Main content

Sharleen Spiteri; Alison Nimmo; Disney's Princess Merida

A female perspective on the world, including Sharleen Spiteri live, Alison Nimmo on her property career, women undertakers, and the redesign of Princess Merida. With Jenni Murray.

Sharleen Spiteri plays live in studio. How Disney have redesigned their cartoon of Princess Merida, the heroine of Brave, to make her more 'girly'. Woman's Hour power lister Alison Nimmo on her career in property and her role in managing the Crown Estates. Rising numbers of women working in undertaking. With Jenni Murray.

Available now

58 minutes

Clip

Chapters

  • Merida redesigned

    What message is the new look Princess Merida from Disney’s Brave sending out?

    Duration: 09:14

  • Alison Nimmo CBE

    The chief executive of the Crown Estate talks to Jenni about her career and future plans.

    Duration: 07:53

  • Sharleen Spiteri

    The lead singer of Texas performs an acoustic version of the band's new single.

    Duration: 09:27

  • The Feminisation of Funerals

    The nature of funerals is changing as more and more women are working in the industry.

    Duration: 09:10

  • Peggy Shaw

    Peggy Shaw tells Jenni about her comedy Ruff, which deals with living after a stroke.

    Duration: 05:57

Merida redesigned

Merida, the central character in the 2012 computer-animated film , has been a hit with many young children. And she has just been re-launched as the eleventh of the Disney Princesses. But her Oscar winning creator, Brenda Chapman, has criticised the move as 'a blatantly sexist marketing move based on money'. So what is going on? Jenni talks to Emma Moore, co-founder of .

Ìý

Alison Nimmo

Alison Nimmo is the chief executive of the , the Queen’s property portfolio, and her career in property won her a place on the Woman’s Hour Power List.ÌýThe Crown Estate manages more than £8 billion of land and property from Regent Street and St James’s in LondonÌýto Windsor Great Park, taking in acres of farmland and seabed around Britain’s shores. Alison took up the post in January last year, before that she was influential in restoring Manchester city centre after the bombing in 1996 and she also played a key role in organising the London Olympics.ÌýJenni speaks to Alison about her work and her future plans for the Crown Estate.

Sharleen Spiteri

Sharleen Spiteri

Sharleen Spiteri is the lead singerÌýwith the Scottish bandÌý who have sold 30 million albums worldwide since they began their career in 1986. Texas are releasing a new album on 20 May - their first in 8 years - called The Conversation. It will mark their 25-year anniversary. Sharleen will join Jenni Murray in the studio and will perform an acoustic version of the band’s new single, also called The Conversation.

The Feminisation of Funerals

When you think of an undertaker, what image springs to mind?ÌýA sombre man dressed from top to toe in black?ÌýPerhaps that stereotype is about to change.ÌýWomen are increasingly taking on roles within the funeral industry and are reclaiming jobs viewed in recent times as male. And with female input, the types of funerals are changing too.ÌýJenni is joined by , an undertaker, , a funeral celebrant, and Tara Bailey, a former undertaker who's done a PhD at the at the University of Bath.

Ìý

Peggy Shaw

Peggy Shaw

Peggy ShawÌýis a writer, producer and teacher of writing and performance from New York. With her partner Lois Weaver, she co-founded and the WOW Café TheatreÌýin New York which has lead the way in innovative lesbian performances since the 1970s.ÌýShe will join Jenni to talk about her most recent solo performance Ruff, a comedy of survival about life after a stroke.

Ìý

Peggy has written songs for the Ìýnew production ZeroÌýwhich opens at Brighton Festival on 21 May.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Jenni Murray
Editor Robyn Read
Performer Sharleen Spiteri
Interviewed Guest Alison Nimmo

Broadcast

  • Wed 15 May 2013 10:00

Follow us on Instagram

Get all the pictures, videos, behind the scenes and more from Woman’s Hour

Podcast