The WhatsOnStage Podcast

158. Bonus episode: Behind-the-scenes at the Olivier Awards with Rachel Zegler, Elaine Paige, Rosamund Pike and the Paddington team

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:20:59 GMT

It was a huge night at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday as the Olivier Awards took place – with seven awards going to the much-loved Paddington The Musical. Elsewhere there were wins for Rachel Zegler, Into the Woods, Rosamund Pike, Jack Holden, James Graham and more – all of whom you can now hear in action.

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157. Inter Alia and legal drama on stage, and Man Utd and Leeds teams made up of actors

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Sarah and Alex are inspired by Rosamund Pike’s starry performance in Susie Miller’s Inter Alia to think of other great dramas about the law. And ahead of the Manchester United versus Leeds Premier League clash they chose the best teams from actors born in the cities

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156. Bonus episode: Calam Lynch and Noah Ritter discuss the Fifth Beatle in Please Please Me

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMT

On this bonus episode, we talk to Calam Lynch and Noah Ritter, two of the stars of Please Please Me, Tom Wright's play about Brian Epstein, often known as the "fifth Beatle." Lynch plays Epstein, with Ritter as the iconic John Lennon, with the play having its world premiere at the Kiln Theatre later this month. Ritter explains why he was destined to play John Lennon, while Lynch celebrates a return to the Kiln.

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155. It was a tragic week for love on stage

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:47:13 GMT

Sarah has been hither and thither this week reviewing very long plays (with some very late endings) – with Romeo and Juliet starring Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe clocking in at three hours, while Les Liaisons Dangereuses with Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner not far off the same duration. It brings up all sorts of questions about love stories on stage, the importance of dance for bringing out unspoken truths, and whether or not you should smile during a curtain call.

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154. Bonus episode: Sadie Sink, Noah Jupe, Clare Perkins and Clark Gregg talk time-hopping Romeo and Juliet

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:48:34 GMT

Two rising stars in the acting world, Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe, are headlining a brand new production of Romeo and Juliet. We sit down to chat to the duo on their opening night, accompanied by co-stars Clare Perkins (Sweat, The Wife of Willesden) and Clark Gregg (the Marvel Cinematic Universe). As part of the conceit, the show involves a series of "what-if" moments, all exploring how the tragedy truly unfurls.

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153. Bonus episode: Bumper interview bonanza with Hayley Atwell, Bryan Cranston, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Rebecca Lucy Taylor

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:13:27 GMT

Welcome to this bonus episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast! Our brilliant deputy editor Tom Millward has been busy recently, interviewing the great and good across the UK theatre world! So here's our interviews featuring Hayley Atwell, James Graham, Paapa Essiedu, Bryan Cranston, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Rebecca Lucy Taylor...

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152. What kind of plays win prizes?

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Awards season is trundling along with the Standard Theatre Awards and the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards all happening in the same week. If that's not enough to keep Alex and Sarah busy, they've also been trekking to Stratford-upon-Avon and a soggy Manchester, but found enough time to mull over the implications of the decision not to let national critics into the world premiere of One Day the Musical at the Edinburgh Lyceum.

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151. Bonus episode: Into the Woods has a new Witch and we meet her

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:48:00 GMT

On this bonus episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast, we meet the new Witch taking over from Kate Fleetwood in the Bridge Theatre's multi-award-nominated production of Into the Woods at the Bridge Theatre. A beloved WhatsOnStage Award-winning star, she's tackling Sondheim for the very first time!

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150. The Best Plays of the Century Part Three: the years 2004/5

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In part three of the series Sarah and Alex discuss new work from Alan Bennett and David Hare while announcing the arrival of a new generation - Laura Wade, Simon Stephens, David Harrower among them

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149. Bonus episode: John Proctor is the Villain stars Sadie Soverall and Dónal Finn talk the eagerly anticipated UK premiere

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:22:41 GMT

John Proctor is the Villain made a huge impact when it ran on Broadway, and it is finally making its UK premiere in a (now sold out) run at the Royal Court. Two of the show's stars, Sadie Soverall and Dónal Finn, discuss what the experience has been like and bringing this radical interrogation of Arthur Miller to the stage.

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148. Awards Season: Timothée Chalamet, the Oliviers and the Oscars

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

On this week’s episode Sarah and Alex discuss the triumphant WhatsOnStage awards show at the London Palladium, Timothée Chalamet’s recent comments on the arts, some unexpected showings in the Olivier nominations and whether Sinners will enjoy a late Oscars surge.

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147. Bonus episode: Backstage at the WhatsOnStage Awards with Stephen Fry, James Graham and the Paddington team

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:18:15 GMT

Sunday was WhatsOnStage Awards evening! Hear from all the winners as they collect their trophies, backstage at the iconic London Palladium in the heart of the West End. The evening also featured some stellar performances from the likes of Paddington, Hercules and The Phantom of the Opera.

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146. Into the Woods, Fiddler on the Roof and Broken Glass with director Jordan Fein

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:55:29 GMT

Jordan Fein talks to Sarah about the importance of community, making audiences feel involved and the difference between making theatre here and in the US. Plus: why he loves Stephen Sondheim and which show he’d like to direct next.

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145. Bonus episode: Musical theatre powerhouse Maimuna Memon on Manic Street Creature, career pressure and not being a lawyer

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:11:27 GMT

Today, we’re shining a spotlight on a performer who has become one of the most vital voices in British theatre. Fresh from her Olivier Award win for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 and her captivating turn in Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Maimuna Memon is returning to the stage with the show that truly defined her as a powerhouse creator. She’s bringing her hit gig-theatre musical, Manic Street Creature, to the Kiln Theatre for a strictly limited run this March.

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144. We predict the Oliviers nominations – and have thoughts about the BAFTAS

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:54:52 GMT

With the WhatsOnStage Awards nine days away, the Oliviers nominations six days away, the BAFTAS five days ago and the Critics Circle nominees now revealed, it feels like the right time to spend a long time discussing awards – their intricacies, their politics and, when controversy arises, what can be done to solve problems. Then, Sarah and Alex try their best to predict who might get nominated for an Olivier Award on Thursday.

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143. Bonus episode – Wicked: For Good's Dorothy steps out of the shadows and tells all

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:40:01 GMT

Though sworn to secrecy, Wicked: For Good's Dorothy Bethany Weaver has finally been able to discuss her time in the blockbuster musical franchise, taking on a small but pivotal role. In a wide-ranging interview she discusses leading the March of the Witch Hunters scene, working with Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater, and how she worked out Judy Garland's iconic mannerisms.

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142. We have a lot to say about Dracula with Cynthia Erivo

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The biggest opening of the year so far came this week in the form of Dracula, marking the return of Cynthia Erivo to the London stage. Sarah and Alex voice their opinions on the tech-heavy take on Bram Stoker's bloody classic – but are there too many bells and whistles for this to work? Plus – Westeros is stage-bound – the podcasting pair break down the news of the new play, Game of Thrones: The Mad King.

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141. Bonus episode: Andor star Elizabeth Dulau on playing George Eliot and the Star Wars universe

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:48:08 GMT

Fresh from wowing Disney audiences as Kleya in Andor, Elizabeth Dulau is playing the iconic poet George Eliot in Alexi Kaye Campbell's brand new play Bird Grove, currently in previews at the Hampstead Theatre. We discuss the surprising facets of Eliot's personality as well as the challenges faced with trying to bring such a revered literary figure to the stage. Beyond that, we also touch on Dulau's experiences in the Star Wars universe – and how she imagines Kleya's storyline continued.

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140. The Best Plays of the Century Part 2: The Years 2002/03

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In part two of the series, Sarah and Alex weigh up the merits of new work from Caryl Churchill, Roy Williams and Kwame Kwei-Armah. Plus new writing from Lucy Prebble and Lynn Nottage. Who will take the crown in each year?

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139. Bonus episode: Ben Platt and Mark Sonnenblick on their London musical UK premiere

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Last month, WhatsOnStage was invited to the Menier Chocolate Factory to talk to the creator and star of their summer show, Midnight at the Never Get. Ben Platt will star in the UK premiere of Mark Sonnenblick’s musical. Set in 1965 New York, it follows Trevor Copeland and Arthur Brightman’s illegal romance, where they meet to perform songs in a secret nightclub act. David Cromer will direct a new production for its premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

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138. Godot, Slow Horses and why all TV actors should work on the stage

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

As he launches his new book about starring in Samuel Beckett’s Godot opposite Ben Whishaw, Lucian Msamati sits down with Sarah and Alex to lift the lid on the mood behind the scenes, the behaviour of audiences and why theatre is still like gym for young actors

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137. Bonus episode: Newly announced Jonathan Larson Project cast talk the legacy of the RENT composer

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:08:13 GMT

On what would be Jonathan Larson's 66th birthday, the freshly revealed cast of The Jonathan Larson Project, including Grace Mouat and Max Harwood, came together for a special launch at Century Club in central London. At the same event, Jessie Elland, Maisie Smith and Jed Berry discussed their casting in the new production of Little Shop of Horrors, running in Manchester and Liverpool – while producer Thomas Hopkins explains why it's easier to programme on Broadway than in the West End right now.

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136. The Traitors on stage! Cate Blanchett! Sandra Oh!

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Phew – with new seasons at the National, Donmar Warehouse, Shakespeare's Globe and more, there's a lot for Alex and Sarah to unpack as they examine the latest announcements. But do all of these new shows suggest a growing cross-pollination between the worlds of theatre and screen? And what does it mean for audiences?

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135. Bonus episode: About time – with Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose from One Day, and Billy Crudup and Denise Gough from High Noon

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:58:04 GMT

In this week’s bonus episode, we’re clock-watching! At Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre we chat to the stars of One Day: The Musical – Jamie Muscato (Moulin Rouge!, Heathers) and Sharon Rose (Hamilton), who join us to discuss the challenge of ageing 20 years on stage and bringing this iconic "July 15th" love story to life through song. Then, we head to London’s West End where the tension is mounting in High Noon. We sit down with Tony and Emmy winner Billy Crudup and the powerhouse Denise Gough to talk about the grit and adrenaline of performing a classic Western in real-time.

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134. Bonus episode: Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu on bringing Marie and Rosetta to the West End

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:22:56 GMT

The profound effect that Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight had on contemporary music is rarely spelled out in full. There's a reason why Tharpe is heralded as the "godmother of rock ‘n’ roll." Between them, they helped reshape genres and alter tastes, all in a racist, misogynistic world that rarely gave them space to show off their groundbreaking talents.

That is the story now coming to @sohoplace with Marie and Rosetta, George Brant's two-hander that brings a rocking, untapped history into the present day. Stars Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu sit down to chat about their time with the production, aided by director Monique Touko and movement director Kloé Dean.

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133. The Best Plays of the Century Part 1: The Years 2000/01

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

At the beginning of a new series Sarah and Alex weigh the merits of the century’s new writing. Will Sarah Kane or Joe Penhall take the 2000 crown? And what about Martin McDonagh’s contribution to 2001?

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132. Why can theatre be so terrifying?

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

It may not be Halloween, but there definitely seems to be a spooky season on UK stages – with Paranormal Activity making things go bump in the night, A Ghost in Your Ear sending chills down the spine and 2:22 A Ghost Story back on the open road (all before Dracula has begun performances in the West End!). With that in mind, Sarah and Alex put on their bravest faces and discuss why fear works so well on stage. Plus, in a complete tangent, why they're both thrilled to bits about Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey teaming up with Marianne Elliott and Tom Scutt for Sunday in the Park with George.

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131. Bonus episode: The cast of American Psycho let us into the rehearsal room

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:53:13 GMT

Editor-in-chief Alex Wood is heading back to the 1980s – well, a very specific, very sharp, and very bloody version of them. We’re talking about the highly anticipated revival of American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre. Based on the cult-classic novel by Bret Easton Ellis, with a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and a synth-heavy score by Duncan Sheik, this production marks a significant moment for London theatre. It is the final production from Rupert Goold in his tenure as the Almeida’s Artistic Director, revisiting the darkly satirical world of Wall Street that he first brought to life on this stage over a decade ago. We chat to Patrick Bateman himself, returning to the Almeida after The Line of Beauty, Arty Froushan, as well as Emily Barber, Zheng Xi Yong, Daniel Bravo, Tanisha Spring and Oli Higginson.

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130. Why are we so obsessed with Shakespeare?

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:23:02 GMT

As Hamnet starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal opens in cinemas, Sarah and Alex consider the depictions of Shakespeare on screen from Shakespeare in Love to Upstart Crow and what they say about our attitudes to the Bard

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129. Bonus episode: Robert Aramayo and Rosie Sheehy on building a marriage at the Royal Court

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:37:27 GMT

She's an Olivier Award-nominated actress that has wowed in shows like Machinal, Romeo and Julie and King John. He's a BIFA-winning screen star known for appearances in I, Swear, The Rings of Power and Game of Thrones, now making his professional stage debut. Together, Rosie Sheehy and Robert Aramayo will play the central couple in Luke Norris' Guess How Much I Love You?, the brand new play kicking off the Royal Court's 70th anniversary season. Alex Wood chats to the pair about their work building that relationship, Port Talbot, and which Godfather film is the best.

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128. Theatre to watch in 2026: from Arcadia to Kimberly Akimbo, from Cynthia Erivo to Josh O’Connor and Tilda Swinton

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

As the new year arrives, Alex and Sarah look forward to some of the exhilarating theatrical treats in store which range from Aidan Turner’s return to the stage opposite Lesley Manvill in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre to Mischief Theatre’s first musical Thespians and the Royal Court’s 70th anniversary season.

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127. Bonus episode: Jack Holden on the five-star KENREX

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Jack Holden had a runaway hit with Cruise back in 2021, one of the first new shows to rock the West End after the final lockdown. He's been pretty much non-stop since then – with new five-star show Kenrex opening to dazzling notices and audience acclaim in Sheffield. That show now begins a second London season, this time at The Other Palace in central London. It comes off the back of an assured stage version of The Line of Beauty, based on Alan Hollinghurst

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126. Who are the theatre names ready to make a splash in 2026

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

With 2026 fast approaching, Sarah and Alex thought they’d run through some of the names expected to make a splash over the coming 12 months – from directors, to writers, to stage stars – there are some very exciting people making very exciting theatre across the country. We touch on a trendy new production of a David Hare classic, the return of the fist-pumping musical Sylvia and the indomitable rise of playwright Ava Pickett.

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125. Bonus episode: Producer Kenny Wax on Top Hat dancing back into London, the meteoric rise of Six and the merry success of Mischief

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

If you haven't heard of Kenny Wax, we are fairly certain you know some of his shows – a mastermind behind building brands from the ground up, he has steered productions like The Play That Goes Wrong and SIX to international acclaim. This Christmas, he has five shows running concurrently in the heart of the capital – on top of the previous two, Top Hat is dazzling at the Southbank Centre, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is a sell-out seasonal sensation and Just For One Day is rockin' all over Shaftesbury Avenue. But what is the secret to his success? The man touches on a multitude of topics in a wide-ranging interview.

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124. What were the best stage shows of 2025?

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:07:29 GMT

In our final main episode before Christmas, Alex and Sarah discuss their favourite shows of 2025, from Golden Globe winners on Palladium balconies to animatronic bears reducing thousands of punters to tears. With names like Bryan Cranston, Cate Blanchett, Brendan Gleeson, Rosamund Pike and Samira Wiley leading top-tier productions, there's a whole lot to chew on. The pair also pick out their favourite new plays, revivals and names that really made a splash in 2025 – and what it might all mean for the future of theatre.

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123. Bonus episode: Michael Harrison on ten years of panto at the Palladium

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:52:09 GMT

Few producers are as intrepid as Michael Harrison – steering hits like Evita, Hello, Dolly!, Starlight Express, Gypsy, Titanique and The Bodyguard. But one centrepiece of his producing portfolio is the Palladium pantomime – the crown jewel of the London panto season and renowned for its big sets, big laughs and big innuendo count (courtesy of one Julian Clary). Alex Wood heads to MHE towers to discuss ten years of panto back at the Palladium – and why Michael considers himself the worst usher to have ever worked at Edinburgh Playhouse

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122. Giants and horses and bears – why do puppets cast such a powerful spell?

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah has ventured into Giant Country (otherwise known as Stratford-upon-Avon) for the opening night of the RSC's stage version of The BFG, sparking a series of thoughts about why puppets have such a profound effect on audiences. This comes mere weeks after the critics raved about the stage production of Paddington. Speaking of the much-loved Bear, the Paddington musical was the runaway smash for the audience-driven WhatsOnStage Awards shortlist – which saw theatregoers across the nation pick their favourite shows and performers. Sarah and Alex comb through the nominated shows to see what it says about the state of UK theatre in 2025.

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121. Bonus episode exclusive: Meet agents from the Operation Mincemeat tour!

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 09:35:00 GMT

In a little casting exclusive, Alex Wood reveals two of the agents tackling the multi-award-winning musical Operation Mincemeat, which kicks off its first ever tour in February 2026. Based on the true story of a plot to con the Nazis during World War Two, it also continues its run in the West End at the Fortune Theatre. So sit back, pour a glass of sangria and see who’s born to lead!

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120. Maria Friedman on the great risk of her Merrily We Roll Along movie and her dear friend Stephen Sondheim

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Merrily We Roll Along has landed in cinemas worldwide, providing a unique take on the multi-award-winning Broadway production, first seen in London, with Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez. Friedman maps out her incredible journey with the material and how she transformed the stage show for the big screen. Plus, she explains why changing keys to suit performers should never be discouraged and why you should avoid showing feet when filming on stage!

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119. A warm welcome for Paddington

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:53:25 GMT

Hopping onto a remote recording at the earliest opportunity, Sarah and Alex discuss the legacy of the late, great Tom Stoppard – following the news of his passing on Saturday night. In an episode of two halves, this is accompanied by a reflection on the glorious response to Paddington The Musical, which received a deluge of glowing reviews following its Sunday night world premiere.

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118. Meeting John Le Carré, writing about death and some advice for young writers

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah goes to @sohoplace to talk to writer David Eldridge about his two plays running in London at the moment: End at the National Theatre, the completion of his relationships trilogy, and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, the first adaptation of a John Le Carré novel for the stage.

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117. Paul Hilton on finding his own Scrooge, saving the Oldham Coliseum and why it’s good to cry at the theatre

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:48:00 GMT

As he approaches press night, we check in with award-winning actor Paul Hilton, who is getting his Scrooge on this Christmas at the Old Vic. He reflects on finding his own way into the iconic miser, and what drew him to Jack Thorne’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic after initially turning the role down. More broadly, he reflects on his career: bringing The Inheritance to New York after its landmark London moment, and the work he did helping to save Oldham Coliseum. He also expresses a great desire to work on Hamlet Hail To The Thief with Thom Yorke once again – if ever the moment arose.

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116. Is Wicked: For Good good or bad?

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Alex has been to see Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo to bring the Wicked story to its conclusion. And Sarah has been scouring the theatre listings to find alternatives to Christmas jollity.

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115. Bonus episode: The Wicked movie's casting directors explain the secrets to their success

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

With Wicked: For Good soaring into cinemas this week, editor-in-chief Alex Wood sat down with the two-part big-screen adaptation's casting directors – Bernie Telsey and Tiffany Little Canfield – to discuss how they assembled such a rich and varied ensemble for the blockbuster franchise. The duo, with a long history of casting on stage and screen, shared their proudest moments during a very protracted casting process – and how they felt watching the now-famous Jonathan Bailey dressing room audition tape. They also wax lyrical about the importance of the screen-to-stage pipeline, and how stage stars can become the biggest movie stars of a generation.

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114. Alan Cumming on his Pitlochry season, being a voluntary artistic director and experiences on the all-male Company

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Trailed last week in our main episode, editor-in-chief Alex Wood sits down with Alan Cumming, who has just announced a jam-packed, star-studded first season at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. He may not be taking a salary, but he isn't taking his time either – delivering a huge bill of shows with strong international names. He also discusses his time workshopping the all-male Company under the direction of John Tiffany, and what he hopes to achieve for the much-loved Scottish venue.

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113. The Hunger Games - and Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren and some hopes for the future of arts in education

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 09:53:33 GMT

What a week Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood have had! Not only did they have a trip to Panem to sample the stage adaptation of The Hunger Games (the results left a lot to chew on), but Sarah's been down to Middle Temple Hall to celebrate a brand new initiative to help make Shakespeare more accessible in schools, courtesy of the Foyle Foundation and the RSC (with a helping hand from Helen Mirren, Adjoa Andoh and Ian McKellen). Meanwhile, Alex has been chatting all things new seasons with Alan Cumming, who just unveiled his brand new programme at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

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112. Bonus episode: Caissie Levy and Jack Wolfe have a perfect loving family reunion

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:58:45 GMT

In this WhatsOnStage Podcast special, two of the stars of the Donmar Warehouse production of Next to Normal – Caissie Levy and Jack Wolfe – reunite as they both take on Broadway at the same time. The pair are currently starring in separate shows – Levy as Mother in the critically lauded revival of Ragtime, Wolfe in the role Orpheus in the much-loved Hadestown.

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111. The pick of the best Christmas shows - and a celebration of Richard Burton

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 09:52:17 GMT

Sarah and Alex have been watching Mr Burton, the film about Richard Burton’s early life starring Toby Jones that gets its TV on BBC on the centenary of his birth. And also Wild Genius, a documentary about this fascinating man who changed the course of acting and of celebrity. They’ve also begun to choose the most promising Christmas shows including BFG at Stratford, and Sherlock and the 12 Days of Christmas which reunites Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber

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110. Bonus episode: We meet the team behind Paddington Bear!

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:55:16 GMT

In this bonus episode, editor-in-chief Alex Wood chats to James Hameed and Arti Shah - the two performers who sent social media into meltdown on Saturday night when the musical version of Paddington had its first preview. Alongside the creatives, Shah and Hameed details the long process required to make Paddington work - and how it has been rehearsing for such an eagerly anticipated show.

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109. Bonus episode: West End producer Colin Ingram reflects on 20 years of his company, the star casting debate and how the West End ecosystem is changing

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:18:26 GMT

On this bonus episode, we’re joined by one of the most prolific producers in the business – Colin Ingram. He’s the award-winning mind behind Back to the Future: The Musical, Ghost, and Grease The Musical, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of his company, Colin Ingram Limited. In our podcast he weighs in on the star casting debate, the future of the West End, his turbulent time with balloons at Les Misérables anniversary concert and what drives him onwards.

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108. Exclusive interview: John Proctor is the Villain, Tilda Swinton and a huge 70th birthday party – David Byrne on his new Royal Court season

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 16:42:14 GMT

Luke Norris, Tilda Swinton, Gary Oldman, Ryan Calais Cameron, Robert Aramayo, John Proctor is the Villain and so much more – the Royal Court season is celebrating its 70th birthday in style. We hop into artistic director David Byrne's office to get the lowdown on his programming choices – how he's both honouring and winking at the history of this home for new writing. Plus – his experiences watching Andrew Lloyd Webber watching John Proctor is the Villain – and the moment Arthur Miller had beef with the Court...

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107. Chris Pine, Keanu Reeves and the effects of star casting

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Sarah and Alex meet up from opposite sides of the Atlantic to discuss the latest hot news in theatre including Chris Pine’s casting in Ivanov at the Bridge Theatre, how Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are landing on Broadway in Jamie Lloyd’s Waiting for Godot and why the new stage production of The Hunger Games found itself in a lose-lose situation with its first preview

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106. Bonus episode: Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin have a very special announcement...

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 08:30:00 GMT

On this special Monday bonus episode, we hopped over to the Garrick Theatre to check in with the stars of The Producers, Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin, who had a very special announcement for the five-star West End production... The duo have been playing the two lead roles in the show since it opened to acclaim at the Menier Chocolate Factory – it now settles in for a stay at the Charing Cross venue.

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105. The report the theatre world can't ignore: Women's health in the spotlight with special guest Emily Vaughan-Barratt

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:00:47 GMT

Following a high-profile launch for the Women's Health in Theatre report at the Harold Pinter Theatre last week, chief critic Sarah Crompton sat down with the report's pioneer, award-winning producer Emily Vaughan-Barratt, at her offices in London. The report's finding were an uncompromising reminder of the constant hurdles placed in front of women in the theatre industry - with issues around fertility, menopause and childcare all brought into sharp focus. The report didn't just cover those on stage - but also those behind the scenes and working across theatreland's offices and front-of-house areas. So what are the next steps? How can the situation be helped? And who are the unsung heroes helping those in need?

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104. Bonus episode: How to adapt a classic musical into a film

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:55:53 GMT

In this episode, we head to the US where editor David Gordon sits down with director Bill Condon to discuss his new movie version of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Together they explore his approach to adapting the acclaimed story for the stage, the themes of identity and survival, and the creative process behind bringing such an iconic work to life. It’s an insightful look at storytelling, collaboration and the enduring legacy of Kiss of the Spider Woman. David also chats to break-out star Tonatiuh about his role in the new flick.

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103. What is the secret to Les Misérables' success?

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:50:21 GMT

To be or not to be - that is the question... Or is it "Do You Hear The People Sing?" As Les Misérables celebrates 40 years in the West End, Sarah and Alex reflect on the runaway success of the iconic musical that has enchanted audiences for decades. What does it say about the critics that they got it so wrong? Meanwhile, the National Theatre has opened a new production of Hamlet - laden with Easter eggs and references - and a standout performance that wowed Sarah!

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102. How one venue is bringing Hope to regional theatres

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:51:25 GMT

We’re heading to Manchester to celebrate a remarkable milestone. It’s been ten years since the Hope Mill Theatre first opened its doors, transforming a former textile mill into one of the country’s most respected independent producing houses.

With just over 145 seats, it’s an intimate space that’s punched well above its weight — staging acclaimed revivals and brand-new work alike, and helping to launch careers both on and off stage. Its productions have included the award-winning Spring Awakening, Rent, Mame, and, later this month, the team are bringing Young Frankenstein to the Hope Mill stage. And looking ahead to 2026, they’re taking on their biggest project yet with High School Musical at The Lowry.

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101. The magic of rain on stage, the greatness of Brendan Gleeson and the start of the National Theatre’s new regime

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 08:49:32 GMT

Sarah and Alex catch up on the latest in a hectic season of theatre and talk about why The Weir by Conor McPherson really is one of the great plays of the past 50 years. And - actors getting wet is always irresistible, but does it just make you think about drainage?

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100. Bonus episode: Rachel Zegler, Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher join us for a red carpet special!

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In a little midweek episode, we bring you red carpet interviews from London and New York. On Sunday, Rachel Zegler picked up the Best West End Debut Performer award at The Stage Debut Awards in London for her performance leading Evita in the West End, while over in New York, the stars of the forthcoming production of Chess came together to discuss making all the right moves in the upcoming revival of the much-loved show.

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99. Why Jane Austen finds herself at home in modern Essex

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As Jane Austen celebrates her 250th birthday, Ava Pickett has adapted Emma for the stage. She’s taken a radical approach. She talks to Sarah about why Austen is still the best portrayer of complex women, how hard it is to write comedy, the freedom of writing period drama and why the craft of women writers still isn’t recognised.

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98. Bonus episode: Rob Madge and Sophie Drake bring a classic into the 21st century

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

How do you bring a play into the present day? That’s the question facing playwright Rob Madge and director Sophie Drake, as they bring Brandon Thomas' 19th century gender-hopping farce into the present day. The show opens at the rustic, beautiful Watermill Theatre, and marks a first collaboration for the award-winning duo.

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97. Exclusive: Indhu Rubasingham and Nima Taleghani on why they’ve put the god of theatre on stage at the National Theatre

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:53:16 GMT

Nima Taleghani is best known as Mr Farouk in Netflix’s Heartstopper. Now his first play - an adaptation of Euripides’ Bacchae - has become the first debut play in the Olivier theatre. And it opens his director Indhu Rubasingham’s first season as artistic director of the National Theatre. They talk to Sarah about making classics contemporary, rhyming verse and why theatre - like life - is best when it’s a little bit cheeky and a little bit risky

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96. Children will listen: Kate Fleetwood talks playing the Witch in Into the Woods

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 08:30:00 GMT

In a WhatsOnStage Podcast first, we exclusively reveal that Kate Fleetwood will be playing the Witch in Jordan Fein’s upcoming Into the Woods revival, playing at the Bridge Theatre from early December. We want to hear about how it feels for the performer to appear in their first EVER Sondheim production, and what might be in store for audiences when they head over to the Bridge this winter…

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95. The best autumn theatre part two

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 08:38:12 GMT

Sarah and Alex make their top picks for shows towards the end of the year from plays such as End, The Line of Beauty and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo to the great raft of musicals coming our way. Plus, how will Paddington tackle the bear question?

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94. Bonus episode: Podcast chaos with Lucie Jones, David Hunter and the writers of 13 Going On 30

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Another mid-week bonus episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast sees Alex talking to the team behind the world premiere production of 13 Going On 30 The Musical, which opens this September in Manchester. Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith, who penned the original Hollywood classic, are back at the helm of the new stage production, which reunites Lucie Jones and David Hunter.

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93. Emma Rice starts a new chapter – and wants to solve the touring problem

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

This week, Emma Rice rechristened her company Wise Children with the new name Emma Rice Company, and we took the opportunity to sit down and reflect on her career so far – from touring new work, to enchanting families at Christmas and taking productions across continents. She explains her efforts to try and solve the problems around regional tours, her opinions on her time as artistic director at Shakespeare's Globe, and the magic of working with Ncuti Gatwa. And, controversially, that she thinks Chekhov is boring.

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92. Kyle Soller talks Romans, bringing Albee to Star Wars and what to do about modern-day men

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In this episode, we sit down with Olivier Award-winning actor Kyle Soller to talk about his latest role in Romans, a novel, Alice Birch’s ambitious new play at the Almeida Theatre. Directed by Sam Pritchard, the piece is a sweeping exploration of masculinity from the nineteenth century to today. Kyle reflects on what drew him to the project, the challenges of embodying such expansive storytelling, and how Romans fits within his acclaimed career spanning stage and screen, from The Inheritance to Andor (and that famous bed scene).

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91. The best autumn theatre part one: from Bacchae to Romans, from Joe Locke to Alicia Vikander

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As the nights draw in, Sarah and Alex discuss some of their favourite shows about to hit the stage in the next couple of months including a stage version of The Hunger Games, the return of the Conor McPherson classic The Weir and appearances from Joe Alwyn, Nicola Walker, Letitia Wright, Susan Sarandon and many more

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90. Bonus episode: Tony Award winner Laura Benanti explains why nobody cares

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As she wraps up a month at the Edinburgh Fringe, Laura Benanti travels south to present her solo comedy show Nobody Cares. She explains her inspiration for the show, why it isn't like anything else she's done on stage, and how she's found a month of performing at the iconic Scottish arts festival. Oh, and why it's such a scary time for comics in the current climate.

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89. Is stage door etiquette getting worse?

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

It's a packed agenda on this week's episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast. First up, Sarah reflects on her latest trip north of the border to talk on a panel about all things criticism, alighting on the subject of critic Arifa Akbar's wonderful series on criticism available on BBC Sounds. From there, Alex and Sarah mull over Sarah's fantastic interview with Alicia Vikander, due to sail onto the London stage this autumn in The Lady from the Sea. Finally, the pair discuss the hot topic of stage door etiquette and expectations, after Broadway legend Audra McDonald posted a video about an intense experience after a performance of Gypsy.

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88. Bonus episode: What happens when your press night goes wrong?

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In this episode, we’re joined by two leading lights of musical theatre who are stepping into one of the most beloved shows in the canon. Phillip Attmore and Lucy St. Louis star as Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont in Top Hat at Chichester Festival Theatre this summer, taking on roles made famous by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

We also discuss how the Harlem Renaissance influenced the original film, what it was like when press night had to be restarted, the importance of representation on stage, and why musical comedy performances don’t always get the recognition they deserve.

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87. Why Liam Gallagher is wrong about festivals

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 09:00:10 GMT

Sarah has been to the Edinburgh Festival at the same time as Oasis and Liam Gallagher chose to make a few choice remarks about there being another event up the road. She and Alex discuss why his comments - he said the festival consisted of people “juggling f---ing b------s… swallowing swords” and “s----y card tricks” - cut against the spirit of festivals. And why a new book about the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival’s first 30 years sums up the unique appeal of that particular event.

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86. Bonus episode: Bridgerton star Luke Newton talks returning to the stage – and why it is his safe space

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 22:39:57 GMT

Luke Newton has won over millions of hearts as Colin Bridgerton, but will face a wholly different challenge when he stars in Darrah Cloud’s House of McQueen off-Broadway at The Mansion at Hudson Yards. Newton will take on the role of Lee Alexander McQueen, more commonly known simply as Alexander McQueen, in a show based on the iconic fashion designer's life.

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85. Who’s getting married in the morning?

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

It’s wedding season and Alex is away at one of the numerous celebrations he’s been invited to this summer. Which made him and Sarah think about the way that weddings are used on stage, screen and television. As Beth Steel’s Till the Stars Come Down packs them in in the West End, they look back at plays by writers such as Lorca, Shakespeare and more surprisingly Brecht have used the conventions, tensions and hidden dramas of marriage to unpick uncomfortable truths about human nature and how sometimes a wedding ceremony will reveal more than than the bride and groom had bargained for.

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84. Bonus episode: Rosalie Craig talks Good Night, Oscar, working alongside Sean Hayes and an actor-musician Company with Jonathan Bailey

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

West End star Rosalie Craig will be returning to the stage this summer to appear alongside Sean Hayes in the London transfer of Good Night, Oscar, now playing at the Barbican Theatre. We sat down to have a virtual chat about the show, why it fits the Barbican so well and how for Craig, it's something of a homecoming. Beyond that, she also pined for an actor-musician version of Company – perhaps reuniting with her former co-star, and clarinet-playing friend, Jonathan Bailey...

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83. Has the New York Times sent shockwaves through the theatre world?

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Sarah and Alex pick up the debate about the role of criticism triggered by the New York Times decision to take three critics off their customary beat. And apply the lessons to the extraordinary range of reactions to Burlesque. And Alex reports back from Jesus Christ Superstar at the Watermill and Top Hat at Chichester.

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82. Bonus episode: How do we build theatre audiences of the future?

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

We checked in with Emma De Souza, executive director of audience and commercial at Society of London Theatre and the mastermind behind the long-running audience development initiative, Kids Week. The scheme provides free theatre tickets for youngsters accompanying paying adult punters – a huge move in order to encourage the audiences of the future into the West End and beyond.

Decades on from its launch, De Souza reflects on where Kids Week went so right, and why we live in unprecedented times for theatre audiences – and those who may one day build a lifelong love for all things stage. If you want to know more about how you can benefit from Kids Week, it runs until the end of August – so plenty of time to participate!

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81. Burlesque's turbulent arrival in the West End – and directors arguing with their reviewers

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Sarah is still swanning it up in bella Italia (the country, not the restaurant), so Alex has brought in TheaterMania's editor-in-chief David Gordon to comb through two big stories in theatre this week. First of all, the turbulent Burlesque the Musical has had its opening night at the Savoy Theatre, with Alex giving his verdict on the production – and whether or not the behind-the-scenes controversy was over-sensationalised. Then – David reflects on his trip to Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts - where lines from a review spark public outcry from a production's director. Can creatives respond to reviews? And how does ALL of this play into what's happening at the New York Times?

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80. Bonus episode: Three Elphabas talk the new world of Wicked – and what the show’s legacy means

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 09:10:14 GMT

In a special midweek episode, three former Elphabas – Louise Dearman, Kerry Ellis and Rachel Tucker – come together to discuss the legacy of Wicked and the new surge in love for the franchise after the release of the hit film. The trio will be appearing together for a special concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane at the end of August, and have used this opportunity to reflect on the lasting legacy of the production, and how it set the blueprint for the modern musical – and its very devoted fanbase.

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79. What are the hits and who are the stars of tomorrow?

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As the Edinburgh Festival approaches Sarah and Alex cast their eye over the listings to see if they can pick the hottest shows and the most promising futures. Plus a WhatsOnPage bonus of their holiday reading lists.

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78. Bonus episode: Natasha Hodgson and Alex Young go head-to-head in an Operation Mincemeat special

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 11:54:01 GMT

Alex and Sarah will be back on Friday, but in the meantime we’ve dedicated an episode to a British show that continues to conquer both sides of the Atlantic, having been crowned the 2024 Best New Musical at both the WhatsOnStage and Olivier Awards in London and receiving four Tony nominations (winning one) in New York – Operation Mincemeat. We paired up co-creator and original cast member Natasha Hodgson (now performing at the Golden Theatre in NYC) with current West End company member Alex Young, who both play the role of Ewen Montagu (and others) in the SpitLip musical comedy.

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77. What's the point of an interval? And why are we spraying vodka backstage?

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

On this week's episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast, Sarah and Alex plunder the letter bag to tackle some tantalising listener questions – with subjects ranging from cleaning costumes (very topical in the ongoing heatwave!) to the importance of intervals. Finally, they take a trip down memory lane to think about productions they'd love to have seen from years gone by.

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76. Bonus episode: What does an actor-musician musical even mean?

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 09:09:45 GMT

With Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar celebrating a lengthy summer run at the award-winning Watermill Theatre in Newbury, Alex Wood popped into the rehearsal room to find out how the show is being performed by a group of actor-musicians - transplanting the tunes and placing them slap bang in the heart of the action.

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75. Rachel Zegler, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more discuss Evita's secrets

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As we put out our main episode two days early (go back and give it a listen!) – here's something to take you through the weekend. In what is our last episode on Evita for a while (we promise), we sit down with star Rachel Zegler and team behind the new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita at The London Palladium. They spill the beans on that infamous balcony scene, the chance to revitalise classic musicals for new audiences, that staggering choreography and what the future might hold for the show...

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74. Is Evita the show of the summer? And if not, what is?

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:47:41 GMT

In an excitable episode (fuelled by the heatwave), Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood unite to chew over Jamie Lloyd's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita, starring Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler – now that the embargo has lifted. After that, the pair discuss other shows that have wowed them in recent weeks – including a surprise and special hit in the form of Intimate Apparel at the Donmar Warehouse.

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73. Why seeing a play from the cheap seats can change your life - with special guest playwright Beth Steel

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As her brilliant play Till the Stars Come Down transfers to the West End, playwright Beth Steel talks to Sarah about her unexpected discovery of theatre and the mental blocks and financial obstacles that stop working class voices being heard

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72. Bonus episode: Special guest Katie Brayben on the magic of returning to a role

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

With this week's main episode coming out two days early, special guest Katie Brayben joins Alex Wood for a Friday chitchat. The two-time Olivier Award-winner will be returning to the role of Elizabeth in the hit Bob Dylan musical Girl from The North Country, now playing once more at the Old Vic in London. Other topics include Brayben's time in Tammy Faye, the state of new musicals and the problems performers face with social media.

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71. Will social media be the end of theatre critics? And are there too many standing ovations?

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:35:50 GMT

It's a two-part episode as Alex and Sarah reunite after a few weeks out in the wild! Social media is all abuzz with clips of Rachel Zegler's performance of "Don't Cry For Me Argentinia" in Evita at The London Palladium. The only ones not talking about it? Theatre critics – who have to wait until early July to give their verdicts on the show. With weeks of embargoes, are critics having a tough time either cutting through the social media noise, or even being able to say anything before a show's initial excitement has died down? Separately, Sarah has some thoughts on the increasing trend towards the obligatory standing ovation – do more audiences need to sit down and stop rocking the boat?

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70. Behind the scenes at Jamie Lloyd’s Evita

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As Rachel Zegler prepares to take on the role of Eva Peron in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s ageless classic, Sarah sets out to find out more about the London Palladium production. Plus what was it like working with Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell and how did they cope with the crowds mobbing Sunset Boulevard in New York

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69. Bonus episode: What happens when you win a Tony Award? With Sarah Snook, Jak Malone, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Sunday night saw the winners crowned at the Tony Awards in New York. While new musical Maybe Happy Ending may have been the big winner, there were plenty of awards dished out to UK-originating shows, including Operation Mincemeat, Stranger Things: The First Shadow and more! We hear from all of them… while Andrew Lloyd Webber explains why a Sunset Boulevard film may not be happening!

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68. Special guest Sonia Friedman talks career-firsts, the hardest shows she's worked on and why Broadway's model is broken

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Description: With Tony Award-winning record breaker Stereophonic in previews in the West End, chief critic Sarah Crompton and managing editor Alex Wood hopped over to Sonia Friedman Productions offices to talk to Friedman in a wide-ranging interview. Topics included what makes new writing so enticing, why the Broadway model is so hard and why Broadway box office reporting is causing headaches all round. Plus how she's trying to find the next generation of audiences with Hugh Jackman, and why the future of UK theatre concerns her!

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67. Bonus episode: A gigantic new London theatre made for musicals, with special guest Rosemary Squire

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:49:31 GMT

In a bonus midweek episode, WhatsOnStage’s editor-in-chief Alex Wood made the trip to the gigantic Olympia event space, home to the new Olympia Theatre. Currently in construction, the Olympia is due to open to the public in 2027. Alex had a word with Rosemary Squire, the co-founder of operator Trafalgar Entertainment, about what theatregoers can expect from the 1575-seat venue: including 100 toilets, a huge playing space and top class amenities.

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66. A final theatre season to rule them all

Fri, 30 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In the week director Rupert Goold announced his farewell programme at the influential Almeida Theatre, Sarah and Alex talk about why his choices reflect his bold approach - and outline the excitements in store. And as Patti Lupone stirs controversy, can the old-fashioned, no holds barred interview survive?

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65. Why British theatres are on the brink of going bust

Fri, 23 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

As a new report highlights the crisis in British theatres, Sarah and Alex reveal the depth of the difficulties caused by standstill subsidy and rising costs and in particular the challenges for regional theatre and touring

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64. Bonus episode: Special guest Hadley Fraser on juggling a West End show, solo concert and gardening!

Wed, 21 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In a mid-week bonus episode, West End star Hadley Fraser discusses his array of new endeavours, including a brand new album, a major solo concert at Cadogan Hall and appearing nightly in the West End in The Deep Blue Sea. He also chats about gardening, parenting and his daughter’s reaction to seeing him as a king in Disney’s Snow White.

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63. How do you stage an unfinished musical?

Fri, 16 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood dive headfirst into Stephen Sondheim and David Ives' Here We Are, wading through the history and themes of the show as it makes its European premiere at the National Theatre. After that, they swim through a wellspring of topics including the Young Vic's exciting new season (with four of Sarah's favourite directors involved) and Cynthia Erivo's fang-tastic West End return in Dracula.

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62. The best shows to see this summer - from Stereophonic to Jesus Christ Superstar

Fri, 09 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Sarah and Alex get out their diaries to do some planning for some of the most exciting events in the months ahead from Eugene O’Neill to Shucked and from the reopening of Theatr Clwyd to a late Shakespeare revival in Stratford

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61. Bonus episode: Jamie Lloyd, Tom Francis and Jak Malone discuss their Tony nominations!

Fri, 02 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

After Tuesday's main episode, Alex dials into New York to hear from three Tony Awards nominees as a bonus feature. Jamie Lloyd, Tom Francis and Jak Malone each reflect on a stellar Broadway season in their respective shows.

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60. The National Theatre begins a huge new chapter – but what should audiences expect?

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 18:30:00 GMT

Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood head to the National Theatre to hear the venue's new director Indhu Rubasingham unveil her bumper season of productions, mapping out plans right the way through to 2027. With huge star names like Paul Mescal, Nicola Coughlan, Lesley Manville and Letitia Wright slated for appearances, there's plenty for audiences to get excited about. But more than that – what does Rubasingham's approach and character mean for the future of the NT?

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59. Greatest theatre feuds in history, warm-up games and swings, covers and more decoded in our latest Q&A episode

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Alex and Sarah return for their third Q&A episode, this time diving into the murky depths of theatre feuds and backstage friction. They then turn to the calmer and cheerier waters of warm up drama games, Paddington the Musical, set to make a splash in the West End, and the truly incredible role played by swings, covers and more.

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58. How Oklahoma! changed my life - with special guest Anoushka Lucas

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Sarah meets Anoushka Lucas, currently starring in Rhinoceros at the Almeida Theatre, to discuss the impact of theatre on her life. She’s always called versatile but says she takes on new projects because she just wants to learn more. She reveals what it was like to work with Daniel Fish on the award-winning reimagining of Oklahoma!, why Rhinoceros is such a play for our times and how she wrote Elephant, her first play, in lockdown. Plus a bit about being a woman in the music industry and the lessons of the Stamford experiment.

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57. Is London theatre in rude health?

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In a bonus episode, editor-in-chief Alex Wood chinwags his way around the Olivier Awards winners' room discussing the state of London theatre, new writing and emerging talent – featuring chats with the creators of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the team behind the record-breaking Fiddler on the Roof and the three Olivier Award-winning creatives in Giant – John Lithgow, Elliot Levey and Mark Rosenblatt. As subsidised venues reduce their programming output, what does the future of British theatre look like?

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56. Everything you didn't see at the Olivier Awards

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Alex returns from sabbatical to report from behind the scenes at the Olivier awards where Giant, Fiddler on the Roof, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Years were among the big winners. He and Sarah discuss what the prizes reveal about London theatre, the artistic directors making waves - and announce a couple of shows that might be in the running for awards next year

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55. Bonus episode: Michael Sheen and Russell T Davies discuss their latest collaboration

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In a special bonus episode, Alex Wood has a chat with the Welsh National Theatre's artistic director - none other than stage and screen legend Michael Sheen. Sheen will kick off the company's programming with a new, relocated production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town - joined by the award-winning Doctor Who show runner and creative associate Russell T Davies.

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54. Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss talk Six The Musical Live - the new film of their hit show

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 09:27:34 GMT

It’s been quite a year for the talented musical creators. As a new film of their mega-hit Six arrives in cinemas, they tell Sarah why they are still so excited about it. “It’s like being proud of a younger sibling - every bit of it is cool”. They also chat about the closure of their follow up show Why Am I So Single after five months, their plans for the future and why they want to share their experiences with other writers.

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53. Special guest Sir Tim Rice talks Chess returning to Broadway, writing songs with Elton John - and what it’s like to be working with Andrew Lloyd Webber again

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah talks to lyricist extraordinaire Sir Tim Rice as he takes My Life in Musicals, his show of theatrical memories, on a tour of the UK and Ireland from April 11. In a conversation that ranges from Evita to The Lion King and beyond, he reveals why he doesn’t go to the theatre much any more, his love for Chess - and hopes for its revival - and why a good story is the key to the success of any musical. Plus: the best musical he’s seen for years.

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52. Special guest Samantha Barks talks Les Mis, Frozen on Disney Plus and Oliver!

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah talks to Samantha Barks ahead of her one-off concert at the London Palladium on April 5. In a wide-ranging interview Samantha reveals why Elsa was a career highlight, why she loved The Masked Singer on TV and what it was like to work with Hugh Jackman and Jonathan Bailey. Plus the secrets of concealing a pregnancy bump on stage.

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51. Special guest James Graham on Gareth Southgate, male role models and why his next play is about the collapse of the global economy

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

In the week that Dear England, his play about the English football team, reopens at the National Theatre, playwright James Graham has announced that his next play, at the Edinburgh International Festival, will star Succession’s Brian Cox and be about the financial crash of 2008. In this revealing conversation he talks to Sarah about his admiration for Southgate, the tragedy behind his play Punch, his horror of social media and why theatre is a vital tool for building empathy and countering toxic masculinity.

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50. What’s hot on Broadway?

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

In a special US based episode Sarah talks to David Gordon editor in chief of TheaterMania about the shows opening this spring. From Denzel Washington to Succession stars Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook, to George Clooney there is some major star power lighting up the stage. Plus new musicals like Boop. And the Brits are coming with Operation Mincemeat.

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49. Bonus episode: the cast of Operation Mincemeat on their Broadway debuts

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

As the award-winning British musical opens in New York, Theatermania’s David Gordon catches up with writers and performers David Cumming, Zoe Roberts,Natasha Hodgson, Claire-Marie Hall and Jak Malone. They share their excitement about enthusiastic audiences, martinis at Sardi’s with legendary stars and the pleasure of returning to the show after a break. But will the show with its silly British humour land in the US? They don’t know but the omens are good.

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48. Why are there never enough loos in theatres and do shows close in previews?

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

In our second question and answer episode Alex and Sarah discuss pressing topics. Why’s it called a green room? What does an ahistorical setting add to a show? And why don’t box offices sell single seats?

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47. We need to talk about the Oliviers nominations

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT

From Oscars to Oliviers! In a special mid-week episode, Sarah and Alex respond to the Olivier Awards nominations, which were led this year by the record-matching Fiddler on the Roof at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. But were there any snubs, shocks or surprises? And who might end up winning on the night next month?

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46. Are stars ruining - or saving - the theatre?

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:29:16 GMT

Tom Hiddleston, Hayley Atwell, Rami Malek and Brie Larson are the latest movie stars to fill the West End stage. But does their presence help or hinder? This week Sarah and Alex mull over a question that’s been dominating the theatre news. And talk about Rupert Goold’s exciting new Hamlet with Luke Thallon and Nancy Carroll as Gertrude. And, as a bonus, offer their Olivier predictions with special reference to Adrien Brody.

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45. Bonus episode: Interviews with Jonathan Bailey, Hayley Atwell, Tom Hiddleston, Mason Alexander Park and Jamie Lloyd in a Shakespeare bonanza!

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 10:24:14 GMT

With two major Shakespeare productions opening in two days in London, WhatsOnStage's intrepid deputy editor Tom Millward went to visit Jonathan Bailey at the Bridge Theatre to discuss all things Richard II, before sailing up the river for a spell at Theatre Royal Drury Lane; where Tom Hiddleston, Hayley Atwell, Mason Alexander Park and more are tackling much-loved comedy Much Ado About Nothing. We also got some intriguing tidbits from Jamie Lloyd about what might be on the horizon...

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44. Why is everyone obsessed with awards?

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Awards season is in full swing – so Sarah and Alex rope in TheaterMania's editor-in-chief David Gordon for a gallivant around the world of Oscar-nominated films. From Wicked's witches to Conclave's cardinals, through to Emilia Perez's imploding Oscar campaign and Anora's meteoric rise to fame, the WhatsOnStage Podcast has dipped its toe into the film scene... Can Wallace and Gromit triumph? Is Adrien Brody's win a foregone conclusion? Closer to home, the trio discuss the WhatsOnStage Awards, with David cramming in seven shows while flying over to London.

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43. How to solve a problem like Ophelia

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah talks to Nancy Carroll and Nia Towle about working on Rupert Goold’s new production of Hamlet which opens at the RSC this week with Luke Thallon playing the prince. They discuss what it’s like to take on Shakespeare’s women, how you shape a classic play in the context of feminism and #MeToo, nudity on stage and quite a lot more.

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42. Bonus episode: Imelda Staunton, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more talk WhatsOnStage Awards wins

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:00:00 GMT

In this special bonus episode, we bring you a selection of highlights from the press room at the 25th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, where Imelda Staunton discussed working with her daughter for the first time, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Michael Harrison's brand new musical The Illusionists, and Starlight Express star Jeevan Braich's experiences making his professional debut in the multi-award-winning production. Plus Layton Williams has an unexpected reunion!

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41. Can critics spoil shows?

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah and Alex went together to see Inside Number Nine Stage/Fright and give their verdict from the stalls. Plus Alex takes us behind the scenes - and under the stage - for the WhatsOnStage Awards and both pick the shows to look out for from new season announcements at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and Hampstead.

This episode is sponsored by The May Fair, a five star hotel in London’s most iconic neighbourhood.

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40. Bonus episode: Cameron Mackintosh, Matthew Bourne and more talk Oliver! in the West End

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Consider yourself spoilt with a bonus podcast episode as Cameron Mackintosh, Matthew Bourne, Shanay Holmes, Simon Lipkin and Billy Jenkins talk bringing Oliver! to the West End! If you're looking for our main episode, we released it slightly early this week – so scroll on to hear more from the RSC's co-artistic directors.

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39. Special guests Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey on the RSC's gigantic plans for the year

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Joined by two famed artistic leaders, podcast hosts Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood discuss the RSC's exciting plans for the coming year - including a new stage version of The BFG, the transfer of Broadway hit Fat Ham, a football-focussed Much Ado About Nothing, Somerset Maugham's The Constant Wife (boldly reimagined by Laura Wade) and a deluge of tantalising productions. Oh, and, a large amount of chat about Chiltern Railways.

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38. The greatest stage disasters

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah and Alex look back at some terrible theatrical fails and ask what they have in common. What unites Peter O’Toole’s Macbeth and Shogun:The Musical? Are there lessons that can prevent shows failing? And what did Anthony Hopkins learn from an early nightmare?

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37. The future of West End musicals, AI reviews and Michael Sheen's next move

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah and Alex blast away the January blues by battling through a deluge of theatre news – from the West End transfer of Stereophonic to Michael Sheen's new Welsh National Theatre. Beyond that, Sarah has thoughts on the freshly opened hit shows Titanique and Oliver!, leading to discussions on the future of new musicals in the West End. Alighting briefly on the subject of artificial intelligence and AI reviews, they also discuss some of their favourite screen openings of the month - including Adrien Brody-led The Brutalist and Robbie Williams monkey musical biopic Better Man. Who said January started slowly?

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36. Britain’s most haunted theatres, ghost lights, the future of the National and stage size headaches

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 10:00:00 GMT

In our first question and answer episode, Sarah and Alex answer your queries. What does break a leg mean? Are there any good shows featuring puppets coming up? Will the National Theatre change when Indhu Rubasingham takes over? And much more

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35. Bonus episode: Sigourney Weaver and Jamie Lloyd talk Tempest

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 19:46:46 GMT

In a special mid-week bonus episode, WhatsOnStage's intrepid deputy editor Tom Millward raced over to Theatre Royal Drury Lane to discuss the ongoing production of The Tempest, led by Sigourney Weaver and directed by Jamie Lloyd. Lloyd also spilled more juicy details about his production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita, which heads to The London Palladium later this year.

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34. Will 2025 be a game-changing year for theatre?

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 10:00:02 GMT

With Stephen Sondheim’s last musical, Michael Shannon and Ruth Wilson teaming up, Evita returning to the West End, a bumper year at the National Theatre and Gary Oldman’s return to the stage where he started his career, Sarah and Alex continue their round up of the best theatrical offerings round the UK in 2025!

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33. Top tips for shows to see in 2025 - part one

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 10:00:30 GMT

From a new Hamlet to Jonathan Bailey as Richard II, or from Cate Blanchett and Emma Corrin in Chekhov to Brie Larson and Rami Malek in contrasting Greek tragedies, Sarah and Alex take a look at some of the best British theatre has to offer in 2025

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32. Is Wicked the best stage-to-screen movie? What might beat it?

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:28 GMT

As the musical Wicked becomes a big screen sensation, Sarah and Alex talk about the challenges and pleasures of transferring a stage show to a movie format. And list their all time favourites from Brando’s Streetcar Named Desire to Mamma Mia!

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31. The best movies about theatre

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:24:49 GMT

With the release of Sing Sing, a film about the power of theatre in prison, in time for the awards season, Sarah and Alex chose their top three backstage dramas. From Synedoche, New York to Birdman to Tick, Tick….Boom! there’s a lot to discuss. And we know we’ve left some out!

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30. What are the best stage shows of 2024?

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:00:00 GMT

As the theatrical year comes to an end with The Tempest, Sarah and Alex look back on the hits of the last 12 months from The Years to Fiddler on the Roof, from Oedipus to Weather Girl. With honourable mentions multiple musicals with very long titles. And Oliver!

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29. Bonus episode! Wilde women Sharon D Clarke, Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́ and Eliza Scanlen discuss the National Theatre's Importance of Being Earnest

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:48:16 GMT

In a fantastic additional episode, WhatsOnStage's intrepid deputy editor Tom Millward hopped to the National to meet three of the stars of The Importance of Being Earnest. The cast discuss Max Webster's take on the classic, finding the queer underpinnings in Wilde's work and bringing new audiences to the National – as well as working with Ncuti Gatwa.

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28. The ultimate theatre stocking fillers

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:00:04 GMT

Al Pacino, Hadestown, Sunset Boulevard, a new Sondheim deepdive, Lin-Manuel Miranda and more are among Sarah and Alex’s top books and vinyls for Christmas gifts this year.

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27. The Sex Education effect

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 11:00:00 GMT

In a new episode, Sarah and Alex mull on the National Theatre's bold new take on Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest led by Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa. This leads them on to a wider discussion about the brilliant success of casting directors in guiding top talent from the stage to the screen – and then back to the stage. Speaking of casting directors, the WhatsOnStage Awards nominees were unveiled this week, with the casting category being one of many chock full of top stage and creative talent. Alex and Sarah reflect on how the awards have changed, and what they say about the UK theatre ecosystem.

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26. Santa vs Scrooge: top Christmas shows for all tastes

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 11:00:22 GMT

Alex takes the role of Santa and Sarah finds her inner Scrooge to round up the top Xmas fare whether your mood is full of joy or melancholy - or a bit of both. It’s a podcast episode wrapped in tinsel with mistletoe on top!

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25. Bonus episode! The Wicked movie costume designer Paul Tazewell spills his spellbinding secrets

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 17:54:28 GMT

In this bonus episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast, Features Editor Tanyel Gumushan sits down with the award-winning designer Paul Tazewell, who has worked on the iconic looks for shows like Hamilton and In the Heights. He was a vital architect for the vibrant and exciting new world of Oz created for the first part of the Wicked movie, in cinemas now. Tazewell discusses his inspirations for the new film’s aesthetic, as well as hidden details and easter eggs fans can look out for.

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24. 164 years, 70 characters. Three actors. Three hours

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 11:00:00 GMT

Since its premiere in 2018, The National Theatre’s production of The Lehman Trilogy has enjoyed extraordinary success around the world. As it arrives back in London Sarah meets the current cast John Heffernan, Aaron Krohn and Howard W. Overshown to find out how they get to grips with playing so many characters, what it’s like to tell an epic story - and why everyone walks into the glass.

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23. Special guest Mason Alexander Park on The Tempest, The Sandman and The Emcee

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 11:00:00 GMT

Ahead of starring as Ariel in Jamie Lloyd's new Shakespeare production of The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Mason Alexander Park took time out of rehearsals to discuss their second West End role – the first being a fan-favourite spell as the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. They also reflect on the rollercoaster world of filming hit series The Sandman and performing in Cabaret at the same time.

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22. Noël Coward was an angry young man

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 11:00:00 GMT

On the eve of A Marvellous Party, a star-filled gala to celebrate Noël Coward, Sarah Crompton talks to producer Julian Bird and Coward’s biographer Oliver Soden about Coward’s importance today. They discuss the range of his talent as a playwright, songwriter, screen writer, diarist and poet and why the image of him as a comfortable man in a dressing gown couldn’t be further from the truth. Did you know that he coined the word gay or that there were people storming out of his plays because he was so shocking? It’s all part of realising that he is more relevant and necessary than ever.

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21. Return of the Actress

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 11:00:00 GMT

Nancy’s back! Former co-host of the WhatsOnStage Podcast’s predecessor As An Actress Said to the Critic returns to talk adapting and starring in the critically acclaimed new staging of The Cabinet Minister at the Menier Chocolate Factory, and a plethora of exciting upcoming projects - including a very exciting Hamlet at the RSC…

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20. Will the West End rule over Broadway in 2025?

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 10:00:56 GMT

This week, Sarah and Alex turn their attention to the Great White Way – something that a whole raft of West End productions seem to be doing at the moment. With Operation Mincemeat, Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Tammy Faye set to join Sunset Boulevard and The Hills of California over in New York this Tony Awards season, all the signs are there… Closer to home, The Lion King’s 25th anniversary provided a poignant moment of reflection.

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19. London theatre enters its tragic era

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 10:00:00 GMT

As Robert Icke tackles Oedipus and Alexander Zeldin reinterprets Antigone as The Other Place, Alex and Sarah talk about the ways Greek tragedies speak to our modern age - and why great actors such as Mark Strong, Lesley Manville, Emma D’Arcy and Tobias Menzies are signing up to star. Plus: And what does it all have to do with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis’ new musical?

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18. Look back in anger - or dismay?

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:00:09 GMT

Theatres at the moment are working like time machines, whisking audiences back to the 1950s as a new generation of directors explore the work of the past. Sarah and Alex explore the revivals from Look Back in Anger and Roots at the Almeida to Waiting for Godot starring Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati

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17. Special guest James McArdle talks Tom Stoppard, Macbeth and how to save regional theatre

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah sits down for a wide-ranging conversation with James McArdle, currently starring in The Real Thing at the Old Vic. He talks about returning to the stage, his new film, playing opposite Saoirse Ronan as the Macbeths, what he learnt from Kate Winslet - and why an actor should always be able to make you laugh. Plus a radical idea to help regional theatre.

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16. Ghastly or a joy? End of an era at the National Theatre

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Sarah and Alex report from behind the scenes of the press conference at which the retiring artistic director announced his final season of work. What was the mood - and what do we think of his choices of work as he reaches the end of a decade in the hot seat?

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15. The wonder of Ian McKellen

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 10:00:46 GMT

The release of The Critic, a new film starring Ian McKellen and written by Patrick Marber prompts Sarah and Alex to discuss McKellen’s passion for theatre, the fortitude of his generation of actors - and the changing face of critics. Are they really this nasty?

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14. Special guest Carrie Hope Fletcher talks love, motherhood and taking a new show on the road

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 10:00:00 GMT

In this week's special episode, Alex talks to musical theatre sensation Carrie Hope Fletcher about her career so far, her dream roles and the changes in her life and thinking since she gave birth to her daughter. Plus what makes her Love Letters tour so unique.

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13. What happens when critics get it wrong?

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 10:00:53 GMT

Sarah and Alex lift the curtain on the complicated moment when a critic starts to wonder whether they are on the wrong side of history - and confess to a few reviews they’d like to rewrite

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12. What are the unmissable shows this autumn?

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 10:00:00 GMT

After a summer of Scottish trips, Sarah and Alex are now back and ready for the start of the autumn. What a season to look forward to! With shows across the nation piquing their interest, here's what can't be missed for theatre fans up and down the UK over the course of the next few months – including productions in Sheffield, Leeds, Chichester, the West End and beyond.

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11. Special guest Francesca Moody talks Fleabag, Fringe and the secret to stage success

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 10:00:00 GMT

In this special episode recorded from both sides of the Scottish border, Alex and Sarah talk to special guest producer Francesca Moody as she completes another bumper season at the Edinburgh Fringe, all while also transferring smash-hit musical Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder to the West End.

With shows like Fleabag and Baby Reindeer to her name, Moody spills the beans on why she’s so keen to stage work at the festival every year.

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10. Our favourite musical revivals

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Finally, a reunion! Alex and Sarah are back in the same room after many weeks apart to catch up on their latest theatre outings - to the Almeida, Chichester Festival Theatre, the London Palladium, the Edinburgh Fringe and beyond. Then, down to business: the duo pick their favourite musical revivals from across the years.

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9. Who wins at Edinburgh?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Alex reports from the Edinburgh Festival where there's an American invasion, a lot of producers trying out new shows, a few rising stars, and not many vegetables. But who is making a killing and who is losing out? Plus, Sarah visits the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre for a fabulous production of Fiddler On the Roof which makes the most of the variables of theatre outside.

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8. Bernadette Peters: the Broadway legend on Sondheim, solo concerts and sharing a dressing room with dames

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 10:00:08 GMT

This week Alex had a virtual sit down with musical legend Bernadette Peters ahead of her eagerly anticipated solo concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 12 August. Their discussion ranged from Sondheim to West End audiences, working with musical directors who know the difference between singing and making noise and Broadway Barks.

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7. From Edinburgh Fringe to world domination?

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 10:00:22 GMT

As the Edinburgh Festival begins, Sarah and Alex talk about their memories of festivals past - from great shows such as Fleabag!, Six and Baby Reindeer, to disasters, miseries and the rain.

Is the Edinburgh Festival still really a hotbed for new talent or are prices and rents simply too high for the truly unknown to thrive? And what part did the Fringe play in the end of Alex's career as a playwright

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6. Is Death of England the great state of Britain play? Ft Roy Williams and Clint Dyer

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:00:00 GMT

In this guest episode, Sarah talks to playwright Roy Williams and the National Theatre's deputy artisitc director Clint Dyer about the three plays they wrote together that seem to sum up the spirit of the times. As Michael, Delory and Closing Time are performed together for the first time at Soho Place, the writers discuss what promted the plays, their struggles with illness, Covid and sheer bad timing to get them to the stage, and the impact their work has had. Plus why you can be deadly serious and very funny at the same time.

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5. What happens when a show loses its star?

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 10:00:53 GMT

In a week of shock substitutions Alex and Sarah talk about James Corden at the Old Vic, Justine Mitchell at the Almeida and the way that history of theatre is filled with understudies who become the star.

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4. Is Andrew Lloyd Webber cool now?

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT

With a new production of Starlight Express taking over the Wembley Troubadour and Jamie Lloyd's radical Sunset Boulevard due to open on Broadway, Sarah and Alex ask whether the British composer is having a renaissance. Plus: does the seat you sit in change your feelings about a show?

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3. Are musicals manipulative?

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:00:38 GMT

Alex has been singing along to Taylor Swift and Sarah has been on a musical theatre adventure with London Theatre at Sea. Which got us thinking about the power of song and how it makes people feel. Why does that make musicals such a potent force and are our emotions being played on - with special reference to Ghost Quartet, Dear Evan Hansen and Next to Normal

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2. Tonys special: Light in a troubling time for Broadway + Sondheim's supremecy cemented

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 10:00:03 GMT

In the second WhatsOnStage podcast, Sarah is literally all at sea but still finds time to talk to Alex about the most significant awards in American theatre - and how new thinking and some British input is changing Broadway.

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1. Performing rights, Operation Mincemeat and amateur theatre

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 10:00:55 GMT

In their brand new podcast the chief theatre critic of WhatsOnStage and the managing editor Alex Wood talk about the ties that bind them to the theatrical world. And to Coventry. Plus their plans going forward.

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65. (ATASTTC) And it's goodbye from Nancy

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 06:11:55 GMT

After 60 episodes, Nancy's going to leave As the Actress Said to the Critic - but Sarah is launching a new podcast with WhatsOnStage. They talk about what has surprised them, what they've learnt - and plans for going forward. Stay subscribed for new adventures.

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64. (ATASTTC) Tom Holland's Romeo and Ian McKellen's Falstaff

Thu, 30 May 2024 10:01:48 GMT

Huge, enthusiastic queues are surrounding the Duke of York's theatre where Tom Holland, famous for Spider-Man is playing Romeo opposite Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet. Next door, veteran actor and star of Lord of the Rings, Ian McKellen is performing Falstaff for his own adoring fans. In this week's episode Nancy and Sarah discuss the two productions and what it shows us about Shakespeare - and about the new generation of actors.

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63. (ATASTTC) Food on stage - and guests for the dream dinner party

Mon, 20 May 2024 09:39:39 GMT

Nancy and Sarah discuss their attitudes to food on stage and off. Does Nancy eat before a show? Does Sarah write hungry or stuffed? And are there perilous foodstuffs that you might want to avoid on stage? Plus: who would they both invite to their dream dinner parties?

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62. (ATASTTC) The secrets of learning lines - plus Machinal and Love's Labour's Lost

Fri, 03 May 2024 06:40:08 GMT

Nancy and Sarah discuss terrific new productions of Love's Labour's Lost at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Machinal at the Old Vic and Nancy reveals the secrets of memorising long parts - and why the writers whose words are hard to learn aren't always the ones that you'd expect.

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61. (ATASTTC) Last word on the Oliviers - and two new plays about friendship

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 15:13:52 GMT

Sarah and Nancy have been watching the Oliviers on screen - and wondering why it's so difficult for television to catch the spirit of theatre. Plus Nancy has been to see An Actor Convalescing in Devon at Hampstead Theatre and Sarah has watched The Comeuppance at the Almeida which prompts a conversation about two great American writers - Richard Nelson and Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins - and how they find ways into examining friendship, illness, death and the human condition.

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60. (ATASTTC) Brian Cox, Patricia Clarkson, the Brontes - and why cutting the creative arts is mad

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 18:02:51 GMT

Sarah and Nancy talk about a new compelling new production of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, starring Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson, and the new play Underdog: the other, other Bronte - both stories that lay bare the rivalries and difficulties of family life. And what is the UK government thinking about with its latest plan to cut funding for creative arts courses at universities? Plus more praise for Andrew Scott in All of Us Strangers, and tributes to Adrian Schiller and Trevor Griffiths.

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59. (ATASTTC) What's the point of critics if they can't agree?

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 13:39:47 GMT

The reviews of Opening Night, a new Rufus Wainwright musical starring Sheridan Smith, have ranged from utterly brilliant to absolutely abysmal. Sarah and Nancy talk about what this means about the state of criticism and whether this is a good or bad thing. Plus Andrew Scott's emotional speech at the Critics Circle awards

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58. (ATASTTC) Faith Healer, Keir Starmer and the arts, and the popularity of podcasts

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 12:09:13 GMT

It's been a busy time for Nancy and Sarah, with Nancy recording a new audio drama that builds on new ways of listening to plays and visiting the Royal Shakespeare Company to say goodbye to long-time artistic director Gregory Doran. Meanwhile, Sarah has been to the Lyric Hammersmiith to see a fine revival of Brian Friel's great Faith Healer. Plus Keir Starmer has set out Labour's vision for culture - and it feels unusually heartfelt.

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57. (ATASTTC) A final word on the Oscars

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 07:18:11 GMT

Nancy and Sarah have been watching the Oscars - and the Oscar-nominated films. Although Oppenheimer won most of the prizes, all this year's best picture nominees - from Poor Things to Zone of Interest, from Barbie to Anatomy of a Fall - are some of the strongest films to watch today. And all reveal that though individuals win awards, film is a matter of pulling together.

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56. (ATASTTC) Family sagas from Dear Octopus to The Simpsons

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 13:14:56 GMT

As Dodie Smith's Dear Octopus is revived at the National Theatre, Sarah and Nancy talk about family sagas they have loved. Does Star Wars count? Is this why The Simpsons is endlessly compelling? And why are Britain's playwrights turning their attention once more to this simplest and most interesting way of telling a story. Plus: Nancy reveals what happens at an R & D workshop on Shakespeare. Is there a case for cutting to make Shakespeare speak more clearly to the modern age?

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55. (ATASTTC) Hadestown, Matt Smith and the importance of speaking out

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 16:41:55 GMT

This week Nancy and Sarah discuss criticism itself, inspired by a new, updated version of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People starring Matt Smith which encourages its audience to enter the debate - and by Sarah's review of the musical Hadestown which pitched her into an unexpected online controversy. Just how important is it to express strong opinions? Is it possible to disagree agreeably or does honest debate end up as a shouting match? And what did the Greeks know about it all? Sarah has been watching a new version of Aristophanes's The Frogs which is also food for thought - and the first example of theatre criticism.

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54. (ATASTTC) One Day and the appeal of romcoms

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:08:17 GMT

Nancy and Sarah are hooked on One Day, the Netflix adaptation of David Nicholls' best-selling novel. What is it that makes it so great and why are romcoms very much back in fashion? All of which leads to a conversation about the romcoms they have loved, past and present. Plus a bit of Shakespeare. Nancy's been to see The Midsummer NIght's Dream (perhaps the original romcom) at the RSC while Sarah has been to King Lear (definitely not a romcom) at the Almeida.

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53. (ATASTTC) Is British theatre in crisis?

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:11:51 GMT

As the Young Vic's Kwame Kwei-Armah becomes the latest in a list of artistic directors to announce they are leaving the theatres they have run with great enthusiasm and distinction, Nancy and Sarah discuss whether standstill funding and the effects of Covid are bringing British theatres to their knees. There are a lot of reasons to fear that Kwei-Armah is right when he warns that without government intervention, there's a danger of losing a generation of talent. But why are we so bad at valuing something that is not only an economic boon, but that also adds value to life? It's time to speak out. Plus, much praise for Beth Steele's brilliant new play Till the Stars Come Down.

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52. (ATASTTC) Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway ft Jonathan Groff

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 12:26:06 GMT

In this special episode from the US, Nancy and Sarah talk to the legendary Jonathan Groff, currently starring on Broadway in Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along with Daniel Radcliffe and LIndsay Mendez. We talk about singing Sondheim, playing King George in Hamilton, the joys of a long Broadway run, and voicing Kristoff and Sven in Frozen. And yes we do talk about the spitting!

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51. (ATASTTC) Oscar nominations - and the wonder of Jodie Foster

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 16:19:53 GMT

As the Oscar nominations are announced, Sarah and Nancy ask whether 13 nominations for Oppenheimer, the treatment of Barbie and the omission of Greta Gerwig from the best director list reveals a reversion to type in Hollywood's attitudes to women. And they talk about Nyad, a film which has brought Oscar nominations for both Annette Bening and Jodie Foster - who is also on TV in True Detective. She is brilliant in both, which prompts a conversation about growing up with child stars. We've been watching Foster since she was nominated as best supporting actress for Taxi Driver 1976 - how does that knowledge of her on screen affect how we view her?

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50. (ATASTTC) Putting up a fight ft Kombat Kate

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 10:08:38 GMT

Nancy and Sarah talk to their special guest Kate Waters, aka Kombat Kate, one of a handful of female fight directors working in the UK today. She's worked on more than 300 productions on stage - and is the fight director for Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Her recent shows include Macbeth with Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma and King Lear, which is about to open at the Almeida Theatre. In this fascinating interview she reveals the tricks of her trade, and how she began her career. And she explains how she staged one of the most famous fights on the London stage.

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49. (ATASTTC) The appeal of Father Brown

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 14:33:50 GMT

In this special episode, to mark the return of the television series Father Brown in which Nancy has featured since 2012, she and Sarah talk about the appeal of period detective shows including Father Brown and Poirot and why they are both comforting and reflective of real social change. Plus, Nancy explains what it's been like to be part of such a long-running series, how she views the character of Lady Felicia and how it feels to return to her TV family

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48. (ATASTTC) Looking ahead in 2024

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:07:23 GMT

From radical musicals to fascinating revivals, from new plays to ongoing shows. As 2024 begins, Nancy and Sarah make their choices of the best theatre to see in the coming year - and discuss the way in which technology is beginning to transform experiences for audiences.

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47. (ATASTTC) Six top feel-good films to watch at Christmas

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 19:17:02 GMT

Nancy and Sarah each recommend three movies for Christmas viewing - and discuss what makes the perfect film to watch from the sofa. Their choices also include Paddington 2, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Die Hard with honourable mentions for The Great Escape and other festive favourites. There are some brilliant stories from behind the scenes but what is it that makes these movies into seasonal classics. Why do we watch them again and again? This episode was filmed on Zoom and will also be available on YouTube.

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46. (ATASTTC) Love , music and the cold war. Plus the appointment of Indhu Rubasingham to the National Theatre

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:11:51 GMT

Nancy and Sarah hail the appointment of Indhu Rubasingham as artistic director of the National Theatre. And talk about Rock N Roll, which Nancy is performing at Hampstead Theatre, and Cold War, which Sarah has just seen at the Almeida, and why love, music and the cold war are a potent mix. Plus some surprising heckling and how Nancy coped.

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45. (ATASTTC) Technical Rehearsals and the power of women on stage

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 13:50:09 GMT

As Nancy gets ready for the press night of Rock n Roll at Hampstead she explains what really happens at a technical rehearsal - while Sarah reports back on a week of theatre viewing that included Macbeth, The House of Bernarda Alba and Annie Baker's Infinite Life. Plus: how women are taking over the National Theatre and our excitement about being a podcast pick in Radio Times.

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44. (ATASTTC) What makes a Christmas show feel good?

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 15:33:01 GMT

Swept on a wave of sugary excitement, Nancy and Sarah talk about Christmas shows - for many people their one theatre treat of the year. What qualities do they need to ensure that the outing goes with a swing? And why does it help critics to be allowed to take a guest?

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43. (ATASTTC) What makes a classic?

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 13:28:54 GMT

As Nancy begins rehearsals for a new production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'N' Roll, she and Sarah discuss the whole idea of revivals, why some plays seem more popular than others, what directors bring to the table and how much expectation plays a part in enjoyment. Plus why she nearly ended up rehearsing from an airport.

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42. (ATASTTC) Hurrah for the National Theatre!

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:35:34 GMT

As the Royal National Theatre celebrates its 60th anniversary Nancy and Sarah look back at productions they have loved, productions they wish they had seen - and talk about the building's importance in our cultural life

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41. (ATASTTC) Noel Coward and Private Lives - ft Patricia Hodge

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 13:05:01 GMT

To mark 50 years since Noel Coward's death, the great Patricia Hodge, currently starring in Private Lives at the Ambassador's Theatre in in London, joins Nancy and Sarah to discuss Coward's writing and his influence - with special reference to Oliver Soden's magnificent new biography Masquerade, and a new documentary Mad About the Boy. She shares her insights into performing Coward and explains why Harold Pinter revered him.

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40. (ATASTTC) Good news on star ratings - and thoughts on Andrew Scott's Vanya

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:22:51 GMT

Nancy and Sarah are celebrating because WhatsOnStage, where Sarah is theatre critic, is going to move the stars to the bottom of the page, to encourage people to read reviews as well as look at ratings. It's a decision that recognises that you can't sum up a play simply by giving it a mark out of five. Plus: we look at two revivals that definitely can't be summed up in that way - a thoughtful new production of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion at the Old Vic and Andrew Scott's revelatory one-man Vanya.

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39. (ATASTTC) Can star ratings be improved?

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:03:43 GMT

Sarah and Nancy went to see A Mirror at the Almeida Theatre, London, starring Jonny Lee Miller, Micheal Ward, Tanya Reynolds and Geoffrey Streatfeild. This thought-provoking new play by Sam Holcroft, directed by Jeremy Herrin, got us talking about how to write reviews, about the difficulties of star ratings - and about Nancy's teenage encounter with Jonny Lee Miller.

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38. (ATASTTC) Feel-everything musicals and why they work

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 10:11:19 GMT

The opening of Next to Normal at the Donmar Warehouse - a musical about bi-polar illness - prompts a conversation about the need for honesty on stage and whether there's a difference between US and British musicals. Plus Sarah reveals why she finally got Brecht and Nancy talks about her love of big songs in small spaces.

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37. (ATASTTC) End of summer catch up

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:34:23 GMT

Nancy and Sarah are back after their summer holidays with a lot to talk about, including Sarah's visit to the Edinburgh Festival, the inspirational qualities of the late director Michael Boyd, and Nancy's unexpected trip to Downing Street

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36. (ATASTTC) Before and after Brideshead- ft Diana Quick - part two on women and great roles

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 08:37:15 GMT

Nancy and Sarah continue their conversation with the award-winning actress Diana Quick about her career beyond Brideshead Revisited, in which she went from playing alluring women, to women with nervous breakdowns to bonking grannies. She talks about her favourite roles, the importance of children to art, and why the most interesting parts are often monsters.

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35. (ATASTTC) Before and after Brideshead - ft Diana Quick - part one

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 17:10:48 GMT

Nancy and Sarah quiz Diana Quick about her career, which began when she was a student and is still going strong. She has paved the way for so many women, but her most famous role remains that of Julia Flyte in Granada's legendary television version of Brideshead Revisited. That's where our conversation begins. It goes on to take in life as an actress in the 1960s, singing a weekly song on TV, starring in Ridley Scott's first film, why Albert Finney had the right attitude to work - and what it was like being called the most beautiful woman in the world. Part Two next week.

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34. (ATASTTC) Groundhog Day, Tom Stoppard - and why actors make art

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 11:51:05 GMT

Nancy has been curating an exhibition of art made by actors; Sarah has been watching musicals including Groundhog Day at the Old Vic and 42nd Street on tour. While on Broadway, Tom Stoppard and Patrick Marber, subject of a previous podcast, have taken prizes at the Tony Awards. All are the subject of this week's freewheeling conversation.

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33. (ATASTTC) Succession and acting on screen vs stage

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:17:55 GMT

Inspired by Sarah's obsession with Succession and the way in which actors with both screen and stage backgrounds combine to make a perfect whole, Sarah and Nancy talk about screen acting and screen writing and Nancy reveals that the difference between the two is not quite what you think.

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32. (ATASTTC) The power of Puppets - ft Finn Caldwell

Mon, 22 May 2023 07:06:24 GMT

Finn Caldwell is the Olivier-award-winning movement director and director of puppetry behind Life of Pi and Ocean at the End of the Lane and many other hits. He started out as the man manipulating the goose in War Horse. He talks to Nancy and Sarah about the way you design a puppet, how they come to life - and how they are changing what theatre can do. "It needs to be capable of anything," he says.

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31. (ATASTTC) Dancing at Lughnasa and Brian Friel - ft Jo Stone-Fewings

Wed, 10 May 2023 10:06:05 GMT

To celebrate the National Theatre's wonderful new production of Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa, Nancy and Sarah talk about what makes the play such a classic and so full of feeling - with the help of Nancy's husband Jo Stone-Fewings, who met Friel when he appeared in the 2009 revival at the Old Vic.

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30. (ATASTTC) Richard Burton and the appeal of Hamlet

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 11:54:42 GMT

The Motive and The Cue by Jack Thorne is about to open - inspired by the time Richard Burton played Hamlet in New York, directed by John Gielgud, with Elizabeth Taylor watching things from the wings. It inspired Nancy and Sarah to talk about why great and famous actors would want to take on those huge Shakespearean parts - and what it takes out of them.

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29. (ATASTTC) Violence on stage

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 09:34:14 GMT

As Ivo van Hove's ultra-violent version of A Little Life starring James Norton opens on stage, Nancy and Sarah take a look back at some of the history of violence on stage - the plays that have shocked people most, the purpose of stage violence, and the most violent play Nancy has ever starred in. Warning: there are discussions of subjects that some people may find upsetting including violence, bloodshed, self-harm and thoughts of suicide

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28. (ATASTTC) In praise of the matinee

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 12:54:26 GMT

Inspired by Jamie Lee Curtis, and Nancy's matinees at the Menier Chocolate Factory in Marjorie Prime, Sarah and Nancy take a gentle look at the pleasure of a mid-afternoon performance. And suggest that perhaps we should be considering shows at midnight too!

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27. (ATASTTC) Losing - and finding - your voice

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 08:34:12 GMT

Nancy, currently on stage in Marjorie Prime, completely lost her voice thanks to bacterial laryngitis - which prompted Sarah to ask whether actors' voices have changed down the years, and what you can do to change and alter your voice. With special reference to Richard Burton, Benedict Cumberbatch - and Sting!

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26. (ATASTTC) Putting Women Centre Stage

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:38:38 GMT

As Nancy prepares to open in Marjorie Prime, she and Sarah discuss how few women's voices are still heard - and ways to make sure women are studied in schools and listened to on stage and film. With nods to Caitlin Moran, Sleepova at the Bush Theatre, Women Talking - and why Nancy feels the urge to jump over furniture.

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25. (ATASTTC) Dog poo, creatives and critics

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:39:26 GMT

After an incident in which a choreographer smeared dog faeces in a critic's face because he took against her review, Nancy and Sarah discuss what drives creatives to attack critics, why reviewers have to be free to say what they think - and suggest ways in which the dialogue can improve

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24. (ATASTTC) What happens in rehearsals?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 09:59:57 GMT

Nancy is in rehearsals for a new play at the Menier Chocolate Factory. So she and Sarah take the opportunity to talk about what goes on behind the scenes when a cast come together - and why you must never have an affair!

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23. (ATASTTC) A visit to the Circus ft Luke Hallgarten of Revel Puck Circus

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:17:27 GMT

Nancy and Sarah return from their January break full of excitement as Luke Hallgarten, artistic director of the Revel Peck Circus, explains how the art of the circus ring reaches parts other arts really can't reach.

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22. (ATASTTC) What makes a great Christmas show?

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 10:54:58 GMT

Sarah and Nancy tip full-tilt into Christmas with a chat about Scrooge, pantomime dames, and all things festive. What does make a good Christmas show? Why is Sarah so miserable at a pantomime? And why does Nancy love carols?

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21. (ATASTTC) Why the arts deserve government support

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 11:41:16 GMT

In Second World War, the British government thought the arts mattered enough to fund an entire entertainment arm. After the war, they built new theatres to enrich the peace, Why have we stopped believing culture is important now, when the world is reeling from a pandemic and a cost of living crisis? Nancy and Sarah take the long view of why they care about the arts - and why they should belong to everyone.

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20. (ATASTTC) Best of Enemies ft Jeremy Herrin

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 15:12:30 GMT

As James Graham's new play Best of Enemies transfers to the West End, Nancy and Sarah talk to director Jeremy Herrin about working with new playwrights, the challenges of commercial theatre, the importance of assistant directors - and how a teacher changed his life.

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19. (ATASTTC) Theatre for kids

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 17:06:34 GMT

As we begin the run up to Christmas, Nancy and Sarah look back on shows that had a huge impact on them and their children - and the magic ingredients that all kids' shows need

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18. (ATASTTC) First Nights - the triumphs and disasters

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 10:30:56 GMT

Inspired by Dominic Dromgoole's new book First Nights That Changed the World, Nancy and Sarah talk about the rituals of first nights - the food, the parties, the mood in the audience - and the effects they can have.

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17. (ATASTTC) Food for thought ft Sarah Hemming

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:40:21 GMT

Nancy and Sarah welcome their first critic guest, Sarah Hemming, who writes for the Financial Times and the conversation goes all over the place, from the dangers of biscuits onstage to the idea that critics should walk towards a play if they want to be part of the discussion.

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16. (ATASTTC) A life in theatre - ft David Hare

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 08:40:13 GMT

Nancy and Sarah talk to David Hare about actors he has loved, performances he remembers, the difference between writing and directing, why some people loathe the theatre and why critics are so often wrong about breakthrough plays.

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15. (ATASTTC) The funny thing about comedy

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 20:37:31 GMT

This week Nancy and Sarah went to the Old Vic to see Eureka Day - a comedy about a serious subject. One scene makes the audience collapse with helpless laughter, which got us thinking about the role of laughter in theatre.

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14. (ATASTTC) Much Ado About Much Ado

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 09:14:35 GMT

Nancy and Sarah discuss recent theatrical outings at the Globe, the National Theatre and elsewhere to see multiple versions of Much Ado About Nothing. Why are some Shakespeare plays performed all the time - and should directors be bolder in their choices? Nancy also reveals her understanding of the reason you can't say Macbeth in a theatre - and Sarah shows a sad obsession with alphabetising her programmes.

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13. (ATASTTC) The Queen on stage and screen

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 08:09:38 GMT

In the week after Queen Elizabeth's death, Nancy and Sarah find themselves talking about the way she had been portrayed on stage and screen and how that affects our views - both of her personally and of the monarchy

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12. (ATASTTC) Previews - what's the point?

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 09:35:44 GMT

Nancy has been watching All's Well that Ends Well at the RSC in preview on her travels, and Sarah has been to see a sensational and long-running production of The Seagull. In this week's episode, we talk about the benefits of previews - and why they enrage journalists while helping actors.

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11. (ATASTTC) Theatre in the open air - and on the road

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 19:45:11 GMT

After a visit to the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre to see 101 Dalmatians together, Nancy and Sarah talk about the effects of theatre in the open air - and how different audiences react to different venues. Plus Sarah reports back from her trip to the Edinburgh Festival.

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10. (ATASTTC) The Edinburgh Festival

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 09:54:47 GMT

As thousands flock to the Edinburgh Festival over the next few weeks, we decided to devote this week's podcast to the joys of being in a city which is totally taken over by art - from the street performers to the most famous international artists. Nancy has performed there as a student; Sarah has watched an awful lot down the years. And we both have very happy memories of the place and what we have seen.

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9. (ATASTTC) Closer 25 Years On - ft Patrick Marber

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 10:23:39 GMT

Patrick Marber's Closer is 25 years old. As a new version opens at the Lyric Hammersmith, Nancy - who was in the last London revival - and Sarah are joined by the playwright to discuss what it meant when it was first unveiled, what it means now, and the role of critics in making it a success.

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8. (ATASTTC) All about Christopher Marlowe

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 13:26:37 GMT

Nancy has been part of a project performing all Christopher Marlowe's plays so we took the opportunity to have a chat about the mysterious life and difficult work of a master playwright. Mamma Mia, here we go again....

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7. (ATASTTC) What's the point of theatre awards?

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 07:59:52 GMT

In this week's episode, as the awards season comes to its end with the announcement of the Tony Awards in New York, we talk about theatrical prizes - what it's like to win one, what it's like to judge them, and what purpose they serve. Plus Nancy describes going into labour in the middle of the Olivier Awards. You won't want to miss this one.

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6. (ATASTTC) Do critics have to weigh their words?

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 18:41:31 GMT

Nancy Carroll and Sarah Crompton begin by discussing how critics write about actors on stage - and the difficulties of intensely personal descriptions. But then the conversation ranges far and wide to nudity, positive images of bodies, the effect of language on society - and a surprising amount about dogs.

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5. (ATASTTC) The Ian Charleson Awards

Sun, 22 May 2022 13:22:36 GMT

Nancy Carroll and Sarah Crompton discuss the value of the Ian Charleson Awards - invented by a critic to honour a great actor - and their remarkable success rate in identifying the stars of tomorrow

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4. (ATASTTC) Company, Oklahoma! and other great musicals - ft Rosalie Craig

Sat, 14 May 2022 11:36:08 GMT

In this episode, Nancy, Sarah and their special guest Rosalie Craig talk about Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein and the great musicals they love - and new productions that are changing our view of them.

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3. (ATASTTC) Donald Trump and real people on stage

Fri, 06 May 2022 11:25:45 GMT

Nancy Carroll and Sarah Crompton talk about what it's like to play a real person - Nancy has - and about Bertie Carvel as Donald Trump at the Old Vic. Plus other theatrical incarnations of living people. And a bit about Jerusalem.

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2. (ATASTTC) The Corn is Green

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 09:19:15 GMT

Actress Nancy Carroll and critic Sarah Crompton discuss what plays should be revived- and what it's like to work at the National Theatre.

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1. (ATASTTC) What's it like to get a no-star review?

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 12:28:44 GMT

In the first of our theatrical encounters, we introduce ourselves and discuss the role of the critic and how it feels as an actress when you get a bad review.

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