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The WhatsOnStage Podcast

WhatsOnStage managing editor Alex Wood and chief theatre critic Sarah Crompton host a weekly podcast on all things theatrical. News, views, frank exchanges and lists offer an unmissable guide to what’s happening on stage

Latest episode

  • Everything you didn't see at the Olivier Awards

    37:56|
    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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  • Bonus episode: Michael Sheen and Russell T Davies discuss their latest collaboration

    15:09|
     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.
  • Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss talk Six The Musical Live - the new film of their hit show

    36:18|
    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.
  • 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

    40:06|
    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.
  • Special guest Samantha Barks talks Les Mis, Frozen on Disney Plus and Oliver!

    40:58|
    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.
  • Special guest James Graham on Gareth Southgate, male role models and why his next play is about the collapse of the global economy

    37:55|
    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.
  • What’s hot on Broadway?

    40:54|
    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.