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In the last weeks of Opening Night, Hadley Fraser kindly sat down with us to talk about his experience with the show and to look back on some of his recent credits too. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Music, Hadley has proven himself to be one of the most versatile actors on the West End stage, taking on principal roles in both musicals and classic plays. Hadley has also worked extensively in regional theatre, championing venues like Chichester Festival Theatre, Sheffield Crucible and Manchester's Royal Exchange. During Josie Rourke's tenure at the Donmar Warehouse, he also worked closely with the Donmar team on a number of shows including Coriolanus, Saint Joan and City of Angels. The Donmar was also where he met his now-wife: Olivier nominee Rosalie Craig with whom they share a daughter. The couple still occasionally work together, most recently on a livestream of Stuart Matthew Price's Before After and we look forward to seeing the pair on stage again soon.

In this new interview, Hadley Fraser opens up about his experience as a performer and as a creative. He talks to us about his current experience of putting together Opening Night with Ivo Van Hove and discusses the importance of taking risks, even when in a difficult financial climate. He admits he was aware the show would split opinion but remained intrigued by the avant-garde director's vision of the show and shares his admiration for Wessex Grove Productions, Rufus Wainwright and Ivo Van Hove. As he prepares to take his final bows next month, he remains grateful for the time spent with this company as he looks ahead to life after Opening Night.

Opening Night runs at Gielgud Theatre until 18th May with tickets available NOW.

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Since her debut in Fiddler on the Roof, Molly Osborne has proven herself to be one of the most exciting actresses to hit the London theatre scene. Her latest role sees her playing Rosie in Stephen Unwin's Laughing Boy at Jermyn Street Theatre, based on Sara Ryan's true story of her search for justice after her son Connor died in care. Steven Unwin also directs this new show which will also include Janie Dee, Alfie Friedman and Forbes Mason in the cast. This will also the mark the first time Molly has starred in Jermyn Street Theatre having previously worked extensively at the Menier Chocoalate Factory as well as at Southwark Playhouse. Following the London run, the show will transfer to Theatre Royal, Bath where Molly will also be making her regional theatre debut.

In this new interview, Molly Osborne talks us through her career to date. Most recently, she starred in a 5 star production of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button alongside Jamie Parker. The production is due to transfer to the Ambassadors Theatre later in the year and we hear Molly reflect on her earlier roles in Fiddler on the Roof and Indecent. In a career that's only spanned 5 years, Molly Osborne has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the theatre industry, taking on strong roles that she describes as inspiring to her, and helping forge a way for emerging talent too.

Laughing Boy runs at Jermyn Street Theatre on 25 April - 31 May before transferring to Theatre Royal, Bath from 4 - 8 June.

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After bursting onto the West End musical theatre scene in 2019 as the title character in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in Laurence Connor's acclaimed revival at the London Palladium, Jac Yarrow has become one of the West End's fastest rising stars. After recently concluding a Toronto run of Joseph and a critically acclaimed run of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends in the West End, Jac Yarrow is heading to Theatre Royal, Drury Lane to lead the 50th anniversary concerts of Pippin, taking on the title role.  Joining him will be a star-studded cast that includes Tony Award winner Alex Newell as the Leading Player and Olivier Award winner Patricia Hodge as Berthe; with Hodge previously playing Catherine in the original West End production of Pippin. In the upcoming concerts, Catherine will now be played by West End star Lucie Jones, with the cast supported by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra and a 50 member choir.

In this brand new interview with Jac Yarrow, we take a deep dive into his career so far, looking back at highlights like Joseph but also At Last, It's Summer at the Palladium last year and Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella at Cadogan Hall in 2019, also with the London Musical Theatre Orchestra. During our interview, Jac also talks candidly about his experience at ArtsEd following recent allegations into bullying and misconduct at the elite drama school. Although he admits he himself didn't experience anything abusive during his time, he acknowledges that other's experience may be different and entirely valid too. As he now approaches a new challenge with Pippin, he reflects on his time so far within the industry and shares his advice for emerging and graduate performers too.

Pippin - 50th Anniversary Concert run at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 29th and 30th April. Tickets on sale NOW!

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After over a decade in theatre, Olivier nominee Anoushka Lucas has established herself as one of the most exciting acts to arrive on the scene as a musician, actress and playwright. Her latest role sees her playing Elizabeth Proctor in Arthur Miller's The Crucible at Sheffield Crucible - also her first venture into regional theatre. Most recently, her debut play Elephant played to sold out crowds at Bush Theatre and her performance as Laurey in Oklahoma! at Young Vic Theatre earned her an Olivier nomination. As we entered this conversation, Anoushka talks us through her recent career highlights and shares her gratitude for all the experiences she's had so far as a creative.

In this brand new interview with Anoushka Lucas, we hear her talk about her transition from playing ingenue roles to playing more mature roles like Elizabeth Proctor. We hear her talk about her admiration for Anthony Lau coming to the Crucible and her observations on how different audiences are in Sheffield compared to in London. After graduating from University of Oxford with a degree in Russian and Italian, Anoushka's career journey has been pretty extraordinary taking her to Regent's Park to play Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar to playing opposite Kit Harrington in Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse to now The Crucible.  It's a fascinating conversation with plenty of good humour and we can't wait to see what she does next as she shares her hopes to play more strong female roles going forwards.

The Crucible runs till 30th March at Sheffield Crucible with tickets on sale NOW.

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After dazzling audiences last year as Willy Wonka in the UK tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gareth Snook is preparing to make his Hampstead Theatre debut in April De Angelis' The Divine Mrs. S. The new play was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn prize with Gareth describing the play to us as genuinely funny and moving. In the show, audiences will see him play multiple characters including writer James Boaden and the painter Thomas Lawrence - both significant figures in Sarah Siddons' life which he show is about. The show is directed by Anna Mackin, with Rachael Stirling playing the title role of Sarah Siddons.

In our interview, Gareth Snook opens up about his experience working on big musicals and his excitement at getting to originate a role for a brand new play. We also hear him talk of his admiration for Hampstead Theatre and their continued support for new writers and new plays during such a difficult climate for the industry as a whole. As one of only 2 male actors in the show, he also tells us about his admiration for for the women he's worked with in the past as well as the brilliant actors and creatives he's working with on The Divine Mrs. S. Since starting his career, Gareth has taken on roles in some of the best known productions in the West End including The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard and Made in Dagenham so it was great to hear how much he is looking forward to performing in the gorgeously intimate space of Hampstead Theatre.

The Divine Mrs. S opens at Hampstead Theatre on 22nd March, running till 27th April with tickets on sale now!
 

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Victoria Hamilton-Barritt is one of the most acclaimed leading ladies on the West End scene today. After taking the West End by storm in the UK premiere of In The Heights, she has went on to tackle key roles in TheWild Party, Murder Ballad and Cinderella, earning Olivier award nominations for the latter two. Now, she is currently preparing to make her Charing Cross Theatre debut in the UK premiere of Bronco Billy, a musical adaptation of Clint Eastwood's 1980 Western, featuring a book by Dennis Hackin who also  wrote the screenplay. Here, audiences will get to see Victoria take on the role of Constance Lily, the wicked stepmother of Emily Benjamin's Antoinette Lily. Of course, this is not the first time Victoria has played a villain and throughout our interview, we hear her talk about her love for bringing out her naughtier side and how she goes about developing characters like Constance and the Stepmother in Cinderella.

In this brand new interview, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt shares her excitement at reuniting with Tarrin Callender after working together on The Odyssey at the National Theatre last Summer. As a long-time champion of new musicals, she tells us about the joy of getting to create a character and her passion for building comedy in an intimate venue like Charing Cross. We also hear her talk about the challenges of working in such a high pressure industry as she reflects on the juggle of being a West End performer and a mother to two young children. It's a fascinating conversation where we hear about some of the harsher realities of being a West End leading lady as well as the joys that come with the job. Indeed, Victoria happily admits to her love for playing villains and we can't wait to see what she does with Constance Lily in this new show.

Bronco Billy runs at the Charing Cross Theatre from 24 January - 7 April with tickets on sale now!

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Ahead of the opening of Exhibitionists at the new King’s Head Theatre, award winning writer Shaun McKenna sat down with us to talk about his brand new show and how it feels to have his work premiere at the theatres brand new home. After successful revival of his musical adaptation of The Lord of the Rings last year too, Shaun seems to be experiencing a new high in his career, working with many other celebrated names in the industry. In our interview, he talks to us about the joy of collaborating with Andrew Sickle on developing this comedy which he hopes will appeal not only to gay audiences but to all audiences who go to see it.

During the course of our conversation, we also hear Shaun McKenna reflect on his career. Having started out as an actor, he tells us why he left acting and pursued writing instead. Since then, he has worked as a playwright, lyricist and screenwriter. He has written both original works and adaptations and gives us a glimpse into his passion for the entertainment industry.

Exhibitionists opens at the Kings Head Theatre on 8 January and runs till 10 February!

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Olivier Award winner Elliot Levey was last at the Almeida for Nine Lessons and Carols, and before that in Three Sisters. Now, he has returned to London's top producing house in Cold War: Conor McPherson's adaptation of Pawel Pawlikowski's Oscar-nominated film. Over the course of his career, Elliot has established himself as one of the most recognised actors in British theatre. As Kaczmarek, he helps set up the story of Cold War, setting out the importance of traditional folk music in post-war Poland. Indeed, music plays a very important role in the story of Cold War and audiences are treated to a luscious score by Elvis Costello in this exciting London premiere.

In this brand new interview, Elliot Levey opens up about his career working with the likes of Rupert Goold and Elvis Costello, but he also talks about working with Mike Bartlett on Snowflake and his experience of working on unsuccessful pieces like Take Flight at the Menier Chocolate Factory. He tells us about his love for telling compelling stories and seeing audiences moved after a performance. With one of the most familiar faces on stage and screen, he remains constantly excited by new collaboration opportunities having worked with directors such as Stephen Frears, Rebecca Frecknall and even Madonna. Naturally a curious thinker, audiences continue to be delighted by his performances and it's likely we'll have more intriguing performances from him to look forward to.

Cold War runs at the Almeida Theatre until Saturday 27th January 2024.

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After winning the coveted role of Cilla Black in Bill Kenwright's tour of Cilla the Musical, Kara Lily Hayworth quickly became one of the industry's most exciting newcomers. After the tour finished, Kara took on the iconic role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret, working opposite Anita Harris and John Partridge. Over her career, Kara has also taken on the role of Maggie May in a production at Finborough Theatre and was also in Stand and Deliver at the King's Head Theatre. Most recently, she finished filming on Assassin's Guild with Stuart Brennan and is now regularly a feature guest in West End Sings... at The Crazy Coqs.

In this brand new interview, Kara Lily Hayworth looks back on her career highlights and also shares about how motherhood has changed her as a person. She talks fondly of her former co-performers and about the shows she's gotten to do so far. Kara also tells us about her hopes for the future as the industry continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic and we look forward to seeing what else she does next.

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After previously starring in the last West End revival of Oliver!, Jenny Fitzpatrick is preparing to return to Dickens' England in Leeds Playhouse's eagerly anticipated revival of the much-loved musical. Now starring as Nancy, Jenny tells us about her journey to the role having previously covered Jodie Prenger at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. This also marks the first time Jenny has returned to Leeds since her outing in Aladdin in 2010. We hear in this interview her excitement at returning to Leeds and getting the opportunity to play the pivotal role of Nancy in James Brining's reimagining of Lionel Bart's classic show.

Over the years, Jenny Fitzpatrick has played some of the most memorable roles in the West End and on tour in shows such as Tina: The Tina Turner Musical and Ghost the Musical. More recently, Jenny took on the role of Fama in the world premiere of Berlusconi the Musical at the newly opened Southwark Playhouse Elephant. In the course of interview, Jenny tells us about her love for playing challenging and complex characters. We hear her talk about the rewards of getting older in the industry - being able to bring new layers of depth to her characters dealing with difficult issues such as abuse and rejection. The upcoming revival of Oliver! will see Jenny also reunite with Chris Bennett who also featured in the West End revival of the show and we hear Jenny talk about the joy of working with the esteemed company and her hopes for what audiences will take away with them from seeing the show.

Oliver! opens at Leeds Playhouse on 24 November and runs to 27 January at Leeds Playhouse with tickets on sale now!