British Theatre Guide podcast

Roxanne Pallett, probably still best-known for her long-running character of Jo in ITV’s Emmerdale, is currently appearing as Tyler in Neil LaBute’s Some Girls at London’s Park Theatre and in 2017 will star as Holly in a new production of The Wedding Singer, a musical based on the popular 1998 film of the same name, for a national tour. Roxanne talks to BTG editor David Chadderton about both productions in a busy year for her, and also speaks quite frankly about how tough it can be for an actor to handle the leaner times when the work isn't coming in. Some Girls by Neil LaBute runs at Park Theatre in London from 14 July to 6 August 2016. The Wedding Singer will open at Curve in Leicester on 9 February 2017 and will tour the UK until September 2017. (Photo: Roxanne Pallett at the 2015 Manchester Theatre Awards at Royal Northern College of Music, credit Simon Pendrigh.)

7 Jul 201619min

As the Nottingham Playhouse Sweet Vengeance season is announced, BTG Midlands editor Steve Orme talks to Artistic Director Giles Croft about the season, titled "Sweet Vengeance". Also, actress Vicky McClure and director Matt Aston talk about their revival of Stephen Lowe's Touched and crime writer John Harvey discusses his experiences of creating his first work for the theatre, an adaptation of his 2014 novel Darkness, Darkness featuring his jazz-loving detective Charlie Resnick.

20 Jun 201626min

Edinburgh-based Puppet State Theatre Company has become famous for its stage adaptation of Jean Giono’s The Man Who Planted Trees, which has toured the world for ten years. The company’s new production is J R R Tolkien’s short story Leaf By Niggle, performed as a solo piece by Richard Medrington, who spoke to us during the first Scottish tour of the show. Leaf By Niggle will be performed at venues around Scotland until July 2016 before a full run at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. The Man Who Planted Trees can be seen in York, Southport and Rossendale in June and July before another tour later in the year. (Photo of Richard Medrington in Leaf By Niggle by Brian Hartley)

28 Apr 201622min

York-based Pilot Theatre has collaborated with York Theatre Royal on a new adaptation of a dystopian science fiction story, The Machine Stops by E M Forster. The adaptation is by Bolton-based playwright Neil Duffield, who speaks to us about adapting science fiction for the stage, the remarkable resonances that this 1909 story has with our world of social media and the world-wide web and making a living as a playwright for more than thirty years. The Machine Stops by Neil Duffield with music by John Foxx and Benge, directed by Juliet Forster, will be performed at York Theatre Royal from 13 May to 4 June 2016 followed by a short tour to The Point in Eastleigh on 8 and 9 June and New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth on 10 and 11 June before appearing at Platform Shift + festival in Budapest from 15 to 19 June. (Image of Neil Duffield by Anthony Robling)

22 Apr 201626min

Canadian-British playwright Evan Placey's play WiLd is a collaboration with Leeds-based tutti frutti that began as an attempt to look at some of the issues around ADHD, funded by the Wellcome Trust. In this episode, Evan spoke to us from Canada, where his play Scarberia was about to open at the Young People’s Theatre in Toronto, about writing the play, his experiences working with young people with ADHD and about writing in general. WiLd opens at The Carriageworks in Leeds on 30 April 2016 and then tours to various venues in England until the beginning of July before finishing with a couple of dates at the Ennis Street Festival in Ireland. (Poster illustration by Jacky Fleming)

3 Apr 201628min

Nottingham Playhouse is part of a consortium of regional theatres across the UK that are putting disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their programming in a six-year project called Ramps on the Moon. Wheelchair user Amy Trigg is to play Laura Wingfield in Nottingham Playhouse’s production of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. In this episode, BTG Midlands Editor Steve Orme speaks to Amy along with Susannah Harker, who will play her mother Amanda in the production. The Glass Menagerie, directed by Giles Croft, runs at Nottingham Playhouse from 11 to 26 March 2016.

13 Mar 201613min

A new revival by Derby Theatre and Octagon Theatre Bolton will mark the 60th anniversary of John Osborne’s ground-breaking work Look Back in Anger. BTG Midlands Editor Steve Orme speaks to director Sarah Brigham and actor Patrick Knowles, who will play the role of Jimmy Porter, about the new production. Look Back In Anger will be at Derby Theatre from 7 to 23 March and then at Octagon Theatre in Bolton from 7 to 30 April 2016.

6 Mar 201618min

Michael Harrison is Managing Director of Qdos Entertainment and has produced a wide range of musicals with his production company Michael Harrison Productions. In this podcast episode, he speaks to Simon Sladen about Qdos's 2015 pantomime season, his love of Dames and his latest project, Mrs Henderson Presents, which recently transferred to the West End.

23 Feb 201635min