MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast

Join MusicalTalk for its tenth year of extensive coverage of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival.  As always, Thos has been sampling as much of the musical theatre offerings as he can, and has prepared his annual condensed medley of songs, insights, interviews and opinions from the fringe for 2016 including this year's MusicalTalk Pick of the Fringe.  And remember all...

Continuing our look back at ten years of MusicalTalk, we revisit an episode released in June 2009 where Nick interviewed Miranda Sings; the famous YouTube (and now Netflix) delusional star! This interview caused a bit of an outrage because Nick was not very kind to Miranda! All part of the fun, though!

As we come ever closer to our 500th episode, we also celebrate 10 years worth of podcasts! So to continue with Thos' recent episode tradition, Nick is delving through the archives to bring you some of the best episodes of the last 10 years over the next couple of weeks. This week we re-listen to the 2007 episode "Attend The Press Junket of Sweeney Todd" where Nick spoke to Stephen Sondheim, Johnny...

MusicalTalk pays tribute to Hollywood legend, the late Marni Nixon, with another chance to hear the second part of her in-depth 2010 interview which marked her eightieth birthday and explored some of the many things that had made her career so impressive, including more on her enigmatic career as the dubbing queen par excellence.

With the sad news of the recent passing of "The Ghostess with the Mostess", Hollywood legend, Marni Nixon, Thos recalls her unusual and perhaps unexpected fame and her incredibly broad career – not just as "dubber to the stars", but a star in her own right!  There's another chance to hear the first part of her in-depth 2010 interview, and – for contrast – to enjoy some songs from Wags! The Musical...

Thos looks at the newest genre of musical theatre, the verbatim musical, made famous by the Royal National Theatre's much lauded production of London Road, and asks if it subverts Sondheim's axiom about content dictating form.  Also included is a conversation with the people behind Untold Wars: A New Verbatim Musical which uses the format in a different but equally powerful way.   If Grease is the...

David Herzog talks to Joey Hickman - who is the musical director and music arranger of A Comedy About a Bank Robbery - playing at the Criterion theatre - from the people that brought us The Play that Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Nick Hutson shares his thoughts on Aladdin - that's just opened at the Prince Edward Theatre!

Join Thos as he continues his chat to Cameron (no, not that one) and this week addresses the odd case of the two Richard Rogers, as well as touching on both Sandy and John Wilson (no relation) and the George and Ira Gershwin (who are!).

Is Sondheim a cul-de-sac for musicals?  Is Andrew Lloyd Webber the last great operetta-ist? Thos sits down with musical theatre journalist and blogger, Cameron Smith, to chew over musical theatre in all its forms and to discuss some of its noted practitioners.  Will these burning questions be answered?  Well, sort of...

Join David as he chats to MusicalTalk favourite Gina Beck about her role in the classic Showboat - now playing at the New London Theatre.

At last, the Quentin Dentin Show is back - the cult hit Edinburgh Fringe rock musical is reborn in London, and MusicalTalk has been with it all the way to the Arts Theatre in the West End.  In this latest episode on the show, we hear from the people putting it on the stage, and learn how a show develops, changes and refocuses – and what challenges that puts on performers and directors.  So, come o...

With Aherns and Flaherty's first major collaboration, the funny and musical Lucky Stiff, returning to London in a new production, join Thos as he sits down with show actors, Michelle Crook and Andrew Trueluck, to dissect the body in question!  Find out how a musical farce actually works and get a flavour of this palaver about a cadaver.

In this week's episode Nick and Robert celebrate the legacy of two female comedy icons: Victoria Wood and Fanny Bryce. Victoria Wood, a pioneer of female British comedy, lost her life to cancer very recently so Nick and Robert discuss her musical: ACORN ANTIQUES - as well as her influence and talents in the world of theatre, music, comedy and TV. Nick then shares his thoughts on FUNNY GIRL - that'...

"The future's ripe for those who mix their artistry with politics" – yes, in this time of election and referendum, Thos rejoins modern musical theatre master, Dougal Irvine, for a chat about his brand new show, the Busker's Opera – a new take on what is arguably the first ever musical, John Gay's satirical masterpiece, The Beggar's Opera, but this time with a contemporary feel - and a lot of mayor...

It's songs, songs, songs as Thos investigates how you redesign a show to keep the best of the past but also take on board all those lessons you've learned from a paying audience.  As The Quentin Dentin Show comes to the Arts Theatre in London, Thos talks to writer, Henry Carpenter, and producer, Hannah Elsy, about their craft and what it takes to improve a unique classic.  Bring in the Brain Machi...

Dom McChesney chats with musical theatre writer Stephen Cole about his many shows from 'Night of the Hunter' to 'The Road To Qatar' and beyond. All jam packed with lots of songs from his fabulous new show 'Merman's Apprentice'.

Thos catches up with the multitalented Dougal Irvine to look at the some of his recent successes and to discuss his forthcoming collaboration on Laila the Musical, a new contemporary musical, retelling the greatest love story from the East, Laila and Manju – a story of young love and feuding families and thought to be one of the inspirations for Romeo and Juliet.

Nick and Robert discuss their thoughts on the delightful musical: Mrs Henderson Presents! It's anAll New Nude Renudeville with music by oscar winning composer George Fenton, lyrics by Don Black and a cast featuring our own Emma Williams and musical supervision and arrangements by our own Mike Dixon - it's a delight for the ears and the eyes! We also hear from Mike in this episode. So, sit back, re...

It's Seven Up as David and Thos continue their chinwag about some more shows that really stood out for David during his recent trawl of London's Theatreland – including Stephen Ward, From Here to Eternity, Miss Saigon, Dog Fight, Book of Mormon, Dickens Abridged and No Way to Treat A Lady.  How refreshing!

David's back to tell us all about the shows he saw in London's glittering West End in 2014 and 2015 including Merrily We Roll Along, Rock of Ages, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Scottsborro Boys.  Hear him be Frank about Charlie, appreciate his non-Ebbing Candour and find out if the great glass elevator gave him a lift!

Nick Hutson and Dominic McChesney share their opinions on Kinky Boots - now playing at the Adelphi Theatre - featuring music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein... how will this musical about the art of shoemaking go down?

Thos and Nick invite Dominic McChesney to muse upon his recent trip to New York where he treated himself to two very, very different musicals! Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The School of Rock" (a very American musical written by two very British people) and A Gentleman's Guide to Love And Murder (a very British musical written by Americans). How will the two shows compare and contrast? Was Dom driven to...

Self-confessed "Sound of Music Virgin" Thos gives his point by point commentary on the recent live television version of the Sound of Music, and comes up with some surprising observations, not least on the odd romantic structure of the piece.  Find out how this well-known show looks to someone coming to it fresh, a mere fifty six years since it was first produced!  What a lonely goatherd!

Tim and Thos share their thoughts on the BBC 4 Broadcast of the classic musical - GYPSY - starring Imelda Staunton, Peter Davison and Lara Pulver.

At last, Britain's first live-on-television musical production ever!  It's The Sound of Music as you've never seen it before – but was it a success?  Join Thos and Tim as they discuss the show, the performances and the constraints and strengths of a live television performance of this evergreen classic.  You ain't goatherd nothin' yet!