MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast

It's been a summer of blockbuster musical theatre shows in London, and this week Josh and Thos take a close look at just two of the amazing productions on offer.  In this episode, it's time to concentrate on two shows named after significant female characters - with Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate and Jerry Herman's Hello Dolly under the microscope.  Can the emancipated Lilly Vanessi escape comparisons with the ultimately subjugated Kate, and what is Dolly Levi's actual journey (apart from a trolleybus to Yonkers)?  And is that the ghost of Mary Poppins we can see floating overhead? It's Wunderbar! 

In this bumper episode of MusicalTalk, Nick and Hannah dive into the magic of Matilda the Musical, reflecting on its ongoing success at the Cambridge Theatre and exploring why it continues to captivate audiences of all ages. They also discuss Why Am I So Single – the brand-new musical from the creators of Six, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Meanwhile, Nick and Robert discuss Barnum, the timeless circus-inspired musical, which recently had a run at the Watermill Theatre. Tune in for lively debates, musical insights, and a celebration of theatre old and new!

The Boys Are Back In Town!  With Rodgers and Hart's effervescent 1938 musical, The Boys from Syracuse packing 'em in at the Upstairs at the Gatehouse Theatre in Highgate, Thos and Benjamin Levy continue their wonderful conversation about the role of the Musical Director and how to orchestrate a classic-era show. But with Benjamin's view that "Lorenz Hart is an utter genius", this episode is filled to the brim with an in-depth look at the score and full analysis of what makes the Hart lyrics and the musicality of Rodgers work so beautifully together to make a show where every song is a polished diamond!

With Rodgers and Hart's sparkling 1938 Golden Age musical, The Boys From Syracuse, returning to London at the Upstairs at the Gatehouse Theatre in Highgate, Thos sits down for a wonderful conversation with the production's Musical Director and Orchestrator, the very talented Benjamin Levy.  Learn why it's important for the MD to "push hope through it" when musically directing a song, and why it's better to reorchestrate rather than reduce existing arrangements. And with in-depth analysis of the score throughout, you won't want to miss this delightful and insightful episode!  It's no cold potato!

Hoorah! Harooh!  The golden era of musical theatre returns to London with a revival of 1938's Rodgers and Hart's classic musical comedy, The Boys From Syracuse, opening at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, in Highgate in September 2024.  In a three part in-depth look at the show and its solid gold score by one of the greatest songwriting teams of the twentieth century, Thos sits down with the director and the musical director to enjoy insights into how to stage a classic musical in the 21st Century, and to talk about the sparkling songs.  This week Thos talks to the lovely Mark Giesser, the director of this production, about the attraction and challenges of the piece and why the songs are so perfect.  All it takes is a whole lotta Hart!

In this special episode of MusicalTalk, host Nick Hutson takes you behind the scenes with the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT), a prestigious organisation that has been nurturing the talents of young performers for over four decades. Founded in 1976, the NYMT has a storied history of launching the careers of some of the UK's brightest stars in musical theatre.

Nick sits down with current cast members of the NYMT on the exciting day of their world premiere performance of "Catastrophe Bay" at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant. We dive into the creative process and what it means to be part of such an iconic institution. We also hear from NYMT alumnus Josh Barnett, who reflects on his time with the company and how it shaped his career.

In this delightful episode of MusicalTalk, Hannah takes us on a magical ride through her recent experience of the UK tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Torquay... but how does it compare to the original production at The London Palladium? Nick, who saw the show in its West End heyday 22 years ago, joins the conversation with his nostalgic reflections. Together, they explore the differences and whether the modern take still has that "Truly Scrumptious" appeal. 

Welcome listeners! It's so nice to hace you back where you belong! 

In this episode, Nick and Hannah dive into their first-ever experience of the classic musical, Hello Dolly, sharing their fresh and vibrant takes. But that's not all—Nick had the exclusive opportunity to attend an open rehearsal of the buzzworthy new musical, WHY AM I SO SINGLE?, brought to life by Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, the brilliant minds behind the smash hit, Six.

Get ready for an exciting journey as we bring you insightful interviews with the cast and writers, along with a sneak peek at some of the unforgettable songs from this promising new show. 

Nick and Hannah dive into the world of musical theatre, each sharing their unique experiences with two iconic shows. Hannah recounts her thrilling first-time experience of seeing the cult classic "Little Shop of Horrors" on stage during its UK tour. 

Meanwhile, Nick takes a trip down memory lane as he revisits "Starlight Express" now playing at the Troubadour Theatre, experiencing the roller-skating extravaganza for the first time in over 30 years. 

It's the last episode of our three part look at the role of melodrama in musical theatre, and today Josh joins Thos to talk about the show that explicitly takes the tropes and characters of melodrama and turns them topsy-turvy - Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, and specifically a recent production at London's home of Victorian musicals, Wilton's Music Hall.  Your eyes will be fully open...