British Theatre Guide podcast

Playwright Anya Reiss, whose first play was produced by London's Royal Court Theatre less than four years ago, talks about her adaptation of Chekhov's The Seagull, written for Southwark Playhouse and currently being revived by Manchester's Library Theatre Company. Anya talks about her original works—Spur of the Moment and The Acid Test at the Royal Court, Forty-Five Minutes for National Theatre Connections and a monologue for the Bush Theatre's Sixty-Six Books—plus her adaptations, with new versions of Chekhov's Three Sisters for Southwark and Wedekind's Spring Awakening for Headlong both about to go into rehearsal. The Seagull will be the last play directed by Chris Honer as artistic director of the Library Theatre Company. It will be performed in the Quays Theatre at The Lowry in Salford from 21 February to 8 March 2014. For more information, see www.librarytheatre.com or www.thelowry.com. (Photo of Anya Reiss by Emma Bullivant)

30 Jan 201424min

Actor and writer Deborah McAndrew, who played Angie Freeman in Coronation Street in the 1990s, talks about her latest play, An August Bank Holiday Lark, commissioned by Barrie Rutter of Northern Broadsides Theatre Company to commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War. Deborah talks about her research and writing process for this play, her 20-year association with Northern Broadsides as an actor and writer and, the week after Julie Hesmondhalgh made a high-profile exit from Coronation Street, about life and career after soap. For more information, see www.northern-broadsides.co.uk

26 Jan 201429min

London editor Philip Fisher speaks to some of the stars of Broadway and off-Broadway on his annual trip to New York's theatreland. Bryce Pinkham stars in the hit Broadway show The Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. This is a musical based on the same story as the classic Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets. He talks about his road to stardom and also the pleasure of working in a Broadway success story. Eric Tucker and Andrus Nichols are the artistic directors behind Bedlam’s four-performer double bill of Hamlet and Saint Joan playing off-Broadway at Culture Project. They discuss the company's ethos and the way in which it manages to revive classics on a shoestring, giving perspectives both as actors and part of the creative team.

9 Jan 201437min

Home Manchester is a new purpose-built arts centre that will bring together Manchester’s Cornerhouse cinema and Library Theatre Company into one organisation with shared facilities, due to open in spring 2015. BTG editor David Chadderton speaks to Walter Meierjohann, who takes over from Library Theatre Company artistic director Chris Honer, and chief executive Dave Moutrey about the new building. For more information about Home, see the official web site homemcr.org.

23 Des 201330min

The Nottingham Playhouse and Birmingham Hippodrome are two of the UK's leading pantomime powerhouses. Simon Sladen speaks to Rebecca Little of the Nottingham Playhouse's Jack and the Beanstalk and Danielle Hope, Gary Wilmot and Matt Slack of Birmingham Hippodrome's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs about their pantomime careers and this year's festive productions. Nottingham Playhouse's Jack and the Beanstalk runs from 29 November 2013 to 18 January 2014. Birmingham Hippodrome's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs from 19 December 2013 to 2 February 2014.

17 Des 201333min

Kat B and Matt Dempsey have appeared in many Hackney Empire pantomimes. The two performers speak to Simon Sladen about the pantomime rehearsal process, their love for the Hackney Empire and their roles as Puss and Tom in this year's production of Puss in Boots. Having returned to the UK after filming Mister Maker Around the World for CBeebies, Phil Gallagher speaks to Simon Sladen about his pantomime career, his love of Kent and his role as Billy Trot in this year's Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk.

11 Des 201343min

The winners of the £16,000 first prize and three judges prizes of £8,000 in the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting were announced at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester on 22 November 2013. We present some highlights of the ceremony itself, followed by a chat with winning playwright Anna Jordan and three members of the judging panel: broadcaster Dame Jenni Murray, Bruntwood chairman Michael Oglesby and Royal Exchange artistic director Sarah Frankcom.

4 Des 201326min

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his publishing house, Nick Hern talks to Philip Fisher about a career in theatre and his work with some of the greatest names in the business. For more information about Nick Hern Books, see www.nickhernbooks.co.uk.

2 Des 201320min