‘Time is the enemy’ for actor playing Richard III

Actor Michael Patrick has just picked up an award for his unique portrayal of Shakespeare’s Richard III, which gives the play a fresh twist inspired by his own experience of living with motor neurone disease (MND).

Michael is no stranger to MND. His father died from the condition and his sister is also living with it, although drug trials for the siblings have given them more hope for the future.

Also on this episode, the charity Mencap says it fears for peoples lives after the NHS dropped annual health checks for people with learning disabilities from its priorities plan.

We speak with Mencap CEO, Jon Sparkes, as well as Nigel and Rahima about their experiences of the Health MOTs.

And we meet Japan’s Nobuyuki Tsujii, a blind pianist who’s played at concert venues around the world including the Sydney Opera House.

Presented by: Emma Tracey Produced by: Daniel Gordon, Alex Collins and George Sharpe Sound recording and design by: Dave O’Neill Editors: Beth Rose and Ben Mundy