Claim OwnershipThe WhatsOnStage Podcast
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© Sarah Crompton, Alex Wood & Augusto Koschak
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WhatsOnStage managing editor Alex Wood and chief theatre critic Sarah Crompton host a weekly podcast on all things theatrical. News, views, frank exchanges and lists offer an unmissable guide to what’s happening on stage (and in film and on television) now, in the past and in future. From musicals, to plays, to immersive shows, to interviews with the biggest stars, there's something for everyone!
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205 Episodes
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In part two of the series, Sarah and Alex weigh up the merits of new work from Caryl Churchill, Roy Williams and Kwame Kwei-Armah. Plus new writing from Lucy Prebble and Lynn Nottage. Who will take the crown in each year? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last month, WhatsOnStage was invited to the Menier Chocolate Factory to talk to the creator and star of their summer show, Midnight at the Never Get. Ben Platt will star in the UK premiere of Mark Sonnenblick’s musical. Set in 1965 New York, it follows Trevor Copeland and Arthur Brightman’s illegal romance, where they meet to perform songs in a secret nightclub act. David Cromer will direct a new production for its premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As he launches his new book about starring in Samuel Beckett’s Godot opposite Ben Whishaw, Lucian Msamati sits down with Sarah and Alex to lift the lid on the mood behind the scenes, the behaviour of audiences and why theatre is still like gym for young actors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On what would be Jonathan Larson's 66th birthday, the freshly revealed cast of The Jonathan Larson Project, including Grace Mouat and Max Harwood, came together for a special launch at Century Club in central London. At the same event, Jessie Elland, Maisie Smith and Jed Berry discussed their casting in the new production of Little Shop of Horrors, running in Manchester and Liverpool – while producer Thomas Hopkins explains why it's easier to programme on Broadway than in the West End right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Phew – with new seasons at the National, Donmar Warehouse, Shakespeare's Globe and more, there's a lot for Alex and Sarah to unpack as they examine the latest announcements. But do all of these new shows suggest a growing cross-pollination between the worlds of theatre and screen? And what does it mean for audiences? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s bonus episode, we’re clock-watching! At Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre we chat to the stars of One Day: The Musical – Jamie Muscato (Moulin Rouge!, Heathers) and Sharon Rose (Hamilton), who join us to discuss the challenge of ageing 20 years on stage and bringing this iconic "July 15th" love story to life through song. Then, we head to London’s West End where the tension is mounting in High Noon. We sit down with Tony and Emmy winner Billy Crudup and the powerhouse Denise Gough to talk about the grit and adrenaline of performing a classic Western in real-time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The profound effect that Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight had on contemporary music is rarely spelled out in full. There's a reason why Tharpe is heralded as the "godmother of rock ‘n’ roll." Between them, they helped reshape genres and alter tastes, all in a racist, misogynistic world that rarely gave them space to show off their groundbreaking talents.That is the story now coming to @sohoplace with Marie and Rosetta, George Brant's two-hander that brings a rocking, untapped history into the present day. Stars Beverley Knight and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu sit down to chat about their time with the production, aided by director Monique Touko and movement director Kloé Dean. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
At the beginning of a new series Sarah and Alex weigh the merits of the century’s new writing. Will Sarah Kane or Joe Penhall take the 2000 crown? And what about Martin McDonagh’s contribution to 2001? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It may not be Halloween, but there definitely seems to be a spooky season on UK stages – with Paranormal Activity making things go bump in the night, A Ghost in Your Ear sending chills down the spine and 2:22 A Ghost Story back on the open road (all before Dracula has begun performances in the West End!). With that in mind, Sarah and Alex put on their bravest faces and discuss why fear works so well on stage. Plus, in a complete tangent, why they're both thrilled to bits about Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey teaming up with Marianne Elliott and Tom Scutt for Sunday in the Park with George. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Editor-in-chief Alex Wood is heading back to the 1980s – well, a very specific, very sharp, and very bloody version of them. We’re talking about the highly anticipated revival of American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre. Based on the cult-classic novel by Bret Easton Ellis, with a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and a synth-heavy score by Duncan Sheik, this production marks a significant moment for London theatre. It is the final production from Rupert Goold in his tenure as the Almeida’s Artistic Director, revisiting the darkly satirical world of Wall Street that he first brought to life on this stage over a decade ago. We chat to Patrick Bateman himself, returning to the Almeida after The Line of Beauty, Arty Froushan, as well as Emily Barber, Zheng Xi Yong, Daniel Bravo, Tanisha Spring and Oli Higginson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1As Hamnet starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal opens in cinemas, Sarah and Alex consider the depictions of Shakespeare on screen from Shakespeare in Love to Upstart Crow and what they say about our attitudes to the Bard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
She's an Olivier Award-nominated actress that has wowed in shows like Machinal, Romeo and Julie and King John. He's a BIFA-winning screen star known for appearances in I, Swear, The Rings of Power and Game of Thrones, now making his professional stage debut. Together, Rosie Sheehy and Robert Aramayo will play the central couple in Luke Norris' Guess How Much I Love You?, the brand new play kicking off the Royal Court's 70th anniversary season. Alex Wood chats to the pair about their work building that relationship, Port Talbot, and which Godfather film is the best. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As the new year arrives, Alex and Sarah look forward to some of the exhilarating theatrical treats in store which range from Aidan Turner’s return to the stage opposite Lesley Manvill in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre to Mischief Theatre’s first musical Thespians and the Royal Court’s 70th anniversary season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jack Holden had a runaway hit with Cruise back in 2021, one of the first new shows to rock the West End after the final lockdown. He's been pretty much non-stop since then – with new five-star show Kenrex opening to dazzling notices and audience acclaim in Sheffield. That show now begins a second London season, this time at The Other Palace in central London. It comes off the back of an assured stage version of The Line of Beauty, based on Alan Hollinghurst Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With 2026 fast approaching, Sarah and Alex thought they’d run through some of the names expected to make a splash over the coming 12 months – from directors, to writers, to stage stars – there are some very exciting people making very exciting theatre across the country. We touch on a trendy new production of a David Hare classic, the return of the fist-pumping musical Sylvia and the indomitable rise of playwright Ava Pickett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you haven't heard of Kenny Wax, we are fairly certain you know some of his shows – a mastermind behind building brands from the ground up, he has steered productions like The Play That Goes Wrong and SIX to international acclaim. This Christmas, he has five shows running concurrently in the heart of the capital – on top of the previous two, Top Hat is dazzling at the Southbank Centre, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is a sell-out seasonal sensation and Just For One Day is rockin' all over Shaftesbury Avenue. But what is the secret to his success? The man touches on a multitude of topics in a wide-ranging interview. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In our final main episode before Christmas, Alex and Sarah discuss their favourite shows of 2025, from Golden Globe winners on Palladium balconies to animatronic bears reducing thousands of punters to tears. With names like Bryan Cranston, Cate Blanchett, Brendan Gleeson, Rosamund Pike and Samira Wiley leading top-tier productions, there's a whole lot to chew on. The pair also pick out their favourite new plays, revivals and names that really made a splash in 2025 – and what it might all mean for the future of theatre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Few producers are as intrepid as Michael Harrison – steering hits like Evita, Hello, Dolly!, Starlight Express, Gypsy, Titanique and The Bodyguard. But one centrepiece of his producing portfolio is the Palladium pantomime – the crown jewel of the London panto season and renowned for its big sets, big laughs and big innuendo count (courtesy of one Julian Clary). Alex Wood heads to MHE towers to discuss ten years of panto back at the Palladium – and why Michael considers himself the worst usher to have ever worked at Edinburgh Playhouse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sarah has ventured into Giant Country (otherwise known as Stratford-upon-Avon) for the opening night of the RSC's stage version of The BFG, sparking a series of thoughts about why puppets have such a profound effect on audiences. This comes mere weeks after the critics raved about the stage production of Paddington. Speaking of the much-loved Bear, the Paddington musical was the runaway smash for the audience-driven WhatsOnStage Awards shortlist – which saw theatregoers across the nation pick their favourite shows and performers. Sarah and Alex comb through the nominated shows to see what it says about the state of UK theatre in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In a little casting exclusive, Alex Wood reveals two of the agents tackling the multi-award-winning musical Operation Mincemeat, which kicks off its first ever tour in February 2026. Based on the true story of a plot to con the Nazis during World War Two, it also continues its run in the West End at the Fortune Theatre. So sit back, pour a glass of sangria and see who’s born to lead! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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