54 years ago, with the spark of an idea, Richard Jackson boldly started a school with just a handful of students. Today Hurtwood House is home to 360 students and its alumni include Hollywood Royalty, award winning filmmakers, world famous musicians and top business entrepreneurs.

Each week in the brand new ‘Beyond the Hill’ podcast, ex-student and presenter James Gaffney interviews one of the many thousands who have been through Hurtwood’s doors, reminiscing about the good times at the school and lifting the lid on their journeys and the secrets of their success. Check it out now on both YouTube and Spotify

To set the scene, it seemed only right to begin with the man who started it all. In the inaugural episode of ‘Beyond the Hill’, Richard Jackson, the founder of Hurtwood House, takes us through the story of its foundation and development over the last 50 years and how it became the creative utopia that it is today. He speaks about his passion for education, where his idea for the school originated from and how the story of Hurtwood ultimately begins with the local postman. 

In episode two, James talks to Katie Buchholz, the star of Agatha Christie's 'Witness for the Prosecution', one of the world's most famous murder mysteries. They discuss all things Hurtwood, life at RADA and her different roles including ‘Jodie Kelly’ in EastEnders. They also delve into how to manage nerves, getting into character and the crucial difference between stage and screen acting. 

New episodes are out every Friday so make sure to tune in to hear more incredible career stories.