, which is a half-hour series and I

Susannah York4:42

I think I was in that about three or four times. It was a sort of weekly thing. And from that I was off to film test for Tunes of Glory.

Susannah York4:51

And uh I went down for the film test when I was already playing Cinderella in the Derby Playhouse in the pantomime.

Presenter4:58

So you have sung and danced on the stage?

Susannah York5:00

Oh, I have. Yes, I have.

Presenter5:03

Yes. And the film test was successful.

Susannah York5:06

Yes, it was.

Presenter5:08

What happened after that? That was Tunes of Glory. Yes.

Susannah York5:10

Yes, I I only had a very small part in that, and they put it together. They put about ten days together, and immediately afterwards.

Presenter5:12

I'm too big.

Susannah York5:17

I

Susannah York5:18

did Greengage Sammer, which in fact came out earlier, I think, than Tunes of Glory. And you were also Norman Wisdom's leading lady at one picture. Oh, golly, yes, I was too.

Susannah York5:27

Yes, with my hair dyed brown.

Presenter5:30

Well, there were two two well, there were three successful pictures. Tunes of Glory was a very distinguished one, and Greengage Summer didn't do any harm either.

Presenter5:38

Oh, I love that. Now you had a had a drunk scene in that. That that's always difficult. Right at the beginning of your career, you had that.

Presenter5:46

Obstacle.

Susannah York5:46

Well

Susannah York5:48

I just think acting in any kind of extreme or way that you you haven't done before or knowing that done is difficult. And certainly being drunk.

Susannah York5:56

Uh was very, very uh I I just couldn't imagine quite what it was like because I hadn't been drunk, so I had to get drunk.

Susannah York6:04

Do you

Presenter6:04

At the studio.

Susannah York6:04

At the studio. At the studio. Well, I didn't see another way. You see, I asked for champagne and they gave me champagne and

Speaker 26:05

Uh

Susannah York6:10

I got very, very drunk and extremely bad heads for about three days running, but we did the same.

Presenter6:16

The sacrifices you make for your art were very impressive.

Susannah York6:19

Yeah.

Susannah York6:20

Uh

Presenter6:21

Then you did a film for John Houston.

Susannah York6:22

Yes. Again, actually that was another one. You see, I had never been hypnotized before. This was um Freud. I played Cicely Kirtner and Freud and uh she has to undergo hi hypnosis. Again, I found that very, very hard to absolutely be real in unless I was hypnotized. So I asked um

Susannah York6:41

John Houston to try and hypnotise me.

Susannah York6:44

which he tried to do.

Susannah York6:45

But it didn't really work. But anyway, we we

Susannah York6:49

We try. Right.

Presenter6:50

You didn't send out for professional hypnotists.

Susannah York6:52

Um well

Susannah York6:54

No, John wanted to hypnotize me. He decided that that would

Presenter6:57

He wanted to do it in the middle of the middle.

Susannah York6:57

Well, he he liked hypnotizing people, you see, so he thought he would Okay.

Presenter7:02

You make Froy.

Susannah York7:03

We made it in Vienna and Munich, and that was with Montgomery Clift.

Presenter7:06

Uh

Susannah York7:06

And I loved working with Montgomery Cliff, but it was an extremely difficult film to make. I was on it five months and the whole film ran was six months, yes. It was a very.

Susannah York7:16

difficult film because personalities, conflict of personalities and so on.

Presenter7:20

Fascinating. It was a nice change after that from Freud, you went to Tom Jones.

Susannah York7:20

Yeah.

Susannah York7:24

Yes. I I always seem to have had an enormous amount of change and variety i i in my life and I suppose unconsciously I've always looked well, perhaps not even unconsciously. Well anyway, I've always I like that. And um Tom Jones was a totally different thing, just as Freud was a totally different thing from Greengate Summer.

Presenter7:43

and a man for all seasons.

Susannah York7:45

And a man for all seasons, yes.

Presenter7:46

Was it worrying you that the live theatre had more or less disappeared out of your life at this time?

Susannah York7:51

Well, yes, it did frighten me, because I had a sort of feeling that if I got to a certain point maybe there would be no return.

Susannah York7:57

Uh so I I I round about this time, I'm not quite exactly sure when, I've rather lost my own chronology. But anyway, I I went in to the live theatre and played um Millie Teal in Wings of the Dove, another Henry James.

Speaker 18:02

Yeah.

Presenter8:03

Anyway.

Speaker 18:03

Bye.

Presenter8:08

Another human

Presenter8:09

Where was that?

Susannah York8:09

That was uh first at the apo

Presenter8:11

Following in the Haymarket. Now there's a story about you playing Kate Hardcastle and she stoops to conquer without any rehearsal at all. Yeah.

Susannah York8:17

Oh, well, that was on an occasion when my husband, Michael, was up in the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, and I was

Susannah York8:24

Supposedly doing a film in Yugoslavia with Nicholas Ray.

Susannah York8:28

And I came back.

Susannah York8:30

after a week of rehearsal and costume fittings to collect my stuff, so I shot straight up to Coventry, of course, for the weekend. And Michael was playing Marlowe in She Stoops to Conquer on the Monday and I arrived on the Friday night and I I guess over Saturday

Susannah York8:44

On Friday night I heard all his lines, as one does in weekly report, and then on Sunday morning they realized that um Patricia Breaker was playing Kate.

Susannah York8:51

was ill.

Susannah York8:53

About lunch time, I think. I hadn't had my call meanwhile to go back to

Susannah York8:57

Yugoslavia and I was of about the same sort of size and so on as as Patricia Brake. So

Susannah York9:03

When I wasn't called back on Monday I went on. I mean I did spot it up that afternoon and and and Monday morning.

Presenter9:04

Mm.

Susannah York9:08

Uh

Presenter9:08

But you weren't in.

Susannah York9:08

It's jolly hard work. And it's very hard stuff actually.

Susannah York9:11

Eighteenth century dialogue. But it was lovely. And in fact, I ended up by playing it for about three weeks because I didn't get called back.

Presenter9:12

And I do

Presenter9:14

And if

Susannah York9:18

Another record.

Susannah York9:19

Number three Misotis Regrets, sung by Feliciano.

Susannah York9:23

Why?

Susannah York9:25

I don't know, this this record has a lot of reverberations to me.

Susannah York9:29

It's the story I find fascinating. I love the way Felicianu sings it.

Susannah York9:35

An opportun

Presenter9:38

Jose Feliciano.

Presenter9:40

Now, after those um serious, prestigious films, you d you did a succession of light ones kaleidoscope, Sebastian, one or two others.

Presenter9:48

Were you being typecast a bit, then, as a sort of jolly blonde? Uh

Susannah York9:53

Blend. I never felt that it was particularly the jolly blonde.

Presenter9:56

Yeah.

Susannah York9:56

But I I did always feel that I was being typecast as rather s sweet young thing a bit.

Presenter10:03

Mm-hmm.

Susannah York10:04

The sweet, nice

Susannah York10:07

Blond haired, blue eyed.

Susannah York10:09

The

Presenter10:10

Yeah.

Susannah York10:10

Uh

Presenter10:10

Now a part which gave you a big opportunity, a very challenging controversial part, Alice and the killing of Sister George.

Susannah York10:16

Mm.

Presenter10:17

Now you were the young lesbian in a triangle of lesbians, and you had a couple of very explicit scenes.

Presenter10:23

Now playing those scenes in front of a a stage full of technicians must have needed a special kind of courage.

Susannah York10:28

Oh God, it was so frightening, yes. I must say, Robert Aldrich was lovely and he did clear the set. But that, well, the particular scene that you're probably thinking of when Alice is seduced by Mercy Hasted played by Carl Brown, that was a very, very difficult one. He cleared the set for that. But in fact, that was only just one day in a whole three months of an absolutely lovely work period of my life. I adored working with Robert Aldrich.

Speaker 110:51

My life.

Susannah York10:54

I think the film itself was really pretty crude and rough and fairly vulgar in in lots of ways, but it had a tremendous vitality and it was brave in the sense that it was the first of films on a homosexual theme, on a lesbian theme. And though it was, you know, brash and everything else,

Susannah York11:15

I loved doing it and I was proud of it. I was proud of my work on that actually.

Presenter11:18

It was a singularly good performance.

Presenter11:20

and then to Hollywood.

Susannah York11:22

Yes. Well, in fact, actually, the Killing of Sister George was done in Hollywood, most of it. We did about two weeks yes. We did about two weeks here, round Flas Walk and Hampstead, and then we shot out and did it in the small studios of Robert Aldrich. So that was actually my first taste.

Presenter11:26

How do we get it by

Presenter11:34

So that was

Susannah York11:36

And then after that can be a little bit more.

Presenter11:37

Well, it looked out in English picture. There was no clue whatever that was Hollywood sun blazing in the middle of the city.

Susannah York11:43

Actually it it was very funny because when they wanted technicians for the television s sequences and they wanted English technicians, so they had a an extra call and all these men lining the block in Hollywood with their bowler hats and their pinstripe suits and their

Speaker 211:55

Yeah.

Speaker 211:57

Briefcases coming on as there would be television technicians. It's very funny.

Susannah York11:58

Lives.

Presenter12:00

To look English, that's good. And you you did they shoot horses, did they? For which you got an Oscar nomination tuition.

Susannah York12:03

Like this.

Susannah York12:07

Yeah, that was nice.

Presenter12:09

Right, since then, let's catch up on some other films you've done. Images of

Susannah York12:13

Images, yes, Images was directed by Robert Altman.

Presenter12:16

Mm-hmm.

Susannah York12:16

And we shot that in Ireland and

Presenter12:17

Best Actress Award at Cannes Festival.

Susannah York12:21

Yes, I did get that was very nice. And I also had, um, my first child, Sasha, that year, so it was a fantastic year, in fact.

Presenter12:25

Yeah.

Presenter12:27

We mustn't forget Superman.

Susannah York12:30

Oh no. Well, Superman didn't take up very much time. But that it's put me into very good shape with my children, actually, and their friends, playing Peter Mann and Superman's mother.

Presenter12:38

Yes. Well there there was a lot of film, wasn't there?

Susannah York12:38

Two.

Susannah York12:40

There was an awful lot of film, and I only came in if you blinked, you know, but there I was.

Susannah York12:45

And came back to repeat the experience in Superman 2. I'll have you know as well. Came back from Krypton, I don't know how.

Susannah York12:51

I've just done that as well.

Presenter12:54

Yeah.

Susannah York12:54

Um, so what else have I done?

Susannah York12:57

Well The Shout was an interesting film. Oh, The Shout, yes. That was uh directed by a Polish director called um Juzzy Skolomowski and we shot that in Devon. It was a cheap budget film with Alan Bates and John Hurt and myself. Very interesting on a script by Michael Austin.

Susannah York13:12

Let me see what else.

Susannah York13:14

Oh, one of the things I've enjoyed most just recently was playing My First Villainess in a musical version of

Susannah York13:20

sort of version of

Susannah York13:23

Alice, uh which is loosely based on Alice in Wonderland musical, and I played the Queen of Hearts in that only for about three or four days in Poland. Have we seen that yet? No, no, it hasn't come out yet. And another thing too, which is going to come out quite soon, I think, a film called Falling in Love.

Presenter13:30

Luna

Speaker 113:31

Yeah.

Susannah York13:37

with Elliot Gould, which I w did at the early part of last year. Stephen Paul directed and produced it and I worked on the script with him and um we shot that for about two months last year. I'm I like that and I'm proud of that one. Good. It's called one. It's called Falling in Love Again.

Speaker 113:47

Yeah.

Susannah York13:56

Record number four. The next record is The Eagles singing Desperado. I had a hard time choosing which one on this album, but Desperado it is.

Presenter14:05

Yeah.

Presenter14:07

Desperado by The Eagles. You said you were co-writer on the film Falling in Love Again. You've also published a couple of books. Yes.

Presenter14:15

One of which I've

Presenter14:17

Nearly finished, Lark's Castle, which I think is delightful, the children's book.

Susannah York14:21

Oh, thank you.

Susannah York14:22

You said you thought it was funny, which I like. Yes. I'm glad you thought that.

Presenter14:24

DAY

Susannah York14:26

Yeah.

Presenter14:26

And the other one?

Susannah York14:26

The other one was called In Search of Unicorns. That's out of print now.

Presenter14:30

And

Presenter14:31

Have you any other writing commitment?

Susannah York14:34

Well, I have um a commitment at the moment to to write with Stephen Paul another film subject, but um we haven't actually decided on the date when we'll do that. Um I would like to write a book for Orlando because the first my yes, my other child, because uh Lark's Castle was for Sasha and Unicorns I wrote

Presenter14:48

You're out of jug.

Susannah York14:54

Really before she was or during the time she was born and so anyway I have to write one for Orlando.

Presenter14:59

Yes, of course it must be even the dark

Susannah York15:00

Oh, absolutely. He keeps asking when it's coming. Um I I'd like to do some more writing, but

Susannah York15:07

Time as well.

Presenter15:09

Record five.

Susannah York15:10

Record five is Mozart's clarinet quintet.

Presenter15:14

Is this an old favourite or?

Susannah York15:15

Yeah.

Presenter15:15

Uh

Susannah York15:16

Well, um yes, I I've had it quite a lot of lot of times in my life and listened to it and I love it. And actually it was very difficult for me to choose between the Brahms clarinet content, which had also sort of other

Susannah York15:30

Special significance because I remember listening to that in a s strange Spanish castle in the middle of Melbourne in Australia when I was feeling very, very homesick, and it seemed such a strange thing.

Susannah York15:39

I love that, but I think I just prefer the Mozart. Who moved the Spanish Castle to Melbourne? Well, the artists. It was an artist's colony, and the artist who taught all the artists, famous artists like Brett Whitley, um

Presenter15:41

Don't

Susannah York15:50

Arthur Boyd and so on, who who who came in the sort of late fifties, sixties, and he taught them and he had built this colony a long time ago, this castle, and started off this colony.

Susannah York16:01

And you used to go and listen to these. It was this extraordinary Spanish castle in the middle of the bush. And I remember listening to the Brahms quintet, which was lovely, but I just do prefer the Mozart.

Speaker 116:01

And it used to

Presenter16:12

This is the Mozart quintet, which doesn't remind you of Spanish.

Susannah York16:15

Casso

Presenter16:15

The Castle in Melbourne.

Presenter16:19

The opening of the Mozart Clarinet Quintet, K five eight one,

Presenter16:24

Played by members of the Vienna Octet.

Presenter16:27

Now, the theatre in recent years, Susannah. You played Peter Pan, of course.

Susannah York16:31

Mm.

Presenter16:31

Mm, and loved it. Were your children old enough to appreciate it?

Susannah York16:34

Yeah.

Presenter16:35

Yeah.

Susannah York16:35

Oh yes, they came about three times. They left it. Um they came on Christmas Eve even.

Presenter16:35

Oh yes.

Susannah York16:40

Actually, they're quite loyal. They came to see Singular Life of Albert Knobbs as well. Sasha sat through that three times.

Presenter16:45

There's not really a children's book.

Susannah York16:46

I'll read him.

Susannah York16:47

No, no, not at all.

Presenter16:48

Ha ha ha.

Susannah York16:50

They even came over to Paris when we were doing apparence and they sat through the first ten minutes in French of that, which is quite something. They did run off after ten minutes.

Presenter16:57

Yeah. And Jeanie is the maids you've done. Where did you do that?

Susannah York17:01

Ah, that was at the Greenwich Theatre and I played that uh wi with Glenda Jackson. We also filmed that.

Presenter17:07

Where did you film it, in France or here?

Susannah York17:08

No, we found it here in England.

Susannah York17:11

And we played it for about six weeks.

Presenter17:12

And you've just made your third, or really your third annual appearance in London in a play produced by Simon Beaumissa, is that it's

Susannah York17:20

Is that Musa?

Presenter17:21

Ben Musac. Yes. The one you're in at the moment, appearances, this is the one you played in French in Paris.

Susannah York17:26

That's right, yes. It was

Susannah York17:29

sort of by accident that I I got into playing it in French. I had worked with Simone last year, um Albert Knobs, and um she wanted me to do the English version of this and when we were thinking of going into England, suddenly her theatre, which she works with the Renault Barrow Company in Paris, uh wanted it quickly to be done in French there and uh then she said, Well, why don't you come and do it in French? and

Susannah York17:53

I said.

Susannah York17:54

Oh, yes, well, why not? Something without really quite taking the implications.

Presenter17:59

And then you followed it on within a matter of two or three weeks, really? Yes, I have found.

Susannah York18:02

Yes, I have found that very, very difficult actually, learning the English version, because it sort of seems to me French theatre in a way, even though it's a Henry James it's drawn from a Henry James story and very much adapted and based on that.

Susannah York18:15

Um, but it somehow seems more French to me than English, and even now in my mind.

Susannah York18:20

I find it hard to learn the English words.

Presenter18:22

That's what you're playing in at this moment.

Susannah York18:24

Yes, but m I mean I

Susannah York18:26

I have doing it in English, and we've got a marvellous cast again. Actually, I've been very lucky, I've had two wonderful casts, English and French.

Susannah York18:34

Anyway, I'm getting English now.

Presenter18:34

Anyway, I'm getting

Susannah York18:36

Uh

Presenter18:36

I read that you have valued

Susannah York18:37

Once revengeful.

Presenter18:38

Boom.

Susannah York18:38

Yeah.

Susannah York18:39

Um, yes. The idea is to do a a French film at the end of this in in the beginning of April.

Presenter18:45

Like all all performers, you've had your successes and failures through your career. Is there anything that you look back on with a real shudder? Something that really went up the spout?

Susannah York18:54

Oh, not just something, an awful lot of things. Listen, I've done somebody told me, to my horror, that I've done nearly forty films. They told me that the other day, I was doing an interview, and that's what they told me. So, listen, who am I?

Susannah York19:06

Well, out of nearly forty films, I should say about

Susannah York19:10

Oh

Susannah York19:13

How many are there that you're really proud of? Maybe six or seven?

Susannah York19:16

Now there are some that are just sort of all right.

Susannah York19:19

But there are some real horrors, so I can't even point out one to you because there are too many.

Presenter19:22

Right, let's have another echo.

Susannah York19:26

Right. The next record

Susannah York19:28

There's Janice Joplin singing.

Susannah York19:31

Me and Bobby McGee.

Presenter19:33

Janice Joplin, me and Bobby McGee. Why did you choose that one?

Susannah York19:38

Well, I think she's just an absolutely wonderful singer.

Susannah York19:42

She moves me, she stirs me, I think she.

Susannah York19:46

It's just so intensely real.

Susannah York19:49

And she turns me up you know.

Susannah York19:51

Just think she's so real.

Presenter19:52

We've got to record number seven. Let's go straight into that.

Susannah York19:55

Yeah.

Presenter19:55

Yeah.

Susannah York19:56

Record number seven is Symphony No. Three.

Susannah York19:59

In E flat major, the Eroica.

Presenter20:01

Which part of it are we going to hear?

Susannah York20:03

We're going to start at the beginning.

Presenter20:06

The opening of the Mozart Eroike, Herbert von Karigan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. One film we haven't talked about is one in which you were shipwrecked and end up on a desert island. What was that called? Yes.

Susannah York20:17

Yes, absolutely.

Presenter20:18

How about

Susannah York20:19

It was called Eliza Fraser, and I did that in Australia, and Tim Burstall directed it.

Presenter20:23

Uh

Susannah York20:24

And uh the only thing was that on that film uh I wasn't alone, you know, there were a lot of people got wrecked up with me.

Presenter20:30

Did you get any ideas that might be useful for living, for looking after yourself?

Susannah York20:36

What like how to make boats and so on.

Presenter20:38

How to make loaves, how to make huts, how to catch fish.

Susannah York20:41

Listen, I've been believing all this so much that I really wanted to do a course before I came today here on how to light a fire with two sticks.

Susannah York20:50

But I haven't got round to it.

Susannah York20:52

Yet.

Susannah York20:54

I'm still convinced I'm going to end up on this desert island, you know.

Presenter20:56

Yeah.

Susannah York20:57

Have you done any fishing?

Susannah York20:58

Um well, oh yes, I did catch crabs. I learned how to catch crabs and how to hold crabs.

Presenter21:02

Then how to hold crabs.

Susannah York21:04

Well, you put your hands in, and they're big crabs, they're Queensland crabs, there.

Presenter21:09

Yes, you have to put your hand on the right place.

Susannah York21:10

Yes, they're very hard to hold. It's you you have to be frightly careful because of course they can

Susannah York21:15

I mean those great big ones can bite your pince your hands off.

Presenter21:19

How charming.

Susannah York21:19

Uh

Susannah York21:20

Now we

Presenter21:20

Watch that.

Susannah York21:21

Uh

Susannah York21:21

Mm, what n no I don't.

Susannah York21:24

I just think that I would have to get terribly fit on

Susannah York21:27

I would learn to swim hard. I mean, I do swim, of course, but you do an awful lot of swimming because

Susannah York21:34

And we'll be going to visit all these other people on these other desert islands that you've abandoned.

Speaker 221:36

You got

Presenter21:36

I don't think about it.

Susannah York21:39

I would escape. Yes, of course I would escape.

Susannah York21:42

Um I mean, as my luxury shall I talk about my luxury now? If you wish, by all means. As my luxury, I'm going to take pen and paper and unlimited ink.

Presenter21:52

Uh Yeah.

Susannah York21:52

Yes, left or right.

Presenter21:53

Yeah.

Susannah York21:53

But I thought that would be good because I could write.

Susannah York21:56

And wasn't you right? I know you

Presenter21:57

You're right. I know you keep a journal.

Susannah York21:58

Well, I would probably write a journal, but I might write a story or the un unyetwritten screenplay or

Susannah York22:05

A book, but almost certainly a journal. I would want to describe the island and everything that was happening every day. Um also I would be writing my letters and putting them in the empty quink bottles and sending them off.

Presenter22:14

I'd been hoist again. I I I must beware of that word unlimited. Oh, ah. Yes, you see I'd have an awful lot of quink bottles.

Susannah York22:23

And I get through it.

Presenter22:25

Yes. So I send those off.

Susannah York22:25

So I send those off.

Susannah York22:28

Um I've forgotten what your question was then.

Presenter22:30

I've forgotten what the question was, but let's get on with the Napoleon.

Susannah York22:32

Not a rec

Susannah York22:34

Ah, my next record

Susannah York22:36

Is John Williams and Maria Farandori?

Susannah York22:40

Songs and guitar pieces by Theodorakis, and this record is called He With the Sorrow.

Presenter22:47

Maria Farrandore and John Williams.

Presenter22:51

A composition by

Presenter22:52

Theodorachis, he with the sorrow.

Presenter22:55

If you would only take one disc out of your aid, which would it be?

Susannah York22:59

Quest.

Susannah York23:03

Oh, I didn't know you were going to ask that sort of question.

Speaker 223:05

Uh

Susannah York23:06

Uh

Speaker 223:06

Mm.

Speaker 223:08

Well, it would be Bessie Smith Barr, Miss Otis Eagle's just a room at our clarionette.

Susannah York23:14

I don't know. Do I have to answer that?

Susannah York23:18

I would either have the Bach or the Maria Farandori.

Susannah York23:24

Stop saying yes like that.

Susannah York23:28

I think I might have the bar.

Presenter23:29

Right. The concerto in D for violin and oboe.

Presenter23:33

And you've told us about your luxury?

Presenter23:36

We won't go into that any more.

Presenter23:38

And one day

Susannah York23:39

But only maybe I'd wait a minute, I might take the Eroica because of

Presenter23:42

No, you've taken the button.

Susannah York23:43

Taking the bucket.

Presenter23:46

And one book, apart from the Bible and Shakespeare, which are already on the island, we don't encourage big encyclopedias. No, I see. One book.

Susannah York23:49

Thanks for joining.

Susannah York23:52

No, I see. Well, I would you do realize that one of the reasons for having the pen and paper would be I would be correcting the pages of a book by Nicholas Humphrey. Just the pages, not a book. And the other book that I would I mean, the other pages that I would have in book form.

Susannah York24:07

Would be the Atlas. That's not really a cheat.

Presenter24:10

You have the proofs, the page proofs of a book by Nicholas Humphrey. What what is it? What's it called?

Susannah York24:14

Well, it hasn't got a title yet, but it's on it's about how people do psychology and how they have learnt to do psychology from the earliest days. And it's fascinating. I say I've only read five chapters of it, but it's fascinating. And I could put commas and so on in.

Presenter24:16

It's on root.

Susannah York24:29

And learn about it.

Presenter24:29

And learn about it.

Presenter24:32

And you won't

Susannah York24:32

Uh

Presenter24:32

Yeah.

Susannah York24:32

And the atlas the atlas I would have is a wonderful big atlas.

Presenter24:33

I think this is

Susannah York24:37

It's an Italian touring.

Susannah York24:39

Atlas and it has every village and hamlet in the world on it and it's wonderful.

Presenter24:45

All right.

Susannah York24:46

And I would have it partly because I would be thinking about where I would be going when I got off.

Presenter24:51

Yes, we'll count that as a book and a half, the Atlas and the Page Proofs. And thank you, Susannah York, for letting us hear your desert item discussion.

Presenter25:00

Yeah. Goodbye, everyone.

Speaker 225:04

Oh damn