Overstudies

This week we've got a very special guest on the podcast: our very own Charley! We're getting the run down on her recent trip to Broadway, finding out about all of the eight(!) shows she crammed in in seven days, as well comparing the West End and Broadway theatre scenes. Get your tissues ready and prepare for laughs, thrills and sobs as we discuss everything from Cabaret to & Juliet, H...

Heartbroken? Chronically single? Not a huge fan of all that romance stuff? Well do we have a musical for you! Or at least we did... Following it's recent departure from the West End's Garrick Theatre and the announcement of a highly anticipated cast recording dropping in March 2025, we reflect back on the newest musical creation from Marlow and Moss (the team behind smash hit Six ). We cha...

Here in the UK, February is LGBTQ+ History Month and as two passionate members of the community we wanted to dedicate this week's episode to talking about some of our favourite queer representation on the stage. We talk about the importance of positive representation of gender diversity, the need for more representation of femme identities and how all greek adaptations are, by default, a little bi...

Get in loser, we're going to see Mean Girls ! We finally give the London production the Overstudies treatment, taking a look at the latest incarnation of the classic 2004 film. We discuss how the stage show differs from both the 2024 and 2004 movies, and the original Broadway run, as well as our thoughts on how Mean Girls fits into the wider 'teen musical' landscape. We also find out w...

What do you get when you put a Wicked fan and a certified "Wicked is Ok" theatre fan in a recording studio together and ask them to talk about Wicked: Part One ? The Overstudies podcast, that's what! That's right, your favourite theatre loving duo are back for another podcast episode talking about the film that has been on everyone's minds since November 2024. We chat about t...

The Overstudies are briefly back for 2024 to chat about some of our favourite things that happened in theatre this year. Whether it's taking a trip to Shiz University or racing across New York on a Subway train, there's been some exicting musical theatre events both new and old that we've been dying to talk about. We also chat about some of the things we're most looking forward to in 2025, and som...

What makes a man want to fly in a lawn chair? What makes two podcasters fall in love with a musical? On this week's episode of Overstudies we have our first repeat musical review as we talk about the brand new musical 42 Balloons running at The Lowry in Salford until 19th May. After falling in love with 42 Balloons following the staged concert in 2022, we revisit the story of Larry Walters - t...

Attend the tale of the Overstudies this week as we dive into the dark but hilariously camp Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In November 2023 we took a trip over to New York and managed to catch the Broadway production running at the Lunt-Fontanne theatre for our first Broadway experience as a duo. In this episode we chat about the history of the show, what stood out to us about this...

We take a slightly different approach on the podcast this week with our first topic of the season: our Jukebox Musical Wishlist. We strip down some of our favourite albums and delve into how they could translate to the stage, as well as get a rather intriguing look into each other's psyches... we'll give you a clue, it's all a bit apocalyptic. To find out more and check out all our lat...

This week on the podcast we talk to the King of the Underworld Zachary James, who is currently starring in the West End production of beloved musical Hadestown. We chat about his exciting Broadway career, his diversion into opera, and what makes the role of Hades such an exciting role to bring to the stage. You can follow Zachary James on Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@therealzacharyjames⁠⁠...

Come with us the long way round as we go down to Hadestown. Spring has come again which means it's time to finally delve into the folk musical that everyone can't stop talking about. We can't even pretend we didn't love it, but tune in to find out just why this show tickled our senses, and why we firmly believe it's one of the greatest new shows of recent times. To find out mor...

The Overstudies have risen again for an in-depth exploration into one of the most iconic musicals of all time: Jesus Christ Superstar. Despite our Lloyd-Webber aversions, Superstar is firmly the exception to the rule, and we discuss our recent experience of the show at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. To find out more and check out all our latest reviews visit  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.overstud...

We get out onto the picket line this week as we join the women of Ford Dagenham in their fight for equal pay. It's 10 years since Made In Dagenham first came to the London stage, and following an anniversary concert at the Palladium it's time to give this show the Overstudies treatment. We also take a trip down memory lane to reminisce about the show's original run, and question whethe...

Saturday 13 July 1985. Wembley Stadium. One of the biggest and most ambitious cultural music moments of the 20th Century. We are of course talking about Live Aid, the latest historical event to be turned into a musical masterpiece. Just For One Day focuses on the cause, planning and execution of the Live Aid fundraising concert to a soundtrack of all your favourite 80s pop hits. This show certainl...

This week on Overstudies we’re Defying Gravity and spending One Short Day in the Emerald City talking about long running classic musical Wicked . We talk about the musical’s lengthy history, the upcoming feature film release, and our thoughts on the show from the perspective of a lifelong fan and someone who saw the show for the first time earlier this year. Most importantly, we talk about if we’r...

We go Over The Top this week as we step into the world of Jamie New, no ordinary sixteen year old who's dream is to step out to their high school prom as a drag queen. We talk about the history of Everybody's Talking About Jamie , our own past experiences of the show, and our thoughts on the 2024 UK tour as it steps into London. Tickets gifted in exchange for an honest review. To find out...

What do you get when you combine a travelling cowboy show with a candy heiress running for her life? The chaotic tale of Bronco Billy! We were recently invited along to the Wild West to review the new musical based on the 1980s comedy of the same name. With some of the most spectacular special effects we’ve seen in a long time, did the book and music bring the same exciting energy Tickets gifted i...

Our name is the Overstudies podcast, and we are a massive deal... This week on the show we're taking a deep dive into Mean Girls (2024) and unpack the latest addition to the Mean Girls Universe. We chat about the costuming choices, the cinematography, our favourite musical numbers and of course how it's Reneé Rapp's world and we are simply all living in it. The real question is however...

We’re back for season four of the Overstudies podcast celebrating two years of theatre chat and general chaos. Over the years we’ve had the chance to interview some really fun and exciting guests, with this episode’s stars being no exception … we’re interviewing each other! Join us this week to find out more about the brains and beauty behind the Overstudies podcast, our favourite composers and ou...

We couldn't jet off to Broadway and not bring you a bonus episode to truly see out Season 3, could we?! In an episode that can only be described as 'just vibes, just chaos', the Overstudies compare and contrast Broadway and the West End, and take a peek at the shows we saw 'across the pond': Sweeney Todd and & Juliet. From intervals that feel like an Olympic sprint to fundraising for great causes...

It's our season 3 finale and how else could we celebrate but to invite on the phenomenal Evelyn Hoskins to have a chat about her career spanning stage and screen! From iconic shows such as Gypsy and Waitress and British television institutions like Casualty , through to brand new musical - you guessed it - 42 Balloons , we find out more about Evie's experiences and the differences between...

Kin - A New Musical follows the story of a controversial cult who move into a small town in North America and threaten to disrupt the status quo. The show been taking social media by storm over the last couple of years. From a lengthy development process to a recently released concept album, this brand new musical had been hotly anticipated by the theatre community. But does it live up to the expe...

Heathers , Mean Girls , Legally Blonde ... what do all of these shows have in common? They all could be classed as 'teen' or 'young adult' musicals and their popularity has shaped an entire generation of theatre goers. On this week's episode we unpack this phenomenon, chatting about the legitimacy of film to stage adaptations of this genre and the critical reception to these sh...

Time is fleeting this week as we delve into one of the biggest cult musicals of all time: The Rocky Horror Show. Celebrating 50 years in 2023, we take a look over some of the show's remarkable history, as well as our recent experience seeing it at London's Peacock Theatre. From dancing maids to unexpected leopard print via an improvising narrator, Rocky Horror has it all - even (too much?)...

Content warning: grief, depression, trauma, and other mental illnesses. This week on Overstudies we're taking a step back from in-depth show analysis and looking at theatre and it's relationship with the concept of 'community'. We chat about shows that demonstrate the concept of community, shows that have helped us build a community, and the value of finding people who share simila...