Short-listed Independent Podcast Award 2024 and Golden Lobe 2025

Mark Bunyan (arranger, theme music)

Mark Bunyan (arranger, theme music) Profile Photo

Composer and Arranger

Mark Bunyan was an out gay cabaret performer to start with, then wrote a youth musical JUST GOOD FRIENDS which played to packed houses and was named Best Musical of 1982 by City Limits magazine. This led to various other musicals with various degrees of success. (The most recent, BEING COLONEL BARKER (www.beingcolonelbarker.com) and DEFINING DR MINOR (www.definingdrminor.com) were workshopped at the Royal Academy of Music and have their own websites. Websites will be soon available for www.emyntrudeandesmeralda.com, www.unburiedtreasures.com and www.trueromances.com.

His stage play, DINNER, won the international playwriting competition —and had a successful run—at the Warehouse Theatre, Croydon. In 1995, he was canonised by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, as St Mark of the Musical Tendency, for his contribution to gay liberation which included, in 1983, co-founding, with the late Brian Kennedy, the Pink Singers, now the oldest LGBT+ Choir in Europe.

A short documentary about him, MARK BUNYAN, VERY NEARLY ALMOST FAMOUS, was a selection at the San Francisco International Gay Film Festival in 2013 and is available to watch online for 99p (get some friends round and charge them 20p each) at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/mark.

Mark served as a local magistrate from 1995 to 2019, won two national gold medals for trampolining in the over-60s category for the British Gymnastics association and has recently started flying trapeze.

He lives with Andrew, his partner of 47 years and counting. As you can tell he’s probably a terrible big head but surprisingly approachable. His website www.markbunyan.com desperately needs updating but his YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3IgrRy7d7Aw5Z5yY9VSNew is better tended.

2
Jan. 21, 2022

Pictures at an Exhibition

Episode 2 of Season 3 finds Helen attending the opening of a showing of her friend Jean's watercolours at a local art gallery. She enjoys an elbow bump with Deji, her son-in-law's boss, played by Tayo Aluko). They share some thoughts on parenting teenagers while Deji looks for a painting for his office. Helen's granddaughter Susie is behaving suspiciously when her old school friend Charlie does a disappearing act... And please rate and review the programme in your favourite podcasting app, or o...
1
Jan. 14, 2022

Secret Crone Business

Season 3 kicks off with Helen and her oldest friend Joey, sharing their thoughts on the phone about lost clichés, odd earrings and stampeding generations.. And please rate and review the programme in your favourite podcasting app, or on the website AmIOldYet.com/reviews/new. This is the equivalent of audience applause for a live show, and I need it to cheer my spirits on the way to creating the next episode! I use Buzzsprout to host the podcast, which makes for a smooth and enjoyable process i...
17
Dec. 17, 2021

Three Little Words

Season 2 is brought to a close with Episode 17. Helen and her daughter Janey can rub each other up the wrong way, but they love each other, and hopefully can find a way to reconcile their differences. If only Janey's daughter Susie doesn't put a spanner in the works—so to speak... We use Buzzsprout to host the podcast, which makes for a smooth and enjoyable process in bringing it from my home studio to your ears. Use this link to find out more. https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1708289 Su...
16
Dec. 10, 2021

Facebookers Anonymous

In Episode 16, Helen shares her fears about spending too much time on Facebook with her old friend Joey Wilkinson. Is this an unhealthy attachment to social media? If so, what to do about it? Flloyd plays both Helen and Joey, and she is joined by Allana Noyes in a brief cameo as her niece Georgina (Georgie), who also works as a senior editor at Wilkinson Baliol Publishing. You can support this independent podcast production by donating the price of a cup of coffee at BuyMeaCoffee.com/amIoldyet...
15
Dec. 3, 2021

Gran Talk

Episode 15 finds Helen preparing a late luncheon of toasted cheese. Her granddaughter Susie has something on her mind, so she calls her Gran for a chat. What could possibly go wrong? This is an independent podcast, no adverts or sponsorships, so any support you can offer by way of a donation, or by rating and reviewing, would be greatly appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/amIoldyet. https://patreon..com/amIoldyet. Support the show You can leave a comment or review at www.amIoldyet.com/revie...
14
Nov. 26, 2021

Stranger on a Train

Episode 14 of Season 2 finds Helen on a train, returning home after spending a few days in Hampshire with a friend. An elegant elderly lady asks to sit with her, and doesn't seem to know where she is going. Helen is not one to jump to obvious conclusions though. "Am I Old Yet?" is a series of scripted scenes, short episodes in the life of Helen Docherty, aged 77. Written, produced and performed by Flloyd Kennedy, with guest appearances from various artists, the podcast depends upon the donation...
Nov. 19, 2021

Cafe Encounters

Episode 13 At the Cheese Shop Cafe for her much loved flat white, Helen is introduced to Gary, an IT consultant from Perth, who is in town to visit his teenage nephew René (S1. 14, 15 and 22, and S2.6), and his sister Jean (S1.22). The conversation ranges from Helen's fitness regime to Gary's gift-giving strategies, while René indulges his taste for hot chocolate with marshmallows. Edinburgh-based actor Mark Kydd joins the TMT team to play Uncle Gary, while Perth-born, London-based Christopher ...
12
Nov. 12, 2021

Challenging Changes

In Episode 12, Helen's old friends from her college days have teamed up to check out retirement homes in Dorset. Rozzie, (who claims to be an ex-Secret Service agent) explains about the mysterious phone call from Russia (episode 7 "From Russia with ???") , and then Helen finds herself being challenged to consider her future. Frances Broudie Oldbridge returns to the role of Rozzie, having recently completed working on the forthcoming feature film "Morris Men" on location down south. You can help...
10
Oct. 29, 2021

Memory Tricks and Treats

Episode 10 of Season 2 sees Janey annoying Helen by fussing over her, as usual. Helen's elder sister Marian phones up from Rockhampton, in Central Queensland to ask a very special question. The memories this brings up are painful, but there are sweet ones too. Please take a moment to rate and review the podcast. Like any performance, it takes the audience's reaction to complete the whole process. So you can round it off with your comments and suggestions, Thanks for listening. Stay safe Suppor...
9
Oct. 22, 2021

Uncle James

Episode 9 introduces Jack's Uncle James, retired school teacher. Helen phones Susie, who is visiting Jack in Liverpool, but as is her wont, Susie has gone out without her phone. The result is Helen and Uncle James getting to know each other, sharing thoughts about the educational system and the impending demise of the English vocabulary. Is it possible this is just an 'old people' problem? James is played by Liverpool actor Chris Darwin. You can help to support all the freelance artists who con...
8
Oct. 15, 2021

Holding On

In Episode 8, Helen enjoys a catchup chat with her neighbour Jennifer. Jennifer's 102 year old grandmother, Nana Madeleine, suspects that Helen is feeling a bit down, so she invites herself in for a coffee and a natter. Support the show You can leave a comment or review at www.amIoldyet.com/reviews, and donate towards our production costs at amIoldyet.com/support. @AmIOldYet2 The music featured in Seasons 6, 7 and 8 is from "In The Labyrinth" by John T LaBarbera, available on Bandcamp. https...
7
Oct. 8, 2021

From Russia with ??

Episode 7 (Season 2) sees Helen and her granddaughter Susie about to take a trip to Lancashire to celebrate a birthday party. Helen likes to hand over the receipt to the recipient when she buys a gift, and Susie is not too sure that this is acceptable behaviour. Does this qualify as role reversal? Then a phone call from a stranger brings new complications. This week's guest performer is Liverpool actor, Roy Carruthers, in the role of Dimitri. Please help support our guest artists by donating th...
6
Sept. 29, 2021

Ask René

in Episode 6, Helen accompanies her daughter Janey to the Cheese Shop cafe to collect the illustrations for Janey’s children’s book. René, the teenager who rescued Helen’s cheese in a previous episode, comes to the rescue again. Scots actor Christopher McDougall returns to the programme for another episode as cheeky young René. He also manages a wee cameo as a customer in the cafe. As you know, there's still not a lot of paid work happening for professional actors, so if you could donate a cupp...
5
Sept. 24, 2021

A Stroll in the Park with a Swing

Helen sets off to a different park for her walk, and finds a 'big kid' swing. As she walks, she ponders the state of the world, human exceptionalism, how trees communicate with each other, and also surprises herself with a few random memories. Please take a moment to rate and review the podcast if you can, or leave a comment on the website at https://am-I-old-yet.com. And if you are able to make a small donation, or join up as a patron, we'd be most grateful. Support the show You can leave a c...
4
Sept. 16, 2021

Walking in the Rain

Helen has trouble getting out of the house to go shopping, and Carol, the new salesperson at her local Cheese Shop, doesn't know what Picos Blue is! (Episode 14 "Hey Old Lady!}. Walking home in the rain, Helen and Carol share some private thoughts. If you live in the Liverpool area, you can have your Picos Blue delivered to your door by the marvellous Liverpool Cheese Company. This episode features guest performer Sarah Macdonald as Carol, the salesperson. All the performers, myself included, ...
3
Sept. 8, 2021

Write On!

Helen has been commissioned to write her memoir, and she is still not convinced that she has anything special to write about. So her publisher and long time friend Joey has asked Sadie, another old friend from college to give her some encouragement. Sadie and Helen were never close, but now find they have quite a lot in common. Support the show You can leave a comment or review at www.amIoldyet.com/reviews, and donate towards our production costs at amIoldyet.com/support. @AmIOldYet2 The musi...
2
Sept. 2, 2021

Green Penguins

Susie has lunch with her grandmother Helen, then heads off to visit her parents. Helen calls daughter Janey to let her know Susie is on her way, and Jonathan answers the phone. Jonathan is also from Australia originally, so he and Helen have some cultural tropes in common, like the Walkley Award winning political cartoonist First Dog on the Moon. And Helen want to discuss 'women's business' with Janey. Australian actorJohn Warner Zooms in from Brisbane to join the Thunder's Mouth Theatre compan...
1
Aug. 27, 2021

Keeping Up With the Zeitgeist

Season 2 is on! Helen (in London) and her old college friend Joey (in Sydney) are chatting on Zoom, when Joey gets an unexpected phone call from Sadie, another college friend, who lives in New Hampshire, and connects her up with Helen. The joys of modern technology! They muse on the way Shakespeare is the voice of the Zeitgeist, and what? Rozzie never died, said she? Introducing Judi Lehrhaupt as Sadie, and a new theme tune, arranged by Mark Bunyan. Please support this independent, unfunded, v...