Alex has been to see Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo to bring the Wicked story to its conclusion. And Sarah has been scouring the theatre listings to find alternatives to Christmas jollity.

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With Wicked: For Good soaring into cinemas this week, editor-in-chief Alex Wood sat down with the two-part big-screen adaptation's casting directors – Bernie Telsey and Tiffany Little Canfield – to discuss how they assembled such a rich and varied ensemble for the blockbuster franchise. The duo, with a long history of casting on stage and screen, shared their proudest moments during a very protracted casting process – and how they felt watching the now-famous Jonathan Bailey dressing room audition tape. They also wax lyrical about the importance of the screen-to-stage pipeline, and how stage stars can become the biggest movie stars of a generation.

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Trailed last week in our main episode, editor-in-chief Alex Wood sits down with Alan Cumming, who has just announced a jam-packed, star-studded first season at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. He may not be taking a salary, but he isn't taking his time either – delivering a huge bill of shows with strong international names. He also discusses his time workshopping the all-male Company under the direction of John Tiffany, and what he hopes to achieve for the much-loved Scottish venue. 

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What a week Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood have had! Not only did they have a trip to Panem to sample the stage adaptation of The Hunger Games (the results left a lot to chew on), but Sarah's been down to Middle Temple Hall to celebrate a brand new initiative to help make Shakespeare more accessible in schools, courtesy of the Foyle Foundation and the RSC (with a helping hand from Helen Mirren, Adjoa Andoh and Ian McKellen). Meanwhile, Alex has been chatting all things new seasons with Alan Cumming, who just unveiled his brand new programme at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

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In this WhatsOnStage Podcast special, two of the stars of the Donmar Warehouse production of Next to Normal – Caissie Levy and Jack Wolfe – reunite as they both take on Broadway at the same time. The pair are currently starring in separate shows – Levy as Mother in the critically lauded revival of Ragtime, Wolfe in the role Orpheus in the much-loved Hadestown.

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Sarah and Alex have been watching Mr Burton, the film about Richard Burton’s early life starring Toby Jones that gets its TV on BBC on the centenary of his birth. And also Wild Genius, a documentary about this fascinating man who changed the course of acting and of celebrity. They’ve also begun to choose the most promising Christmas shows including BFG at Stratford, and Sherlock and the 12 Days of Christmas which reunites Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber

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In this bonus episode, editor-in-chief Alex Wood chats to James Hameed and Arti Shah - the two performers who sent social media into meltdown on Saturday night when the musical version of Paddington had its first preview. Alongside the creatives, Shah and Hameed details the long process required to make Paddington work - and how it has been rehearsing for such an eagerly anticipated show.

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On this bonus episode, we’re joined by one of the most prolific producers in the business – Colin Ingram. He’s the award-winning mind behind Back to the Future: The Musical, Ghost, and Grease The Musical, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of his company, Colin Ingram Limited. In our podcast he weighs in on the star casting debate, the future of the West End, his turbulent time with balloons at Les Misérables anniversary concert and what drives him onwards.  

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Luke Norris, Tilda Swinton, Gary Oldman, Ryan Calais Cameron, Robert Aramayo, John Proctor is the Villain and so much more – the Royal Court season is celebrating its 70th birthday in style. We hop into artistic director David Byrne's office to get the lowdown on his programming choices – how he's both honouring and winking at the history of this home for new writing. Plus – his experiences watching Andrew Lloyd Webber watching John Proctor is the Villain – and the moment Arthur Miller had beef with the Court...

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Sarah and Alex meet up from opposite sides of the Atlantic to discuss the latest hot news in theatre including Chris Pine’s casting in Ivanov at the Bridge Theatre, how Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are landing on Broadway in Jamie Lloyd’s Waiting for Godot and why the new stage production of The Hunger Games found itself in a lose-lose situation with its first preview

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