Camera Off is the new mini series from The Story, our podcast dedicated to bringing you great documentaries, investigation and long-form storytelling.

In this first episode we hear the powerful tale of Chris and Michael brought together across generations, cultures and continents through the strange twists and turns of mental illness, hallucinations, and love.

Michael was at medical school when he was gripped by paranoid schizophrenia which left him at the mercy of the voices in his head. He survived on the streets of New York for 10 years by believing he was part of a special intelligence force working to stop George Bush’s evil plot to take over the world, until he hears the voice of Britain’s Queen.
Meanwhile, Chris was a retired art gallerist in England. One day, their eyes meet during a service at Westminster Abbey, and a story of friendship, love and survival unfolds.

David’s Matchbox is the first of three stories under the title Camera Off, an audio documentary series by film-maker Rebecca Lloyd-Evans, dedicated to eclectic true stories better told without the camera.
If you want more information about mental health and homelessness here are two organisations that Michael and Chris recommend:

• Mind, a mental health charity based in the UK
• The Connection at St Martin-in-the-fields, a London based charity helping the homeless


The Story

David's Matchbox: a tale of psychosis and love – Camera off - part of The Story podcast

Camera Off brings you the touching story of Granny, the oldest serving volunteer at the Samaritans helpline and former teacher at a finishing school. She’s about as British as you can get, but Granny has a secret that casts a long shadow. A shadow that crosses eight decades, hides forgotten names and takes Granny back to her long-lost family home

This extraordinary story takes Granny, aka Rosemary Pennington, on her final trip to her birthplace. Joined by her granddaughter Rebecca, the two go on a journey not only through Europe but also through history: a history which reflects so clearly on today. This is a tale of relationships, hidden identity, and one woman’s lifetime attempt to belong ...

Camera Off is a three-part audio documentary series by film-maker Rebecca Lloyd-Evans, dedicated to eclectic true stories better told without the camera.



Camera Off: Granny's Dining Out Story, a tale of a hidden identity – The Story podcast

For our third and final episode in this series of Camera Off, we hear the story of Alex Trenchard, the aristocrat who was once a pageboy for the queen and came from a wealthy family but who went to prison for stealing more than a quarter of a million pounds from Tesco to fund his own music festival

Camera Off is a mini series from The Story, our podcast dedicated to bringing you great documentaries, investigation and long-form storytelling.
In this our third story Rebecca Lloyd-Evans meets Alex Trenchard, who was convicted of defrauding Tesco of hundreds of thousands of pounds all to support his passion project, a music festival called Standon Calling.

Camera Off is a three-part audio documentary series by film-maker Rebecca Lloyd-Evans, dedicated to eclectic true stories better told without the camera.

Part one – David’s Matchbox; part two – Granny’s Dining Out

Camera Off: At Her Majesty's Pleasure, royal pageboy to prison inmate – The Story podcast

In this pilot episode of our new Unreported Britain podcast - which was produced with support from the Orwell Foundation - journalist Stephen Armstrong uncovers a crisis happening right under our noses - literally.

He speaks to dentist Dr Jane Lelean, who volunteers for Dentaid, a charity whose services are usually reserved for the poorest countries in the world but are now being rolled out across the UK. We also hear from fellow dentist Dr Ian Wilson and community worker Sharon McAuley about the sorry state of NHS dentistry and how this leads some people - such as Alistair Pulling - to turn to the likes of DIY dentistry.

Finally, Stephen explores how we got to this point and asks whether the system itself is totally skewed to ignore those individuals who need it most.

Unreported Britain: the nation's teeth

A collection of audio documentaries and long form storytelling from the Guardian