MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast

Join us for a chilled discussion as Nick talks to Ryan about Lizzie, horror musicals, Be More Chill and songs being cut from cast recordings!

This week Nick and John take a look at shows that take things from the past and reinvents them for the future by talking about the shows they last saw.  John talks about seeing the new production of West Side Story at the Broadway Theatre and Nick talks about seeing Back to the Future in Manchester.

Join Nick and Dom as they discuss musicals based on, or featuring elements of, Farce!  Thankfully Dom and Nick still recognise each other at the end and there are no door slams! 

Fresh from talking about the wonderful online production of Jack and the Beanstalk, Thos presents another chance to hear an in depth interview with its author and Dame Par Excellence, Peter Duncan, about his life in show business and his love for musical theatre and panto!

Join Thos and Tim as they discuss Peter Duncan’s highly enjoyable online pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk – and talk about how to capture the raucous excitement of British Pantomime in a video production, as well as unexpected visits from Gustav Holst, Thomas Nashe and William Shakespeare who all contributed to the story.  Fe Fi Fo Fun-times!

Nick, during lockdown, decided to write a mad musical celebrating the UK Theme Park Community.  Join Nick with other members of the team as they discuss this mad show - that you can watch here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PlPdZa65Z7E

The musical stars many members of the UK Theme park community but also features cameos from John Wardley and the legendary Neil Patrick Harris. 

It’s time for a celebration as MusicalTalk reaches its 700^th episode and to mark this milestone, we take you behind the scenes in a very special edition featuring those beautiful dreamers, Jonathan, David, Nick and Thos as well as a piano, a whole lot of songs and several biscuits! 

It’s time to give your kitchen equipment dirty looks as we join Thos and Colm as they look at what makes the recent revival of modern classic, Caroline, or Change, so impressive.  Whether it’s the off-beat surrealism, quiet revolution, avoidance of the obvious and a skillful use of stillness, this most unusual of musicals makes a profound impact as our presenters discover.

Adamant that Porgy and Bess is an opera?  Well, it ain’t necessarily so as Thos and Colm chat about the recent English National Opera production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess – the is-it-or-isn’t-it-an-opera opera!  With a soaring score, we look at the fusion of arias and songs, and how this monumental classic holds up in the 21^st Century. 

We start the new year with another look at 42nd Street, one of the evergreen stories of musicals – with a peek at the original 1932 novel by Bradford Ropes, an in-depth look at the recent London production with Colm and a discussion on the unusual tensions in the show itself which points it in two directions at one: a literal two way street!

It may be a reduced Christmas this year with the pandemic and lockdowns, but that’s no reason not to have a good old quiz and songfest here on MusicalTalk.  So that can only mean its our traditional MusicalTalk Crimbo Musical Theatre Quiz – a merry mix of quirky questions and superb songs compiled for your diversionary pleasure by Thos who is on totally MAD form (hint: this might be a clue).

Dom and Nick are joined by John from New York to talk about more streaming options available - such as On the 20th Century, Upon a Mattress and 42nd Street - plus whatever else takes our fancy. 

In this week’s bumper episode, we look again at Jekyll Versus Hyde, the frankly brilliant adaptation of the evergreen story by discussing the musical with its creators, Laurence Owen and Lindsay Sharman and hearing what Thos and Mike thought about its investigation into duality. There’s also a chance to hear a ten point review of the recent West End version of 42^nd Street which has been made available as a virtual show that you could watch online!

It’s time to get the geek as we join Thos and Tom as they chat some more about another Edinburgh Fringe musical theatre hit of recent years – The Toxic Avenger, a hilarious and tuneful musical adaptation of the 1984s film – and a show just packed full of stagey gags!  Warning: may contain hot toxic love!

Thos and Tom chat about two past Edinburgh Fringe comedies – Timpson the Musical, which hilariously imagines the birth of the high street favourite in a bouncy, engaging production, and also Redacted Arachnid, which is that most unusual thing – a show that’s not a musical that’s all about another show that is! 

With 2013’s epic new musical, From Here to Eternity, recently revived on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Show Must Go On website, listen to Thos and Tim as they talk about the weaknesses and strengths of the original London production, and then, following the sad death of Bobby Ball, of British comedy double act Cannon and Ball, there’s a chance to hear Ed’s 2009 interview with them both as they talk about their career and appearances in pantomime.

Colm and Thos discuss Drive By Shooting (A Street Art Opera), a brand spanking new ten minute opera that unexpectedly uses the model of the three hundred year old intermezzo they discussed last week, and then keeping it in the eighteenth century, Josh chats with Thos about a recent adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion that uses a modern model of performance but with a score from the late 1700s.  

Join Thos and Colm as they talk about The Secretary Turned CEO, a radical modern re-interpretation of Pergolesi's seminal comic opera of 1733, The Maid Turned Mistress, before Thos catches up with Danyal Dhondy, the Musical Director of the 2015 EdFringe production who talks about bringing this godparent of modern musical theatre bang up to date with a bawdy new English libretto by Becca Marriott, and his own contemporary guitar-based arrangement of the score. It’s a hoot!

Join Nick, Mike Dixon and Dominic McChesney for a fun discussion about Grease, its origins, the cut songs, the re-written songs and the songs not many people know! Hear tales from Mike's work on the Dominion Theatre production as arranger that opened in 1993 and learn how it's somewhat related to the boyfriend. 

Fancy seeing a new musical for free? Well, you’d best join Thos as he chats to Mike Shapiro about Mike’s latest show, Gideon and the Blundersnorp, and how in the absence of this year’s Hollywood Fringe, he’s taking that old film cliché, and putting on a show!  With songs and chat, and plenty of musical theatre references from Peter and the Wolf, Les Miserables and Oliver by way of Sondheim and Blood Brothers, enjoy this in-depth look at this magical new piece, including details about how you can watch its first virtual performance for free! It’s not impossible!

Return to the House of Edgar – Disinterring the Past: Having recently heard about the future of the House of Edgar, MusicalTalk’s Pick of the Fringe 2018, join Thos as he explores the history of this amazing musical in the company of two of its talented stars, Sarah Dean and Eoin McAndrew, in a laugh-filled interview recorded during the show’s run in 2018: It’s all about Edgar but it’s far from po-faced!.

Divining the Future:  Thos chats with composer Thomas F Arnold, writer of The House of Edgar, MusicalTalk’s Pick of the Fringe 2018, about the future of the show and how you develop a fringe production further. And you can also enjoy their light hearted conversation sharing their wider Edinburgh Festival Fringe experiences – and it’s not just all about the weather! 

Join Thos as he talks to the people behind this unusual and appealing original musical, featuring a live string quartet, which follows two siblings called back to their childhood home to pack up for one last time, and who find that more is unleashed than can be stored away. 

Join Thos as he talks to the creators of one of the great new musicals from the Edinburgh Fringe of the last few years, The Fear, which follows the lives of three students as they attempt to navigate their way through the ups and downs of their final year of university whilst struggling to cope with deadlines, drink and distractions. Discover how this rip-roaring musical comedy is a nostalgia ride for all those who have been through the university experience!

How do you get your showtune fix when venues are closed and performers are quarantined? Tonia and Mike discuss ways to enjoy or create musical theatre (sort of) while staying safely at home.

MusicalTalk’s Virtual Edinburgh Festival Fringe continues with an in-depth look at Sue Casson’s magnificent multi-platform song cycle about the life of one of the architects of the modern world, David Maxwell Fyfe, and how his work helped to rebuild and remodel society after the Second World War.  With stops on the way to talk about Rupert Brooke, Harry Lauder, the Western Brothers, John Buchan and so much more, it’s an uplifting story of a man and his humanity changing the world to make it a more humane place.  The human is in the telling!

MusicalTalk’s Virtual Edinburgh Festival Fringe continues with this exclusive interview with Nele Van den Broeck, star of the eponymous Nele Needs A Holiday – The Musical, the wonderful 2018 autobiographical show about trying to make it big in Britain, after already being big in Belgium.  Join Thos as he explores the creation of the show and its terrific and varied score, all orchestrated to allow a cast of three to sing with the tongues firmly in their cheeks!

Missing the 2020 Edinburgh Fringe? Then fret no longer and join us as we serve up a bumper double-length episode launching the MusicalTalk Virtual Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  Tuck into a veritable hotch-potch of songs, interviews, reviews, analysis and conversation about the shows you can see this year – online!  We’ve found over forty Edfringe musicals (and counting) you can watch on streaming video websites so come along with us over the next few weeks and months as we bring you the best in fringe fun, all from the comfort of your own living room (note: other rooms are available).

Andrew Edwards talks to Alton Towers performer Leanne Fotheringham about her new single - MY DAMAGE.  

Join Andrew Edwards as he talks to West End Leading Man - Nic Greenshields - who's performed in Les Mis, Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, The Beautiful Game, Miss Saigon and many more!

In this information-packed and trivia-full episode, listen to Colm and Thos as they try to detect the golden threads linking three very different MGM musicals – DuBarry Was A Lady, Singin’ In the Rain and I Love Melvin, three films featuring not just amazing songs and dances but also American footballs, lace cravats, trampoline beds, roller skates, stepladders - and no less than five Gene Kellys!  Dignity, always dignity!

With online musical theatre available like never before, Thos has been watching a lot of it.  And we do mean a lot!  So, in the first of an occasional series, join him as he shares what he thinks about three big London West End hits in a series of bitesize ten point reviews for 42^nd Street, Curtains and Kinky Boots!   They’re certain to sell like hot-takes! 

It’s the musical that says exactly what it is, so join Thos as he reviews this most raucous, funny, raw, political, clever and surprisingly touching show by the Graeae Theatre Company – and join in yourself as you can watch it for a limited period on Youtube!  And there’s a chance to hear again an interview with Vinnie himself, renowned actor and theatre maker, Stephen Lloyd, who explains how Reasons To Be Cheerful changed his life!  Oi oi!!

Join Thos as he revisits the film that keeps giving – Mae West’s 1977 musical, Sextette, featuring songs from 250 years of history including by Thomas Arne, the Beatles and Neil Sedaka – but is it really a triumph?  Hear Thos why he thinks it is, and there’s a chance to hear Thos and Tim talk about a previous viewing of this neglected comic musical gem!  As Mae would have observed – goodness has nothing to do with it!

Dom shares a short dedication to Dame Vera Lynn, who died today - 18th June 2020.  

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s charming “By Jeeves” recently re-introduced itself to the world via a streamed performance. Dominic McChesney and Mike Shapiro have a spirited and by no means succinct chat about the show’s history, story, and music.

Hear from SIX's musical director Katy Richardson as Nick and Mike Dixon talk about the tech in the band, the Olivier Awards and what makes SIX so special.  After that Nick talks to the writers of SIX - Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss with stories of the show's origins, Vogue, Patti LuPone and lots of other stuff in-between! 

It's a megasix of guests including six fan Ryan Nixon!

Put on your ruffled Tudor neck collar and enjoy! 

Join Nick Hutson and Andrew Edwards as they play messages from many people from the industry offering their support, advice, tips, stories and background as to how they're coping with this situation.  

Special guests include Kerry Ellis, Mike Dixon, George Stiles, Anthony Drewe, Rosemary Ashe, Kaisa Hammarlund Jake Brunger, Pippa Cleary, Katy Richardson, Chris Cox, Demitri Lampra, Victoria Lucie.

We also hear from regular MusicalTalk presenters David Herzog, Thos Ribbits, Dominic McChesney and Andrew Corcoran.

Nick hands the mic over to Maryann Wright and Estee Stimler to talk about their fundraising effort - Until the Curtains Rise. 

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on UK theatre artist’s futures, and they need our support.

Thousands of actors, writers, directors, producers, designers, technicians and administrators’ income has been eliminated, with no knowing when theatre will be back.

Until The Curtains Rise is a crowdfunding initiative, inviting you to bid on rewards generously donated by West End stars and creatives.

All money raised is administered by Acting For Others, who support theatre workers in times of need through their 14 member charities.

Together we can keep theatre alive Until the Curtains Rise. 

For more information visit www.untilthecurtainsrise.com

West End conductor and Musical Supervisor Mike Dixon joins Nick to talk about Mike's top 3 personal career highlights! Hear how Arthur Laurents, Shirley Bassey and Sir Brian May all form wonderful memories for Mike!

Thos and Tim ponder that musical theatre monolith, Hamilton, and dissect its status as the "future of musical theatre" and whether or not its cultural resonances work as well in the United Kingdom as they do in its American home.  Everyone knows it's good but will it be remembered, and how many grains of salt do you need to swallow alongside the hype?  He might be a different emperor but we come to praise Caesar, not bury him - honest!

Nick sits with Preston Nyman to discuss his upbringing in a theatrical household, revolving theatres, theme parks and why a certain little shop is so important to him!

Nick chats to David Herzog about all the wonderful streaming options being offered to us and what it could mean for the future of theatre consumption - featuring Disney+, YouTube, Digital Theatre and BroadwayHD.

David Herzog returns, this time chatting with writer and lyricist Stephen Cole (Merman's Apprentice, Casper the Friendly Musical, Goin' Hollywood, et al). Join them live from New York City as they chat about Stephen's prolific career.

David Herzog chats with theatre composer Stanley Silverman (Up from Paradise, Elephant Steps, Hotel for Criminals, et al) about his incredibly diverse career and numerous collaborations.

Nick meets SIX convert Ryan to share their thoughts on it and we talk about Back to the Future - the musical that was recently playing at the Manchester Opera House. 

Join Thos as he sits down with dynamic and talented writing duo, Jonathan Bauerfeld and Casey Kendall, to for an in-depth chat about The Twelve (also known as The Jury), one of the best new shows at 2019’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Mike and Thos sit down to talk about the three magnificent shows presented by the Royal Scottish Conservatoire last summer – perennial favourite, Legally Blonde, and two newly written musicals, Finn Anderson’s Limbo – City of Dreams, and Jonathan Bauerfeld and Casey Kendall’s Limbo – The Twelve. And learn how you can see the last of these shows as it opens in New York in a revised form as The Jury

Welcome back to the second part of our two episode look into the cult B-Musicals, Vampire Hospital Waiting Room and Apocalypse Cruise Ship Love Affair. Join Thos as he catches up with composer/writer Theo McCabe and comedy actor extraordinaire, Joe McArdle, to talk more about these smash hit shows that illustrate the full range of the deranged!  And hear more songs in the key of “what the F*** is this?

If you’re a lover of the bizarre, the absurd, the hilarious or the just downright silly, then you’re in for a treat;  Join Thos for the first of two episodes looking at Beachcomet’s Comedy B-Musicals, the cult hits Vampire Hospital Waiting Room and Apocalypse Cruise Ship Love Affair. This week we speak to Theo McCabe and Craig Methven, writers of the vampire musical to end all vampire musicals, as they put the “fun” into “funeral”.

Join Thos as he recalls the time he interviewed British cultural legend, the late Nicholas Parsons, about his performances in Into the Woods, the Rocky Horror Show, Charlie Girl and much more besides.  Hear this national treasure (Nicholas, not Thos!) share his memories of Cyd Charisse, Julia McKenzie and the dangers of roller skating on a raked stage! It’s a hugely enjoyable and anecdote-filled tribute without repetition, deviation or hesitation!

It’s tea for two with avuncular chatmates, Thos and Mike, as they look at two very different shows addressing the two very different ways that two very different couples can be portrayed in musical theatre.  The shows in question are Jekyll Vs Hyde and the Gray Cat and the Flounder – together in an episode that’s odd couples all the way, and that’s not just the hosts!

Hear from Cordelia O’Driscoll and Tom Williams, the people behind Buried, as they talk about their latest show, You and I, a touching and funny musical masterpiece about loss and robots – it’s the MusicalTalk Pick of the Fringe 2019. With Thos Ribbits and not Thos Robots.

Nick's Broadway adventure with John Sweeney continues... here they discuss Beetlejuice and Mean Girls. 

Join Nick from New York as he and John Sweeney discuss seeing Moulin Rouge and touring the radio city music hall on Broadway.

David Herzog takes us on one more trip to Pantoland as his production of "Aladdin" takes its final bow. A trip to New York is also on the horizon...

To mark the recent passing of Broadway legend - we rebroadcast the full interview we did with Jerry from episode 20 of the podcast.  Join Nick and Thos (mostly Thos) for an hour's chat with Jerry! 

Gadzooks, surely it isn’t the festive season again?  Well, yes – now you come to mention it – it certainly is! Which means it’s time for our now traditional MusicalTalk Crimbo Musical Theatre Quiz – a merry mix of quirky questions and superb songs compiled for your diversionary pleasure by Thos.  And this year it’s all about song lyrics!  Do you know your Gilbert from your Porter, your Sondheim from your Ira Gershwin?  It’s the show where you can literally take Hart!

Join David as he talks to the cast of the Blackburn Empire Theatre’s Festive Pantomime, Aladdin, in his latest fascinating audioblog!  Oh yes, he does!  And then catch Thos in conversation with Sue Ellerby, the creator of the Edinburgh Fringe Smash Hit, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Improbable New Musical – Less Miserable – a clever retelling of the perennial megamusical with songs from the Savoy Operas and a topsy turvey Gilbertian twist which makes the original…..er…..less miserable!  It’s unmodified rapture!

Mike sits down with Chris Bramante, Molly Dworsky, Branson NeJame, Kat Primeau, and Dave Reynolds — a.k.a. Robot Teammate — to discuss the Off-Broadway run of their Hollywood Fringe hit musical Pockets.

David Herzog and the rest of the cast and crew begin rehearsals for the traditional pantomime and chat backstage about characters and preparing for opening night.

Join Nick and Robert as they travel to the RSC in Stratford Upon Avon to see The Boy in the Dress - their first big new musical since Matilda opened there 10 years ago.  How does it compare?  

In this three parter episode - Nick talks to Andrew Keating about &Juliet, David Herzog gives us the first instalment of his panto blog from Aladdin and Nick talks to Jonathan Cohen about Mary Poppins! 

Join Thos as he talks to Hedda Rustad Carlsen, composer and lyricist of Enigma, a new musical which tells the unrecognised story of female code breakers in America during the Second World War.  With songs and music from the score, you’ll learn about an amazing band of unfairly forgotten women who played a significant role in one of the world’s biggest conflicts – and who had to live with the consequences.

Join Thos, Mike and Ellen for a look at student favourite, Bare – the Musical, a modern high school take on Romeo and Juliet, before Thos surveys Jason Robert Brown’s Thirteen, one of the many musicals charting the life changing transformations experienced by thirteen year olds.

Join Thos as he speaks to the people behind Paradise Lodge, the musical comedy based on writer Steve Cooper's experience of caring for his mother-in-law as she lived with dementia.  You’ll hear about accessibility in the theatre and in the community and how to take a sad subject and make it a relatable and compassionate show that creates an immediate connection with everyone.  Comes with added ukeleles!

Episode 642: BFI Musicals! The Greatest Show on Screen:  It’s an early Christmas present for all fans of the musical! As the BFI’s extended celebration of musical films begins across the United Kingdom, Thos chats to Robin Baker, the Head Curator of the BFI National Archive and programmer of the BFI Musicals Season in a wide ranging conversation full of insight and anecdotes about some of the greatest musical films ever filmed in technicolor whilst shining a light on some of the stranger and more obscure!  It’s time to put on your undulating undies with the marabou frills!

With a run of this popular Edinburgh Festival Fringe show about to open in Cambridge, Thos sits down with Laurence T-Stannard to discuss his score for this supermarket based musical comedy. And we learn about Cole Porter’s thoughts on song writing, and hear about the Frank Loesser rarity, Where’s Charley?

Nick talks to Jon Robyns about his new album - Musical Direction - as well as providing a song from the album for us all to enjoy and then we hear from Nicholas Chiappetta and Suzie Aries about a wonderful concert called West End Misfits playing at the Other Palace on the 21st October.  

Thos and Nick talk about Big, that's now playing at the Dominion Theatre, the history of Mamma Mia and also about the new immersive Mamma Mia party that's playing in London and how it all links to theme parks.  

This week Nick and Thos discuss taking an old fashioned story and telling it in a modern way as they look into SIX and then discuss how Post Modern Jukebox take modern songs and do them in old fashioned way... and how that enhances the stories behind the songs.  

Thos joins the hugely talented Laurence Owen and Lindsay Sharman to discuss their latest gothic horror comedy musical, the award winning Jekyll Versus Hyde, one of the great hits from 2019’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  With songs and anecdotes, this episode showcases the show that puts the jewel into duality!  It’s transformative!

Thos sits down with the talented and generous songwriter, Alexander S. Bermange, to discuss his stunning and brilliant show, I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical – a sharply observed and hilarious revue of songs about the glamour (and lack of it) in the lives of those in musical theatre. It’s a show that almost feels written specifically for fans of MusicalTalk!  Hear songs from the show and some of the true stories behind their writing in his insightful conversation with one of Britain’s wittiest composers.

Josephine Baker and Other Movers and Shakers:  Join Thos and Colm as they look at some more of the great shows from this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe including Legally Blonde, Vulvarine, the Perfect Opera, Josephine – the Josephine Baker Story, Limbo: The Twelve, and MusicalTalk’s Pick of the Fringe – You and I.  OMG, You Guys

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe for 2019 might be over but its memories live on.  Join Thos and Mike as they discuss four of the great shows you could have seen in Scotland this August – Sweet Charity, Shreds – A Jack The Ripper Musical, How To Use A Washing Machine and Space Junk – A Soviet Musical.  Hey Big Spender, spend a little time with us!

Join Thos as he catches up with Rebecca Perry and David Kingsmill to discuss the wonderful five star show, From Judy to Bette: the Stars of Old Hollywood, which pays tribute to Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Betty Hutton and Lucille Ball with songs aplenty!  Learn about the debt owed to such great songwriters as Irving Belin, Frank Loesser and Cole Porter and how these four fabulous women made Hollywood a better place, as well as what makes Rebecca herself a powerhouse performer.

With the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in full swing, Thos guides you through a selection of songs and interviews with the people behind some of the best musical theatre shows and revues that you can still catch!. It's the best of the Fest!

The world’s largest arts festival is back as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe hits town again – and to get you in the mood (and to help you explore some of the experience of being there yourself), Thos talks to the very talented Patrick Stockbridge, whose acutely observed revue, Ed Fringe the Musical, was one of the hits of last year.  It’s the next best thing to being there! 

With the Edinburgh Festival Fringe just about to start, Thos sits down with the man behind one of this year’s shows, David William Hughes, whose witty and splendid production, Elizabethan, is back in Edinburgh. Hear them explore how much and how  little popular music has changed over 400 years – touching on everything from lutes to Barbie Girl. And then Thos talks to the two talented people behind last year’s wonderful show, Mess, the musical which investigated the nature of a non-romantic friendship between a man and a woman.

Is theatre for everyone? And what can we do to bring down the barriers? Thos sits down with actor, singer, director and theatre creator, Stephen Lloyd to discuss the ethics of fully accessible theatre and to dissect his amazing career; from working with Ray Davies from the Kinks on Come Dancing, starring in the Ian Dury musical, Reasons to be Cheerful, and helping to launch the 2012 London Paralympics, it’s an episode literally worth popping the champagne for!

Dom talks about Nebular Tuesday with its composer Stephen Bull.  We hear about its journey from its concept album days to where it is now and how Stephen plans to move it forward.  

www.mojocams.co.uk 

Nick and Antonia discuss Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that is now playing at the world famous London Palladium. 

Nick, Antonia and Jonathan head to the opening of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged Thirteen and Three Quarters - at the Ambassador's Theatre in London.  

Hear why it's the best British musical of the year... 

Nick also talks to co-lyricist and book writer Jake Brunger and Rosemary Ashe - who played Grandma in the show.  

With Six the Musical storming to success, it’s time to look at a musical about perhaps the greatest of all the Tudor queens, Elizabeth the First herself, in her own rollicking and rumbustious show called, appropriately enough, Liz.  Join Thos as he sits down with the writers to discuss musical theatre, history, taste, humour and “ruff trade” before chatting to the creatives behind an entirely different show, last summer’s excellent Edinburgh Fringe offering, 89 Nights - a British musical with an American context. [note: this episode may contain the heart and stomach of a king!]

This week Nick talks to Robert Gordon about Mary Poppins Returns and Maggie May and then David Herzog chats with old friend Richard Meek who's currently touring in "Annie" as Rooster alongside Craig Revel Horwood's Miss Hannigan.

Join Nick and Rachael as they discuss Only Fools and Horses - which is currently packing 'em in at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and then Nick and Jonathan Cohen discuss Amelie - which is touring the UK! 

https://onlyfoolsmusical.com

http://ameliethemusical.com

Join Nick as he talks to Marisha Wallace about Waitress as we hear from new cast members Ashley Roberts and Lucie Jones before they make their way into the show - and then we hear from Charlotte - who runs www.talkstageytome.com to discuss the new film of Disney's Aladdin. 

As Mike Shapiro’s hugely entertaining new musical, The Bully Problem, premieres at the prestigious Hollywood Fringe in June, Thos chats with Mike about the genesis and development of this witty new show; you’ll hear about everything from robots, fundraising, hairline fractures, Swedish professors and that titan of modern musical Theatre, Stephen Schwartz – and course four amazing songs from the show itself! 

Michael Gordon Shapiro continues coverage of the Hollywood Fringe with a chat with Laura Wiley, a multi-faceted entertainer and producer of musical parodies.

Michael Gordon Shapiro begins a series of interviews exploring creative life at the Hollywood Fringe and chats with festival co-founder Ben Hill and musical theatre director Janet Miller.

It’s time for songs, stories and insights into the life, works and legacy of Stephen Foster, in the second part of our look into the life of this mid Victorian American song writing giant. And once again, you can enjoy the some more of his best works in brand new recordings featuring Jonathan on piano and David singing – but no banjo on their knees!

In a special two part edition of MusicalTalk, join Jonathan, David, Nick and Thos as the look at the life, works and legacy of Stephen Foster, the father of the popular song and godfather of musical theatre.  And in a special treat, hear some of his best songs in brand new recordings featuring Jonathan on piano and David singing.  It’s a real treat and will make your doo-dah doo-dah day!

Nick has never seen Fiddler on the Roof - so he and Dom went off to the Playhouse Theatre to see the Trevor Nunn directed production from the Menier Chocolate Factory starring Andy Nyman and Judy Kuhn.  Heat their thoughts...

Nick talks to Jon Robyns and Hugh Wooldridge about the massive celebration of rock musicals coming up on May 12th to the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith - The best of Rock Musicals.  

David Herzog talks to Blake Klein from Pint of Wine Theatre about "Queen of the Mist," a Michael John LaChuisa musical about the first person to successfully go over Niagara Falls in a barrel in 1901 and Michael Shapiro provides another instalment of his development diary of The Bully Problem. 

Antonia sits with Nick to discuss the 2019 Olivier Awards along with mourning Crazy Ex Girlfriend's departure from the airwaves.  We also hear the next instalment in Mike Shapiro's development audio diary for his musical - The Bully Problem. 

Join Nick and Andrew as they share their thoughts on Waitress - playing at the Adelphi Theatre and also hear the first entry in a developer diary from Mike Shapiro on his musical: The Bully Problem.

In the second of a two part run, David Herzog chats to…well, practically everyone involved…about the wonderful new pieces of musical theatre writing presented by the RCA at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Legacy Series - A Mother’s Song and The Book of Names. So cross the Atlantic and enjoy this enthusiastic and insightful episode about two inspiring shows.

In the first of a two part run, Thos and Michael Gordon Shapiro cast an impressed eye (or four) over the excellent annual presentations by the amazing Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  In particular, they have a lively and forensic discussion about the RCS’s three 2018 offerings – the Scottish Premiere of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and the fabulous pieces of thematically linked new musical theatre writing, Legacy – A Mother’s Song and Legacy – The Book of Names.  A legacy to be proud of!

In this special episode of MusicalTalk - Nick talk to old presenter and composer Andy Abrams and Carrie Hope Fletcher about Andy's musical of BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER that was recently showcased at The Other Palace MT Fest.  

We then hear from David and April Herzog's discussion with Demitri Lampra who is playing Don in the UK Tour of Kinky Boots.  

Talk about old friends and new! 

Join Thos and Colm as they talk about what it takes actually to put on a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – a real insider’s view of the nuts and bolts of what’s involved.  And hear about six shows you could have seen, including (ironically) the smash hit, Six – the girl band musical about the wives of Henry VIII – where you take the ruff with the smooth!

This week we revisit Come From Away as Nick chats to the cast members - and those whom the cast members portrayed - at a press event for the musical held at the beautiful Canadian Embassy in London.  Hear from Rachel Tucker, Mary Doherty, Cat Simmons, Clive Carter and the show's composing and lyricist team Irene Sankoff and David Hein.  

Come From Away is playing at the Pheonix Theatre in London.  

It’s a bumper episode discussing six very different shows, featuring five songs, with four guests, and three musicals about to open in two different cities, hosted by the one and only (at least, we hope there’s only one) Thos!  Learn about an innovative production of fringe-favourite, Ordinary Days, as well as two brand new shows, the Limit and Botox or Bust, all opening very shortly in March - and enjoy song after song after song (after song after song) in this tune filled fiesta! 

Nick chats to Chris Hocking - principal of The Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, West London about the school's history, heritage and vision.  

Following that - Nick and Rachael talk about Come From Away - now playing at London's Pheonix Theatre.  

Episode 605: Propping Up the Barnum.

What a year it’s been for PT Barnum!  With a blockbuster musical film about his life, The Greatest Showman, and a London revival of the original 1980 Cy Coleman musical show, Barnum, his enviable show business legend lives on. But did the London production walk the tightrope between success and failure?  Join Thos and Colm to find out more and see if they give it a (Tom) thumbs up or (Tom) thumb their nose!

Nick and Rachael talk about the reaction that the news that Les Miserables is to change forever has caused amongst theatre fans and why they think it's not a bad thing... 

They then talk about why Everybody's Talking abut Jamie didn't live up to the hype for them and then end the discussion talking about the UK Tour of West End singer - Ramin Karimloo. 

Nick, Antonia and Mike sit down to discuss their thoughts on the Mary Poppins sequel. 

Nick and Antonia discuss the massive amount of shows coming to London and beyond in 2019.  2019 promises to be an exciting year - with new shows such as Only Fools and Horses, Dear Evan Hansen and the returns of classics such as Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Doo-daa.  

David Herzog returns to bring us belated holiday cheer from the cast of "Cinderella" at Venue Cymru in North Wales. Hold David's terrified American hand as he embarks into the popular British world that is pantomime.

It’s very rarely we get so many presenters in one place - but in the summer of 2018 - we managed it! In this episode there two different conversations stemmed from two very simple questions.  What’re you listening to and What’s a groundbreaking show? This opens up a menagerie of musical merriment!  Join Nick, Antonia, Thos, Dom, Jonathan and Mike for this very entertaining stroll! Bring your top hat and cane! 

Nick joins Rachael - to discuss a slew of musicals they saw toward the end of 2018 including Wicked, Matilda, Phantom of the Opera, Bat out Of Hell, Heathers and Fanatical - whilst gently skimming the surface of Lord of the Rings.

Rachael also talks about Tanz Der Vampire - which she saw recently in Germany.  What went wrong with the English version of the musical?  Much, apparently.  

Apparently, it’s Christmas time - so to mark the event, here’s the now obligatory and much despised MusicalTalk festive quiz – a merry mix of quirky questions and superb songs, all helpfully hosted by that professional halfwit, Thos. It’s a star studded, tuneful little oasis of musical fun in an otherwise miserable world!  Just sayin’!

2018 saw lots of musicals open in London that explored very modern themes - so, in no order, join Antonia and Nick as they discuss Chess, Hamilton, Bring it On, Chicago, The Band, Bat out of Hell, Strictly Ballroom, Everybody’s Talking about Jamie, The King and I, Tina Turner, Fanatical, Little Shop of Horrors, Heathers, The Grinning Man, Caroline or Change, Spamilton, Company, Seussical, Nativity, Fun Home, Fiddler on the Roof and many more! Whilst touching gently upon Mary Poppins 2, Mamma Mia 2 and Randy Rainbow in just to cheer us all up!   And will Tonia ever see The Greatest Showman….?? This episode contains strong language. 

Nick recently shocked Tonia with news that he would be re-visiting Phantom of the Opera for the first time in over 15 years.  Listen to hear his thoughts, how it compares to Love Never Dies and what Tonia has to say about the minor flaws with the operatic accuracy the show has. 

The lovely David Herzog leads you a conversational journey through this summer's  Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a series of chats, interviews and songs as he meets the people who worked on Bark! the Musical and Chwedl, Fairytales from Wales.  And there's a most unusual conversation with a goat in a (probably) unique podcasting first!

Thos sits down with the incredibly talented Eliza Jackson to discuss her one woman show, The Voice Behind the Stars, about the life and career of the amazing Marni Nixon. In this fascinating discussion, Thos gets to marvel at the idea of speaking to the voice behind The Voice Behind the Stars - and we hear a
short archive extract from Marni herself!

Missing this year's EdinburghFestival Fringe?  Of course you are, even if you didn't get a chance to visit!  But worry not, for Thos and Mike recorded a wide ranging conversation about just a handful of the shows they saw and loved at the
Fringe this year.  Hear all about the magnificent Thor and Loki, Three
Cheers for Maisy, A Gallant Life, Liz and the MusicalTalk Pick of the Fringe
2018, the House of Edgar. Add a few clowns, a few songs and discussions on
the use of bad taste and what makes a family show and you've got a bumper
episode to enjoy!

As the centenary of the Armistice is marked, Thos looks back at Oh What A Lovely War, the best-known First World War musical that didn’t come out of the war! Take a trip into the MusicalTalk archive as Thos dusts down previous excerpts of conversations, reviews and interviews about this amazing show that showed that musical theatre could change public perceptions.

With the centenary of the end of the First World War looming, Thos sits down with Professor Michael Williams of the University of Southampton to revisit Ivor Novello's evergreen anthem, Keep the Home Fires Burning; they discuss the song’s immediate and enduring appeal, and look at how it was marketed in America in 1917 when the USA joined the war. So turn the dark clouds inside out as the song comes home to its rightful place in the heart of the commemorations of the centenary of the Armistice.  

The MusicalTalk Pick of the Fringe 2018:  MusicalTalk continues its odyssey into the best of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for 2018 with this funny and playful interview with two of the stars of The House of Edgar, Eoin McAndrew and Sarah Dean.  In this bumper episode, you’ll get insights into the craft of acting and how different roles demand different approaches, as well as hear songs from this intense and impressive score. A wonderful conversation about a wonderful show!

In this week's episode - Nick shares his thoughts on Company now playing at the Gielgud Theatre and Michael Gordon Shapiro talks to Thomas F Arnold and Ben Philipp about their musical - The House Of Edgar - that was this year's Pick of the Fringe.  

Episode 588: A Gallant Life is a historically-inspired musical about the career of Muriel Thompson, a racecar champion from the early days of automobiles who went on to drive ambulances for the Allied forces in WW1. Deep in the heart of the Edinburgh Fringe, Mike Shapiro chats with show author/director Kate Stephenson and cast member Jessy Roberts.

Nick, Robert and Olaf sit down to re-visit The Rink and Little Shop of Horrors - two musicals that create a different area whilst written in the 1980s!  They then discuss The King and I, directorial choices all whilst relating it back to audience attitudes over the last 60 years. 

In this week's episode - Mike Shapiro (on his recent trip to the UK) joined Antonia to see Everybody's Talking About Jamie - playing at the Apollo Theatre in London).

Is Hamilton the second-coming of musical theatre as so many people claim it to be or is it a bit flawed beneath the surface? 

Whatever your views on the piece may be - it certainly has its positive but there may be some negatives there too. 

Listen to find out...

What do you think?  Let us know!  

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To mark the launch of the amazing Quentin Dentin Show original cast album, Thos talks to the people behind the recording - writer, Henry Carpenter, and music producer, Paul Garred, one of the founding members of the Kooks, about “directing” a recording and making it a work of art in its own right. It’s a fabulous in-depth conversation with two of the most exciting talents in current British musical theatre today.  Music to your ears!

Thos joins Luke Lane, the star of the brand new Quentin Dentin Show original cast album on making a musical theatre recording.  Learn how it differs from a stage show and is a production in its own right as well as the different approach an actor has to make when recording a show score without an audience present. A musical masterclass!

Cast albums are such a big part of most musical theatre fans’ lives, so what better way to celebrate the launch of the Quentin Dentin Show original cast album than an in-depth look at how they come about.  In the first of a three episode series, we talk to star of the new album, Luke Lane, on his career and how he became the eponymous character in this most exciting of new British musicals in an hour of bottled charisma!  

As avid fans of Little Shop of Horrors, it was a pleasure to be able to interview the three mysterious chorus girls (played beautifully by Reneé Lamb, Christina Modestou and Seyi Omooba) and hear their thoughts on playing the roles in this amazingly unique setting amongst the trees and plants of the open air theatre in Regent's Park! Nick then discusses the show with Andrew and it didn't disappoint!  What happens when a musical famous for puppetry does away with for a majority of it? Find out! Remember - don't feed your plants! Andrew also touches briefly on seeing the Muppets' stage show at the O2... but it's all linked!

David Herzog gives us the step-by-step and blow-by-blow account of bringing his new show, Chwedl – Fairytales from Wales, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in this fascinating collection of audio blogs that give you a sense of what goes into putting on a show.  With excerpts from the development process, and interviews with the people behind the show, it’s a unusual insight into the creative process and a must for all devotees of musical theatre! And Thos gives you his run down of recommendations of must see shows you can still catch at the Fringe.  A constellation of star studded musical shows!

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Thos sits down with Rebecca Humphries to discuss her award winning five-star musical show, Prom Kween, “a riotous musical theatre piece” which is a coming of age story loosely based on real life events - and all set around an American High School.

How could it ever not be a musical?

Remember, jazz hands and sequins are sometimes just not optional!

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 gets underway, MusicalTalk starts its traditional and extensive coverage of just some of the musicals you can see there. In this episode, Thos talks to Colm Molloy about World in Progress, David discusses Chwedl – Fairytales from Wales, and we welcome the return of The House of Edgar: three totally different but thoroughly engaging kinds of musical offering. With interviews, musical clips and song, this bumper edition is just a taster of what you can see at the Fringe right now!

Tonia shares her thoughts on the Mamma Mia sequel with Nick.

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It’s songs galore today as MusicalTalk looks at three very different shows in this bumper episode. Thos chats to the remarkably talented John Hinton about his barnstorming, showstopper of a musical, the Ensonglopedia of Science, and David speaks to Luke Montague about his sensitive new World War Two show, The Silence Between Us. And there’s a chance to hear the latest instalment of David Herzog’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 show blog. And what’s more, you’ll learn something strange about the octopus that Ringo Starr never mentioned...

Thos sits down with Leoe Mercer and Stephen Hyde, fresh from their success with the Marriage of Kim K, to talk about their latest work, Guy – A New Musical, currently on at the Menier Theatre’s new studio space, the Bunker, and about to go on a tour of the Country.  Enjoy an honest and wide-ranging conversation about “keeping it real”, poetry versus lyrics, live music or pre-recorded scores, the divergence of musicals from pop, and whether the two can ever be bridged again, and a whole lot more. It’s “sometimes sexy, always real” - except Thos, of course

Would you Adam and Eve it? Could it be possible for one of the greatest poems in the English Language, John Milton’s Paradise Lost – the story of the Garden of Eden - to be converted in a new rock musical based on the template of a 1960s Elvis musical film?  You bet your blue suede shoes it could!  Join Thos as he sits down with Simon Indelicate and Francesca Brook to talk about their new musical, Paradise Rocks, where Elvis meets Milton, in a playful and fun conversation full of jokes, obscure references and lots and lots of Starlight Express! It might just be the Devil in Disguise!

Join Nick and Dom for a whirlwind discussion involving lots of random shows and topics - including On The 20th Century, Girl Crazy, The Woman in White (and Black), Billy Elliot, I had a Ball, Annie, Annie 2, Two By Two and others - all whilst trying to link things back to fairgrounds and theme parks!

Is the ENO and the Coliseum being used to its full potential? Chess is currently playing at the ENO so Nick shares his thoughts on seeing the show for the first time with Robert and then he and Antonia talk about the state of the ENO and The London Coliseum when it comes to staging musicals, what works and what doesn’t and what the problems may be.

Continuing our look back at ten years of MusicalTalk, we revisit an episode released in June 2009 where Nick interviewed Miranda Sings; the famous YouTube (and now Netflix) delusional star! This interview caused a bit of an outrage because Nick was not very kind to Miranda! All part of the fun, though!

MusicalTalk's first ever Vidcast with illusionist Paul Kieve and Nick Hutson.