In the 'House Seats'

Craig was the adjudicator of this year's Bright Star Festival and he took some time out to chat with Lydsey, the organiser, along with some of the participants and teachers to understand what makes this festival different from others and what the dancers perceptions are of festivals.

This is billed as a "supportive, friendly and encouraging" festival that has had wonderful feedback from all who take part, so have a listen.

Jonathan Andrew Hume is a professional British screen and stage performer who is highly skilled in both acting and singing and is well-known for his work on Pride, Amazing Grace and 10,000 BC. On stage, he is famous for playing Simba in The Lion King musical, Kevin J, Ali and various other roles in Come from Away and is currently playing the part of Sargeant Paine in the musical adaptation of The Third Man directed by Trevor Nunn at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.

His other theatre projects include Jesus Christ Superstar at the Wyllyotts Theatre; Rufus Longbottom and the Space Rabbit in the UK Tour; Alice in Hinterland with the Rose Youth Company at Rose Theatre and Bernstein’s Mass at the Royal Festival Hall.

Jonathan was in the 2018 feature film Mary Poppins Returns.

Among his television works is Down to Earth, EastEnders, Disney’s Favourite Songs, Strictly Come Dancing, Hope & Glory, and Anything’s Possible.

He has performed at the Musical Meets Opera with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (De Deolen, Rotterdam) and he has also worked on various commercials both for the TV and radio abroad and in the UK as well as narrating Anton Marks’ Audible audiobook recording.

Sam Underwood was born in Woking, Surrey and attended the Winston Churchill School. He trained at the Karen Clarke Theatre Group (now Summerscales Performing Arts). He was taught by vocal coach Phil Wisdom and attended Songtime Theatre Arts.

He moved to the United States in 2006 where he studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.

After graduating he went on to appear as Marchbanks in George Bernard Shaw's Candida at the Irish Repertory Theatre, New York. In April 2010, he was asked to play the part of Alan Strang in a production of Equus at the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall of East Hampton, co-starring alongside Alec Baldwin.

In 2013, Sam was cast in the eighth season of television series Dexter in the recurring role of Zach Hamilton, Dexter Morgan's 'protégé'. He subsequently joined the third season of Homeland as Leo Carras.

Beginning in February 2014, Sam took on the dual roles of twins Mark and Luke Gray in the second season of the Fox murder mystery The Following. But after the death of Luke, he was left playing Mark – who had split identities – in its third and final season.

In 2017, Sam went on to join the cast of the hit AMC thriller series Fear the Walking Dead in its third season as Jake Otto, the enigmatic son of the colony leader.

In 2019, he was cast as Adam Carrington in The CW television series Dynasty, a reboot of the 1980s series of the same name.

When this podcast was recorded, he was playing the title role of Holly Martins in the brand new musical production of The Third Man directed by Trevor Nunn at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.

Pia studied costume design at the Wimbledon College of Art and Design, which is part of the University of the Arts London, where she learnt a wide variety of skills including millinery, wiggery, pattern cutting and much more. She also gained a range of technical skills in machine sewing.

Since graduating she has worked her way up from a costumer at Chessington World of Adventures to working as assistant wardrobe mistress on a wide variety of productions as Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, Feydra, Small Island and Ocean at the End of the Lane at theatres including The National and the Duke of York theatre.

Pia is currently Wardrobe Mistress on the production of The Third Man at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Derek rose to fame as a presenter of the legendary BBC children's show Play School in the 1970s. He was raised in London, the actor and musician and went on to perform in both theatre, film, TV and radio.

His West End credits include: Sing a Rude Song, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Black Mikado, The Travelling Music Show, The Secret Life of Cartoons, Run for your Wife, Dry Rot, Aladdin, Snow White, Babes in the Wood, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Noises Off, Twelth Night, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Exonerated. He recently appeared in The Mousetrap at the St Martin's Theatre, Exit the King at the National Theatre and on tour in Driving Miss Daisy.

Television appearances include: Unforgotten, Midsomer Murders, Small Axe, Casualty, Holby City, Doctors, The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff, Silent Witness and Coronation Street.

Regarding composing work, Derek wrote all the music for Heads and Tales, Bod, Two by Two, Mythical Magical Creatures as well as many TV jingles. He wrote the music and lyrics for a production of The Three Musketeers at the Royal Exchange.

In 2014, he was awarded a gold award for his music in TV from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. His voice can be heard on many cartoon and TV adverts.

At the time of recording this podcast, Derek was appearing in The Third Man at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Ria was born and raised in Swansea and was brought up surrounded by the rich heritage of Welsh music. Her mother was an Opera Singer and her father a successful cabaret entertainer, so it was inevitable at an early age that Ria Jones was destined for stardom. 

At 19 she became the youngest actress ever to play the role of Eva Peron in 'Evita', followed shortly by her West End debut in the musical 'Chess' in which she played both Svetlana and Florence. She went on to perform famed roles such as Grizabella in 'CATS', Fantine in 'Les Miserables, The Narrator in 'Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' Liz Imbrie in 'High Society' Reno Sweeney in 'Anything Goes', alongside Marti Pellow in 'The Witches of Eastwick' among many other notable roles and more recently in Victoria Wood's most iconic role as Mrs Overall in 'Acorn Antiques' which she recently reprised when requested by Victoria Wood to appear in the 'Angina Monologues' at The Haymarket Theatre, London.

Ria has performed as a soloist on three Royal Variety Shows and has also sung by royal request at Buckingham Palace. She has performed as a soloist to audiences in many of the worlds' finest venues, including in numerous West End Theatres, The Millennium Centre, The Palladium, The Theatre Royal Drury Lane, The Jubilee Theatre at Raffles Hotel Singapore and regularly at The Royal Albert Hall. Ria was also honoured to be picked to perform alongside Bryn Terfel, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey for the opening of the Welsh Assembly at Cardiff Bay.

Ria's TV appearances include her own one-off special for BBC Wales entitled 'One Night Only with Ria Jones', Three televised Royal Variety Performances for the BBC, 'Wales in the West End' for HTV, a recently televised drama written by Victoria Wood, 'When Eric Met Ernie' and most recently an episode for the new series of Torchwood.

She has performed frequently with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at The Royal Albert Hall, and has personal accolades from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. She has shared the stage with Tom Jones, Tony Bennett, Montserrat Caballe, Philip Schofield, Catherine Zeta-Jones Take That, Lulu, Ronnie Corbett, Angela Rippon, Aled Jones, Brian Adams, Jason Donovan, Elaine Paige, Joe Pasquale, Marti Pellow, Michael Ball....to name but a few.

Ria has also released an album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 'Abbaphonic' and her first solo album 'Have You Met Miss Jones?'

Luke is a musical director, pianist and conductor based in London and has just completed the summer season at the Chichester Festival Theatre as the assistant musical director for the hugely successful, five star reviewed musical, Crazy For You.

He was assistant musical director of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical UK Tour and previously was music assistant to Alex Lacamoire, Ben Cohn, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul for the premiere production of Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre.

He is a proud alumnus of the esteemed musical direction and coaching course at the Royal Academy of Music and is also a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music.

Luke can be followed on Twitter @lukebholman and on Instagram @luke.bholman

When Chichester Festival Theatre opened in 1962, it was Britain’s first modern thrust stage theatre. The brainchild of a local optician, Leslie Evershed-Martin, it was effectively ‘crowdfunded’ by local individuals and businesses: a theatre built by the community for the community, an ethos which still stands today. Between 1962-65, under its first artistic director Laurence Olivier, CFT provided the nucleus for the newly established National Theatre company.

This year, 2022, CFT celebrates its 60th anniversary and over the past six decades, myriad productions originated at Chichester have transferred to the West End or toured nationally and internationally, from musicals to significant new plays and classic revivals. The latest which has just finished was the 5 star reviewed, Crazy For You which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2022 as well. 

Craig talks to three members of the management team about their roles at the theatre and what life is like working for such a prestigious establishment.

For more information about the Theatre visit their website cft.org.uk/about-us/our-story

Since graduating from Guildhall, Graham has worked on a wide range of shows both in the UK and on tour overseas. He recently worked on Jesus Christ Superstar at Regents Park Open Air Theatre in 2021 and has just completed his position as company stage manager for Crazy for You at Chichester Festival Theatre this summer 2022.

Graham is also an accomplished photographer turning his hand at photographing performances and people in the theatre both for publicity purposes and also for fun. His photography website is www.grahammichael.co.uk