The WhatsOnStage Podcast

By Sarah Crompton & Alex Wood

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’... more

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FAQs about The WhatsOnStage Podcast:

How many episodes does The WhatsOnStage Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 150 episodes available.

The WhatsOnStage Podcast episodes:

August 08, 2025 Who’s getting married in the morning?
It’s wedding season and Alex is away at one of the numerous celebrations he’s been invited to this summer. Which made him and Sarah think about the way that weddings are used on stage, screen and television. As Beth Steel’s Till the Stars Come Down packs them in in the West End, they look back at plays by writers such as Lorca, Shakespeare and more surprisingly Brecht have used the conventions, tensions and hidden dramas of marriage to unpick uncomfortable truths about human nature and how sometimes a wedding ceremony will reveal more than than the bride and groom had bargained for.
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33min
August 06, 2025 Bonus episode: Rosalie Craig talks Good Night, Oscar, working alongside Sean Hayes and an actor-musician Company with Jonathan Bailey
West End star Rosalie Craig will be returning to the stage this summer to appear alongside Sean Hayes in the London transfer of Good Night, Oscar, now playing at the Barbican Theatre. We sat down to have a virtual chat about the show, why it fits the Barbican so well and how for Craig, it's something of a homecoming. Beyond that, she also pined for an actor-musician version of Company – perhaps reuniting with her former co-star, and clarinet-playing friend, Jonathan Bailey...
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31min
August 01, 2025 Has the New York Times sent shockwaves through the theatre world?
Sarah and Alex pick up the debate about the role of criticism triggered by the New York Times decision to take three critics off their customary beat. And apply the lessons to the extraordinary range of reactions to Burlesque. And Alex reports back from Jesus Christ Superstar at the Watermill and Top Hat at Chichester.

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38min
July 30, 2025 Bonus episode: How do we build theatre audiences of the future?
We checked in with Emma De Souza, executive director of audience and commercial at Society of London Theatre and the mastermind behind the long-running audience development initiative, Kids Week. The scheme provides free theatre tickets for youngsters accompanying paying adult punters – a huge move in order to encourage the audiences of the future into the West End and beyond.

Decades on from its launch, De Souza reflects on where Kids Week went so right, and why we live in unprecedented times for theatre audiences – and those who may one day build a lifelong love for all things stage. If you want to know more about how you can benefit from Kids Week, it runs until the end of August – so plenty of time to participate!
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30min
July 25, 2025 Burlesque's turbulent arrival in the West End – and directors arguing with their reviewers
Sarah is still swanning it up in bella Italia (the country, not the restaurant), so Alex has brought in TheaterMania's editor-in-chief David Gordon to comb through two big stories in theatre this week. First of all, the turbulent Burlesque the Musical has had its opening night at the Savoy Theatre, with Alex giving his verdict on the production – and whether or not the behind-the-scenes controversy was over-sensationalised. Then – David reflects on his trip to Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts - where lines from a review spark public outcry from a production's director. Can creatives respond to reviews? And how does ALL of this play into what's happening at the New York Times?
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49min
July 23, 2025 Bonus episode: Three Elphabas talk the new world of Wicked – and what the show’s legacy means
In a special midweek episode, three former Elphabas – Louise Dearman, Kerry Ellis and Rachel Tucker – come together to discuss the legacy of Wicked and the new surge in love for the franchise after the release of the hit film. The trio will be appearing together for a special concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane at the end of August, and have used this opportunity to reflect on the lasting legacy of the production, and how it set the blueprint for the modern musical – and its very devoted fanbase.
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33min
July 18, 2025 What are the hits and who are the stars of tomorrow?
As the Edinburgh Festival approaches Sarah and Alex cast their eye over the listings to see if they can pick the hottest shows and the most promising futures. Plus a WhatsOnPage bonus of their holiday reading lists.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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46min
July 16, 2025 Bonus episode: Natasha Hodgson and Alex Young go head-to-head in an Operation Mincemeat special
Alex and Sarah will be back on Friday, but in the meantime we’ve dedicated an episode to a British show that continues to conquer both sides of the Atlantic, having been crowned the 2024 Best New Musical at both the WhatsOnStage and Olivier Awards in London and receiving four Tony nominations (winning one) in New York – Operation Mincemeat. We paired up co-creator and original cast member Natasha Hodgson (now performing at the Golden Theatre in NYC) with current West End company member Alex Young, who both play the role of Ewen Montagu (and others) in the SpitLip musical comedy.
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21min
July 11, 2025 What's the point of an interval? And why are we spraying vodka backstage?
On this week's episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast, Sarah and Alex plunder the letter bag to tackle some tantalising listener questions – with subjects ranging from cleaning costumes (very topical in the ongoing heatwave!) to the importance of intervals. Finally, they take a trip down memory lane to think about productions they'd love to have seen from years gone by.

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36min
July 09, 2025 Bonus episode: What does an actor-musician musical even mean?
With Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar celebrating a lengthy summer run at the award-winning Watermill Theatre in Newbury, Alex Wood popped into the rehearsal room to find out how the show is being performed by a group of actor-musicians - transplanting the tunes and placing them slap bang in the heart of the action.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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15min

FAQs about The WhatsOnStage Podcast:

How many episodes does The WhatsOnStage Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 150 episodes available.

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