In the 'House Seats'

Send us Fan Mail This episode comes live from the recent UK stage and ballet scholarships organised by the British Association of Teachers of Dancing where Craig was one of the judges. Here you can listen to some interviews with competitors and parents on what this event means to them and their hopes and aspirations for their future in the performing arts profession. The British Association of Tea...

Send us Fan Mail This episode comes from the Surrey Dance Festival where some students had entered one of the heats for Miss Dance of Great Britain competition. These student give there feedback on their experience, the fantastic atmosphere at the theatre and also the support and camaraderie that all the competitors share with each other. Miss Dance of Great Britain is a long running theatre dance...

Send us Fan Mail Craig was the adjudicator of this year's Bright Star Festival and he took some time out to chat with Lydsey, the organiser, along with some of the participants and teachers to understand what makes this festival different from others and what the dancers perceptions are of festivals. This is billed as a "supportive, friendly and encouraging" festival that has had wo...

Send us Fan Mail Jonathan Andrew Hume is a professional British screen and stage performer who is highly skilled in both acting and singing and is well-known for his work on Pride , Amazing Grace and 10,000 BC . On stage, he is famous for playing Simba in The Lion King musical, Kevin J, Ali and various other roles in Come from Away and is currently playing the part of Sargeant Paine in the musical...

Send us Fan Mail Sam Underwood was born in Woking, Surrey and attended the Winston Churchill School. He trained at the Karen Clarke Theatre Group (now Summerscales Performing Arts). He was taught by vocal coach Phil Wisdom and attended Songtime Theatre Arts. He moved to the United States in 2006 where he studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. After graduating he went on...

Send us Fan Mail Pia studied costume design at the Wimbledon College of Art and Design, which is part of the University of the Arts London, where she learnt a wide variety of skills including millinery, wiggery, pattern cutting and much more. She also gained a range of technical skills in machine sewing. Since graduating she has worked her way up from a costumer at Chessington World of Adventures...

Send us Fan Mail Derek rose to fame as a presenter of the legendary BBC children's show Play School in the 1970s. He was raised in London, the actor and musician and went on to perform in both theatre, film, TV and radio. His West End credits include: Sing a Rude Song, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Black Mikado, The Travelling Music Show, The Secret Life of Cartoons, Run for your Wife, Dry...

Send us Fan Mail Ria was born and raised in Swansea and was brought up surrounded by the rich heritage of Welsh music. Her mother was an Opera Singer and her father a successful cabaret entertainer, so it was inevitable at an early age that Ria Jones was destined for stardom.  At 19 she became the youngest actress ever to play the role of Eva Peron in 'Evita', followed shortly by her Wes...

Send us Fan Mail Luke is a musical director, pianist and conductor based in London and has just completed the summer season at the Chichester Festival Theatre as the assistant musical director for the hugely successful, five star reviewed musical, Crazy For You . He was assistant musical director of Beautiful : The Carole King Musical UK Tour and previously was music assistant to Alex Lacamoire, B...

Send us Fan Mail When Chichester Festival Theatre opened in 1962, it was Britain’s first modern thrust stage theatre. The brainchild of a local optician, Leslie Evershed-Martin, it was effectively ‘crowdfunded’ by local individuals and businesses: a theatre built by the community for the community, an ethos which still stands today. Between 1962-65, under its first artistic director Laurence Olivi...

Send us Fan Mail Since graduating from Guildhall, Graham has worked on a wide range of shows both in the UK and on tour overseas. He recently worked on Jesus Christ Superstar at Regents Park Open Air Theatre in 2021 and has just completed his position as company stage manager for Crazy for You at Chichester Festival Theatre this summer 2022. Graham is also an accomplished photographer turning his...

Send us Fan Mail Matthew was brought up in the west coast of Scotland and trained at the Dance School of Scotland before starting his professional trading at Arts Ed in London. He left after one year as he was offered a part in a musical in Germany and from there his career took off. Matthew's theatre credits include: Singin’ in the Rain , 42nd Street (Chichester Festival); Chicago (Cambridge...

Send us Fan Mail This recording was done at Chichester Festival Theatre where Kate is currently playing the role of Patsy and is also understudy for Carly Anderson who plays Polly, the lead female character,  in Crazy For You. This brand new production, which celebrates the work’s 30th anniversary, is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. After growing up in Stoke on Trent, Kate went on to...

Send us Fan Mail After running a dance school for 27 years and a franchise theatre school for 12. Deborah made a break and invested in a business coach, studied marketing, retention, business strategies in relation to the dance world, customer services, finances, planning, social media, team nurturing, leadership, systems, processes, the list goes on. She read over 30 business books, went on busin...

Send us Fan Mail This weeks podcast was recorded live at this year's Move It which is the world's biggest dance event where Craig was promoting Starquest Performers College, and takes place at London's Excel. Craig interviews Move It Event Creative Director, Tia Hassen and Lucy Newton of Cogo Travel. MOVE IT is the World’s biggest and best dance event, celebrating all forms of dance...

Send us Fan Mail Craig is at it again! Adjudicating at this year's Thanet Dance Festival which is based in Birchington in Kent.

Send us Fan Mail We are back with season five and kicking off is Craig's interview with parents, teachers and performers at Chesham Festival in Bucks, UK which was held on 24–26 February 2022. A chance for students to compete again and for parents and teachers to get together and share experiences.

Send us Fan Mail Tim English trained at Arts Ed and graduated with honours. He was recently resident director for Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre London and The Lion King UK /International Tour. His theatre credits include Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical, Harry in Mamma Mia!, Monsieur Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities and Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore. Tim helped set up the Chris Ho...

Send us Fan Mail This week we give a big shout out to all the pantos that are going ahead this year around the UK.  After a year without we thought a much needed reminder to support your local pantomimes would be the right thing to do. They are the life blood for keeping theatres and venues alive and without them theatre land would be a much sadder and poorer place.  So get your tickets booked for...

Send us Fan Mail A loveable live singing drag queen from the Midlands who brings glamour, comedy and a contagious energy to her performances. Singing camp classics, musical parodies and all the songs you forgot you loved, It’s Ava Cardo! After graduating drama school training at East 15 Acting School, Ava immediately started her drag career performing to 100s of holiday makers a week across the Ca...

Send us Fan Mail Kerry Jane Ellis is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk , Ellis began performing at an early age before training at Laine Theatre Arts from the age of 16. Ellis made her first professional stage appearance in 1998 and went on to make her West End debut in the 2001 revival of...

Send us Fan Mail Andrée’s best known from TV series Only Fools & Horses, Hollyoaks, Holby City, Poirot & Doctor Who. She has starred in many West End theatre shows including Hair & Kiss Me Kate. Andrée has worked extensively with writer/director Steven Berkoff over the past few years on new plays The Actor’s Lament and 6 Characters in Search Of A Director. For an in-depth account of al...

Send us Fan Mail This weeks podcast comes 'live' from the Maidenhead Dance Festival in the UK.  We get to hear teachers, parents and students views on performing and training as well as coping during lockdown. Also, the aspirations of the future performers.

Send us Fan Mail Pavel " Pasha " Kovalev , born 19 January 1980 is a Russian professional Latin and ballroom dancer. He started dancing at the age of eight and in 2001  moved to the United States with his professional dance partner Anya Garnis . In 2007, the couple competed on the third season of the American version of So You Think You Can Dance and they have since participated in the e...

Send us Fan Mail Emma Kate is a British performer. Actress, singer and dancer she performs mainly on stage in theater and opera but also in cinema. Recently Emma Kate was spotted on stage at The Monte Carlo Opera House in Kurt Weill's Street Scene. At the Grand Palais and at the Théâtre du Châtelet for her portrayal of Lina Lamont in Singing In The Rain, or in the role of Anytime Annie in 42n...