Pranks
From Virginia Woolf boarding a battleship disguised as Abyssinian royalty to Theresa May being handed a P45 mid-speech - pranks and hoaxes explored by Matthew Sweet and guests.
In 1910 Virginia Woolf and a group of friends caused a stir when they were welcomed on board the HMS Dreadnought, disguised as a delegation of Abyssinian royalty. At the 2017 Conservative Party conference, Theresa May was handed a P45 in the middle of giving her speech. Both these events made the headlines, but what was the intention behind them and did they have any impact beyond provoking either amusement or outrage? Matthew Sweet is joined by Danell Jones who has looked in detail at the Dreadnought Hoax, Simon Brodkin who has staged various high profile stunts including delivering Theresa May's P45 and Kerry Shale whose father was an inveterate prankster who sold practical jokes for a living.
Producer: Torquil MacLeod
The Girl Prince: Virginia Woolf, Race and the Dreadnought Hoax by Danell Jones is out now.
Simon Brodkin's 'Screwed Up' tour continues throughout the UK from May onwards.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Broadcast
- Thu 28 Mar 2024 22:00成人快手 Radio 3
Featured in...
![]()
The Way We Live Now—Free Thinking
From moral questions to the quirks and pleasures of life.
The Arts & Ideas Podcast
You can download all the past episodes of Radio 3's Free Thinking
Discussions and talks from the Free Thinking Festival 2019
Angry politics, what we can鈥檛 say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV
Click to listen to discussions, talks and music as the Free Thinking Festival 2019 Gets Emotional
Angry politics, what we can鈥檛 say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV
CLICK to LISTEN & SEE programmes from the Free Thinking Festival 2018: The One & the Many
We examine the fast-changing relationship between the individual & the crowd
CLICK to LISTEN & SEE all programmes, images, clips & features from 2017's festival
Free Thinking Festival 2017: The Speed of Life
