Podcasts about Bush Theatre

Miranda Raison is perhaps best known as Jo Portman in BBC's Spooks. Miranda has most recently been seen leading Britbox's hit show Sister Boniface Mysteries which she returns for series 4 in 2025. Next up she is leading David Hare's new play Grace Pervades as Ellen opposite Ralph Fiennes at the Theatre Royal Bath in June 2025. Grace Pervades tells the extraordinary story of Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, the greatest stars of the Victorian stage. Miranda has an extensive theatre CV having played the title role in Anne Boleyn at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to great critical acclaim as well as Hermione in The Winter's Tale opposite Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench at the Garrick Theatre. Further credits include Strangers on a Train at the Gielgund, The River at the Royal Court and The Physicists at The Bush Theatre. Other noteworthy film and television credits include HBO's Warrior as series regular Nellie, Netflix/Studio Canals' Spotless, Sky 1's Safe Space with Clive Davies Fox's, 24: Live Another Day opposite Yvonne Strahovski and Kiefer Sutherland, Netflix' Vexed opposite Lucy Punch and Toby Stephens, BBC's Silk opposite Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones, Murder on the Orient Express with Judi Dench and Johnny Depp, Breathe and My Week with Marilyn opposite Eddie Redmayne and Emma Watson .Miranda Raison is our guest in episode 497 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things she'd like to put in a time capsule; four she'd like to preserve and one she'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Buy tickets for Grace Pervades with Miranda and Ralph Fiennes at the Theatre Royal Bath - https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/events/grace-pervades .Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Walker MasonEver since I can remember I've been able to see music as colours when I listen to music or compose a song. I've since learned that this condition is called synaesthesia and people often refer to it as “my superpower”.I always felt my happiest and most fulfilled when I was singing or writing music so it felt natural to make it my career path. I've never wanted to do anything else as a job and am very lucky that I've been able to live my dream, pursuing music through school, my undergraduate degree then a masters in songwriting before starting my career as a freelance songwriter, musical director and vocal coach.During my career, I've performed all over the world, coached hundreds of singers from beginners to west end performers, run an artist management company and worked extensively in my community to encourage different generations to bond through the arts. For this, I was crowned Freelancer Of The Year and Woman of the Year. Throughout my life, I've struggled with my mental health and when my children were born I was diagnosed with postnatal depression. After recovering I set up Lyrical Light as a songwriting workshop for those struggling with their mental health after becoming parents. It's a real honour to be able to help people through music.My work now encompasses both of these aspects from co-writing and songwriting, working as a Maternal Mental Health Ambassador and with parents who are suffering from Post-Natal Depression. Eloise Hodder is the HE Programme Co-ordinator for BA (Hons) Performing Arts - Acting at University Centre Weston (UCW). Eloise delivers on the BA Hons degree in Performing Arts which is validated by Bath Spa University.  Eloise also works as a guest lecturer and examiner both nationally and internationally encompassing a range of institutions from The Brit School, to consultant Actor/Director at L'Ecole d'Architecture Universite de Montreal. Eloise trained as an actor and holds BA (Hons) from Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Franchise University of South Wales) and has a Postgraduate Diploma from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Applied Theatre specialising in Directing. Eloise is also a member of Royal Academy of Dance and the Institute for Learning. Eloise is an actor, director, interdisciplinary performer and educator. She has worked as the director/creator of Trapped (Donmar and Endeavour), received the Jack Petchey Youth Community Project Award for Delicate Rose tour and has been nominated for a Royal Television Society Award for Gannin' Yem. Eloise has been an Education Associate for the Donmar, Bush Theatre and Michael Grandage Theatre Company.

Faith is an actor and writer who trained at Central School of Speech and Drama and has already had an incredible career since graduating. She recently won the Alfred Fagon Award, which is a leading theatre prize for black playwrights for her play Kaleidoscopic. She was nominated for her show stealing performance in Standing at the Sky's Edge as Joy both in Sheffield and the National Theatre in London. She was called “the heart of the play” by WhatsOnStage and “outstanding” by The Telegraph. Her debut play My Father's Fable enjoyed a successful run at the Bush Theatre last summer receiving brilliant reviews. A play about a girl called Peace who's visited by her half-brother in Nigeria Bolu whom she didn't know existed. Despite her mother's protests she invites him into her home and a knot of truths begins to unravel. I was lucky enough to see it and it is without a doubt one of the best plays I've seen. In addition her work as an actor includes:Theatre:King Lear, Almeida Theatre, 2024, dir. Yaël FarberStanding at the Sky's EdgeRichard IITwelfth Night, Royal ExchangeTV:We Are Lady Parts, Series 1 and 2EndeavourRadio:157 Years with AfonicaFaith discusses her work in Standing at the Sky's Edge, King Lear and writing My Father's Fable. From creating characters as an actor to creating them for the stage she shares her journey of creating worlds from both professions, the rewards as well as the challenges. If you ever get the chance to see some of Faith's work get yourself a ticket, she is a master at what she does!Oliver GowerSpotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261Instagram: @goweroliverFor enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.comPlease Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️

Claire is an actor who holds a degree in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh and an MA from the recently closed drama school ALRA in London.  Claire has worked extensively across Film, TV and stage at places such as, The Bush Theatre, The Park Theatre and Trafalgar Studios to name a few. As well as in the ever-present classic Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.  For screen she recently wrapped on an adaptation of one of her favourite books, Grief Is The Thing With Feathers alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. More details on that to follow in the new year.  She also has made appearances in a number of short films, including the very successful picture called The Date starring alongside Miriam O'Brien. A beautiful film about two women finding love in the modern world of dating apps. It received several nominations across short film festivals and circuits, and won a Jury Award in 2019 for Best Director for Emmalie El Fadl.  Check it out on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKdxA8cOYtc Claire is also the owner and founder of her own company Friends With Shakespeare. A company dedicated to helping people get to grips with Shakespeare's plays and language. Whilst also teaming up with West End productions to inspire people to perform Shakespeare's plays alongside some of the best in the business. Recently they've collaborated with Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma fresh from their international tour of Macbeth and in 2025 they're running workshops with the cast of The Bridge Theatre's production of Richard II starring Jonathan Bailey (Bridgeton).  More information on those workshops and how to get involved can be found on the website here: friendswithshakespeare.com Claire discusses her time on The Date, how she found her love of Shakespeare, furthermore discusses her work with The Theatrical Guild. A charity dedicated to supporting backstage and front of house staff with grants and financial grants. As well as counselling, welfare advice and any other service to those who need it. They run a series of talks, one recently with Claire's friend James Norton, check out their Instagram to know more: @thetheatricalguild  Please Like, Download and Subscribe ✍️ Oliver Gower Spotlight Link: https://www.spotlight.com/9097-9058-5261 Instagram: @goweroliver For enquiries and requests: olliegower10@gmail.com

Today Elaine chats with Isley Lynn and Libby Rodliffe the co-writers and performer of Jobsworth. We chat the inspiration for the show, shame around debt and our lack of honestly when it comes to finical maters, the comedy of bad bosses and we have a great laugh. Jobsworth - Pleasence Courtyard - Upstairs Dates: 31st July - 26th AUGUST (not 14th) @ 1.45 pm Tickets available here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/jobsworth Jobsworth Bea's secretly working three full-time jobs. All at the same time. And she's still financially f*cked. Between looking after luxury flats and dogsitting the world's ugliest pooch, she's neck-deep in employers and it's only a matter of time until someone finds out she's breaking all her contracts. Armed with nothing but her smarmiest boss' dirty secret, can Bea get herself out of the red and into the black (and into the fit intern's bed)? Or will the plates she's been spinning come crashing down around her and her dysfunctional family? A riotous comedy about snakes and surviving capitalism. Libby Rodliffe Libby trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Theatre credits include: JOBSWORTH (Vault Festival), Skin a Cat (Assembly Rooms: Edinburgh Fringe & UK Tour), Who Are We Now? (Southwark Playhouse), Trapped (Cockpit Theatre), Mr Kolpert (Lion & Unicorn Theatre). TV credits include: Best Interests, Call the Midwife and His Dark Materials (BBC). Feature film credits include: Spencer (Komplizen) and Big Boys Don't Cry (Six from Eight). Isley Lynn Isley is an American-born, London-based playwright and poet. Their play THE GLUE opened at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and transferred to the Young Vic this year.They won the ‘Most Promising Playwright Award' at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2023 for their play THE SWELL, which opened to great acclaim at the Orange Tree Theatre and received a 2024 Olivier Awards nomination for Outstanding achievement in affiliate theatre, as well as being nominated for Best New Play, Best Director and Best Production at the 2023 Offies. Isley's play SKIN A CAT played at The Bunker as their premiere production in 2016. It was nominated for four Off West End Awards, including Best New Play. It was originally performed as part of the Vault Festival in London in January 2016, and was awarded ‘Pick Of The Year' by the festival. It was picked up by Playground Entertainment for TV adaptation.Isley is currently under commission to Vicky Graham Productions, Chichester Festival Theatre, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, and is writing a new musical with Emmy The Great and Tom Hughes. They are a graduate of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme (2012), the Royal Court Invitation Studio Group (2013), the Soho Theatre Young Company from 2011-2012, and The Bush Theatre's Emerging Writers' Group. HIPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

The Final part with Gurkiran Kaur as we discuss Kundalini Yoga, South Asian work in UK theatre, voice and dialect coaching andddd of course GAMES! Topics Breakdown: Approach and pathway into Gurkiran's Voice/ Dialect Coaching. How does your practice challenge or Better you work as an actor? And do you feel like you have a balance of it sometimes? Even from a sustainable perspective?  Transparent conversations around programming, better script work or craft work from directors, writer to actors and do you voice that?  Rapid Response Questions:  A tip on being financial savvy? Go back to any role or project what would it be and why? And if you were asked to do a part 2/ expansion of it- input  A great thing about being an artist in today's social, cultural and economical and a challenging thing about it?  Getting into the role- auditioning or when you have booked the job? And how to let go or sepearate yourself from it? A thing you would like someone to take away with them having met you for a brief second or known you for a long time? Your Favourite thing about yourself either as a creative or person and something you feel is a challenge and are working on? A thing you would like to impart somebody but you never got told ? Words to your mirror self today? 3 things the creative culture could do with and or without? 3 artists really admire their journey or would suggest in checking out their work ? Your thoughts on the entertainment culture or theatre culture in general and a thing you would challenge the industry on? Sippa Chai or Play with Rai- Segmented Games Round. What the Chai- 30 second rant about anything and everything however you must start or end your rant with the phrase "What the Chai?" Joyfulness- What's one thing that makes Zachary joyful and whats one thing he does for others that makes them feel joyful.  Notes:  Artists/Organisations mentioned: Bush Theatre, Milli Bhatia and Lung Theatre.  To subscribe to Patreon and become a Patron/ supporter of Chai with Rai.  Social: Myself: https://www.instagram.com/chaiwithrai_/ & https://twitter.com/chaiwithrai_ & https://www.tiktok.com/@chaiwithrai Guest : https://www.instagram.com/gurkirank/ & https://x.com/gurkirank?lang=en-GB  Links: Myself: https://www.raimuitfum.com/chaiwithraihomepage & https://linktr.ee/chaiwithrai_  Guest: https://www.gurkirankaur.com/ & https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5019164/ Hope you all enjoyed it and Thank you for tuning in. To Subscribe, share, follow my work and everything else is listed above.  

Richie Brave and guests discuss Hurricane Beryl and West End play Shifters.With the news of devastation caused in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, what more can we do as a community to help those who need it most? Broadcaster and journalist Sinai Fleary will be giving Richie a rundown on the latest developments. Community activist Saskia M De Silva will also be joining the show to talk about some of the community initiatives taking place. And with Bush Theatre's smash hit play Shifters starring Tosin Cole opening in the West End in August, writer Benedict Lombe and star Heather Agyepong join Richie to talk about finding soulmates and making meaningful connections.

With just over a week to go until the UK heads to the polls for the general election, what's the situation for women voters in Northern Ireland? BBC Northern Ireland political correspondent Jayne McCormack joins Nuala McGovern to discuss what political candidates there are offering women.Days ahead of a UN summit on Afghanistan, which is set to exclude Afghan women, reports are surfacing from teenage girls and young women arrested by the Taliban for wearing 'bad hijab' that they have been subjected to sexual violence and assault in detention. Zarghuna Kargar joins Nuala.The term ‘matrescence' has been around since the 70s, but it's only recently becoming more commonly known as a concept. It describes the process of becoming a new mother, and the emotional and physical changes you go through after the birth of your child. But then how should we talk about the experience of matrescence when your kids are teenagers, you're in mid-life and you start the menopause? The parenting expert and childcare author Sarah Ockwell-Smith has a name for that – inspired by a Greek goddess, she calls it ‘demetrescence' and she explains all to Nuala.Faith Omole is best known as an actress but now she's well on the way to be know at least as well for her writing too. Last week her first performed play, My Father's Fable, premiered at Bush Theatre in London. It tells a gripping story of grief, belonging, and a family on the edge. And in a BBC first, Radio 3's Georgia Mann will be at Glastonbury this year. She is opening the Crow's Nest stage on Friday, spinning classical tunes in a DJ set. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss how she has selected the music for her set and how prepared she is for camping.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Laura Northedge

"Set in the heart of Victorian London, The Negro of the Abyss reimagines the infamous Jack the Ripper murders from the perspective of Jane Doe, a forgotten black woman whose story unveils the harrowing truths of racial and social injustice." The Negro of The Abyss, brought to you by Sierra Echo Productions! Written & Directed by Nifty Noel Audio Production by Maləək Dapaah STARRING Emma Naomi as JANE DOE Melissa Amer as POLLY Richard McIver as JACK LONDON David Binder as JACK THE RIPPER/POLICE OFFICER Thank you to: Bush Theatre & Pirate Studios Music provided by: mountlandlass Rest for the Wicked

Grabbed a cuppa with the talented Ra'eesah to discuss her writing process for "38%" an audio story for the series Symphonies of Beaded Threads. We also discussed her unique voice as an artist, organisational make up of the theatre industry and of course poetry.  Also, with this I conclude the series of discussing BTS stuff and more with the writers behind Symphonies of Beaded Threads. I hope you enjoyed it and more to come!  About Ra'eesah:  Ra'eesah is a multifaceted creative using the mediums of theatre, film, music and spoken word to tell stories, bring people together and effect positive change. She has performed on stage as an actor and singer at the Bush Theatre as well as with The Old Vic/Neon Arts.  She has produced projects such as The Self-Expression Sessions, a series of spoken word poetry workshops open to people of all ages and abilities, to increase accessibility to the arts and build community through creativity and culture. Further projects Ra'eesah has produced on include Licence to DV8 at the Royal Albert Hall and arts festivals at Almeida Theatre and London Bubble, focusing on outreach. She is a trustee of the Roundhouse and WEST Youth Zone and has contributed to several other organisations including Old Vic Theatre and A New Direction through youth advisory. To Listen to Ra'eesah's story CLICK HERE.  To subscribe to Patreon and become a Patron/ supporter of Chai with Rai.  Social: Myself: https://www.instagram.com/chaiwithrai_/ & https://twitter.com/chaiwithrai_ & https://www.tiktok.com/@chaiwithrai Guest: https://www.instagram.com/ra.eesahh/ , https://twitter.com/Ra_eesahh & https://app.spotlight.com/3812-7862-7993 Links: Myself: https://www.raimuitfum.com/chaiwithraihomepage & https://linktr.ee/chaiwithrai_  Hope you all enjoyed it and Thank you for tuning in. To Subscribe, share, follow my work and everything else is listed above.    

The incredible soul that is Yasmine Dankwah sat down and discussed her process of storytelling, YouTube rabbit holes and of course Spoken word vs poetry.  Here is the link to Yasmine's short story titled "An Epic: as told by my grandma's photo album " for Symphonies of Beaded Threads  About Yasmine:  Yasmine Dankwah is a British-Ghanaian spoken word artist and writer based in South London. She is interested in exploring how resistance in the form of identity-based discrimination can act as a springboard for joy in live performance by using music, spoken word poetry and lyricism. She is currently an artist on Boundless Theatre's Accelerator programme and part of the Emerging Writer's Group at the Bush Theatre. Last year, she became a recipient of the Francis Chagrin award and was featured on BBC Radio London for her audio play I Used To Know H.I.M, which was commissioned by Chronic Insanity Theatre. To subscribe to Patreon  and become a Patron/ supporter of Chai with Rai.  Social: Myself: https://www.instagram.com/chaiwithrai_/ & https://twitter.com/chaiwithrai_ & https://www.tiktok.com/@chaiwithrai Guest: https://www.instagram.com/yasminedankwah/ & https://twitter.com/yasmined77?lang=en  Links: Myself: https://www.raimuitfum.com/chaiwithraihomepage & https://linktr.ee/chaiwithrai_  Hope you all enjoyed it and Thank you for tuning in. To Subscribe, share, follow my work and everything else is listed above.  

Not only is Heather a screen and theatre actress, she's a major rising star of British photography. She's been interviewed by The National Portrait Gallery, The Independent, Digital Spy, Tatler and BBC News. Her screen work includes BBC's This is Going to Hurt and Prime's The Power. And her theatre career includes the Lyric's School Girls or the African Mean Girls Play, the National Theatre's Sankara and, most recently, the Bush Theatre's Shifters. She's featured in galleries around the world and won prizes such as the London Emerging Photographer Award and the Jerwood Foundation New Work Fund. Arts Council England recently acquired a number of pieces from her latest collection 'ego death'. She's a Nikon Ambassador for Europe. She has also given lectures at the Tate Modern, Somerset House, The British Library, Southbank Centre, The Centre for British Photography, The London Art Fair, Jerwood Space, The Photo Vogue Festival and Amherst College. Heather has a BSc in Applied Psychology and an MA in Photography & Urban Cultures too. More on her site. Find Heather on Instagram too.

Britain has passed a law that removes almost all rights from people escaping violence, torture and starvation who want to settle in the UK. Those claiming asylum in what was once ‘great' Britain will now supposedly be put on planes and sent to Rwanda which the UK Supreme Court defined as unsafe. The new law passed by cruel cowards declares that Rwanda is actually safe regardless of evidence - it is the legal equivalent of declaring black to be white.I don't usually write about politics on my Substack but this morning it feels almost impossible to not comment or express some emotion at what has happened.A couple of years ago I saw a play at The Bush Theatre in West London that continues to affect me emotionally and politically. The P Word is written by Waleed Akhtar and tells the story of two men of Pakistani heritage who are in Britain under very different circumstances. Bilal (known as Billy) has lived in the UK all his life whereas Zafar is seeking asylum in the country due to homophobic beatings he suffered in Pakistan. The play shows the heartless and arbitrary nature of the UK Immigration system and how it is a complete waste of money and resources with refugees unable to work and decisions made to deport people in secret and without giving opportunities for legal representation As I say in the review this play shines a light on some very dark places that 99% of the UK population would be completely shocked by if they were aware of them. The P Word rightly won an Olivier Award in 2022. It deserves another theatre run now because it is an excellent play and shows us all the power of art to raise awareness through emotional storytelling.Interview with Waleed AkhtarThe JasonWard Creative Substack is for readers like you. I really appreciate your time spent here and invite you to support my work by taking out a subscription. A paid subscription gives you access to exclusive content plus the entire archive of over 100 articles, reviews, interviews, podcasts and playlists all full of creative insight designed to help you develop your creative projects and practise. Get full access to The Jason Ward Creative Substack at jasonwardcreative.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode we opening with The Hills of California and onto the exhilarating energy of Red Pitch. Join us for a thought-provoking journey through identity and extremism in Foam, and don't miss our exclusive chat with Tarrin Calendar, the star of the thrilling musical Bronco Billy. 

After over a decade in theatre, Olivier nominee Anoushka Lucas has established herself as one of the most exciting acts to arrive on the scene as a musician, actress and playwright. Her latest role sees her playing Elizabeth Proctor in Arthur Miller's The Crucible at Sheffield Crucible - also her first venture into regional theatre. Most recently, her debut play Elephant played to sold out crowds at Bush Theatre and her performance as Laurey in Oklahoma! at Young Vic Theatre earned her an Olivier nomination. As we entered this conversation, Anoushka talks us through her recent career highlights and shares her gratitude for all the experiences she's had so far as a creative.In this brand new interview with Anoushka Lucas, we hear her talk about her transition from playing ingenue roles to playing more mature roles like Elizabeth Proctor. We hear her talk about her admiration for Anthony Lau coming to the Crucible and her observations on how different audiences are in Sheffield compared to in London. After graduating from University of Oxford with a degree in Russian and Italian, Anoushka's career journey has been pretty extraordinary taking her to Regent's Park to play Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar to playing opposite Kit Harrington in Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse to now The Crucible.  It's a fascinating conversation with plenty of good humour and we can't wait to see what she does next as she shares her hopes to play more strong female roles going forwards.The Crucible runs till 30th March at Sheffield Crucible with tickets on sale NOW.

Does what we eat have an impact on our mood and memory? And should we be thinking about brain health when we make diet choices? Claudia Hammond speaks to Dr Ellen Smith from Northumbria University about the latest food supplement taking TikTok by storm; Lion's Mane mushrooms. We are used to foods being promoted for their physical health benefits, but this one is being claimed to reduce brain fog, improve memory and fend off Alzheimer's disease. Claudia asks what the science says and discusses with studio guest Dr Sarah King from the University of Sussex whether and what we should be eating to boost our cognition. And Claudia's off to see a new play; This Might Not Be It is currently on at the Bush Theatre, London. It tells the story of two administrators in an NHS mental health clinic and addresses the challenge of staying optimistic in a system that is struggling. Claudia is accompanied by mental health campaigner James Downs, and speaks to the writer of the play, Sophia Chetin-Leuner. Studio guest Sarah King discusses why drama is so powerful in helping us connect with people's stories. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire Studio Manager: Tim Heffer Editor: Holly Squire

Halfway there and today's story from the series Symphonies of Beaded of Threads is titled "38%" by Ra'eesah. The Transcript of the piece can be found HERE.   If you would like to Donate to this project and a live event which I will be holding soon for the public in a very well known space in Central London CLICK HERE.  About Ra'eesah:  Ra'eesah is a multifaceted creative using the mediums of theatre, film, music and spoken word to tell stories, bring people together and effect positive change. She has performed on stage as an actor and singer at the Bush Theatre as well as with The Old Vic/Neon Arts.  She has produced projects such as The Self-Expression Sessions, a series of spoken word poetry workshops open to people of all ages and abilities, to increase accessibility to the arts and build community through creativity and culture. Further projects Ra'eesah has produced on include Licence to DV8 at the Royal Albert Hall and arts festivals at Almeida Theatre and London Bubble, focusing on outreach. She is a trustee of the Roundhouse and WEST Youth Zone and has contributed to several other organisations including Old Vic Theatre and A New Direction through youth advisory. To subscribe to Patreon  (listen to the audio version of without ads or intro/outro ) and become a Patron/ supporter of Chai with Rai.  Social: Myself: https://www.instagram.com/chaiwithrai_/ & https://twitter.com/chaiwithrai_ & https://www.tiktok.com/@chaiwithrai Guest: https://www.instagram.com/ra.eesahh/ , https://twitter.com/Ra_eesahh & https://app.spotlight.com/3812-7862-7993 Links: Myself: https://www.raimuitfum.com/chaiwithraihomepage & https://linktr.ee/chaiwithrai_  Hope you all enjoyed it and Thank you for tuning in. To Subscribe, share, follow my work and everything else is listed above.  

“As if people who aren't trans can't take something from our experiences and our stories. Well, we've been watching cis people tell stories forever, and we still take stuff from stories because we're all human beings.” - Mika Onyx Johnson The arts have always played a powerful role in influencing public perception. That's why it matters what stories we decide to tell, and who we choose to tell these stories. Stars of stage and screen Felix Mufti and Mika Onyx Johnson share their thoughts about what genuine inclusivity looks like, as well as the value of funding regional theatre projects, and the joys of working on smaller-scale productions. Felix and Mika's word of the day is OWNERSHIP Watch along with this episode here  About our contributors: Felix Mufti is a scouse activist, performer, writer and chaos-causer who loves to tell his unhinged life stories through rhythm n' rap inspired spoken word, poetry, prose and music. With a passion for many forms of activism, due to his own lived experience, Felix's heart lies deepest with his fellow Queer communities. He is an key organiser for Trans Pride Liverpool, Transgender Day of Remembrance and is the Trans Rep for Socialist LGBT+ Network. He is also a lecturer and workshop facilitator for companies, charities, community groups providing expert insight into how Queerness and allowing it flourish can positively influence industries, community and society. Felix co-founded Transcend Theatre where he writes and performs in authentic, usually unexplored stories of trans experience. His sell-out shows: ACE funded play and his debut, How to Kill a Rose was rated 4/5 stars by North West End and his following project Be Gay, Do Crime, blew the roof off the Shakespeare North Playhouse. Felix's professional credits include: Sex Education (Netflix); When All Is Said (Fuel) which he also wrote and Transpose: Joy (Barbican). Mika Onyx Johnson is an actor, writer and performance artist from Nottingham. His debut show, Pink Lemonade, previewed at the Gate Theatre before premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, where it was included in The Stage's 18 best shows of the Fringe. In 2021 Pink Lemonade debuted at the Bush Theatre, to rave reviews. The show is currently being developed for TV with Balloon Entertainment. Theatre includes: As You Like It (Shakespeare's Globe), The Seagull (Harold Pinter), Cyrano de Bergerac (Playhouse, Harold Pinter, Glasgow Theatre Royal and BAM – NYC), Pink Lemonade (Bush); Dear Elizabeth (Gate); Michael X (Almeida). Television includes: Newark, Newark; Screw; The Girlfriend Experience. Writing includes: What It Feels Like For A Girl (BBC); My White Best Friend (Bunker); Pink Lemonade (Bush); Queer Upstairs (Royal Court); I'm Here (Pentabus). You can find our list of resources here #AnthemsTalks is a collection of intimate conversations between pairs of trailblazers, activists and creatives in honour of Transgender Awareness Week. It was Executive Produced by Bea Duncan, with Production from Talia Augustidis and Lucy Carr, video production from Thunder Video, video editing by Eleanore Bamber and Sound Engineering by Ben Williams. The artwork is by Eleanore Bamber and Mars West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Danny Bailey recently starred as Thought 5 in the London production of A Strange Loop at the Barbican Centre.Some of Danny's theatre credits include Hair, South Pacific, The Lion King, Motown, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Jesus Christ Superstar and Girl from the North Country. He played multiple roles to huge acclaim in the original West End cast of Get Up Stand Up.  Danny is also a writer, artist, journalist, speaker, activist, digital content producer, filmmaker and more. He founded The Palace Of The Dogs which started out as an online magazine and has evolved into a full out multi-disciplinary arts collective.Danny's documentary Black Exodus was screened at the V&A, his play Pressure just had an unrehearsed reading at the Bush Theatre and he has many other projects underway.  In this episode Danny discusses his path into theatre, being an activist before it was 'cool', what fuels his creativity and lots more.  Follow Danny on Instagram: @itsdannybwoi and visit The Palace of The Dogs  www.thepalaceofthedogs.co.ukHosted by Andrew Tomlins  @AndrewTomlins32  Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  

West End stalwart Jenna Russell joins us to discuss her star role Flowers for Mrs Harris.Jenna tells us about her close relationship with late composer Stephen Sondheim, her journey into the arts when her parents struggled with money, memories of Guys & Dolls and Sunday in the Park.In this week's reviews, Nick Curtis and Nancy Durrant discuss Penelope Skinner's Lyonesse at the Harold Pinter Theatre - and mull on why Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James signed up for the show.Our second review features The Confessions at the National Theatre, which despite closing on November 4, we felt deserved dissecting on the podcast.We discuss the announcement of the Donmar Warehouse's Macbeth use of headphones and 3D stereo sound for a more ‘immersive' audience experience. The cast will include David Tennant, as Macbeth, and Cush Jumbo, as Lady Macbeth.You can also hear about Elephant at the Bush Theatre and Meetings at the Orange Tree Theatre.Following on from our last episode, we'd love to hear about the food-based stage shows that left you salivating. Get in touch via our email theatrepod@standard.co.uk! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is Uzma Hasan, a producer known for bringing subversive stories to global audiences.  Her first feature as producer was THE INFIDEL, starring Omid Djalili, David Baddiel and Archie Panjabi.  Her latest feature film CREATURE - directed by Academy-Award winner Asif Kapadia - is a ground-breaking, genre-busting collaboration with Lawrence Olivier Award winning choreographer Akram Khan and sees the English National Ballet perform a story inspired by the play Woyzeck.  Uzma is currently Interim CEO of Ffilm Cymru Wales, the development agency for film in Wales, having stepped down from its board to take up the role. Additionally, Uzma is Chair of the Bush Theatre, home for new writing and talent. She was previously a non-executive director on the board of Channel 4 and a trustee of Bird's Eye View, a non-profit that campaigns for gender equality in film. We talk about the world event that prompted her pivot into the film industry, her first job working with director Mira Nair, producing CREATURE during lockdown and how it inspired a different way of working, what good leadership means to her, redefining success and many, many more juicy topics - it was a really engaging and thoughtful conversation from my perspective, that I really enjoyed having so I hope you enjoy listening. 

Episode 067: Red Pitch by Tyrell Williams Host: Douglas Schatz Guests: Tyrell Williams and Daniel Bailey Welcome to The Play Podcast where we explore the greatest new and classic plays. Each episode we choose a single play to talk about in depth with our expert guest. We'll discuss the play's origins, its themes, characters, structure and impact. For us the play is the thing. Tyrell William's award-winning, debut play Red Pitch is set on an inner-city fottball ptich in South London. It is a coming-of-age story, with teenage boys fighting to believe in their dreams, and to find a way up, and perhaps out, of their changing community. The play premiered at the Bush Theatre in London in February 2002, winning several awards, and is currently enjoying a sell-out revival at the Bush. Tyrell Williams, and the show's director, Daniel Bailey, join me to explore this joyful and poignant new play.

Actor Paul Bazely joins us to talk about The Father and the Assassin, at the National Theatre. He tells us about the challenges of playing one of the 20th century's most recognisable figures, Mahatma Gandhi.Our reviews this week are God of Carnage at the Lyric Hammersmith, and Red Pitch, starring Sex Education's Kedar Williams-Stirling, at the Bush Theatre.Plus, how will the National Theatre celebrate its 60th in October? And what we know about The Devil Wears Prada the musical, which is coming to the West End in 2024.Keep up to date all the time and read our latest reviews and news here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this weeks ep of FNI Wrapchat Paul Webster got to chat with the talaented Director of "Ballywalter" Prasanna Puwanarajah, Ballywalter is in Irish Cinemas from the 22nd of September. A bitter-sweet comedy drama set in Ballywalter, Northern Ireland. Patrick Kielty (RTE's new Late Late Show host) is deeply touching in director Prasanna Puwanarajah's debut feature. Ballywalter, opened at the Belfast Film Festival in 2022. It subsequently played at the Cork International Film Festival 2023, CIFF23 Solas Nua in Washington DC (where it won the Audience Award), and the Galway Film Fleadh 2023. Releasing in UK and Irish cinemas on 22nd September 2023, the film was written by Stacey Gregg, stars Seána Kerslake and Patrick Kielty, and was produced by Empire Street Productions (BFI, Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen).  Prasanna, Jed Mercurio and Rachel Clarke recently adapted Rachel's COVID-19 pandemic memoir Breathtaking for ITV, which wrapped filming earlier in 2023. Prasanna and Jed are also developing an adaptation of their 2021 graphic novel Sleeper. Prasanna's debut play Nightwatchman premiered at the National Theatre in 2011, where he has also worked as an actor. He directed Moth at the HighTide Festival, and at the Bush Theatre, where it was a TimeOut Critics' Choice in the summer of 2013. In 2019 he directed Venice Preserved at the Royal Shakespeare Company. His production of The Reluctant Fundamentalist was nominated for The Carol Tambor Award and the Amnesty International Freedom of Expressions Award at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe, with lead actor Akshay Sharan winning The Stage Debut Award. Eileen (Seana Kerslake) is a caustic, unrepentant university drop-out whose dreams of a successful life in London have fallen by the wayside. Back at home with her mum, she makes ends meet by working as an unlicensed driver in her ex-boyfriend's minicab. Shane (Patrick Kielty) has exiled himself in Ballywalter following the break-up of his marriage, but now he's trying to get his life back on track by enrolling in a stand-up comedy course. When Shane calls a taxi to get him to his classes, Eileen answers and a surprising connection is made. As the two spend time together shuttling back and forth, a beautiful friendship develops, leading them both to a moment of realisation. Shane reintegrates, and Eileen makes peace with herself and who she really is. Finally, she can stop running and just drive. Ballywalter is a life-affirming story about the unexpected connections that can change the course of our lives. We're proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland. And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat. Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/ GET YOUR TICKET FOR FNI FAST FEST THIS OCT 20TH TO 22ND. https://wearefni.com/fastfest/ Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI. FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios Check out Film Network Ireland at https://wearefni.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland https://twitter.com/fni_film

On this weeks ep of FNI Wrapchat Paul Webster got to chat with the talaented Director of "Ballywalter" Prasanna Puwanarajah, Ballywalter is in Irish Cinemas from the 22nd of September. A bitter-sweet comedy drama set in Ballywalter, Northern Ireland. Patrick Kielty (RTE's new Late Late Show host) is deeply touching in director Prasanna Puwanarajah's debut feature. Ballywalter, opened at the Belfast Film Festival in 2022. It subsequently played at the Cork International Film Festival 2023, CIFF23 Solas Nua in Washington DC (where it won the Audience Award), and the Galway Film Fleadh 2023. Releasing in UK and Irish cinemas on 22nd September 2023, the film was written by Stacey Gregg, stars Seána Kerslake and Patrick Kielty, and was produced by Empire Street Productions (BFI, Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen).  Prasanna, Jed Mercurio and Rachel Clarke recently adapted Rachel's COVID-19 pandemic memoir Breathtaking for ITV, which wrapped filming earlier in 2023. Prasanna and Jed are also developing an adaptation of their 2021 graphic novel Sleeper. Prasanna's debut play Nightwatchman premiered at the National Theatre in 2011, where he has also worked as an actor. He directed Moth at the HighTide Festival, and at the Bush Theatre, where it was a TimeOut Critics' Choice in the summer of 2013. In 2019 he directed Venice Preserved at the Royal Shakespeare Company. His production of The Reluctant Fundamentalist was nominated for The Carol Tambor Award and the Amnesty International Freedom of Expressions Award at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe, with lead actor Akshay Sharan winning The Stage Debut Award. Eileen (Seana Kerslake) is a caustic, unrepentant university drop-out whose dreams of a successful life in London have fallen by the wayside. Back at home with her mum, she makes ends meet by working as an unlicensed driver in her ex-boyfriend's minicab. Shane (Patrick Kielty) has exiled himself in Ballywalter following the break-up of his marriage, but now he's trying to get his life back on track by enrolling in a stand-up comedy course. When Shane calls a taxi to get him to his classes, Eileen answers and a surprising connection is made. As the two spend time together shuttling back and forth, a beautiful friendship develops, leading them both to a moment of realisation. Shane reintegrates, and Eileen makes peace with herself and who she really is. Finally, she can stop running and just drive. Ballywalter is a life-affirming story about the unexpected connections that can change the course of our lives. We're proud to support Minding Creative Minds here at Film Network Ireland. And will regularly be supporting their good work and will run an advert on our podcasts to raise awareness of their support structures on Wrapchat. Please visit https://mindingcreativeminds.ie/what-we-do/ GET YOUR TICKET FOR FNI FAST FEST THIS OCT 20TH TO 22ND. https://wearefni.com/fastfest/ Moreover, If you enjoy our podcast and events why not deep dive into our back catalogue and pop over to support us on buymeacoffe.com/fni and become a member, to get the most out of FNI. FNI Wrapchat is Produced by PBL, @paulbutlerlennox Paul Webster @paulwebsterfilms and Edited and Mixed by Mark Monks @mark_monks99 in the heart of Dublin City Centre at the Podcast Studios. @thepodcaststudios Check out Film Network Ireland at https://wearefni.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/filmnetworkireland https://twitter.com/fni_film Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Angela Barnes was brought up on comedy. She and her dad Derek would go to stand-up shows together and when they listened to comedians on the radio he would say “Why don't you have a go at that?, Angela. Why don't you give comedy a try?”. For a long time, she felt she couldn't. But when Derek died suddenly at the age of 60 Angela remembered his words and today she appears on the very shows she used to listen to with her dad. The National Poet of Wales, Hanan Issa, has that wonderful advantage of being able to see the world via a bi-cultural lens; she's Welsh-Iraqi. Hanan's also a filmmaker and scriptwriter and her monologue 'With Her Back Straight' was performed as part of The Hijabi Monologues at the Bush Theatre in London and she worked on the much loved and lauded Channel 4 comedy series We Are Lady Parts. If you watch Britain's Got Talent, the chances are you saw Richard Essien introduce himself as the street magician Magical Bones. His shows combine magic, illusions and street-dance culture and before he fully committed to his magic career, he was a hip-hop dancer working with huge music acts; form The Black-Eyed Peas to Alicia Keys and even private events for Madonna. All that plus The Inheritance Tracks of comedian Lou Sanders - and we join Jason Williams ...In Nature. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay Producer: Ben Mitchell

Eddie Izzard joins us to talk about her new one-woman adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel Great Expectations and how the show borrows heavily from her stand-up. Eddie talks preparations for another one-woman show, this time Hamlet, and about holding open rehearsals around Britain this year.We review SplitLip Theatre's raucous Second World War musical Operation Mincemeat, at the Fortune Theatre in the heart of London's West End, as well as Sir Lenny Henry's play August in England which is inspired by the Windrush Scandal. That's on now at the Bush Theatre and is co-directed by Lynette Linton and Daniel Bailey.Plus, what's happened in theatre this week? We talk about the great news that Cush Jumbo is joining David Tennant in the Donmar Warehouse's Macbeth, and the not-so-great news of quite how much it can cost to rent accommodation during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.You can hear our chat with the cast and creators of Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical here, and our interview with Sir Lenny Henry and Lynette Linton for August in England here.Find all our reviews at standard.co.uk/theatre.© Music used by Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical and Sony Music CG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Lenny Henry's new one man show - August in England gives an insight into the lives impacted by the Windrush scandal. In 2017, thousands of legal residents who arrived from Commonwealth countries from the late 1940s to early 1970s were misclassified as illegal immigrants and were wrongly detained, deported and denied legal rights. Their experience inspired Sir Lenny Henry to write and perform his very first one man show from the perspective of August, a grocer and father based in the West Midlands in England, who faces deportation from a country he has lived in for the past 52 years. Presenter Vishva Samani follows Sir Lenny as he prepares for his exciting playwriting debut at The Bush Theatre in London.

Sir Lenny Henry is making his debut as a playwright for the stage with August in England, a one-man drama about the Windrush scandal. Tom Sutcliffe meets Lenny to discuss his move from stage to page and back again, as he takes on the title role of August at The Bush Theatre in London. 50 years ago, after the Chinese invasion of Tibet, the ancient Tashi Lhunpo Monastery relocated to South India, where the exiled monks are dedicated to maintaining the culture and religion of their homeland. Simon Broughton reports from the monastery where he meets some of the monks about to tour the UK performing ritual dance and music. At the Gutor festival he witnesses elaborate masked dances and hears the awe-inspiring sound of Tibetan trumpets - four metres long. Can books ever be sustainable? How can publishing reach net zero? Children's author Piers Torday, Chair of the Society of Authors' Sustainability Committee, and commercial publishing veteran Amanda Ridout, CEO of Boldwood Books and Chair of the Independent Publishing Guild's Sustainability Group discuss the challenges of making the book industry greener. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Harry Parker

Emily Aboud believes that art needs to be political. Whether in its critique of power or its provocation of joy and laughter, art must help move us towards freedom. Her cabaret-play, Splintered, gathers the first person experiences of 12 queer women in Trinidad and Tobago and weaves together these experiences to show how queer women living under threat of homophobic violence manage to cultivate and nurture intimacy, joy and resistance together. Emily says she made an explicit and intentional decision to avoid centring the trauma queer women know so well, deciding instead to let laughter, irreverence and satire act as the vehicle for a necessary critique of what post-colonial countries and cultures decide to hold onto. We explore Emily's complicated feelings about carnival, her adoration of the mythic shapeshifter Lagahoo, and her challenge to what she calls the false binary between art and science. Emily says art and science are asking the same question in two distinct but connected ways and we discuss how Splintered is evidence of her scientific approach to theatre-making. About Emily Aboud Emily Aboud is a theatre director, a film director and a writer of mixed heritage, born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, based in London. She won the Evening Standard Future Theatre Award in 2021. She is an associate artist at the Bush Theatre and Artistic Director of Lagahoo Productions. About Busy Being Black Busy Being Black is an exploration and expression of quare liveliness and my guests are those who have learned to live, love and thrive at the intersection of their identities. Your support of the show means the world. Please leave a rating and a review and share these conversations far and wide. As we continue to work towards futures worthy of us all, my hope is that as many of you as possible understand Busy Being Black as a soft, tender and intellectually rigorous place for you to land.  Thank you to our funding partner, myGwork – the business community for LGBT+ professionals, students, inclusive employers and anyone who believes in workplace equality. Thank you to my friend Lazarus Lynch for creating the ancestral and enlivening Busy Being Black theme music. Thank you to Lucian Koncz and Stevie Gatez for helping bring new Busy Being Black artwork into the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're at the Duke of York's theatre on St Martin's Lane. We review Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida Theatre, directed by Whitney White and with music by Spring Awakening's Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead.Over at the Bush Theatre's rehearsal space we chat with Sir Lenny Henry and Artistic Director Lynette Linton about their forthcoming show August in England.Plus why we weren't so keen of this take on Noël Coward's play Private Lives at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by Michael Longhurst. The show stars Downton Abbey's Laura Carmichael and Green Wing's Stephen Mangan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We chat to It's a Sin's Callum Scott Howells about Romeo & Julie at the National Theatre, on the independence he grew from moving to London, and his role in Cabaret - once played by Eddie Redmayne. Plus, our five-star review of Guys & Dolls starring Marisha Wallace & Daniel Mays, directed by Nick Hytner, which is on at the Bridge Theatre. We also review Sleepova, which we also love. It's directed by Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibiniat and is on at the Bush Theatre. In this episode:Part one: Why Guys & Dolls is a knock-out, the music, the cast, and the choreography by Dame Arlene Phillips & James Cousins. Part two: Our chat with Callum Scott Howells on Romeo & Julie (8 mins 30)-What Romeo & Julie is about-Why Romeo is such a physical role to play-How Romeo is so many people he knows, and why he wants to represent the role correctly-How It's a Sin has helped him in future performances -How when he moved to London, he wasn't confident in himself yet -Representing Wales at the National Theatre-Performing in Cabaret, new costumes, updating performances, and following on from Eddie Redmayne -Evaluating the sexual nature of Cabaret and why performing at the Kit Kat Club was a “recipe for cool”-Is he still mates with the cast of It's a Sin, and what are they all up to now?Part three: Sleepova review (21 mins)Directed by Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini, at the Bush Theatre. Hear why you can't help but fall in love with this joyous, exuberant show…To hear our review of Romeo & Julie click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Nancy prepares to open in Marjorie Prime, she and Sarah discuss how few women's voices are still heard - and ways to make sure women are studied in schools and listened to on stage and film. With nods to Caitlin Moran, Sleepova at the Bush Theatre, Women Talking - and why Nancy feels the urge to jump over furniture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Play Podcast - 059 - Paradise Now! ,  by Margaret Perry Host: Douglas Schatz Guest: Margaret Perry The Play Podcast is a podcast dedicated to exploring the greatest new and classic plays. In each episode we choose a single play to talk about in depth with our expert guest. We discuss the play's origins, its themes, characters, structure and impact. For us the play is the thing. Margaret Perry's new play Paradise Now! brings together a group of women who join a pyramid selling scheme promoting a range of essential oils that soothe a myriad of life's stresses. The women hope that they will find cures to the challenges in their own lives, but the road to Paradise is not so sure and smooth. Following its acclaimed run at the Bush Theatre in London, Margaret joins me to talk about her perceptive, funny and moving play.

Anoushka Lucas is currently reprising her performance as Laurey in Daniel Fish's revival of Oklahoma!. The show has transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre, following its run at the Young Vic last year.Having won Best Musical Revival  at the Tony and WhatsOnStage Awards, this bold new version of Oklahoma! features all the original dialogue with a re-orchestrated score, reimagined for the 21st century.  Last year Anoushka wrote and starred in Elephant at the Bush Theatre. Having started out as a singer/songwriter in the music world, Anoushka ventured into theatre and has worked as an actor, musician and writer. She originated the role of Mary in Timothy Sheader's revival of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Regent's Park Theatre, a role she returned to during the pandemic.Anoushka's other stage credits include: Henry V (Donmar Warehouse), After Life (National Theatre), Chiaroscuro (Bush), Faces in the Crowd (Gate Theatre) and Sparks (Edinburgh Festival Fringe / Vault Festival). Oklahoma! runs at the Wyndham's Theatre until 2nd September 2023. Visit www.oklahomawestend.com for info and tickets. Hosted by Andrew Tomlins. @AndrewTomlins32  Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  

Trigger Warning: Discussion surrounding racism, mental health, domestic and child abuse, abortion or child loss. In the first podcast of 2023, Black Lives Natter Host and Creator Eljai Morais talks to Lynette Linton & Daniel Bailey (Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director at Bush Theatre) about writing, theatre & film directing, what it means to be Black British, working with Sir Lenny Henry and current and upcoming projects. 

Where can you find a new exhibition featuring the work of more than 20 female artists, curated by another - Sarah Lucas? Essex, that's where. This week, Jen's chatting to Sally Shaw, director of Firstsite Colchester, about its new BIG WOMEN exhibition and the state of art in the UK right now. Mick's been on the Zoom with award-winning actor Bukky Bakray, star of the film Rocks, currently on our screens in Netflix's new psychological twister The Strays, and about to make her stage debut in Sleepova at The Bush Theatre. In Jenny Off The Blocks, we're all about equality, diversity and inclusion. And in Rated or Dated, we find out if Hannah would run naked down the street if there was no tomorrow. For context, we're watching Groundhog Day.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What an amazing discussion. It was such a pleasure to speak with Jessica Hepburn, one of the leading patient voices on fertility, infertility and assisted conception. Jessica has also just been named Woman of the Week in Stylist Magazines Visible Woman Series. A year long celebration of women who are making a difference to society. Jessica joined us live from London and shared her very personal journey through infertility, miscarriage and IVF to becoming an author and founder of the worlds first arts festival dedicated to fertility, infertility, modern families and the science of making babies, Fertility Fest. Fertility Fest is a week-long programme of events, entertainment, discussion, debate, support and solidarity from Tuesday 8th May to Sunday 13th of May at London's Bush Theatre. We also got a hint that Fertility Fest may be coming to Australia! Here's hoping! I hope you enjoy this inspiring discussion.

This week we talk all things Favour. Favour is a touching and hopeful family drama that tackles duty, addiction and the battle of putting yourself back together. Writer of Diary of a Hounslow Girl Ambreen Razia's remarkable new play, a new Bush Theatre and Clean Break co-commission, tells a strikingly frank story of a working-class Muslim family in a way you've never seen before on stage. Out now!! Extra Resources; Book a RANT session here Email us at hello@homegirlsunite.com We're crowdfunding at the moment to ensure that we can help more women! Please donate what you can! Find us on Twitter and Instagram We'll be posting weekly so join us on this journey! Happy listening!

Ella Road is one of the most sought-after screenwriters and playwrights of her generation. Her debut stage play, a dystopian science fiction/ speculative drama, The Phlebotomist was met with widespread critical acclaim and was adapted into a radio drama for BBC Radio 3. Since her debut Ella has written another stage production, Fair Play, performed at the Bush Theatre, and is currently involved in numerous TV and film projects.Doctor Who fans will of course recognise her as co-writer (with showrunner Chris Chibnall) of the series' 2022 Easter Special Legend of the Sea Devils which saw the return of the eponymous prehistoric marine reptiles to the series, their first appearance since 1984.In addition, Legend of the Sea Devils has been applauded by Who fans across the globe for further developing the burgeoning queer relationship between the Doctor and her companion Yaz.We were delighted to have Ella join us for a chat on the Who Corner to Corner podcast, so listen up as we discuss the very relevant themes of her debut play and how she went about getting it into production, plus, of course, writing for Doctor Who with Chris Chibnall and touching the hearts of so many with 'that scene on the beach'.Don't forget! You can join us on Twitter and Facebook. Leave your comments if you'd like them featured in the show, and let us know what you think of the topics discussed in our podcasts!Have you checked out our other podcasts with celebrity guests from the worlds of Doctor Who?We've talked to...Sophie AldredKevin McNallyJonny MathersSam SpruellHelen GoldwynRay HolmanPete LevyBhavnisha ParmarJames PardonSubscribe to WHOC2C and never miss a show!

Mika Onyx Johnson is an actor, writer and performance artist from Nottingham, based in London. He has performed in Cyrano de Bergerac in London's West End, and have been featured as a writer for My White Best Friend (The Bunker). Mika's debut show, Pink Lemonade, previewed at the Gate Theatre before premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, where it was included in The Stage's 18 best shows of the Fringe. In 2021 Pink Lemonade debuted at the Bush Theatre, to rave reviews. The show is currently being developed for TV with Balloon Entertainment. His word of the day is NEW. #AnthemsPride is a collection of 30 original manifestos, speeches, stories, poems and rallying cries written and voiced by exceptional LGBTQIA+ contributors and allies. It was created, sound designed and executive produced by Hana Walker-Brown with lead producer Bea Duncan, producer Francesca Turauskis and production manager Rory Boyle. The artwork is by Mars West and Eleanore Bamber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor, producer and director Adjoa Andoh covers everything from Bridgerton to reincarnation and tells us why she doesn't care about fame. Coined ‘the undisputed queen of audio and radio drama' by Penguin Random House, Adjoa is now better known for her leading role as Lady Danbury in Bridgerton. For 30 years she was a BBC Radio actor, and was a welcome addition to popular TV shows like Doctor Who, Eastenders and Casualty. Her theatre credits are extensive, including Great Expectations and A Streetcar Named Desire, and her film credits include her role as Mandela's secretary in Invictus. She's recorded over 150 audiobooks, she is an Associate Artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Senior Associate Artist at The Bush Theatre, a Fairtrade Ambassador and runs her own production company, Swinging the Lens.Adjoa's book choices are: ** Just William by Richmal Crompton ** Green Darkness by Anya Seton** A Question of Power by Bessie Head** After Leaving Mr Mackenzie by Jean Rhys** Beloved by Toni Morrison Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season five of the Women's Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women's Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don't want to miss the rest of Season Five? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After being announced as the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award at the Sony World Photography Awards 2022, the Canadian photographer and artist Edward Burtynsky talks to Tom about his 40-year career as a landscape photographer. This year's Turner Prize is returning to Liverpool for the first time in 15 years. Laura Robertson, a writer, critic and editor based in the city gives us a rundown of the shortlisted artists announced today at Tate Liverpool: Heather Phillipson, Ingrid Pollard, Veronica Ryan and Sin Wai Kin. Award-winning and twice Booker shorted listed author of The Butcher Boy Patrick McCabe talks to Tom Sutcliffe about his new novel Poguemahone. Described as this century's Ulysses, the novel takes the form of a free verse monologue set in Margate in the mind and memories of Dan Fogarty and his sister Una. Rafaella Covino, the founder and director of Applause for Thought, which offers free and low cost mental health assistance for people working in theatre, and Wabriya King, Associate Drama Therapist at the Bush Theatre, join Tom to discuss the growing need for wellbeing support across the theatre industry. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Nicki Paxman

Reece Lyons is a writer, performer, spoken word artist and Roundhouse Resident Artist where her work has previously gone viral and has been watched by over 4 million people online. She has appeared in Overflow at The Bush Theatre, Life & Rhymes on Sky Arts and HANNA on Amazon Prime. Reece was a 2019 BBC Edinburgh Fringe Poetry Slam finalist. Her word of the day for Anthems Pride 2021 was VISIBILITY. CONNECT WITH REECE: I: @reecelyons_ T: @reecelyons_ #AnthemsWomen2022 is a collection of 7 original manifestos, speeches, stories, poems and rallying cries written and voiced by exceptional women brought out of the Anthems Vault. This is a Broccoli Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wandered what the creative process is behind the films, tv shows and theatre productions you watch? Well, Crew Chats is a podcast going behind the scenes and chatting to the crew that help make these productions. Episode 47's guest is Natalie Pryce, Natalie after having a childhood love of theatre, went onto study theatre design at Wimbledon College of Art. Whilst studying and on graduating Natalie worked at the New Wimbledon theatre and then went onto to work as a dresser at the ENO. It was after working at the National Theatre, that Natalie began producing her own work and began working as a freelance set and costume designer for theatre and dance. Natalie has costume designed, Anna X at the Harold Pinter and most recently, ‘A Number' at the Old Vic ‘Old Bridge' at the Bush Theatre, set and costume designed ‘Red Velvet' for RADA and ‘Me for the World' at the Young Vic to name a few. Just a note we speak about covid and the situation referred to was the case at the time of recording. Natalie's recommendations: -War Horse theatre production -Bridgerton -100 years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Welcome back to The Business of Show Business Podcast. For episode 2 of season 4, we talk to super swing Jen Caldwell. Jen has appeared in numerous shows across a multitude of roles. Credits include - Swing/cover Heather/Resident Director, American Idiot, UK & Ireland Tour. Swing/cover Emily, Knights of the Rose, Arts Theatre. Flick, The Rhythm Method, workshop, The Bush Theatre and The Landor Space. Dyanne, Million Dollar Quartet, Indian Tour. Cover Dyanne/Resident Director/Resident Choreographer, Million Dollar Quartet, UK & Ireland tour. Covered/played Princess Fiona, Shrek the Musical, UK & Ireland tour. Covered/played Sophie and Ali, Mamma Mia!, Prince of Wales and Novello Theatres. Jen is currently touring the UK in the smash-hit musical Six. In this episode, Jen and Jamie Body discuss the skills needed to be a swing, life on tour and much more. Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennifer_cald (@jennifer_cald) Instagram: @jcaldwell6889

We're so pleased to announce, the 9th recipient of the Writers Grant has been given to Natalie Tan. Natalie has a bi-weekly newsletter called Simmer Down, that reflects on food and memory, and she sent us some back issues (links below). After we started the /food page on our website last year, we've been hoping to be able to support somebody else's writing around the subject & then Natalie's work came along. It is so sensitive, descriptive, atmospheric and personable. The writing feels all visibly based in the political and the historical too, which we found incredible value and energy in. It's really enjoyable writing to read, as both writers and wannabe food-eggheads ourselves. So we are really excited to be able to support Natalie and Simmer Down, and we hope you find the same joy in her work Bio: Natalie Tan is a cultural practitioner and writer based in London. Expressed with an unbridled passion influenced by the forever-classic emo tracks of the 2000s, she examines maladaptive wistfulness, traditions formed from migration, and the impact of colonialism on Hong Kong and its diaspora. She is the author of Simmer Down, an ongoing, bi-weekly reflection on food and memory, and is currently writing her first play on family, loss, and Hong Kong as part of Bush Theatre's West London Playwrights' Group. Her work has been included in diaCRITICS, Radio Slumber, and the Breakfast B Reading Series. Links below if you want to read her work, listen to it, or follow Natalie online: Read Strawberry Jam-Tinted Glasses Read On the Reliability of Dumplings Read through the rest of the Simmer Down archive You can find Natalie on Twitter and Instagram You can find out more about the Writers Grant here

The NHB Playgroup from Nick Hern Books brings you one free play to read and discuss each week, followed by a Q&A with the writer. In this episode of The NHB Playgroup Q&A Podcast, we spoke to Winsome Pinnock about her beautiful and epic drama Leave Taking. Winsome's play premiered at the Liverpool Playhouse Studio in 1987 and has been revived numerous times since, most recently at London's Bush Theatre in 2018. See more about The NHB Playgroup and find out how to get involved here: www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/playgroup Host: Siân Mayhall-Purvis Producer: Jon Barton Executive Producer: Matt Applewhite 

For our 81st episode, we've a special Podcast coming this week with Cork Film Festival CEO and Producer, Fiona Clark. Fiona started out in arts education before progressing to senior positions in a number of respected UK theatres, Fiona then undertook a successful eight-year tenure commissioning, producing and programming new work for one of Britain's most respected and innovative new writing houses, the Bush Theatre, including West End transfers, national and international touring on all scales, cross art form festival management and collaboration as well as robust management of a building-based arts organisation. A former CEO of Get Connected, the UK's national helpline service for young people Fiona returned to the arts in January 2014 as Head of Development at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin, Fiona then subsequently joined the Cork Film Festival, Ireland's first and largest film Festival in September 2016 and had a chat with us about this years exciting programme of work at the 64th Cork film Festival, which begins today. Catch us at our networking event at the 64th Cork film Fest here: https://www.corkfilmfest.org/event/our-need-for-speed-post-first-take-networking-event/ As always this podcast is brought to you on the Headstuff Podcast Network and is supported by the fantastic @wildcard_distribution If you would like to support our podcast and FNI in general head on over to www.buymeacoffee.com/Fni Following on from our recent Class with Former Head of development at British Screen Stephen Cleary, Our next Class for aspiring Audio Performers 'The Art Of Voiceover' with Roger Gregg takes place in the brand new PODCAST STUDIOS from Headstuff on Sat the 16th of September. https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/73798666799 Listen Back to Roger on EP 39 here: https://www.headstuff.org/fni-wrap-chat/39-roger-gregg-director-actor-writer-voiceover-artist Subscribe for notifications on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts. #WeAreFni Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Skunk Anansie have brought out a new album 25LIVE@25 - a compilation of live recordings from the last 25 years. It was released on Jan 25th. The band ‘turn' 25 this year. Skin talks to Jenni and sings live in the Woman's Hour studio.Women in Saudi Arabia are tracked and monitored via a large government database and an app called Absher. We look at how difficult and dangerous it makes it for them to flee. Is this theatre world doing enough to appeal to minority groups like young women and people of colour? Tobi Kyeremateng is the founder of the Black Ticket Project and Babylon Festival at the Bush Theatre - which both target a young, black audience. Tanika Gupta is a theatre writer with over 20 years of experience. Her work is often inspired by her Indian culture.Chef, cookbook author and broadcaster, Clodagh McKenna's new book ‘Clodagh's Suppers' celebrates seasonal cooking and entertaining at home. She'll Cook the Perfect…Kale, Bean & Winter Roots Soup.Presenter: Jenni Murray Producer: Kirsty StarkeyInterviewed Guest: Bill Bostock Interviewed Guest: Rothna Begum Interviewed Guest: Tanika Gupta Interviewed Guest: Tobi Kyeremateng Interviewed Guest: Clodagh McKenna Interviewed Guest: Skin