Episodes

  • 183. Bonus episode: Hamilton's Thomas Kail on directing Moana and stage legend Frances Ruffelle discusses I Can Die Too

    183. Bonus episode: Hamilton's Thomas Kail on directing Moana and stage legend Frances Ruffelle discusses I Can Die Too
    Jul 9 2026
    An interview double bill to end the week! Our main episode ran early to coincide with the barnstorming Palladium production of Jesus Christ Superstar at The London Palladium, but we had to wrap up the week with something special. Firstly, you can hear award-winning director Thomas Kail discuss his work on the live-action version of Moana, now sailing into cinemas across the world. We also ask Kail if he'd ever give Hamilton the same treatment... secondly, we head to Pitlochry Festival Theatre where stage legend Frances Ruffelle is premiering I Can Die Too, a brand new play with music co-created with Alan Cumming and Sally George. Ruffelle unpacks the fascinating, metatheatrical new work.

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    37 mins
  • 182. Jesus Christ Supersized + Sarah talks Pride

    182. Jesus Christ Supersized + Sarah talks Pride
    Jul 7 2026
    What's the buzz? Our main episode has landed a few days early to coincide with the opening night of Jesus Christ Superstar at The London Palladium! Sarah and Alex discuss Sam Ryder's performance and the show's ability to awe on the largest stages. Elsewhere, it was a big, bold, exciting opening for Pride at the National Theatre, while Sarah and Alex mull over big news stories from the NT, RSC and Bridge.

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    34 mins
  • 181. Russell Tovey in The Guilty, art by actors, and memories of Tom Stoppard

    181. Russell Tovey in The Guilty, art by actors, and memories of Tom Stoppard
    Jul 2 2026
    Actress Nancy Carroll returns to the podcast while Alex Wood takes a break. She and Sarah talk about their theatre outings to The Guilty at the Donmar Warehouse and Springwood with Robert Lindsay at Hampstead and the MAMA (Many Actors Make Art) exhibition Nancy is organising. Plus as a theatre is named the Stoppard, Nancy reveals his favourite thing in rehearsals - and why Arcadia is a perfect play.

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    32 mins
  • 180. Bonus episode: It's A Midsummer Night's Hot Mess as we bring the heat in a two-parter

    180. Bonus episode: It's A Midsummer Night's Hot Mess as we bring the heat in a two-parter
    Jun 30 2026
    Welcome to this bonus episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast! In a double bill, we head first to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre to hear from three of the cast members of A Midsummer Night's Dream – Jenny Rainsford, Terique Jarrett and Mary Malone. The trio explain why Shakespeare's comedy is such a tried-and-tested hit at the beautiful outdoor venue. Secondly, we hop to The Other Palace for the return of hit musical Hot Mess, which is currently celebrating a well-received second and expanded run at the central London venue.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    44 mins
  • 179. The Best Plays Of The Century Part Six: the years 2010/11

    179. The Best Plays Of The Century Part Six: the years 2010/11
    Jun 25 2026
    We've hit the 2010s! Sarah and Alex continue their odyssey through the top plays of the century, which in this episode has two central themes: plays about climate catastrophe and the gargantuan success of the Royal Court under Dominic Cooke. At the same time, playwrights like Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Alice Birch are entering the mix... while Laura Wade correctly predicts Partygate a decade early. And James Corden brings some cheer with One Man, Two Guvnors.

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    56 mins
  • 178. Bonus episode: RSC's former artistic director Gregory Doran on Venus and Adonis + new book Walking Shadow

    178. Bonus episode: RSC's former artistic director Gregory Doran on Venus and Adonis + new book Walking Shadow
    Jun 24 2026
    Gregory Doran stops by on this bonus episode to discuss his production of Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis, performed by puppetry and narrated by Simon Russell Beale. As part of the chat, Doran also dives into the prompts behind his new book Walking Shadow, based on diary entries and experiences following the death of his husband, the legendary actor Antony Sher.

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    40 mins
  • 177. The art of naming theatres, and will Paddington work on Broadway

    177. The art of naming theatres, and will Paddington work on Broadway
    Jun 18 2026
    Awards season may be over but the theatre news does not slow down! James Graham is back with a brand new play landing direct in the West End, while news from New York sees that indomitable bear Paddington making its furry way to Broadway. Also - Judi Dench will have a theatre named after her, and there's great news from the Bush as part of its 2026 season. Plus, Sarah mulls over what she thinks of the Traitors being turned into a five-part-cycle stage play experience.

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    45 mins
  • 176. Bonus episode: How The Traitors will work on stage

    176. Bonus episode: How The Traitors will work on stage
    Jun 16 2026
    In this bonus episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast, Alex sits down with Stephen Lambert, one of the masterminds behind the hit TV series The Traitors, as well as writer John Finnemore and director Rob Hastie, who explain how exactly they plan to bring The Traitors to the stage – in a multi-show experience like nothing else seen in the West End.

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    22 mins