Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, it's a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that at some level of genius. It also helps

that it's a long time ago, right? It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream

van plays music when it's out of ice cream. Listen to evil genius on BBC Sounds.

On tonight's program last year, he played fat Jack Falstuff in Shakespeare's Henry IV. This year, that desperate

performer Willie Lohman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, and next he is Lear in Shakespeare's

almost unbearable tragedy. Anthony Cher may have been on the stage since the 1970s, but there's something that makes the present moment his.

He joins me in extended conversation to discuss performances past and present,

as well as his most recently published diary devoted to A Year of the Fat Night.

Also, we talk about his journey from comfortable white South Africa

during the years of apartheid to his central role in the current RSC, of whom his civil partner

Greg Doran is director. Anthony Scheer was born to a Jewish family in South Africa in 1949,

came to Britain in 1968,

and has carved out a special place for himself in British theatre,

whether with gay sweatshop in the 1970s

or more recently with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

When he came into the studio,

I said that the thought of Falstaff had initially unnerved him.

Was it the same with Willie Lohman?

No, there's something about Falstaff that is so iconic.

You know, any of us say the word Falstaff and you will have an image in your head,

not only of what he looks like, but somehow

of what he is, that huge, huge presence.

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