Theatre Audience Podcast

This episode, we're joined by the wonderfully inventive Tim Crouch - award-winning playwright, director, performer and one of British theatre's most original voices. From My Arm and The Author to I, Malvolio , An Oak Tree and Truth's a Dog Must to Kennel , Tim has spent his career questioning what theatre is, how stories are told and the extraordinary relationship between performer and...

This episode, we're travelling from the Royal Court Theatre's exciting launch of The Afronauts to the bruising world of Golden Boy , before turning up the volume with Million Dollar Quartet . It's an episode packed with theatrical ambition, extraordinary performances, musical legends and stories about people determined to follow their dreams - whatever the cost. The Afronauts - Royal C...

This episode, we're covering four very different theatrical experiences, from an exclusive press-junket sneak peek at legendary lyricist Don Black's West End celebration From the Heart to a bold reimagining of Molière's Tartuffe , the provocative intimacy of Jerker , and Noël Coward's gloriously chaotic comedy Hay Fever . It's an episode packed with theatrical royalty, wicked h...

What if one of theatre’s most famous female characters was inspired by a real woman whose own voice was subsequently pushed into the margins? In this episode, we’re joined by Kirsten Shepherd, Professor of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Oxford and leading Ibsen scholar , to uncover the remarkable story of Laura Kieler - the writer and friend of Henrik Ibsen whose personal experie...

This episode, we’re covering four wildly different theatrical experiences: a double bill of opera at Charing Cross Theatre, Noël Coward served with afternoon tea at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, an Agatha Christie mystery at the Mill at Sonning, and the gloriously outrageous Deep-Heat Rivalry at The Other Palace. The Human Voice / The Seven Deadly Sins One woman, two operas and two very different jour...

In this episode, we sit down with  Freddie Opoku-Addaie , Artistic Director & Co-CEO of  Dance Umbrella , London’s annual international contemporary dance festival. Freddie takes us through his journey from performer and choreographer to artistic leadership, reflecting on the experiences that shaped his creative voice and what changes when an artist becomes the person making decision...

This episode, we’re tackling three wildly different theatrical experiences: the bonkers horror-comedy of  Crybabies: The Scaring  at Soho Theatre, the musical adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s  Jane Eyre  at Southwark Playhouse, and  Tilda Swinton’s  remarkable return to the stage in  Man to Man  at the Royal Court Theatre. Crybabies: The Scaring Genuinely sc...

The former Royal Ballet Principal joins us to talk about an extraordinary life in dance, leaving the stage behind and his vision for the future as Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Dance. In this special  In Conversation  episode, Darren sits down with  Alexander Campbell , Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Dance, to explore a remarkable career that has taken him fro...

In this episode, we’re joined by  Carine and Frances Gilbert - The Gilbert Twins  - identical twins, comedians, writers and content creators who have built an online audience of more than three million followers. After creating hundreds of viral comedy sketches, the twins are returning to their musical theatre roots with  Under the Influence , their original musical comedy co-writte...

This episode, we travel from the wonderfully ridiculous world of P.G. Wodehouse to the glamour, tragedy and conspiracy surrounding Marilyn Monroe. We review  Jeeves Takes Charge  at Charing Cross Theatre and  Who Killed Marilyn?  at the Emerald Theatre: two productions exploring famous characters and cultural icons in very different ways. Jeeves Takes Charge The unmistakable wo...

Our Edinburgh Fringe reviewer Franki Rameaux joins us for a special Theatre Audience Podcast round-up, bringing back her verdict on some of the shows that caught her attention at this year's festival. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is where theatre gets to take risks. New writing meets experimental performance, musicals emerge from the most unexpected places, artists test bold ideas in tiny rooms a...

This episode, we journey from the supernatural world of a Japanese manga phenomenon to one of America’s most notorious murder mysteries, before gathering under the Jellicle moon for a bold new production of a musical theatre classic. We review Death Note: The Musical at the Barbican, the true-crime musical Bury the Hatchet at Southwark Playhouse and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS, reimagined for the m...

This episode, we're reviewing two wildly different shows with one thing very much in common: relationships heading spectacularly off the rails. Natalie and Darren experience Matthew Bourne's seductive dance thriller  The Car Man , while  Hot Mess  turns the entire relationship between Earth and Humanity into one brilliantly funny, pop-fuelled musical romcom. The Car Man Matthew Bour...

This episode, we're talking audience participation, legendary music and two productions that couldn't be more different. Darren heads to the Mill at Sonning for the interactive comedy phenomenon Shear Madness, while Natalie and Darren take their seats for Sinatra: The Musical, a stylish new portrait of one of the twentieth century's greatest entertainers. Shear Madness Can you solve a murder befor...

This episode, we're stepping back into the years before the Second World War with two gripping historical dramas. One revisits the assassination that ignited the First World War, while the other imagines a pivotal royal visit that helped shape the alliance between Britain and America. Packed with political intrigue, sharp humour and outstanding performances, these productions remind us that histor...

One script. One actor. No rehearsal. Fifteen years on,  White Rabbit Red Rabbit  remains one of the most extraordinary theatrical experiences ever created. In this episode, we sit down with acclaimed Iranian playwright  Nassim Soleimanpour , whose groundbreaking work has been performed more than 4,000 times in over 25 languages by thousands of actors across the globe. Written while...

This episode, we're heading to Mount Olympus as we review Disney's  Hercules , now lighting up the West End. Has Disney finally found another stage musical to rival  The Lion King ? We discuss whether  Hercules  succeeds by reimagining the beloved 1997 animated classic, why Disney's live-action remakes continue to divide opinion, and what makes a great stage adaptation in the f...

In this episode, we're joined by Jordan Luke Gage to talk about one of our favourite new musicals of the year,  Redcliffe . Known for his incredible work on stage, Jordan has now turned his hand to writing, composing and lyric-writing, creating a show that feels both deeply personal and remarkably assured. After seeing  Redcliffe , we had to sit down and chat about the journey behind it....

In this episode, we explore three powerful productions that tackle some of the biggest questions facing society today. From the dangers of deepfake technology and online voyeurism to supernatural terror during wartime Iran and an inspiring true story of ingenuity in Malawi, these are shows that challenge, move and ultimately stay with you long after the curtain falls. Are You Watching? What happen...

This episode, Darren sits down with acclaimed stage and screen actor JJ Feild. Currently starring in the world premiere of Ben Ockrent's darkly comic family drama  Relics  at the Lyric Hammersmith, JJ discusses the appeal of the play, its exploration of family dynamics and the secrets we inherit. The conversation also takes a broader look at his remarkable career, from returning to the s...

This episode, we're talking horses - but in two very different theatrical experiences. Natalie reviews Peter Shaffer's psychological masterpiece Equus at the Menier Chocolate Factory, while Darren heads to the National Theatre for the long-awaited homecoming of the global phenomenon War Horse. Equus What could drive a seemingly ordinary seventeen-year-old boy to commit an act of shocking violence...

This episode, Darren sits down with actor, writer and co-creator Joshua Poole to discuss  Monarchs Anonymous , the riotous new historical farce arriving at The Other Palace. What began as a lockdown YouTube project has evolved into a full-scale stage production, bringing together some of history's most famous rulers for a chaotic group therapy session. Joshua talks about the origins of the sh...

This episode, we're joined by writer-director Ellie Coote and composer-lyricist Jack Godfrey, the award-winning creative team behind the smash-hit new musical Hot Mess. Following acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Southwark Playhouse, Hot Mess returns this summer for an extended London season at The Other Palace. The high-energy original romcom reimagines the climate crisis as the...

This episode, we head from the streets of Victorian London to the African savannah, with a stop at the most delightfully absurd cabaret in town. We review Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular revival of  Oliver! , Disney's enduring theatrical phenomenon  The Lion King , and the wonderfully bonkers physical comedy of  Derrière On A G String  at the King's Head Theatre. Oliver! Camer...

This episode, we celebrate the launch of Sting's return to the stage in The Last Ship, witness Sir Gary Oldman's extraordinary theatrical comeback in Krapp's Last Tape, revisit the magical world of My Neighbour Totoro, enjoy the romantic chaos of Stage Kiss, and experience Cynthia Erivo's astonishing one-woman performance in Dracula. The Last Ship We attended the media launch for The Last Ship, th...