The WhatsOnStage Podcast

216. Did The Lives of Others live up to the hype? Plus Sarah has a problem with theatre programmes...

Back in the same room, Sarah and Alex chat all things Lives of Others as the glitzy West End show begins performances at the Adelphi Theatre. But does Robert Icke's adapt

215. Comedy in the West End: Hay Fever special

Nancy Carroll and Charles Edwards are starring alongside Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant in Noel Coward’s Hay Fever at Wyndham’s Theatre. Sarah went along to talk

214. Bonus episode: Michael Sheen, Rakie Ayola and Sophie Melville discuss Owain & Henry

Michael Sheen might currently be on screens running amok in a Scottish castle, but in a matter of days he'll be back on stage in an epic new Welsh play having its world p

213. The Best Plays Of The Century Part Ten: the years 2018/2019

Sarah and Alex are within touching distance of the 2020s as they continue their examination of the best plays of the century. 2018 and 2019 offer up an array of epic play

212. Bonus episode: Manchester's 2027 theatre scene just got more exciting

Today, artistic director Selina Cartmell unveiled her brand new season at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, coming hot on the heels of the 50th anniversary celebrations a

211. When does a show deserve five stars?

Finally reunited after Alex's foreign forays, Sarah runs through her tireless fortnight of reviews – featuring Rent with Gaten Matarazzo, Hay Fever with Richard E Grant a

210. Bonus episode: Phantom at 40 with Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more

On Friday night, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera turned 40 – with the event seeing a special reunion between original stars Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightma

209. Special interview: Simon Russell Beale

The great British actor is currently on stage as the great American showman Liberace. As he finished rehearsals he talked to Sarah about how to play characters with whom

208. Bonus episode: Gillian Anderson and Derren Brown bring magic to the West End

Hello WhatsOnStage Podcast listeners! With Alex freshly back from a fortnight away, he lets intrepid video expert Tom Millward sample some of his finest, starry interview

207. The Best Plays of the Century Part Nine: the years 2016/2017

Sarah and Alex continue their journey through the finest new plays of the 21st century. This episode, Harry Potter hits the stage,climate change becomes a major theme and

206. Bonus episode: Wicked's Head of Wigs Heather-Jay Ross on hair that defies gravity

Welcome to this bonus episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast, brought to you by the West End production of Wicked. Last night, Wicked celebrated its 20th anniversary at the

205. Special interview: Jonathan Groff and Fisayo Akinade

Ahead of the RSC’s all male As You Like It, Jonathan Groff and Fisayo Akinade discuss the similarities between Shakespeare and musicals, their best theatre experiences, t

204. Bonus episode: Designer Tom Scutt on having three musical revivals in the West End

What do Into the Woods, Cabaret and Jesus Christ Superstar all have in common? That's right, this year they're all being mounted in the West End, and they're all being de

203. Josh O'Connor is a hit, Ava Pickett does it again and the fate of Sunday in the Park with George

Recapping after a very busy series of trips and outings, Sarah and Alex run through the biggest openings and stories of the week: new warnings about the threat of AI to t

202. Bonus episode: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Annabel Mutale Reed on the new Martin Guerre

Martin Guerre has a devoted following amongst musical theatre fans, originally penned by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, the two creators of that little-known

201. Bonus episode: National Theatre’s 2027 season with Indhu Rubasingham 

In our bonus episode, the intrepid Tom Millward is at the National Theatre’s launch to run through their bumper 18-show 2027 season, chatting with the wonderful artistic

200. The best revivals to see out the year (Autumn preview part 2)

It’s our 200th episode! Where has the time gone! Sarah and Alex reflect on the rollercoaster ride of podcasting their way through more than two years of theatre. But ther

199. The best new work about to make a splash on UK stages (Autumn preview part 1)

September has rolled around, bringing with it overcast skies, school terms and, as you might expect, a whole lot of exciting theatre! Sarah and Alex team up for part one

198. Bonus episode: Tim Minchin on 15 years of Matilda and plans for new musicals

We're joined on this week's bonus episode by Tim Minchin, composer and lyricist of the treasured, international sensation, the RSC's Matilda the Musical. Minchin is celeb

197. The Best Plays of the Century Part Eight: the years 2014/2015

Sarah and Alex hit the mid 2010s as they continue their foray into the finest theatre works of the 21st century. This time around, a wave of well-received American plays