Lights Up!

Recorded on a hot day in the theatre Cait interviews Perry (as the Chief Whip), Ian Wainwright (Director) and Alexa Adam (Production Manager). Whipping it Up is a quick-witted political satire set in the Whips' office at Westminster, Whipping it Up is a play about the grubby wheeling and dealing that go on behind the scenes and off camera as the Whips employ any means at their disposal in order to get wavering MPs to vote the 'right' way.

It's a week before Christmas in an alternative 2010, and the new Tory government is facing dissent over its latest Bill. With a majority of only three, the Whips' office is out in full force, and they’Il stop at nothing to keep the strays in line. Written in the twilight of the last Labour government, the play explores privilege, class and fears about what happens when the “old boys club” seize power.

Whipping it Up by Steve Thompson.
Directed by Ian Wainwright & Milly Gladstone.

Tuesday 18 - Saturday  22 August 19:45 with afternoon matinee at 15:00 on Saturday 22 August. Putney Arts Theatre in the Studio

Cast:
Alastair - Jim Dixon
Tim - Will Hunter 
Chief Whip - Perry Kitchen 
Delia - Saffron Miller 
Guy - Graham White 
Maggie - Charlotte McCormack

Crew:
Co-Directors - Ian Wainwright & Milly Gladstone
Production Manager - Alexa Adam
Stage Manager - Deborah Paul
Stage Designer - Robyn Doyle
Lighting Designer - Hayden Lee
Costume Designer - Alexa Adam

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

Recorded in a rather boomy Studio at the Putney Arts theatre, Cait interviews lead actors Lonje and Rob, and the co-directors Rob Wallis and Will Hunter.

In Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz And Guildenstern are Dead, two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet suddenly find themselves at the centre of a story they do not understand and cannot seem to influence.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pass the time flipping coins, trading riddles, and trying to figure out just what is going on with the Prince of Denmark. As they stumble in and out of Shakespeare’s tragedy, they encounter the mysterious Player King and his troupe of Tragedians, actors who embrace blood, death, and rhetoric as all part of the show – which is to say, life. What begins as a comic rumination on chance and circumstance deepens into a haunting exploration of what it means to exist when your part is already written.

Stoppard’s play is a dazzling blend of existential comedy, verbal acrobatics, and theatrical playfulness that reframes Shakespeare’s play from the wings.

Cast :
Rosencrantz - Lonje Kalanda
Guildenstern - Rob Ryan
The Player - Eric Petrossian
Hamlet - Nathan Chatelier
Claudius - Ian Cooke
Gertrude - Julia Blyth
Polonius - Edward Ogilvie
Ophelia - Anastasia Babich
Tragedians - Emma Buckley, Eve Newton, Finton McCluskey, Kelsey Norris, Nora Holman, Rebecca Fallon

16-20 June, 2026 at 19:45 with matinee at 15:00 on Saturday
Putney Arts Theatre, Main Stage

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

What do characters do when their author abandons them?

Nick chats with Megan Good (Elizabeth Watson), Amanda Benzecry (Lady Osborne) and Sarah Kitchen (Nanny) about Putney's latest production, based on Jane Austen's unfinished novel, adapted by Laura Wade. The Watsons is directed by Stuart (not related) Watson.

Nineteen and new in town, Emma Watson has been cast off by her rich aunt and banished back to the family home. Unless she can marry, and quickly, she faces a life of impoverished spinsterhood, dependent on her boorish brother and his ghastly wife.

Fortunately, a ball is being held in town, and she has plenty of suitors to dance with, from debonair but fickle Tom Musgrave to loaded but awkward Lord Osborne. Whose advances should she accept?

But that’s where Jane Austen put down her pen. Two centuries later Emma’s happy ending still hangs in the balance. Who will step in to finish the story? Laura Wade’s inventive, sparklingly witty play looks under the bonnet of Jane Austen and asks: What happens when the writer loses the plot?

Cast
Emma Watson — Emily Mark
Elizabeth Watson — Megan Good
Margaret Watson — Jessica Hearn
Robert Watson — Peter Collins
Mrs Robert — Kathryn Felton
Mr Watson — Perry Kitchen
Nanny — Sarah Kitchen
Tom Musgrave — Alex Rein
Lord Osborne — Columbus Mason
Lady Osborne — Amanda Benzecry
Miss Osborne — Alexandra Gallacher
Mr Howard — David Miller
Mrs Edwards — Rhonda Lidgold
Mr Edwards — Chris Routledge
Laura — Amelia Roden Kirk
Officers of the Militia — Jared Pearl

Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 April 2026, on the main stage at Putney Arts Theatre.

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

Cait interviews the cast of Ian Higham's dynamic production, the breathtaking supernatural play from one of Ireland’s greatest storytellers: Eugene Duffy, Ian Cooke, James Turner, Nick Thomas and Matthew Flexman.

It's Christmas Eve and Sharky has returned to Dublin to look after his blind brother, Richard. As the two men rattle around their old house, they are joined by local layabouts Ivan and Nicky –– and a stranger, new to town, the mysterious Mr Lockhart.

Over a night fuelled by alcohol and resentment, a game of cards is on the table. But the cost of losing may be higher than anyone imagines…

From Conor McPherson, award-winning author of 'The Weir' and 'Girl from the North Country', comes a blackly funny, haunting tale of family and friendship, steeped in whiskey and stirred by regret and the need for redemption.

“Sparkling and suspenseful… McPherson is a born yarn-spinner” – Guardian

“A realistic fantasy, a wide-awake nightmare. The writing is poetic, brutal, athletic, hilarious” – Sunday Times

“Conor McPherson is the heir to the great Irish tradition of absorbing tale telling” – Observer

“The finest dramatist of his generation” – Telegraph

Cast: Sharky - Eugene Duffy, Richard - Ian Cooke, Ivan - James Turner, Nicky - Nick Thomas, Mr Lockhart - Matthew Flexman

Creative and Crew: Director - Ian Higham, Producer - Cait Hart Dyke, Stage Manager - Sarah Jillings, Lighting Designer - Martin Jessop, Set and costume Design - Simon Crump, Sound Design - Nick Wells

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

Cait interviews Will Hunter, Rob Willis and Roger Blitz about the fabulous new writing production in the studio. With plays chosen from submission, and featuring  an exciting blend of new writers, new directors, new actors and many familiar faces the hot mix of shows brings comedy, dark humour, thrillers, the supernatural and downright fun. 

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

Cait chats with Ian (Co-Director), Ella (Wendy), Alexa (John Darling) and Rob Wallis (Captain Hook) about the magical, merry-madness of this year's Putney Panto, based on family favourite, Peter Pan.

At the Putney Arts Theatre, running from December 11 to 21st join Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys as they soar into Neverland this festive season for a pantomime packed with laughter, adventure, and audience participation galore.

But beware! Captain Hook and his pesky pirates are up to no good, and with a ticking crocodile hot on his heels, the stage is set for a battle of good versus mischief!

This is Peter Pan as you’ve never seen it before – bursting with catchy songs, hilarious hijinks, magical moments, and plenty of “Oh no he isn’t!” fun. It’s a festive treat for the whole family – perfect for kids, grown-ups, and everyone who refuses to grow up.

Adventure awaits this Christmas…

#pantomime #JM Barrie #Tinkerbell

It’s on from 11-21 December at Putney Art’s Theatre, tickets are available here - https://www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/event-6269887

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

The big Putney November show is Rattigan's Deep Blue Sea, directed by Roger Beaumont and Paula Robinson, so Cait interviews Carol (Mrs Elton) and Heidi (Ann Welch).

A dingy flat in Ladbroke Grove, West London, 1952. Hester Collyer’s life is in turmoil. She has gambled her life – her home, her status, her marriage to a High Court judge – to pursue a relationship with dashing ex-fighter pilot, Freddie. But it seems she has lost.

Left emotionally stranded, she can't see a way forward and going back is unbearable. She is stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. As a single day unravels, she must stare into the abyss – and with help from an unexpected quarter, try to find a new way of living.

Terence Rattigan's exquisitely crafted masterpiece about unequal desire burns with loss and longing. 

Cast

Hester Collyer - Sarah Sharpe

Freddie Page - Daniel Jonusas

Sir William Collyer - Pip Nixon

Mr Miller - Tim Iredale

Ann Welch - Heidi Bartholomew

Mrs Elton - Carol Stewart

Philip Welch – Callum Hudson

Jackie Jackson – George Nettleton

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

Cait is ill today so hosting duty falls to Frances Bodiam, who chats with Director Owen Thomas Smith and Dina Fahmy (Rebekah Vardy) and Roger Blitz  (Hugh Tomlinson KC)  

“It’s… Rebekah Vardy’s account.” With that single post, Coleen Rooney ignited the celebrity trial of the decade. From leaked stories and vanished phones to jaw-dropping revelations and laugh-out-loud exchanges, Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial brings the sensational libel showdown to the stage. Drawn entirely from real court transcripts, Liv Hennessy’s verbatim play turns tabloid scandal into high-stakes theatre - fast, funny, and utterly gripping. Who do you believe? And what’s the price of a reputation? 

A Putney Theatre Company Production, at Putney Arts Theatre. 

from Tuesday 14 to  Saturday 18 October at 7.45pm, with a matinee also on Saturday at 3pm. Ticket link below.

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

Cait interviews the cast (Clare McKervey and George Nettleton) and director (Rob Wallis) of this incredible drama.

Constellations, a play by Nick Payne is a spellbinding two-hander, exploring the infinite possibilities of love, choice, and chance through the lens of quantum physics – and beekeeping! 

When Marianne, a cosmologist, meets beekeeper Roland, their romance unfolds, or fails to unfold, in different forms across multiple parallel universes.

Each time it plays out differently - funny, tragic, tender, or tense - revealing how small moments can lead to vastly different futures. Both intellectually exhilarating and deeply human, the play showcases the absurdity, beauty, and fragility of human connection through the multiverse of one relationship.

23rd to 27th September, Putney Arts Theatre. 7:45pm. Matinee at 3pm on Sat 27th.

Tickets available: https://www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/event-6266827
#constellations #nickpayne #drama #putney #amdram

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.

A Murder, a Mystery, a Discovery. The incredible story of Christopher and his courage, Cait and Frances host four members of a terrific cast: Harry, Elly, Aidan and Sabrina.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is the bestselling original novel by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens for the stage, and directed at Putney Theatre by Frances Bodiam.

The dog is dead. Pierced with a garden fork. Standing on the lawn in the middle of the night beside Wellington is fifteen-year-old Christopher. His neighbour and the police believe he is responsible.

Determined to uncover the killer, Christopher turns detective, recording his findings in his special book. His quest will not be straightforward, however. He can remember all the world’s capital cities and every prime number up to seven thousand five hundred and seven, but he can’t bear being touched and he has never explored beyond the end of his road.

Solving the mystery will turn Christopher’s small world on its head in this heartwarming, life-affirming drama of courage and determination, adapted from Haddon’s bestselling, award-winning novel. 

The Curious Incident at Putney Arts Theatre, bringing the maths to life within the human drama. Tuesday 26 to 30 August with a relaxed performance at 3pm on Saturday. Ticket link: https://www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/event-6190729. Box Office: 020 8788 6943

The Cast: Christopher Boone – Harry Pavlou, Siobhan – Lizzie Iredale, Ed – Aidan Kershaw, Judy – Elly Meacham, Mrs Alexander & Other Characters – Emily Fellows, Mrs Shears & Other Characters – Kat Spreyer, Mr Shears & Other Characters – Chris Cully, Reverend Peters & Other Characters – JP Agius, Mr Thompson & Other Characters – Manpreet Gehlan, Mrs Gascoyne & Other Characters – Sabrina Robinson, Man in Socks & Other Characters – Matt Rimmington, No. 40 & Other Characters – Lyndall Brown

Creative and Crew: Director - Frances Bodiam; Assistant Director, Movement Director – Penny Weatherall; Set, Music, Sound, Graphics – Nick Wells; Lighting Design – Rich Evans; Set build and painting – Rich Evans, Robert Helstrand, Barney Hart Dyke, Simon Rilot, Nick Wells; Costumes – Simon Crump, Production Manager – Sarah Jillings; Stage Manager – Perry Savill; Lois Savill – ASM; Kate Lawrence – ASM; Helen Wood – ASM; Sophie Turnbull.

_______________________________

The Putney Theatre Company at The South West End!
See us online – www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/whatson

Host: Cait Hart-Dyke.
Producer, podcast editor and sound design: Nick Wells. 
Music is 'At the Tropicana' by Chalalatas, license courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.
Recorded at the Putney Arts Theatre.