East Anglian Theatre Podcast

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A diagnosis can steal your plans in an instant, but it can also rewrite your creative life in ways you never saw coming. I’m joined by playwright Rae Mainwaring to talk about Bright Places, her bold, funny, brutally honest play about living with multiple sclerosis, and why she wanted audiences with MS to finally see something real and hopeful reflected back at them.

Rae breaks down what MS actually is, including relapsing remitting MS, how symptoms can shift over time, and why “you look well” can land so painfully when fatigue, pain, and sensory weirdness are happening out of sight. We dig into the chaos of being diagnosed at 23, just as adult life is meant to be opening up: work, money, travel, independence, and all the big choices suddenly feel uncertain. Bright Places tackles that disruption head-on, using three performers to play different versions of Rae and letting the story swing between laugh-out-loud moments and raw vulnerability.

We also get practical about accessible theatre. Rae explains creative captioning that is built into the design of the show every night, not tucked into a corner or saved for a single performance. If you care about disability representation, invisible illness, and what modern UK theatre can do at its best, this conversation is for you. Bright Places tours the UK, including Chelmsford Theatre on 8 October and Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre on 20 October, with details at carbontheatre.org.uk.

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A holiday camp in the 1950s, a cast full of big personalities, and a sitcom so many of us can still quote even if we have not seen it for years, Hi-De-Hi! is heading to Sheringham Little Theatre, and we are going behind the scenes with the people bringing it to life. I’m joined by Andrea Wilson and Robin Taylor from Cromer and Sheringham Operatic and Dramatic Society (CSODS) to talk about why this classic British comedy still works, what audiences can expect from the stage version, and how nostalgia shapes the way we watch live theatre.

Andrea shares what it is like stepping into Peggy Ollerenshaw’s shoes, including the excitement of playing such a recognisable character and the very real pressure of doing an iconic role justice. Robin talks about playing Barry Stuart-Hargreaves, the bickering marriage dynamics that drive some of the funniest moments, and how the script pulls together familiar situations so fans of the original sitcom feel instantly at home, while newcomers still get a clear, light-hearted story.

We also get properly practical about local theatre making. Robin lifts the curtain on the Hi De Hi! set build, from juggling the staff room and Jeffrey’s office to shifting into the Hawaiian ballroom, all within the limits of a small-stage venue, plus a few “cunning tricks” to make key moments land. If you love East Anglian theatre, amateur dramatics, British sitcom adaptations, and the craft that turns community effort into a brilliant night out, this one is for you. Subscribe for more theatre chats, share the episode with a fellow theatregoer, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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Dracula isn’t just a castle, a cape, and a bite in the dark. Sometimes the most unsettling part is the journey, a sealed space where escape is impossible and every creak of timber sounds like a warning. That’s why we’ve fallen hard for Dracula: The Last Voyage of the Demeter, a gothic horror play that zooms in on the ship that carries Dracula towards England and asks us to live inside the dread, scene by scene, person by person. 

I’m joined by director Harry Quirk plus cast members Rebeka Igneczi and Soledad Strangward from Growing Theatre to talk about bringing Sean Carney’s script to the UK for the very first time. We dig into what makes this take feel fresh for Dracula fans, how the story stays tense even when you know the voyage is doomed, and why the structure feels almost like a mystery, with revelations arriving through Dracula’s point of view. Along the way we get into strong character writing for Elizabeth and Jessica, the impact of gender-blind casting, and what it’s like rehearsing a play built from tight, focused encounters rather than big ensemble blocks. 

We also zoom out to the wider East Anglian theatre scene: the projects that keep artists busy between shows, the value of local variety nights, and those bucket list roles we all secretly carry around. If you’re searching for East Anglian theatre recommendations, a new Dracula adaptation, or details on the Headgate Theatre in Colchester and the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich, you’ll want this one queued up. 

If you enjoy the chat, subscribe, share the episode with a theatre-loving friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the podcast.

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Fairy tales are meant to be safe, tidy, and finished by the time the curtain falls. Into The Woods is what happens when you put those stories in the same world, let them crash into each other, and then ask the awkward question: what comes after you get your wish?

Ray chats to director Thom Bailey and performers Dean Kenneth and Taryn Taylor ahead of Gorleston Pavilion Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into The Woods on the Norfolk/Suffolk coast. We break down what the show really is, for anyone who only half-knows the title: a musical theatre “multiverse” of Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and more, anchored by the Baker and the Baker’s Wife as the most recognisably human pair on stage.

Thom explains why he sees this piece as a masterpiece, and we dig into the craft that makes it hit so hard. The score is famously complex, with rapid lyrics, tight timing, and music that mirrors natural speech, meaning the acting and the singing are inseparable. Dean and Taryn share what it takes to learn it, what it feels like when it finally clicks, and why audiences should expect proper belly laughs in Act One followed by a twist that turns the whole thing on its head.

We also chat about getting into theatre, juggling productions, local highlights, and why staging ambitious work in East Anglia matters. If you’re searching for live theatre in Norfolk/Suffolk, Sondheim musicals, or a night out that’s funny, sharp, and unexpectedly moving, this is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a theatre friend, and leave us a review with your favourite fairy tale character and why.

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A wildfire takes everything, then a comedian picks up a ukulele and decides hope is still allowed. We’re joined by writer-performer Erin Hunter and director Kristen Duffy to talk about Burn Baby Burn LA Inferno, a funny, poignant one-woman show born from the LA wildfires of 2025 and the real loss of Erin’s parents’ home. It’s a frank, warm chat about what it means to make theatre from fresh grief, and why “tragicomedy” is not a dodge but a survival strategy.

We get into the craft choices that make the show land: character work that spoofs celebrity culture and influencer detachment, the politics you can’t ignore when disaster strikes, and the quiet comedy of family dynamics when you’re trying to protect the people you love from 6,000 miles away. Kristen shares what Slackline Productions brings to the process, including a clear mission to champion women 35+ on stage and screen, and why a solo show can be one of the hardest formats to shape when you want it to be clear, human and genuinely funny.

There’s also plenty for local theatre fans: quick-fire reviews of On the Edge at Sheringham Little Theatre, Wild Arts Theatre’s stripped-back The Marriage of Figaro at Norwich Theatre Royal, and The Pantaloons’ four-hander Twelfth Night. We finish with Burn Baby Burn LA Inferno tour dates across Sudbury, Cambridge and beyond, plus how to keep up with ticket info and future shows. If you enjoy smart theatre chat and new work with bite, subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a review.

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An interview with writers Nat Riches and Natasha Atkinson, and Director Gina Stock about their new musical, 1816

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An interview with Olivia Knight, Christina Isgrove, and Vanessa McAuley about their upcoming tour of Euripides' Greek tragedy, Medea

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An interview with Nikki Matthews, author of the novel Kitty upon which her stage adaptation is based. 

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An interview with Jez Pike, Jess Bellamy, and Monty Jordan about the production of Breaking the Code that they're set to star in at the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich. 

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A chat with Ruby Bardwell-Dix, who's playing Maria in Beccles Public Hall & Theatre's production of The Sound of Music

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