Theatre Audience Podcast

In this week’s episode, Darren is joined by Joseph O’Curneen - founding member of internationally acclaimed Spanish theatre company Yllana - to talk about the glorious chaos that is  The Opera Locos . Returning to London following standing ovations,  The Opera Locos  takes over Sadlers Well’s Theatre for a strictly limited run. This vibrant comic opera experience blends world-class...

This week Darren and Natalie explore three powerful productions that examine legacy, longing and the stories we pass down - through history -  Here there are Blueberries , through song -  Ballad Lines , and through quiet acts of courage -  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry . Here There Are Blueberries A haunting and urgent new play inspired by a real-life photo album discovered...

This week we’re joined by comedian, writer and performer  Jessica Regan , a regular voice on  The Guilty Feminist Podcast , to talk about her bold and brilliantly personal one-woman show  16 Postcodes . Following sell-out, critically acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Pleasance Theatre,  16 Postcodes  makes its London premiere at  King's Head Thea...

This week Darren and Natalie cover a packed episode spanning major casting announcements, explosive physical theatre, and an intimate world premiere that cuts straight to the heart. We were at the Thomas Hopkins Productions press launch announcing three exciting productions: Maureen Lipman  starring in  Allegra Wendi Peters  leading  Glorious And  The Jonathan Larson Proje...

This week Darren and Natalie explore three powerful productions that wrestle with truth, legacy and the cost of standing by your convictions - from the Wild West with High Noon to the White House with Mrs. President and the glittering wreckage of the Jazz Age with Beautiful Little Fool . High Noon A searing stage adaptation of the legendary Western that once served as an allegory for Hollywood’s b...

This week Darren and Natalie take on a powerful and wide-ranging episode, exploring Safe Haven, Mother. Dad, A Grain of Sand, and The Olive Boy - four very different plays that confront survival, morality, parenthood and resilience, from global humanitarian crises to deeply personal stories of growing up and finding your way. Safe Haven Set in the aftermath of the First Gulf War, Safe Haven charts...

In this episode, Darren and Natalie dive into the UK premiere of  Already Perfect , the new folk-rock musical now playing at King’s Head Theatre. Written by  Tony Award-winner Levi Kreis ,  Already Perfect  is an intimate, soul-infused piece that unfolds in a Broadway dressing room on the brink of collapse - where past and present collide in a raw, often funny reckoning with id...

In this episode, Darren and Natalie unpack the latest West End revival of  Woman in Mind ,  Alan Ayckbourn’s  1985 psychological comedy now marking its 40th anniversary. Starring  Sheridan Smith  and directed by  Michael Longhurst , the production revisits a story of fractured reality, imagination and domestic dissatisfaction - but does it still resonate today? Natali...

In our first episode of 2026, Darren and Natalie dive into one of the most innovative and nerve-shredding productions currently on the London stage -  A Ghost in Your Ear  at Hampstead Theatre. Written and directed by Jamie Armitage ( An Interrogation, SIX ) and created in collaboration with acclaimed sound designers Ben and Max Ringham , this two-hander places the audience inside a...

In the final episode of Season 5, Darren and Natalie look back on an extraordinary year in theatre, sharing the productions that moved them, thrilled them, and stayed with them long after the curtain fell. From bold new writing and immersive experiences to reimagined classics and unforgettable performances, this episode is a love letter to the shows that defined 2025. They revisit standout moments...

In this special stand-alone episode, Darren sits down with Damon Gould, currently starring as Noel in the cult musical Ride the Cyclone at Southwark Playhouse. Ride the Cyclone  is a darkly comic, offbeat musical that has built a devoted global following. After six teenagers die in a freak roller-coaster accident, they find themselves in limbo, offered one final chance at...

This episode celebrates two completely different - but equally exhilarating - nights at the theatre. From sweeping, cinematic dance storytelling to full-throttle historical chaos, we explore why live performance continues to thrill, surprise, and transport. One is a five-star festive classic - The Red Shoes -  that dazzles the senses; the other - Oh Mary! - is a riotously funny West End...

Today on the podcast, Darren is joined by trailblazing drag artist, actor and cabaret star  Victoria Scone  - a performer who made herstory on  RuPaul’s Drag Race UK  and went on to wow audiences internationally on  Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs the World . From redefining drag on screen to commanding stages across the UK, Victoria’s career is a joyful collision of theatre...

This week Darren and Natalie explore three strikingly different productions - each asking big questions about love, belief, bravery and connection - from intimate relationship drama to festive comedy and razor-sharp contemporary writing. Daniel’s Husband, Gawain and the Green Knight and Most Favoured with backstage chat with actor Alexander Arnold. Daniel’s Husband  –  Marylebone Th...

It’s the most theatrical time of the year, and  Theatre Audience Podcast  is celebrating the festive season with a Christmas Show Special packed full of pantomime, parody and seasonal spectacle. Darren and Natalie discuss their views on; Beauty and the Beast at Churchill Theatre, Ebony Scrooge at Sadler’s Wells East, The Fit Prince and Jack and the Beanstalk - both at...

In this exclusive backstage-with session, Darren sits down with award-winning composer, producer, and performer John Patrick Elliott. Originally from West Yorkshire, John has done everything from touring across Europe with his project The Little Unsaid to creating live electronic scores for major theatre productions. He won “Best Composer” at the Stage Debut Awards 2022 for his work on Cruise - an...

This week Darren and Natalie explore three thrilling productions shaking up London’s stages -  from the dark corners of digital desire with  Porn Play , to an eternal whodunnit –  The Mousetrap  and a macabre new comedy with a supernatural twist –  The Grim . Porn Play A sell-out world premiere that’s as provocative as it is powerful.  Ambika Mod  ( One Day,...

This week Darren and Natalie explore two masterful productions that examine ambition, morality, and the price of desire - from the glittering privilege of 1980s Britain to the guilt and grief of post-war America. The Line of Beauty Step into Thatcher’s Britain through the eyes of Nick Guest, a young man seduced by a world of wealth, politics and sensuality. Moving into the lavish Notting Hill home...

This week Darren and Natalie dive into two powerhouse productions lighting up the West End - the electrifying  MJ The Musical  and  Mary Page Marlowe , starring screen legends Susan Sarandon and Andrea Riseborough. MJ The Musical The smash-hit Broadway production moonwalks into the West End! With a book by  Lynn Nottage and direction/choreography by  Christo...

This week Darren and Natalie explore three very different but equally profound productions -  The Unbelievers  at the Royal Court,  The Choir of Man  in the West End, and  The Wanderers  at the Marylebone Theatre. The Unbelievers The Unbelievers  - the highly anticipated new play from acclaimed writer Nick Payne ( Constellations ,  We Live in Time...

This week Darren and Natalie dive into three wildly different yet equally compelling productions currently electrifying London’s stages -  Crocodile Fever  at the Arcola Theatre,  Punch  in the West End, and  The Assembled Parties  at Hampstead Theatre. Crocodile Fever   First up, it’s mayhem in 1970s Northern Ireland in Meghan Tyler’s  Crocodile F...

This week Darren and Natalie explore three standout productions lighting up London’s stages -  Entertaining Mr Sloane  at the Young Vic , The Importance of Being Earnest  in the West End, and  MUSIK  at Wilton’s Music Hall. Entertaining Mr Sloane – Young Vic Finally,  Entertaining Mr Sloane  storms into the  Young Vic  with a thrilling new production of...

This week Darren reviews  Clarkston  at Trafalgar Theatre - a beautifully observed, quietly powerful story about friendship, longing, and the search for meaning in small-town America. Clarkston – Trafalgar Theatre From Tony Award-winning writer Samuel D. Hunter ( The Whale ),  Clarkston  follows Jake, played by  Heartstopper ’s Joe Locke and Chris, as the br...

This week we’re celebrating three decades of one of the UK’s most exciting and influential theatre companies -  Frantic Assembly . Known around the world for their bold physical storytelling and collaborative spirit, Frantic has transformed how theatre is made, studied, and experienced. In this special anniversary episode, we dive into: Ignition  – their groundbreaking free talent develo...

This week, Darren goes backstage with Abigail Hood, the acclaimed writer behind  Monster , a gripping and thought-provoking drama exploring the ripple effects of crimes committed in childhood, forgiveness, and the cycles of trauma. Monster – Seven Dials Playhouse Presented by Veritas Theatre Company and KEPOW! Theatre Company,  Monster  is a triple OFFIE-nominated and one OFFIE-winn...