MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast

What do you get when you combine theatre, spectacular puppetry, conservation, comedy and a whole host of incredible animals? Nick Hutson finds out as he chats with Craig Crowton, the creative force behind The Animal Guyz . Craig discusses how the show evolved from a passion for wildlife into an exciting theatrical experience that has delighted family audiences across the UK. Discover how larger-th...

MusicalTalk continues its exploration of the many and varied ways that war and conflict can be portrayed in the world of musical theatre.  This week, Thos revisits a remarkable piece of verbatim musical theatre (itself a rare and unusual form) created to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, which explored 100 years of the British involvement in battle through the musicalisati...

Join Thos as he continues his look at the amazingly varied way that musical theatre has approached war and its consequences. This week he revisits Enigma, a show about the American experience of wartime code-breaking and the real life (and death) consequences of doing it.  With songs and music from the piece, hear composer, Hedda Rustad Carlsen and Thos discuss this all female written and acted sh...

One of the many paradoxes of war is that it often generates a surprisingly rich cultural output and when musical theatre decides to tackle the subject, the results can be rewarding - and varied!  Just look at Blitz, Oh What A Lovely War and Bedknobs and  Broomsticks to see three utterly different ways of tackling conflict and death in a musical.  And it doesn't stop there! So join Thos as he sits...

On this week's episode of MusicalTalk, Nick and Robert dive into a trio of very different theatrical experiences! Robert shares his thoughts on London's lagest mega-hit musical: Paddington.     We revisit the gloriously irreverent Avenue Q, discussing its enduring appeal, razor-sharp humour and whether its once-shocking material lands differently with modern audiences.  We also explore the hilario...

Colm and Thos are back to discuss two more diverse musical theatre gems from Colm's recent visit to Broadway: Ragtime and Maybe Happy Ending - one musical looking back - and one looking forward. They also discuss changing attitudes to taste and tastelessness in musicals - including the Doctor Crippen musical, Belle, and, perhaps surprisingly to a modern eye, the Titanic story itself - as well as m...

The Great White Way is still the centre of the musical theatre universe, and so it's no wonder that Colm's been filling his Broadway boots and is bursting to talk about it.  In this episode he sits down with Thos for an in-depth chat about just two of the shows he saw on a recent visit there - High Spirits, the 1964 musical adaptation of Noel Coward's comedy, Blithe Spirit, and that perennial favo...

On this episode of MusicalTalk , Nick Hutson experiences a cultural phenomenon for the very first time: High School Musical . Joining him is Hannah, a devoted fan who knows every beat, lyric, and basketball move. As the film unfolds, Nick reacts in real time—questioning, analysing, and occasionally surrendering to the infectious charm—while Hannah offers insight, enthusiasm, and gentle (or not-so-...

Nick revisits Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury Theatre for its 20th anniversary—and discovers a show that's traded shock value for something warmer, wiser, and unexpectedly nostalgic. In this episode, he explores how Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx 's irreverent musical holds up in 2026, from updated references (AI, Trump, and Spotify playlists) to subtle staging tweaks and musical refreshes. There's discus...

Nick, Chris and Nikki fire up the flux capacitor one last time as they attend the final performance of the London production of Back to the Future: The Musical . What makes this farewell especially poignant is their unique full-circle journey with the show — having been there at the very beginning during its early Manchester run in 2020, just before the world changed forever. In this reflective an...

Join Thos for more about Mad About The Boys - A Marvellous Party, Wela Kapela Productions' five star EdFringe Cabaret that tells the tales, and sings the songs, of those three titans of musical theatre in the the first half of the twentieth century - Cole Porter, Noel Coward and Ivor Novello.  From Mrs Worthington and Nina from Argentina, to I've Got You Under My Skin and Keep the Home Fires Burni...

MusicalTalk marks the 75th anniversary of the death of Ivor Novello, one of the greatest British musical theatre writers of the 20th Century in opulant style!  Join Thos for the first half of a fascinating conversation with the people behind the 2025 EdFringe Cabaret Show, Mad About the Boys, which looks at the lives of those three friends, rivals and contemporaries, Cole Porter, Noel Coward and I...

After many, many years, MusicalTalk Mini returns! In this revived short-form format, David Herzog brings his expert eye to the Welsh National Theatre's touring production of Our Town . With its stripped-back staging, timeless themes, and delicate balance between nostalgia and existential reflection, how does this iconic American classic fare on a contemporary UK tour? David explores the production...

In this episode of MusicalTalk , Nick and Hannah take a candid and wide-ranging look at four very different theatrical experiences: Titanique , The Little Mermaid 's ill-fated "Sea Witch", Into the Woods , and The Choir of Man . From the outrageous camp and unexpected charm of Titanique to the frustrating missteps of Sea Witch , the pair explore what separates a show that works from one that simpl...

In this episode, presenter Michael Gordon Shapiro speaks with multi-award-winning composer Stephen Weiner about his newest musical project: an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo . Stephen discusses the process of transforming Alexandre Dumas' epic tale of betrayal, imprisonment, and revenge into a compelling work for the musical stage. From shaping the musical voice of Edmond Dantès and captu...

What happens when a screamo guitarist and singer falls down the musical theatre rabbit hole? Nick Hutson is joined by Serena Cherry, whose musical journey has taken her from the intensity of the mosh pit to the drama of the orchestra pit. Serena explains how discovering The Phantom of the Opera at the age of 17 first opened the door to musical theatre, before life — and loud guitars — briefly pull...

Nick is joined by composer (and friend of the podcast) Andy Abrams and director Gary Lloyd to talk all things Shining in Misery , following its UK premiere at The Other Palace as part of MT Fest . They dive deep into the creation of the show — from its musical styles and theatrical influences to the challenges of adapting such a psychologically charged story for the stage. Andy and Gary unpack how...

Yes, Sondheim was alive and kicking in 2025, at least so far as his works and legacy were concerned because in London alone, you could have seen Road Show, Here We Are, The Frogs and Into the Woods - and MusicalTalk did!  So, Colm and Thos having put in the leg work, sat down for a run through of each of these varied and, in some cases, seldom produced Sondheim shows, and try to work out why they...

The "LeDorean" is polished, the flux capacitor is fluxing and Thos and Nick are ready to take MusicalTalk somewhere very specific in the timeline — though they're not saying where just yet. In this episode, our hosts travel back to a moment when optimism was in the air, creativity was boundless, and entertainment itself was being boldly reimagined. It's a time when music, storytelling and spectacl...

Thos takes a trip back to the town of Hawkins, Indiana in 1983 where times were simpler, hair was bigger (much bigger) and and unsupervised children were getting snatched by inter-dimensional beings!  No, it's not television success story, Stranger Things - it's something even better - the 2025 five star EdFringe production of Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical by Jonathan Hogue.  In this episode...

This week on MusicalTalk , Nick is joined by Michael David Glover , the book writer of SEA WITCH , playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Sunday 1st March . Michael takes us inside the creation of the show — from its origins and development to the realities of shaping a new piece of musical theatre for today's audiences. The conversation digs deep into the writing process, the collaboration be...

Come From Away undoubtedly put Canada on the global musical theatre map, but this fine, independent and creative nation has a long tradition of writing wonderful musicals! Join David and Thos as they look at new Canadian shows like Life After, The Louder They Get, Grow, Emilio's A Million Chameleons and Confessions of a Red Headed Coffee Shop Girl. Add to that discussions of the Canadian productio...

Nick welcomes the legendary Liz Robertson to MusicalTalk for a wide-ranging and intimate conversation spanning a remarkable life in musical theatre. Marking the 70th anniversary of My Fair Lady , Liz reflects on her experiences with the show and explores why it continues to charm, challenge and resonate with audiences seven decades on. From working alongside the incomparable Rudolf Nureyev to shar...

With the dust now well and truly settled, Nick sits down with Ruby – a self-confessed Wicked obsessive – to take a long look back at the two film adaptations. Together they explore what Wicked has meant to them personally over the last 25 years, how their relationship with the show has evolved, and whether the films live up to the stage phenomenon that defined a generation of theatre-goers. From b...

Nick and Hannah look back on a theatre-stuffed 2025, chatting through the shows they saw, loved, questioned and are still thinking about. From West End heavyweights to immersive experiments and concert highlights, this episode is a fast, opinionated tour of the year in musicals. Along the way they discuss everything from Robin Hood at the Palladium, Les Misérables , Matilda , MJ The Musical and Ma...