Main content

Paula Rego

Sue Lawley's castaway is artist Paula Rego.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the artist Paula Rego. Born in Portugal, she was an only child, and spent her days sitting with the maids as they told tales around the kitchen table. Now she makes up stories about the people she knows and weaves them into her pictures. Like those early fairytales, her portraits always have a touch of danger about them. If you look the devil in the face, she says, face your fears and paint them - then they lose the power to scare you.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Da Me O Braco Anda Dai by Blanc/Barbosa
Book: Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Luxury: Pencil and paper

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Fri 12 Dec 1997 09:05
麻豆社 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Loyd Grossman

Next

Chris Haskins

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Music Played

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Blanc/Barbosa

      Da Me O Braco Anda Dai

      • Amalia.
      • EMI.

  • Bessie Smith

    Gimme a Pigfoot

    • Bessie Smith:The Collection.
    • CBS.

  • Ike & Tina Turner

    River Deep - Mountain High

    • River Deep, Mountain High.
    • A&M.

  • Frank Churchill

    Some Day My Prince Will Come

    Performer: Adriana Caselotti. Composer: Larry Morey.

  • Carmen Miranda

    Chica Chica Boom Chic

    • South American Way.
    • MCL.

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Act 2 Aria (from Rigoletto)

    • Rigoletto.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Fred Astaire

    Cheek To Cheek

    • Fred And Ginger: The Story.
    • Dejavu.

  • Bing Crosby & Frank Sinatra

    Well, Did You Evah?

  • Book Choice

    • Tender Is The Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald

  • Luxury Choice

    • Pencil and paper

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Paula Rego

Broadcasts

  • Sun 7 Dec 1997 12:15
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Fri 12 Dec 1997 09:05
    麻豆社 Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast