The WhatsOnStage Podcast

Sarah Crompton & Alex Wood

WhatsOnStage managing editor Alex Wood and chief theatre critic Sarah Crompton host a weekly podcast on all things theatrical. News, views, frank exchanges and lists offer an unmissable guide to what’s happening on stage (and in film and on television) now, in the past and in future.

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Top 10 The WhatsOnStage Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The WhatsOnStage Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The WhatsOnStage Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The WhatsOnStage Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Special guest James McArdle talks Tom Stoppard, Macbeth and how to save regional theatre

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

10/04/24 • 35 min

Sarah sits down for a wide-ranging conversation with James McArdle, currently starring in The Real Thing at the Old Vic. He talks about returning to the stage, his new film, playing opposite Saoirse Ronan as the Macbeths, what he learnt from Kate Winslet - and why an actor should always be able to make you laugh. Plus a radical idea to help regional theatre.

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Special guest Mason Alexander Park on The Tempest, The Sandman and The Emcee

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

11/15/24 • 31 min

Ahead of starring as Ariel in Jamie Lloyd's new Shakespeare production of The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Mason Alexander Park took time out of rehearsals to discuss their second West End role – the first being a fan-favourite spell as the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. They also reflect on the rollercoaster world of filming hit series The Sandman and performing in Cabaret at the same time.

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London theatre enters its tragic era

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

10/18/24 • 31 min

As Robert Icke tackles Oedipus and Alexander Zeldin reinterprets Antigone as The Other Place, Alex and Sarah talk about the ways Greek tragedies speak to our modern age - and why great actors such as Mark Strong, Lesley Manville, Emma D’Arcy and Tobias Menzies are signing up to star. Plus: And what does it all have to do with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis’ new musical?

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The wonder of Ian McKellen

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

09/20/24 • 26 min

The release of The Critic, a new film starring Ian McKellen and written by Patrick Marber prompts Sarah and Alex to discuss McKellen’s passion for theatre, the fortitude of his generation of actors - and the changing face of critics. Are they really this nasty?

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Will the West End rule over Broadway in 2025?

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

10/25/24 • 32 min

This week, Sarah and Alex turn their attention to the Great White Way – something that a whole raft of West End productions seem to be doing at the moment. With Operation Mincemeat, Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Tammy Faye set to join Sunset Boulevard and The Hills of California over in New York this Tony Awards season, all the signs are there... Closer to home, The Lion King’s 25th anniversary provided a poignant moment of reflection.

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Our favourite musical revivals

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

08/16/24 • 32 min

Finally, a reunion! Alex and Sarah are back in the same room after many weeks apart to catch up on their latest theatre outings - to the Almeida, Chichester Festival Theatre, the London Palladium, the Edinburgh Fringe and beyond. Then, down to business: the duo pick their favourite musical revivals from across the years.

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What are the unmissable shows this autumn?

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

08/30/24 • 39 min

After a summer of Scottish trips, Sarah and Alex are now back and ready for the start of the autumn. What a season to look forward to! With shows across the nation piquing their interest, here's what can't be missed for theatre fans up and down the UK over the course of the next few months – including productions in Sheffield, Leeds, Chichester, the West End and beyond.

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(ATASTTC) Food on stage - and guests for the dream dinner party

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

05/20/24 • 44 min

Nancy and Sarah discuss their attitudes to food on stage and off. Does Nancy eat before a show? Does Sarah write hungry or stuffed? And are there perilous foodstuffs that you might want to avoid on stage? Plus: who would they both invite to their dream dinner parties?

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(ATASTTC) Is British theatre in crisis?

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

02/12/24 • 33 min

As the Young Vic's Kwame Kwei-Armah becomes the latest in a list of artistic directors to announce they are leaving the theatres they have run with great enthusiasm and distinction, Nancy and Sarah discuss whether standstill funding and the effects of Covid are bringing British theatres to their knees. There are a lot of reasons to fear that Kwei-Armah is right when he warns that without government intervention, there's a danger of losing a generation of talent. But why are we so bad at valuing something that is not only an economic boon, but that also adds value to life? It's time to speak out. Plus, much praise for Beth Steele's brilliant new play Till the Stars Come Down.

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Look back in anger - or dismay?

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

10/11/24 • 30 min

Theatres at the moment are working like time machines, whisking audiences back to the 1950s as a new generation of directors explore the work of the past. Sarah and Alex explore the revivals from Look Back in Anger and Roots at the Almeida to Waiting for Godot starring Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati

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FAQ

How many episodes does The WhatsOnStage Podcast have?

The WhatsOnStage Podcast currently has 88 episodes available.

What topics does The WhatsOnStage Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Acting, Society & Culture, Journalism, Writing, Podcasts, Arts, Theatre and Performing Arts.

What is the most popular episode on The WhatsOnStage Podcast?

The episode title 'Bernadette Peters: the Broadway legend on Sondheim, solo concerts and sharing a dressing room with dames' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The WhatsOnStage Podcast?

The average episode length on The WhatsOnStage Podcast is 36 minutes.

How often are episodes of The WhatsOnStage Podcast released?

Episodes of The WhatsOnStage Podcast are typically released every 9 days, 4 hours.

When was the first episode of The WhatsOnStage Podcast?

The first episode of The WhatsOnStage Podcast was released on Apr 5, 2022.

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The WhatsOnStage Podcast

Sarah Crompton & Alex Wood

Top 10 The WhatsOnStage Podcast Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The WhatsOnStage Podcast have?

What topics does The WhatsOnStage Podcast cover?

What is the most popular episode on The WhatsOnStage Podcast?

What is the average episode length on The WhatsOnStage Podcast?

How often are episodes of The WhatsOnStage Podcast released?

When was the first episode of The WhatsOnStage Podcast?

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