Podcasts about Garrick 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.

This week, Magna Carta experts David Carpenter and Nicholas Vincent tell us how they discovered a rare original of the document; and Michael Caines on a spritely new staging of a Shaw play starring mother and daughter Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter.'Mrs Warren's Profession', by George Bernard Shaw, Garrick Theatre, London, until August 16Produced by Charlotte Pardy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now for a roundup of accessible arts events as RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey catches up with Jess Beal from VocalEyes, the national audio description charity providing access to the arts for blind and partially sighted people to share some of the accessible events that are featured in their regular email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: Hamilton - Thursday 17 April, 2pm, touch tour 1pm, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton The Forsythe Programme - Saturday 19 April, 2.30pm, Sadler's Wells, London Unicorn - Saturday 19 April, 7.30pm, Garrick Theatre, London The Capulets and the Montagues - Saturday 26 April, 7.30pm, touch tour 6.10pm, The Lighthouse, Poole Oliver! - Saturday 26 April, 2.30pm, touch tour 12.30pm, Gielgud Theatre, London Company - Saturday 26 April, 7.30pm, Buxton Opera House To find out more about these and other up-coming described arts events as well as details on how to sign up to the regular VocalEyes What's On email newsletter do visit - https://vocaleyes.co.uk (Image shows the VocalEyes logo. A speech bubble with 'VOCALEYES' written in bold black letters next to it)

Matilda Thorpe is best known for playing Mandy in the sitcom Desmond's and it's spinoff series Porkpie, and in Sicknote on Sky starring Rupert Grint and Nick Frost. Her multiple other TV credits include Murder Most Horrid, The Upper Hand, Bad Girls and Rosemary & Thyme. Her film roles include Nina in One Life, Aunt Melody in the Amy Winehouse Biopic Back to Black, Queen of Hearts, Stationer in Crush and Andrea in Not Another Happy Ending. Stage appearances include It's a Girl (Winner Time Out Best Musical) and When We Are Married (Winner Olivier Award Best Comedy) at the Garrick Theatre. She was a member of the 'Dogs on Holiday' comedy improvisation team at the Hurricane Club in London's West End for 10 years, who famously performed alongside Robin Williams, among others .Matilda Thorpe is our guest in episode 442 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 .Follow Matilda Thorpe on Twitter & Instagram: @tillythorpe . Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter: @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 . Get bonus episodes and ad-free listening by becoming a team member with Acast+! Your support will help us to keep making My Time Capsule. Join our team now! https://plus.acast.com/s/mytimecapsule. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier today it was announced that WHY AM I SO SINGLE? the new musical from the writers of Six, currently running at the Garrick Theatre in London, would conclude its West End run and close on 19th January 2025. The show, which opened at the Garrick Theatre in the West End, has been written by Tony Award winners Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, whose first collaboration SIX: THE MUSICAL has gone from Edinburgh Fringe hit to global sensation. In today's news recap they'll be talking through the reasons behind this premature closure, what this tells us about the landscape for new musical theatre in the West End, and the choices that may have saved this show. • 00:00 | introduction 01:53 | statement 09:22 | history / Six 17:52 | venue choice 23:05 | marketing 29:40 | the future • About Mickey-Jo: As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 60,000 subscribers. Since establishing himself as a theatre critic he has been able to work internationally. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. He has also twice received accreditation from the world renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. He has been invited to speak to private tour groups, at the BEAM 2023 new musical theatre conference at Oxford Playhouse, and on a panel of critics at an event for young people considering a career in the arts courtesy of Go Live Theatre Projects. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre

Ebby Sama (Come Alive: The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular) co-hosts The West End Frame Show. Andrew and Ebby discuss Why Am I So Single? (Garrick Theatre), The Rocky Horror Show (Dominion Theatre) and Silence (Turbine Theatre) as well as the latest news about Mrs Doubtfire, White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Ghost In Concert, Kinky Boots, Natalie Kassanga joining Moulin Rouge and lots more!Ebby is currently in rehearsals for Come Alive: The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular. Ebby is one of the dancers in the show, which brings together musical theatre and circus.Come Alive: The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular features a new story inspired by the 20th Century Fox Motion Picture and features all the hit songs by Pasek and Paul including ‘This Is Me', ‘Rewrite the Stars' and ‘A Million Dreams'. It's set to run at The Empress Museum in Earls Court.Having trained at Urdang, Ebby's theatre credits include: Vanara (Hackney Empire), Moulin Rouge (Piccadilly Theatre), The Lion King (UK & Ireland Tour) and Johannes Radebe's House of Jojo (UK Tour). Come Alive: The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular opens at The Empress Museum in Earls Court on 16th October. Visit www.comealiveshow.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.   That Wonderful StateA podcast about being an artist from a practical perspective. The series will...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

In this episode we review the new West End show from Six creators Marlow and Moss, Why Am I So Single? which has just opened at the Garrick Theatre. We also review the Edinburgh fringe transfer, Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! which recently closed at The Ambassadors Theatre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this week, Mickey-Jo was invited to review one of his most anticipated new musicals of the year: WHY AM I SO SINGLE?. The show, which has opened at the Garrick Theatre in the West End, has been written by Tony Award winners Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, whose first collaboration SIX: THE MUSICAL has gone from Edinburgh Fringe hit to global sensation. Check out this full new review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on the narrative, the material, the creative choices, the performances, and more... • 00:00 | introduction 01:52 | context / synopsis 10:18 | score / script 18:33 | production / creative choices 28:54 | performances • About Mickey-Jo: As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 60,000 subscribers. Since establishing himself as a theatre critic he has been able to work internationally. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. He has also twice received accreditation from the world renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. He has been invited to speak to private tour groups, at the BEAM 2023 new musical theatre conference at Oxford Playhouse, and on a panel of critics at an event for young people considering a career in the arts courtesy of Go Live Theatre Projects. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre

Olivier nominee Zizi Strallen is our special guest for the 250th episode of In The Frame! Zizi is starring as Laurey in the 80th anniversary concert production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, playing opposite Phil Dunster. The concert is directed and choreographed by Bill Deamer with the London Musical Theatre Orchestera playing the full 28-piece orchestrations. Later this year Zizi will reprise her performance as the title role in Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist which opens at The Other Palace in September. Zizi received an Olivier nomination for starring as the title role in the West End revival of Mary Poppets, reprising her performance from the musical's tour. For Matthew Bourne's New Adventures she has played Lana/Delores in The Car Man and Betty/Vivian in Cinderella. Some of Zizi's other theatre credits include Fastrada in Pippin In Concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Betty in Sunset Boulevard (Alexandra Palace & Royal Albert Hall), Fran in Strictly Ballroom (Piccadilly Theatre), Young Phyllis in Follies (National Theatre), Demeter in Cats (London Palladium), Penny in Hairspray & Mona in Chicago (Leicester Curve), Meg in Merrily We Roll Along (Menier Chocolate Factory & Harold Pinter Theatre), Rock Of Ages (Shaftesbury & Garrick Theatre), The Music Man (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre). In this episode Zizi discusses why she jumped at the chance to be in Oklahoma!, mourning Mary Poppins and navigating her own path in theatre, plus lots more along the way.Oklahoma! runs at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 19th and 20th August 2024. Visit www.lwtheatres.co.uk 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.  

Collette Guitart is an Alternate Lead in Why Am I So Single? Why Am I So Single? is a "big fancy" musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss who wrote Six The Musical. Following public workshop performances last year, Why Am I So Single? will premiere in the West End at the Garrick Theatre with previews from 27th August. As an alternate, Collette will play one of the lead roles once a week and be on standby to cover holiday and illness. Collette's early theatre credits include Rip It Up (Garrick Theatre), Bat Out Of Hell (Dominion Theatre), Wonderland (UK Tour) and 27 (Cockpit Theatre). Collette was an understudy and super swing in the West End production of Six The Musical between 2019 and 2021, playing all six queens regularly at the Arts, Lyric and Vaudeville Theatres. She went on to cover Anne in & Juliet (Shaftesbury Theatre) and was recently in the original casts of Rock Follies (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Just For One Day (Old Vic). Collette's screen credits include Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Wicked. Why Am I So Single? begins performances at the Garrick Theatre from 27th August 2024. Visit www.whyamisosingle.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.  

James Graham is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter for TV and film. His plays include Ink, This House and Dear England, about the struggles and successes of England's former football manager Gareth Southgate. His acclaimed TV dramas include Quiz and Sherwood, set in the north Nottinghamshire village where he grew up. James was born into the close-knit community of Kirkby-In-Ashfield and witnessed the deep and permanent divisions from the 1980s miners' strikes. He wrote his first play whilst studying drama at the University of Hull and seeing his words come alive on stage inspired him to keep writing. He's gone on to establish himself as one of the most influential playwrights of his generation, taking inspiration from moments in history that illuminate a particular social or political anxiety of the moment, and telling stories that help us make sense of the world. His adaptation of Alan Bleasdale's TV drama, Boys From The Blackstuff, is currently playing at the West End's Garrick Theatre. Tickets are available at boysfromtheblackstuff.com

This week, Mickey-Jo sat down with West End star Rob Madge at the Theatre Café Diner in London to discuss their show at the Garrick Theatre, 'Rob Madge's Regards to Broadway'. They discussed Rob's childhood starring in musicals including Les Misérables, the conception of their groundbreaking solo show 'My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)' and the unfortunate postponement of its Broadway run. Check it out and comment down below with who you'd love to see Mickey-Jo chat to next! {Interview Recorded In May 2024} • 00:00 | introduction 00:43 | on authenticity 03:15 | on being a child actor 06:44 | on My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) 10:03 | on the Edinburgh Fringe 13:05 | on the Palladium Pantomimes 17:06 | on costumes 20:12 | on Broadway 24:20 | on their family 27:39 | on their new show 30:02 | on the future About Mickey-Jo: As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 60,000 subscribers. Since establishing himself as a theatre critic he has been able to work internationally. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows both in New York, London, Hamburg, and Paris. He has also twice received accreditation from the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK and LondonTheatre.co.uk. He has been invited to speak to private tour groups, at the BEAM 2023 new musical theatre conference at Oxford Playhouse, and on a panel of critics at an event for young people considering a career in the arts courtesy of Go Live Theatre Projects. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre

Now for a roundup of accessible arts events as RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey catches up with Jess Beal from VocalEyes, the national audio description charity providing access to the arts for blind and partially sighted people to share some of the accessible events that are featured in their regular email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: Everybody's Talking About Jamie - Wednesday 17 July, 7.30pm, touch tour 5.30pm, Curve Theatre, Leicester Boys From The Black Stuff - Thursday 18 July, 7.30pm, Garrick Theatre, London The Secret Garden - Saturday 20 July, 2.15pm, Open Air theatre, Regent's Park, London Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! Murder - Tuesday 23 July, 7.30pm, touch tour 6.15pm, Ambassadors Theatre, London The Wizard of OZ - Saturday 27 July, 2pm, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff To find out more about these and other up-coming described arts events as well as details about how to sign up to the regular What's On email newsletter do visit the VocalEyes website - https://vocaleyes.co.uk (Image shows the VocalEyes logo. A speech bubble with 'VOCALEYES' written in bold black letters next to it)

Send us a Text Message.Each episode takes a look at a different aspect of the wonderful world of amateur theatre, and features an amateur theatre-maker talking about their theatrical life, theatrical loves, and the times when they've ‘died' on stage. In this month's episode, our Backstage Pass holder, John O'Neill, speaks with director Dewi Johnson, who's recently been working in London's West End theatres including as Associate Director on Simon Nye's ‘The Crown Jewels' at the Garrick Theatre, starring Al Murray and Mel Giedroyc, and as Assistant Director on Ben Elton's stage production of ‘Upstart Crow', starring David Mitchell. You'll find Dewi's resumé contains its fair share of comedy!Dewi's journey from teenage director, to Drama School student, to West End associate director, took him through the Crescent Theatre (Birmingham), along the way. Here, Dewi's also had amateur experience over the last 11 years including as an actor, costume designer, set designer, and of course director, most recently directing the Crescent's dazzling 2019 production of Jessica Swale's semi-musical play ‘Nell Gwynn', set during the heart of the Restoration period in England in the late sixteen-hundreds. Dewi's expertise in and love of the Restoration era theatre is an absolute gift to his cast and crew, and so, of course, to his audiences too.

In this episode, we dive into the vibrant world of London theatre with two remarkable productions making waves in the West End - For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy and Standing at the Sky's Edge. Plus Darren talks exclusively to writer Barry McStay and director Tom Radcliffe about their new project Breeding.  For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy: First up, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy returns to London's West End in 2024 after three previously sold-out runs. This thought-provoking play, inspired by Ntozake Shange's ‘For Coloured Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf', delves into the complexities of Black masculinity and life in Britain. Join six young Black men as they navigate father figures, lost loves, and the highs and lows of existence in a powerful exploration of survival. Following its critically acclaimed runs, this Olivier Award-nominated production promises a captivating experience for theatregoers at the Garrick Theatre. Standing at the Sky's Edge: Next, we shift our focus to Standing at the Sky's Edge, the multi-award-winning new musical transferring to the West End after sold-out runs at the National Theatre and Sheffield Theatres. Hailed as ‘the most exciting new British musical in years', this production is a love letter to Sheffield, weaving together the hopes and dreams of three generations over six decades. With irresistible songs by legendary singer-songwriter Richard Hawley and a poignant book by Chris Bush, "Standing at the Sky's Edge" offers a heartfelt exploration of community and the meaning of home. Directed by Sheffield Theatres' Artistic Director Robert Hastie, this Olivier Award-winning musical is not to be missed. Interview with Barry McStay and Tom Radcliffe: As a bonus, Darren sits down for an exclusive interview with director writer Barry McStay and Tom Radcliffe to discuss Breeding. This funny and moving drama, which premiered in 2023 to critical acclaim, returns to The King's Head by popular demand. Get insights into the making of this compelling production and discover what makes Breeding a must-see theatrical experience.

Ep 14: Like this status for a compliment Can we add ‘rom-dram' to the lexicon? We're going to try to… whether you like it or not! This week on Everything Is Content, Beth explains to Oenone the concept of Celebrity Big Brother, Ruchira has been to see a brilliant play at the Garrick Theatre and we all get stuck in to discussing the book that you all voted for - Penance by Eliza Clark! Our discussion of Penance does contain some adult themes and we also discuss plot points in the book - so tread carefully. —CHANNEL 4: Alice & Jack NEW YORK TIMES: The Sunday Read - How Tom Sandoval became the most hated man in AmericaSENTIMENTAL GARBAGE: Real Housewives with Elizabeth Day THE GARRICK THEATRE: For Black Boys…ITV: Celebrity Big Brother NEW YORK TIMES: Want to feel bad? Ask TikTok how old you lookELIZA CLARK: PenanceTHE GUARDIAN: Penance by Eliza Clark - art or porn? ANOTHER MAGAZINE: Eliza Clark's New Novel Explores the Twisted Ethics of True Crime—Follow us on Instagram:@everythingiscontentpod @beth_mccoll @ruchira_sharma@oenone ---Everything Is Content is produced by Faye Lawrence for We Are GrapeExec Producer: James Norman-FyfeMusic: James RichardsonPhotography: Rebecca Need-Meenar Artwork: Joe Gardner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this Musicals Meets Podcast, Editor Sarah Kirkup meets Marlow and Moss, the talented writing duo behind global sensation SIX. Following in that musical's footsteps was always going to be a challenge, but last summer they workshopped Why Am I So Single? at the Lilian Bayliss Theatre. Following two friends, who just happen to be writing a musical, as they enjoy a prosecco-fuelled evening, the two-act show was positively received by audiences. It was subsequently finessed and sculpted into the final version premiering in the West End this summer.   At the press launch at Soho's Boulevard Theatre on Valentine's Day, Marlow and Moss – along with some special guests – performed a selection of songs from the show. They speak to Musicals magazine's Editor about the writing process, the musical styles they have drawn upon, and how their friendship has remained very much intact.  Why Am I So Single? opens at the Garrick Theatre 27 August and the run is currently scheduled to continue through to 13 February, 2025  The musical excerpts from Why Am I So Single? – ‘8 Dates' and ‘Just In Case' – were recorded at the launch event on 14 February at the Boulevard Theatre in Soho. The opening and closing musical excerpts featured in this podcast are from the Overture to Gypsy (film version), taken from Jule Styne's ‘Overtures Vol 2', courtesy of JAY Records 

Join us on this week's episode of the Dear Dope Black Dads podcast as we dive into thought-provoking discussions with acclaimed playwright Ryan Calais Cameron. We explore the powerful themes of his renowned theatre play, "For Black Boys Who Consider Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy," currently captivating audiences at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End until 1 June 2024. In this insightful conversation, we delve into the complexities of male emotions and the challenges men face in expressing them. Our special guest, Franklin Boateng, candidly shares his personal journey, revealing why he has struggled to verbalise his feelings, particularly the phrase "I love you," and how fatherhood has transformed his perspective.Tune in as we unpack these topics and more, offering valuable insights into the human experience. Don't miss out—hit play now and join our growing community of listeners. And if you enjoy the content, remember to like, subscribe, and stay connected for future episodes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Georgie is joined by Actor and Writer Rosie Day. Rosie wrote and previously performed a solo show called 'Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon' that is now heading to the Garrick Theatre in the West End. It will star Charithra Chandran who played Edwina Sharma in series two of 'Bridgerton'. Georgie and Rosie discuss their experiences of making one girl/woman shows, Georgie finds out more about Rosie's background as a child actor when she worked on television series like 'Outlander' and they (of course) chat about watching 'One Day'.

Now for a festive roundup of accessible arts events as RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey catches up with Jess Beal from VocalEyes, the national audio description charity providing access to the arts for blind and partially sighted people to share some of the accessible events that are featured in their regular email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: The House with Chicken Legs - Thursday 21 December, 2.30pm, touch tour 1pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London The Gruffalo's Child - Sunday 24 December, 11am, Garrick Theatre, London   Dick Whittington and His Cat - Wednesday 27 December, 5.30pm, King's Lynn Corn Exchange Beauty and the Beast - Thursday 28 December, 7pm, Sunderland Empire Cinderella - Saturday 30 December, 2pm, touch tour 1pm, Watford Palace Theatre Hansel and Gretel - Tuesday 2 January, 2.30pm, touch tour 12.30pm, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London To find out more about these and other up-coming described arts events as well as details about how to sign up to the regular What's On email newsletter do visit the VocalEyes website - https://vocaleyes.co.uk (Image shows the VocalEyes logo. A speech bubble with 'VOCALEYES' written in bold black letters next to it)

Embark on a magical journey into the heart of Christmas with Wishmas, where wishes take flight in an enchanting realm filled with Wishkeepers, Robins, and the iconic Father Christmas. This festive adventure, featuring stellar performances is a delight for children of all ages and anyone who believes in the magic of the holiday season. Meanwhile, the Royal Shakespeare Company's highly anticipated production of Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet, now playing at London's Garrick Theatre following a sold-out run in Stratford-upon-Avon, boasts captivating performances from Madeleine Mantock and Tom Varey. Adapted by the award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti, the play unveils the untold story of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, offering a captivating glimpse into the life of the literary genius. For a different kind of Christmas tale, join David Horovitch and Greta Scacchi and have Christmas at Hardcastle Hall in She Stoops To Conquer. OT Artistic Director Tom Littler with Francesca Ellis, directs an all-star cast including Tanya Reynolds, Freddie Fox, Sabrina Bartlett, and Robert Mountford  supported by a community ensemble in the 250th anniversary production of Oliver Goldsmith's glorious comedy of misunderstanding.  In the heart of the West End, Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends has become a sensation. This grand Broadway show, celebrating the life and work of the legendary Sondheim, features a stellar cast led by Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga, Christine Allado, Clare Burt, Janie Dee, Damian Humbley, Bradley Jaden, Bonnie Langford, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Jac Yarrow, Marley Fenton, and Beatrice Penny-Touré. The company also includes Harry Apps, Bella Brown, Richard Dempsey, and Monique Young, completing a cast that is truly the best of the West End and Broadway. Lastly, experience the uproarious antics of disgraced actor Garry Starr in Garry Starr Performs Everything. Defying critics and saving performing arts from extinction, Starr fearlessly traverses every theatre style imaginable, offering a "masterclass in mockery." With an exclusive interview with star and creator Damien Warren-Smith, this is a unique and entertaining exploration of the world of theatre. Don't miss the chance to witness this extraordinary performance that leaves no genre unturned.

The prodigious, award-winning novelist talks to us candidly about her life as a novelist since she first published ‘After You'd Gone' 23 years ago.  She tells us how she started writing, her inspiration for ‘Hamnet' and her most recent published novel ‘The Marriage Portrait'.  She describes what it was like to watch ‘Hamnet' at the RSC and The Garrick, where Lolita Chakrabarti's adaptation of the novel is now playing and breaking the theatre's box office records.  She also talks about how she's been shaped by suffering from viral encephalitis as a child and her 17 near brushes with death recounted in her autobiography ‘I am, I am, I am'.  It's a fascinating insight into the mind and working practices of one of our most popular novelists. Hamnet is running at The Garrick Theatre until 17th February 2004.

When it comes to Shakespeare's biography and his inner life, there's a certain lack of evidence. But what if Shakespeare actually signposted us to an event that radically metamorphosed his world? What if he named his most famous, most acclaimed play Hamlet after his son, Hamnet, who died at the age of 11?In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to author Maggie O'Farrell who won the Women's Prize for Fiction with her novel exploring this very question. Hamnet is now also a play by the Royal Shakespeare Company, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti, being staged at the Garrick Theatre in London. Suzannah talks to Maggie O'Farrell about both the novel and the play.This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Sign up now for your 14-day free trial here >You can take part in our listener survey here >Audio for Uploader: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1KANbFCd3WZAccYrGC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mickey-Jo recently went to see the new comedy play THE CROWN JEWELS at the Garrick Theatre in the West End. The show, which is based on true events that occurred during the reign of King Charles II, stars Al Murray, Mel Gierdeoyc, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Neil Morissey, and more. Check out the new review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on this production... Grab Atlas VPN for just $1.83/mo + 3 months extra before the SUMMER DEAL expires: https://get.atlasvpn.com/MickeyJo • About Mickey-Jo: As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 60,000 subscribers. Since establishing himself as a theatre critic he has been able to work internationally. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows both in New York, London, Hamburg, and Paris. He has also twice received accreditation from the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK and LondonTheatre.co.uk. He has been invited to speak to private tour groups, at the BEAM 2023 new musical theatre conference at Oxford Playhouse, and on a panel of critics at an event for young people considering a career in the arts courtesy of Go Live Theatre Projects. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre

Jacqui Bardelang is a queer Eurasian actor, voiceover artist, director and drag king known as Sigi Moonlight. After seeing her first drag king in 2017, Jacqui‘s performance career began a month later when she came third in Man Up!, the UK's biggest drag king competition. Since then a regular on the London cabaret scene, Jacqui has performed at Shakespeare's Globe, Manchester Pride, The Garrick Theatre, Glastonbury Music Festival and the Greenwich Maritime and has featured on Netflix, Vox, Hunger and BBC Three. A member of collectives The Bitten Peach and Pecs Drag Kings, Jacqui's performances investigate toxic masculinity while alluding to contemporary socio-political issues through clowning, live vocals, boylesque and lipsync. Jacqui has also provided the voice for audiobooks as well as upcoming video games Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios) and Harmony: The Fall of Reverie (Don't Nod). Other credits include: The Nevers (HBO), Nails & Beauty (BFI), Modest (Middle Child/Milk Presents), Mulan Rouge (The Vaults). Jacqui's word of the day is VOICE.  CONNECT WITH JACQUI: I: @sigimoonlight T: @JacquiBardelang #AnthemsPride 2023 is a collection of 7 original manifestos, speeches, stories, poems and rallying cries written and voiced by exceptional LGBTQIA+ contributors and allies. It was Executive Produced by Bea Duncan, with producer Talia Augustidis. This episode was sound designed by Talia Augustidis. The production assistants were Lucy Carr and Cassandre Greenberg. The artwork is by Mars West and Eleanore Bamber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're chatting about the Royal Shakespeare Company's summer programme with Erica Whyman, who was Acting Artistic Director of the RSC till June, the director of the smash hit play ‘Hamnet' and the Lead Judge of the specially commissioned 37 plays.  We also talk to Tanya Katyal, playing Rani, in the new production at the Swan of Tanika Gupta's ‘The Empress'.   We also hear about the new production of ‘As You Like It' starring Geraldine James as Rosalind along with a cast of older actors – mostly over 70.  Erica also tells us about working with Lolita Chakrabarti to adapt Maggie O'Farrell's novel ‘Hamnet', which transfers to the Garrick Theatre in the West End in the autumn. The RSC has celebrated 400 years since the publication of Shakespeare's First Folio by commissioning 37 new plays from all over the UK.  The competition was open to all and Erica, as the Lead Judge, tells us about the winning entries – some came from writers as young as six. We also hear about the RSC's valuable work with schools across the UK.

We have an accidental Dickens special this week for you. Our review of Great Expectations starring and produced by Eddie Izzard at the Garrick Theatre, plus Bleak Expectations at the Criterion Theatre.For some non-Dickens relief, actor Kate O'Flynn joins us during rehearsals for All of It by Alistair McDowall at the Royal Court Theatre.Kate tells us what it's like to bring the one-woman trilogy to the stage after the pandemic, how she's approaching the production this time round, why she thinks “writing is a much braver thing to do than acting”, what it's like to perform alongside Danny Dyer in Henpocolyspe! - and sharing their love for Harold Pinter.Plus, what's been happening this week? We discuss the incredibly talented female playwrights behind the hit TV show Succession after its final episode, give our reaction to the West End theatre strike being called off, and is Drop the Dead Donkey returning on tour?You can hear our interview with Eddie Izzard by clicking here.For all our reviews and interviews visit standard.co.uk/theatre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next in his regular Connect Radio theatre reviews. This week we have a love letter to passion, birth, grief and the magic of nature with the audio described performance of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Maggie O'Farrell's best-selling novel Hamnet in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday April at pm with description by professional Audio Describers Carolyn Smith and Ess Grange. Warwickshire, 1582. Agnes Hathaway, a natural healer, meets the Latin tutor, William Shakespeare. Drawn together by powerful but hidden impulses, they create a life together and make a family. When the plague steals 11-year-old Hamnet from his loving parents, they must each confront their loss alone. And yet, out of the greatest suffering, something of extraordinary wonder is born. This new play based on Maggie O'Farrell's best-selling novel, adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi, Red Velvet, Hymn) pulls back a curtain on the story of the greatest writer in the English language and the woman who was the constant presence and purpose of his life. Directed by Acting RSC Artistic Director Erica Whyman, with set design by Tom Piper, Lighting by Prema Mehta, Music by Oğuz Kaplangi, Sound by Xana, Movement by Ayse Tashkiran, Fights by Kate Waters and Casting by Amy Ball CDG, Hamnet is a love letter to passion, birth, grief and the magic of nature. Hamnet will transfer to the Garrick Theatre in London's WestEnd and there will be an audio described performance on Saturday 25 November at 2.30pm.  For more about access at the RSC and details about their audio described performances do visit - https://www.rsc.org.uk/your-visit/access/assisted-performances (Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

The movie Peter Pan and Wendy just landed on Disney Plus this morning. But some folks in Bonavista were lucky enough to see it Thursday night, ahead of the streaming release. Parts of the movie were filmed on the Bonavista Peninsula, so it got its own movie premiere at the Garrick Theatre. Shianne Strathie was one of the locals who was out to see it on the big screen.

Lolita Chakrabarti is the playwright of Red Velvet, about 19th-century Black actor Ira Aldridge, and has adapted Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities and Yann Martel's The Life of Pi for the stage. Now, she has adapted Maggie O'Farrell's bestselling novel Hamnet for the stage. Hamnet is currently playing at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Swan Theatre. The play tells the story of a young Agnes Hathaway and William Shakespeare as they fall in love and start a family, and the psychological damage caused by the death of their son, Hamnet. Barbara Bogaev talks with Chakrabarti about adapting O'Farrell's story, how she portrays the Shakespeare family, and her earlier play Red Velvet. Hamnet is onstage at the Royal Shakespeare Company's newly restored Swan Theatre until June 17 and will open at London's Garrick Theatre on September 30. From the Folger's Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published April 25, 2023. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. Ben Lauer is the web producer, with help from Leonor Fernandez. We had technical help from Melvin Rickarby in Stratford and Voice Trax West in Studio City, California. Final mixing services provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc.

Kit Esuruoso (Bonnie & Clyde / Spring Awakening) co-hosts The West End Frame Show!Andrew and Kit discuss Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial (Ambassadors Theatre), The Ocean at the End of the Lane (UK Tour, New Wimbledon Theatre) and Generation Games (White Bear Theatre) as well as the latest news about Jon M. Chu's film adaptation of Joseph, We Will Rock You, Stephanie J Block, Oliver! and lots more.Kit is an actor, investor and a dating content creator and coach. He is currently playing Sheriff Schmid and understudying Ted Hinton in the West End production of Bonnie & Clyde at the Garrick Theatre.Just a few of Kit's theatre credits include: Bernardo in West Side Story (Opera National Du Rhin), Otto / understudy Moritz in Spring Awakening (Almeida Theatre), Martin Luther King in Satyagraha (English National Opera),  Justin in Love Letters (Queens Theatre Hornchurch), Big Deal / understudy Riff in West Side Story (Royal Exchange), Craig / understudy Raymond in Tina (Original West End Cast), understudy Joe / Stevedore in Show Boat (West End / Sheffield Crucible) and The Last Days of Troy (Shakespeare's Globe).Kit won Best Actor at the Australian Screen Industry Network Awards for his performance as the title role in Akoni (One Love Films Bondi). He has worked extensively across film, television and radio. Next up, Kit will star in the brand new musical The Land of Might-Have-Been which is running in Buxton and Norwich this July. Follow Kit on Instagram: @kit_is_me  Bonnie & Clyde runs at the Arts Theatre until Saturday 20th May. The Land of Might-Have-Been runs at the Buxton International Festival 7th - 21st July and at the Norwich Theatre 15th - 30th July. Hosted by Andrew Tomlins. @AndrewTomlins32  Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  

Natalie and Darren discuss the plethora of theatre we've seen. Productions reviewed in this episode include: Killing the Cat (Riverside Studios), The Great British Bake Off The Musical (Noel Coward Theatre), Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Lyric Hammersmith), Gone Too Far with a backstage interview with Jerome Scott (Stratford East), Bonnie & Clyde (Garrick Theatre) and Sylvia (Old Vic).

We review four brilliant new shows in episode 89. Bonnie and Clyde staring Frances Mayli McCann and Jordan Luke Gage at The Garrick Theatre; The National Theatre's new musical export from Sheffield Theatres, Standing At The Sky's Edge featuring the songs of Richard Hawley; Further Than The Furthest Thing at The Young Vic, staring our favourite actor Jenna Russell; and a night of breath-taking new ballet at Sadler's Wells, Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends. - Opening/Closing Music: Little Lily Swing by Tri-Tachyonis:licensed under a CC Attribution License Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the hottest opening nights this week was for BONNIE & CLYDE, the fan favourite show which won the 2023 WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Musical. The show has opened at the Garrick Theatre in the West End following its initial run at the Arts Theatre and may surprise returning fans with several changes to its set, cast and material... The show currently stars Jordan Luke Gage as Clyde and Frances Mayli McCann as Bonnie, with Jodie Steele, George Maguire, Dom Hartley Harris and Cleve September also featured in the cast. Check out Mickey-Jo's new video to find out what exactly is different about this new run of the show and what he thought about it... • About Mickey-Jo: As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 60,000 subscribers. Since establishing himself as a theatre critic he has been able to work internationally. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows both in New York, London, Hamburg, and Paris. He has also twice received accreditation from the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK and LondonTheatre.co.uk. He has been invited to speak to private tour groups, at the BEAM 2023 new musical theatre conference at Oxford Playhouse, and on a panel of critics at an event for young people considering a career in the arts courtesy of Go Live Theatre Projects. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre

Frances Mayli McCann is currently reprising her performance as Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde at the Garrick Theatre. Frances has been with UK version of Bonnie and Clyde right from the start, originally starring opposite Jeremy Jordan for the concert production at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane which was filmed for release. Last year the show ran at the Arts Theatre ahead of its transfer to the Garrick for this current run. Frances is an Olivier Award nominee for her performance as Kylah in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (Duke of York's Theatre). Just a few of her other credits include: Svetlana in Chess in Concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Heather McNamara in Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Eponine in Les Miserables (Sondheim Theatre & UK Tour), The Mistress in Evita (Regents Park Open Air Theatre) and Macbeth, The Great Wave and Here Lies Love (National Theatre). On screen, Frances most recently finished filming Silverpoint for BBC/ABC with her other screen credits including Shetland (BBC), River City (BBC), Lip Service (BBC) and A Tale to Tell (Amazon Prime). Bonnie and Clyde runs at the Garrick Theatre Saturday 4th March – Saturday 20th May 2023. Visit www.bonnieandclydemusical.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.  

Michael is a TV and stage actor best known for drug lawyer Maury Levy on the HBO series The Wire, and from his recurring appearances on The Blacklist, Billions, The Good Wife, Law and Order: SVU, and on the Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance. From 2002 to 2003, Kostroff performed in the first national tour of Mel Brooks' Broadway hit The Producers, and from 2003 to 2004, he played the comic villain Thenardier in the touring company of Les Misérables, a role he reprised for the 25th Anniversary Tour in 2010. Julie Garnyé is an actress, singer, voiceover artist, writer, producer and director. She was most recently seen as an original cast member of the first national tour of the Broadway hit COME FROM AWAY and as Bulda/Queen Iduna in Frozen Live at the Hyperion Theatre at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California. She is also the singing voice of the fairy Lyria in the Tinker Bell series of films for Disney Animation. On television, Julie most recently appeared as an original cast member of FATWA! The Musical during season nine of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Julie was also the "In Memoriam" soloist for the 2016 Daytime Emmy Awards telecast and was a part of the Les Misérables ensemble for the Academy Awards (The OSCARS) telecast in 2013. Theatre career highlights include Jennyanydots and Grizabella in the 5th national tour of the musical CATS, Broadway's HAIR in Concert and CHESS in Concert at The New Amsterdam Theatre, Jenny Steinberg in the Southern California premiere of It Shoulda Been You, First Things Last at London's Garrick Theatre and her three Summer Musicals appearances at The Hollywood Bowl: Les Misérables, Chicago and Mamma Mia!. Together Julie and Michael wrote the book The Stage Actor's Handbook Traditions, Protocols, and Etiquette for the Working and Aspiring Professional. In The Stage Actor's Handbook, these protocols have finally been assembled into one volume, allowing theatre artists to know in advance what is expected of them. A definitive guide for professionals and aspiring professionals alike, this book details best practices on everything from rehearsal demeanor to backstage etiquette. It also shares the theatre's unique vernacular and revered superstitions, as well as field-tested guidelines on touring, interactions with the public, and more.

A new theatrical adaptation of Orlando has just premiered in the West End. The play is by Neil Bartlett and features Emma Corrin in the title role. Karina interviews Dr Angela Harris, Neil Bartlett, and a group of fantastic students from Florida State University, London Campus. To learn more about Literature Cambridge, go to https://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk or follow them on:Twitter @LitCamband Instagram: @litcamb

When you think about going to see a musical concert, maybe you picture a big arena, or, in this province, an Arts and Culture Centre. But, in a number of small towns around this province, some of the best places to see live shows are small, volunteer-run venues. They are, in many cases, older structures that have been restored and given new life. David Bradley is with the Bonavista Historic Townscape Foundation, which runs the Garrick Theatre in Bonavista. Jeff Anderson is with Friends of Writers at Woody Point, which runs the Woody Point Heritage Theatre. Kathy Hodder is with the Eastport Peninsula Arts and Heritage Society, which runs the Beaches Arts and Heritage Centre in Eastport.

Ting is a Sound Designer, Composer, and Theatre Maker. After graduating from drama school in 2019, she started off creating sound design for fringe theatre and quickly made her way into larger spaces. Her recent work includes Watch On The Rhine at Donmar Warehouse, My Son's A Queer (But What Can You Do?) at Garrick Theatre, and designing the sound content for The Crucible at National Theatre. As a Theatre Maker, Ting is collaborating with practitioners from different disciplines on a few projects, with topics around cultural identity, existential crisis, eco-system, and languages. She enjoys the process of devising and is interested in exploring experimental, multi-disciplinary, and magical realistic forms. Born and bred in China, Ting studied for an MSc in Behavioural Economics in the Netherlands before moving to London. She trained at the BA(Hons) Production and Technical Arts course at LAMDA.

Orlando starring Emma Corrin at the Garrick Theatre in London and Guillermo del Toro's animated film Pinocchio are reviewed by Shon Faye, author of The Transgender Issue, and Observer theatre critic Susannah Clapp. The story of double agent and defector Kim Philby has been told many times. A Spy Among Friends, a new six-episode series on ITVX, focuses on Nicholas Elliott, Philby's lifelong friend. Damian Lewis, who plays Elliott, and writer Alexander Cary talk to Tom Sutcliffe about telling the story of political and personal betrayal anew. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Harry Parker Picture of Emma Corrin as Orlando credit Marc Brenner

Last weekend, Mickey-Jo was thrilled to have the chance to return to MY SON'S A QUEER BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO for its gala opening night at the Garrick Theatre in the West End. Written by and starring Rob Madge, Mickey-Jo fell in love with this show earlier this year at the Edinburgh Fringe festival and he thinks this West End transfer is hugely deserved and incredibly important. Check out the new review to find out why Mickey-Jo has such love for this production, why he thinks such a personal story connects to so many people and why simply seeing this show poster on the side of the Garrick Theatre is a monumental achievement. • About Mickey-Jo: As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 60,000 subscribers. Since establishing himself as a theatre critic he has been able to work internationally. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows both in New York, London, Hamburg, and Paris. He has also twice received accreditation from the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK and LondonTheatre.co.uk. He has been invited to speak to private tour groups, at the BEAM 2023 new musical theatre conference at Oxford Playhouse, and on a panel of critics at an event for young people considering a career in the arts courtesy of Go Live Theatre Projects. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre

Billy Nevers (Francois in And Juliet) co-hosts The West End Frame Show!Andrew and Billy discuss Musical Con West End (ExCel Centre), My Son's A Queer (But What Can You Do?) (Garrick Theatre) and Jordan Luke Gage's Concert (Here At Outernet) as well as the latest news about MJ The Musical, Pretty Woman, The Great British Bake Off Musical and lots more.Billy's theatre credits include ensemble and cover Simon in Jesus Christ Superstar (Barbican / Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), The Wreck in Wonderful Town (Opera Holland Park), The Color Purple in Concert (Cadogan Hall), Turn Up London (Digital) and An Intimate Evening with Kristen Chenoweth (London Palladium).Billy was part of the original cast of And Juliet in Manchester and at the Shaftesbury Theatre as a swing before going on to play various roles – including Dewey and the Store Manager – whilst also understudying Emmet in Lucy Moss' London revival of Legally Blonde at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. For his performance, Billy was nominated for Outstanding Performance in a Musical at the 2022 Black British Theatre Awards.Billy has recently returned to And Juliet, taking over the role of Francois. And Juliet runs at the Shaftesbury Theatre until 25th March 2023. You can see Billy's solo show at Piano Smithfield, London on Sunday 20th November. Visit www.shop.westwaymusic.com for info and tickets. Follow Billy on Instagram: @billylukenevers Hosted by Andrew Tomlins. @AndrewTomlins32  Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  

Broadway star Felicia Boswell is currently making her West End debut as Faye Treadwell in The Drifters Girl.The musical tells the story of The Drifters and the truth about the woman who made them, Faye Treadwell. As their manager, Faye fought for three decades alongside her husband to turn the vocal group into a global phenomenon. Felicia joined the production in July, taking over the role from Beverley Knight.  The Drifters Girl completes its run in London later this week, ahead of a UK tour which is set to launch next year. Felicia made her Broadway debut as Felicia Farrell in Memphis The Musical, and went on to play the role in the musical's US tour to huge acclaim. Her Broadway credits also include playing Diana Ross in Motown The Musical and Josephine Baker in Shuffle Along.Some of Felicia's other credits include Dreamgirls (US tour) and Emojiland (off-Broadway). Just a few of her US regional credits include playing Celie in The Color Purple, the title role in Medea, Mimi in Rent, The Baker's Wife in Into The Woods, Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar and the title role in Aida. Felicia has  worked on screen and appeared in NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE. She's an Emmy winner for Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE, a two time Helen Hayes winner for Memphis & Jelly's Last Jam and a Broadway World winner for Memphis. As she prepares to say goodbye to The Drifters Girl and London (for now..!), in this episode Felicia discusses how it felt to make her West End debut, her path to Broadway, why what is meant for you won't pass you by and so much more.  The Drifters Girl runs at the Garrick Theatre until 15th October. Visit www.thedriftersgirl.com for info and tickets. Visit Felicia's website www.feliciaboswell.com and follow her on Instagram: @feliciaboswell Hosted by Andrew Tomlins. @AndrewTomlins32  Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  

Tosh Wanogho-Maud is currently receiving huge acclaim for originating the roles of Ben E. King, Rudy Lewis & others in The Drifters Girl.The musical tells the story of The Drifters and the truth about the woman who made them, Faye Treadwell. As their manager, Faye fought for three decades alongside her husband to turn the vocal group into a global phenomenon. Tosh has been with The Drifters Girl since its world premiere in Newcastle in October 2021, through to its West End run which began in November 2021 and concludes later this month. Tosh began his theatre career as a child, playing Winston in Whistle Down The Wind (Aldwych) before starring as Young Simba  in The Lion King (Lyceum).Some of his other theatre credits include: Four Eyed Moe in Five Guys Named Moe (Newtown Abbey), Respect La Diva (Garrick), Rufus/cover Curtis in Save The Last Dance For Me (UK Tour), Sweet Smell of Success (Arcola Theatre), understudy Mufala/General in the original West End cast of The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales) and The Producers (UK Tour).Tosh played Willie in Daniel Evans' revival of Show Boat at the Sheffield Crucible. The production transferred to the West End (New London), with Tosh taking over and starring as Joe for the final months of the musical's run. Tosh then joined the West End premiere of Dreamgirls (Savoy), understudying the iconic role of Jimmy Early. Tosh took over as Jimmy full-time to huge acclaim in the musical's second year. On screen, Tosh worked on Bridgeton and Jingle Jangle for Netflix, as well as BBC's Roadkill. He's also an avid writer and  regularly does various workshops and concerts across theatreland.In this candid interview, Tosh discusses his career to date, all things Dreamgirls and The Drifters Girl as well as his ambitions for the future and lots more!The Drifters Girl runs at the Garrick Theatre until 15th October. Visit www.thedriftersgirl.com for info and tickets. Visit Tosh's website www.toshwm.com and follow him on Instagram: @t0sheeHosted by Andrew Tomlins. @AndrewTomlins32  Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  

Episode one hundred and fifty-four of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs is the last of our four-part mini-series on LA sunshine pop and folk-rock in summer 1967. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a fifteen-minute bonus episode available, on "Baby, Now That I've Found You" by the Foundations. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Resources There is no Mixcloud this week, because there were too many Turtles songs in the episode. There's relatively little information available about the Turtles compared to other bands of their era, and so apart from the sources on the general LA scene referenced in all these podcasts, the information here comes from a small number of sources. This DVD is a decent short documentary on the band's career. Howard Kaylan's autobiography, Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, Etc.,  is a fun read, if inevitably biased towards his own viewpoint. Jim Pons' Hard Core Love: Sex, Football, and Rock and Roll in the Kingdom of God is much less fun, being as it is largely organised around how his life led up to his latter-day religious beliefs, but is the only other book I'm aware of with a substantial amount of coverage of the Turtles. There are many compilations of the Turtles' material available, of which All The Singles is by far and away the best. The box set of all their albums with bonus tracks is now out of print on CD, but can still be bought as MP3s. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript We've spent a lot of time recently in the LA of summer 1967, at the point where the sunshine pop sound that was created when the surf harmonies of the Beach Boys collided with folk rock was at its apex, right before fashions changed and tight sunny pop songs with harmonies from LA became yesterday's news, and extended blues-rock improvisations from San Francisco became the latest in thing. This episode is the last part of this four-episode sequence, and is going to be shorter than those others. In many ways this one is a bridge between this sequence and next episode, where we travel back to London, because we're saying goodbye for a while to the LA scene, and when we do return to LA it will be, for the most part, to look at music that's a lot less sunshine and a lot more shadow. So this is a brief fade-out while we sing ba-ba-ba, a three-minute pop-song of an episode, a last bit of sunshine pop before we return to longer, more complicated, stories  in two weeks' time, at which point the sun will firmly set. Like many musicians associated with LA, Howard Kaylan was born elsewhere and migrated there as a child, and he seems to have regarded his move from upstate New York to LA as essentially a move to Disneyland itself. That impression can only have been made stronger by the fact that soon after his family moved there he got his first childhood girlfriend -- who happened to be a Mouseketeer on the TV. And TV was how young Howard filtered most of his perceptions -- particularly TV comedy. By the age of fourteen he was the president of the Soupy Sales Fan Club, and he was also obsessed with the works of Ernie Kovacs, Sid Caesar, and the great satirist and parodist Stan Freberg: [Excerpt: Stan Freberg, "St. George and the Dragonet"] Second only to his love of comedy, though, was his love of music, and it was on the trip from New York to LA that he saw a show that would eventually change his life. Along the way, his family had gone to Las Vegas, and while there they had seen Louis Prima and Keeley Smith do their nightclub act. Prima is someone I would have liked to do a full podcast episode on when I was covering the fifties, and who I did do a Patreon bonus episode on. He's now probably best known for doing the voice of King Louis in the Jungle Book: [Excerpt: Louis Prima, "I Wanna Be Like You (the Monkey Song)"] But he was also a jump blues musician who made some very good records in a similar style to Louis Jordan, like "Jump, Jive, an' Wail" [Excerpt: Louis Prima, "Jump, Jive, an' Wail"] But like Jordan, Prima dealt at least as much in comedy as in music -- usually comedy involving stereotypes about his Italian-American ethnic origins. At the time young Howard Kaylan saw him, he was working a double act with his then-wife Keeley Smith. The act would consist of Smith trying to sing a song straight, while Prima would clown around, interject, and act like a fool, as Smith grew more and more exasperated, and would eventually start contemptuously mocking Prima. [Excerpt: Louis Prima and Keeley Smith, "Embraceable You/I've Got It Bad and That Ain't Good"] This is of course a fairly standard double-act format, as anyone who has suffered through an episode of The Little and Large Show will be all too painfully aware, but Prima and Smith did it better than most, and to young Howard Kaylan, this was the greatest entertainment imaginable. But while comedy was the closest thing to Kaylan's heart, music was a close second. He was a regular listener to Art Laboe's radio show, and in a brief period as a teenage shoplifter he obtained records like Ray Charles' album Genius + Soul = Jazz: [Excerpt: Ray Charles, "One Mint Julep"] and the single "Tossin' and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis: [Excerpt: Bobby Lewis, "Tossin' and Turnin'"] "Tossin' and Turnin'" made a deep impression on Kaylan, because of the saxophone solo, which was actually a saxophone duet. On the record, baritone sax player Frank Henry played a solo, and it was doubled by the great tenor sax player King Curtis, who was just playing a mouthpiece rather than a full instrument, making a high-pitched squeaking sound: [Excerpt: Bobby Lewis, "Tossin' and Turnin'"] Curtis was of course also responsible for another great saxophone part a couple of years earlier, on a record that Kaylan loved because it combined comedy and rock and roll, "Yakety Yak": [Excerpt: The Coasters, "Yakety Yak"] Those two saxophone parts inspired Kaylan to become a rock and roller. He was already learning the clarinet and playing part time in an amateur Dixieland band, and it was easy enough to switch to saxophone, which has the same fingering. Within a matter of weeks of starting to play sax, he was invited to join a band called the Nightriders, who consisted of Chuck Portz on bass, Al Nichol on guitar, and Glen Wilson on drums. The Nightriders became locally popular, and would perform sets largely made up of Johnny and the Hurricanes and Ventures material. While he was becoming a budding King Curtis, Kaylan was still a schoolkid, and one of the classes he found most enjoyable was choir class. There was another kid in choir who Kaylan got on with, and one day that kid, Mark Volman came up to him, and had a conversation that Kaylan would recollect decades later in his autobiography: “So I hear you're in a rock 'n' roll band.” “Yep.” “Um, do you think I could join it?” “Well, what do you do?” “Nothing.” “Nothing?” “Nope.” “Sounds good to me. I'll ask Al.” Volman initially became the group's roadie and occasional tambourine player, and would also get on stage to sing a bit during their very occasional vocal numbers, but was mostly "in the band" in name only at first -- he didn't get a share of the group's money, but he was allowed to say he was in the group because that meant that his friends would come to the Nightriders' shows, and he was popular among the surfing crowd. Eventually, Volman's father started to complain that his son wasn't getting any money from being in the band, while the rest of the group were, and they explained to him that Volman was just carrying the instruments while they were all playing them. Volman's father said "if Mark plays an instrument, will you give him equal shares?" and they said that that was fair, so Volman got an alto sax to play along with Kaylan's tenor. Volman had also been taking clarinet lessons, and the two soon became a tight horn section for the group, which went through a few lineup changes and soon settled on a lineup of Volman and Kaylan on saxes, Nichol on lead guitar, Jim Tucker on rhythm guitar, Portz on bass, and Don Murray on drums. That new lineup became known as the Crossfires, presumably after the Johnny and the Hurricanes song of the same name: [Excerpt: Johnny and the Hurricanes, "Crossfire"] Volman and Kaylan worked out choreographed dance steps to do while playing their saxes, and the group even developed a group of obsessive fans who called themselves the Chunky Club, named after one of the group's originals: [Excerpt: The Crossfires, "Chunky"] At this point the group were pretty much only playing instrumentals, though they would do occasional vocals on R&B songs like "Money" or their version of Don and Dewey's "Justine", songs which required more enthusiasm than vocal ability. But their first single, released on a tiny label, was another surf instrumental, a song called "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde": [Excerpt: The Crossfires, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde"] The group became popular enough locally that they became the house band at the Revelaire Club in Redondo Beach. There as well as playing their own sets, they would also be the backing band for any touring acts that came through without their own band, quickly gaining the kind of performing ability that comes from having to learn a new artist's entire repertoire in a few days and be able to perform it with them live with little or no rehearsal. They backed artists like the Coasters, the Drifters, Bobby Vee, the Rivingtons, and dozens of other major acts, and as part of that Volman and Kaylan would, on songs that required backing vocals, sing harmonies rather than playing saxophone. And that harmony-singing ability became important when the British Invasion happened, and suddenly people didn't want to hear surf instrumentals, but vocals along the lines of the new British groups. The Crossfires' next attempt at a single was another original, this one an attempt at sounding like one of their favourite new British groups, the Kinks: [Excerpt: The Crossfires, "One Potato, Two Potato"] This change to vocals necessitated a change in the group dynamic. Volman and Kaylan ditched the saxophones, and discovered that between them they made one great frontman. The two have never been excessively close on a personal level, but both have always known that the other has qualities they needed. Frank Zappa would later rather dismissively say "I regard Howard as a fine singer, and Mark as a great tambourine player and fat person", and it's definitely true that Kaylan is one of the truly great vocalists to come out of the LA scene in this period, while Volman is merely a good harmony singer, not anything particularly special -- though he *is* a good harmony singer -- but it undersells Volman's contribution. There's a reason the two men performed together for nearly sixty years. Kaylan is a great singer, but also by nature rather reserved, and he always looked uncomfortable on stage, as well as, frankly, not exactly looking like a rock star (Kaylan describes himself not inaccurately as looking like a potato several times in his autobiography). Volman, on the other hand, is a merely good singer, but he has a naturally outgoing personality, and while he's also not the most conventionally good-looking of people he has a *memorable* appearance in a way that Kaylan doesn't. Volman could do all the normal frontman stuff, the stuff that makes a show an actual show -- the jokes, the dancing, the between-song patter, the getting the crowd going, while Kaylan could concentrate on the singing. They started doing a variation on the routine that had so enthralled Howard Kaylan when he'd seen Louis Prima and Keeley Smith do it as a child. Kaylan would stand more or less stock still, looking rather awkward, but singing like an angel, while Volman would dance around, clown, act the fool, and generally do everything he could to disrupt the performance -- short of actually disrupting it in reality. It worked, and Volman became one of that small but illustrious group of people -- the band member who makes the least contribution to the sound of the music but the biggest contribution to the feel of the band itself, and without whom they wouldn't be the same. After "One Potato, Two Potato" was a flop, the Crossfires were signed to their third label. This label, White Whale, was just starting out, and the Crossfires were to become their only real hit act. Or rather, the Turtles were. The owners of White Whale knew that they didn't have much promotional budget and that their label was not a known quantity -- it was a tiny label with no track record. But they thought of a way they could turn that to their advantage. Everyone knew that the Beatles, before Capitol had picked up their contracts, had had their records released on a bunch of obscure labels like Swan and Tollie. People *might* look for records on tiny independent labels if they thought it might be another British act who were unknown in the US but could be as good as the Beatles. So they chose a name for the group that they thought sounded as English as possible -- an animal name that started with "the", and ended in "les", just like the Beatles. The group, all teenagers at the time, were desperate enough that they agreed to change their name, and from that point on they became the Turtles. In order to try and jump on as many bandwagons as possible, the label wanted to position them as a folk-rock band, so their first single under the Turtles name was a cover of a Bob Dylan song, from Another Side of Bob Dylan: [Excerpt: Bob Dylan, "It Ain't Me Babe"] That song's hit potential had already been seen by Johnny Cash, who'd had a country hit with it a few months before. But the Turtles took the song in a different direction, inspired by Kaylan's *other* great influence, along with Prima and Smith. Kaylan was a big fan of the Zombies, one of the more interesting of the British Invasion groups, and particularly of their singer Colin Blunstone. Kaylan imitated Blunstone on the group's hit single, "She's Not There", on which Blunstone sang in a breathy, hushed, voice on the verses: [Excerpt: The Zombies, "She's Not There"] before the song went into a more stomping chorus on which Blunstone sang in a fuller voice: [Excerpt: The Zombies, "She's Not There"] Kaylan did this on the Turtles' version of "It Ain't Me Babe", starting off with a quiet verse: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "It Ain't Me Babe"] Before, like the Zombies, going into a foursquare, more uptempo, louder chorus: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "It Ain't Me Babe"] The single became a national top ten hit, and even sort of got the approval of Bob Dylan. On the group's first national tour, Dylan was at one club show, which they ended with "It Ain't Me Babe", and after the show the group were introduced to the great songwriter, who was somewhat the worse for wear. Dylan said “Hey, that was a great song you just played, man. That should be your single", and then passed out into his food. With the group's first single becoming a top ten hit, Volman and Kaylan got themselves a house in Laurel Canyon, which was not yet the rock star Mecca it was soon to become, but which was starting to get a few interesting residents. They would soon count Henry Diltz of the Modern Folk Quartet, Danny Hutton, and Frank Zappa among their neighbours. Soon Richie Furay would move in with them, and the house would be used by the future members of the Buffalo Springfield as their rehearsal space. The Turtles were rapidly becoming part of the in crowd. But they needed a follow-up single, and so Bones Howe, who was producing their records, brought in P.F. Sloan to play them a few of his new songs. They liked "Eve of Destruction" enough to earmark it as a possible album track, but they didn't think they would do it justice, and so it was passed on to Barry McGuire. But Sloan did have something for them -- a pseudo-protest song called "Let Me Be" that was very clearly patterned after their version of "It Ain't Me Babe", and which was just rebellious enough to make them seem a little bit daring, but which was far more teenage angst than political manifesto: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Let Me Be"] That did relatively well, making the top thirty -- well enough for the group to rush out an album which was padded out with some sloppy cover versions of other Dylan songs, a version of "Eve of Destruction", and a few originals written by Kaylan. But the group weren't happy with the idea of being protest singers. They were a bunch of young men who were more motivated by having a good time than by politics, and they didn't think that it made sense for them to be posing as angry politicised rebels. Not only that, but there was a significant drop-off between "It Ain't Me Babe" and "Let Me Be". They needed to do better. They got the clue for their new direction while they were in New York. There they saw their friends in the Mothers of Invention playing their legendary residency at the Garrick Theatre, but they also saw a new band, the Lovin' Spoonful, who were playing music that was clearly related to the music the Turtles were doing -- full of harmonies and melody, and inspired by folk music -- but with no sense of rebelliousness at all. They called it "Good Time Music": [Excerpt: The Lovin' Spoonful, "Good Time Music"] As soon as they got back to LA, they told Bones Howe and the executives at White Whale that they weren't going to be a folk-rock group any more, they were going to be "good time music", just like the Lovin' Spoonful. They were expecting some resistance, but they were told that that was fine, and that PF Sloan had some good time music songs too. "You Baby" made the top twenty: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "You Baby"] The Turtles were important enough in the hierarchy of LA stars that Kaylan and Tucker were even invited by David Crosby to meet the Beatles at Derek Taylor's house when they were in LA on their last tour -- this may be the same day that the Beatles met Brian and Carl Wilson, as I talked about in the episode on "All You Need is Love", though Howard Kaylan describes this as being a party and that sounded like more of an intimate gathering. If it was that day, there was nearly a third Beach Boy there. The Turtles knew David Marks, the Beach Boys' former rhythm guitarist, because they'd played a lot in Inglewood where he'd grown up, and Marks asked if he could tag along with Kaylan and Tucker to meet the Beatles. They agreed, and drove up to the house, and actually saw George Harrison through the window, but that was as close as they got to the Beatles that day. There was a heavy police presence around the house because it was known that the Beatles were there, and one of the police officers asked them to drive back and park somewhere else and walk up, because there had been complaints from neighbours about the number of cars around. They were about to do just that, when Marks started yelling obscenities and making pig noises at the police, so they were all arrested, and the police claimed to find a single cannabis seed in the car. Charges were dropped, but now Kaylan was on the police's radar, and so he moved out of the Laurel Canyon home to avoid bringing police attention to Buffalo Springfield, so that Neil Young and Bruce Palmer wouldn't get deported. But generally the group were doing well. But there was a problem. And that problem was their record label. They rushed out another album to cash in on the success of "You Baby", one that was done so quickly that it had "Let Me Be" on it again, just as the previous album had, and which included a version of the old standard "All My Trials", with the songwriting credited to the two owners of White Whale records. And they pumped out a lot of singles. A LOT of singles, ranging from a song written for them by new songwriter Warren Zevon, to cover versions of Frank Sinatra's "It Was a Very Good Year" and the old standard "We'll Meet Again". Of the five singles after "You Baby", the one that charted highest was a song actually written by a couple of the band members. But for some reason a song with verses in 5/4 time and choruses in 6/4 with lyrics like "killing the living and living to kill, the grim reaper of love thrives on pain" didn't appeal to the group's good-time music pop audience and only reached number eighty-one: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Grim Reaper of Love"] The group started falling apart. Don Murray became convinced that  the rest of the band were conspiring against him and wanted him out, so he walked out of the group in the middle of a rehearsal for a TV show. They got Joel Larson of the Grass Roots -- the group who had a number of hits with Sloan and Barri songs -- to sub for a few gigs before getting in a permanent replacement, Johnny Barbata, who came to them on the recommendation of Gene Clark, and who was one of the best drummers on the scene -- someone who was not only a great drummer but a great showman, who would twirl his drumsticks between his fingers with every beat, and who would regularly engage in drum battles with Buddy Rich. By the time they hit their fifth flop single in a row, they lost their bass player as well -- Chuck Portz decided he was going to quit music and become a fisherman instead. They replaced him with Chip Douglas of the Modern Folk Quartet. Then they very nearly lost their singers. Volman and Kaylan both got their draft notices at the same time, and it seemed likely they would end up having to go and fight in the Vietnam war. Kaylan was distraught, but his mother told him "Speak to your cousin Herb". Cousin Herb was Herb Cohen, the manager of the Mothers of Invention and numerous other LA acts, including the Modern Folk Quartet, and Kaylan only vaguely knew him at this time, but he agreed to meet up with them, and told them “Stop worrying! I got Zappa out, I got Tim Buckley out, and I'll get you out.” Cohen told Volman and Kaylan to not wash for a week before their induction, to take every drug of every different kind they could find right before going in, to deliberately disobey every order, to fail the logic tests, and to sexually proposition the male officers dealing with the induction. They followed his orders to the letter, and got marked as 4-F, unfit for service. They still needed a hit though, and eventually they found something by going back to their good-time music idea. It was a song from the Koppelman-Rubin publishing company -- the same company that did the Lovin Spoonful's management and production. The song in question was by Alan Gordon and Gary Bonner, two former members of a group called the Magicians, who had had a minor success with a single called "An Invitation to Cry": [Excerpt: The Magicians, "An Invitation to Cry"] The Magicians had split up, and Bonner and Gordon were trying to make a go of things as professional songwriters, but had had little success to this point. The song on the demo had been passed over by everyone, and the demo was not at all impressive, just a scratchy acetate with Bonner singing off-key and playing acoustic rhythm guitar and Gordon slapping his knees to provide rhythm, but the group heard something in it. They played the song live for months, refining the arrangement, before taking it into the studio. There are arguments to this day as to who deserves the credit for the sound on "Happy Together" -- Chip Douglas apparently did the bulk of the arrangement work while they were on tour, but the group's new producer, Joe Wissert, a former staff engineer for Cameo-Parkway, also claimed credit for much of it. Either way, "Happy Together" is a small masterpiece of dynamics. The song is structured much like the songs that had made the Turtles' name, with the old Zombies idea of the soft verse and much louder chorus: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Happy Together"] But the track is really made by the tiny details of the arrangement, the way instruments and vocal parts come in and out as the track builds up, dies down, and builds again. If you listen to the isolated tracks, there are fantastic touches like the juxtaposition of the bassoon and oboe (which I think is played on a mellotron): [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Happy Together", isolated tracks] And a similar level of care and attention was put into the vocal arrangement by Douglas, with some parts just Kaylan singing solo, other parts having Volman double him, and of course the famous "bah bah bah" massed vocals: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Happy Together", isolated vocals] At the end of the track, thinking he was probably going to do another take, Kaylan decided to fool around and sing "How is the weather?", which Bonner and Gordon had jokingly done on the demo. But the group loved it, and insisted that was the take they were going to use: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Happy Together"] "Happy Together" knocked "Penny Lane" by the Beatles off the number one spot in the US, but by that point the group had already had another lineup change. The Monkees had decided they wanted to make records without the hit factory that had been overseeing them, and had asked Chip Douglas if he wanted to produce their first recordings as a self-contained band. Given that the Monkees were the biggest thing in the American music industry at the time, Douglas had agreed, and so the group needed their third bass player in a year. The one they went for was Jim Pons. Pons had seen the Beatles play at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964, and decided he wanted to become a pop star. The next day he'd been in a car crash, which had paid out enough insurance money that he was able to buy two guitars, a bass, drums, and amps, and use them to start his own band. That band was originally called The Rockwells, but quickly changed their name to the Leaves, and became a regular fixture at Ciro's on Sunset Strip, first as customers, then after beating Love in the auditions, as the new resident band when the Byrds left. For a while the Leaves had occasionally had guest vocals from a singer called Richard Marin, but Pons eventually decided to get rid of him, because, as he put it "I wanted us to look like The Beatles. There were no Mexicans in The Beatles". He is at pains in his autobiography to assure us that he's not a bigot, and that Marin understood. I'm sure he did. Marin went on to be better known as Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong. The Leaves were signed by Pat Boone to his production company, and through that company they got signed to Mira Records. Their first single, produced by Nik Venet, had been a version of "Love Minus Zero (No Limit)", a song by Bob Dylan: [Excerpt: The Leaves, "Love Minus Zero (No Limit)"] That had become a local hit, though not a national one, and the Leaves had become one of the biggest bands on the Sunset Strip scene, hanging out with all the other bands. They had become friendly with the Doors before the Doors got a record deal, and Pat Boone had even asked for an introduction, as he was thinking of signing them, but unfortunately when he met Jim Morrison, Morrison had drunk a lot of vodka, and given that Morrison was an obnoxious drunk Boone had second thoughts, and so the world missed out on the chance of a collaboration between the Doors and Pat Boone. Their second single was "Hey Joe" -- as was their third and fourth, as we discussed in that episode: [Excerpt: The Leaves, "Hey Joe"] Their third version of "Hey Joe" had become a top forty hit, but they didn't have a follow-up, and their second album, All The Good That's Happening, while it's a good album, sold poorly. Various band members quit or fell out, and when Johnny Barbata knocked on Jim Pons' door it was an easy decision to quit and join a band that had a current number one hit. When Pons joined, the group had already recorded the Happy Together album. That album included the follow-up to "Happy Together", another Bonner and Gordon song, "She'd Rather Be With Me": [Excerpt: The Turtles, "She'd Rather Be With Me"] None of the group were tremendously impressed with that song, but it did very well, becoming the group's second-biggest hit in the US, reaching number three, and actually becoming a bigger hit than "Happy Together" in parts of Europe. Before "Happy Together" the group hadn't really made much impact outside the US. In the UK, their early singles had been released by Pye, the smallish label that had the Kinks and Donovan, but which didn't have much promotional budget, and they'd sunk without trace. For "You Baby" they'd switched to Immediate, the indie label that Andrew Oldham had set up, and it had done a little better but still not charted. But from "Happy Together" they were on Decca, a much bigger label, and "Happy Together" had made number twelve in the charts in the UK, and "She'd Rather Be With Me" reached number four. So the new lineup of the group went on a UK tour. As soon as they got to the hotel, they found they had a message from Graham Nash of the Hollies, saying he would like to meet up with them. They all went round to Nash's house, and found Donovan was also there, and Nash played them a tape he'd just been given of Sgt Pepper, which wouldn't come out for a few more days. At this point they were living every dream a bunch of Anglophile American musicians could possibly have. Jim Tucker mentioned that he would love to meet the Beatles, and Nash suggested they do just that. On their way out the door, Donovan said to them, "beware of Lennon". It was when they got to the Speakeasy club that the first faux-pas of the evening happened. Nash introduced them to Justin Hayward and John Lodge of the Moody Blues, and Volman said how much he loved their record "Go Now": [Excerpt: The Moody Blues, "Go Now"] The problem was that Hayward and Lodge had joined the group after that record had come out, to replace its lead singer Denny Laine. Oh well, they were still going to meet the Beatles, right? They got to the table where John, Paul, and Ringo were sat, at a tense moment -- Paul was having a row with Jane Asher, who stormed out just as the Turtles were getting there. But at first, everything seemed to go well. The Beatles all expressed their admiration for "Happy Together" and sang the "ba ba ba" parts at them, and Paul and Kaylan bonded over their shared love for "Justine" by Don and Dewey, a song which the Crossfires had performed in their club sets, and started singing it together: [Excerpt: Don and Dewey, "Justine"] But John Lennon was often a mean drunk, and he noticed that Jim Tucker seemed to be the weak link in the group, and soon started bullying him, mocking his clothes, his name, and everything he said. This devastated Tucker, who had idolised Lennon up to that point, and blurted out "I'm sorry I ever met you", to which Lennon just responded "You never did, son, you never did". The group walked out, hurt and confused -- and according to Kaylan in his autobiography, Tucker was so demoralised by Lennon's abuse that he quit music forever shortly afterwards, though Tucker says that this wasn't the reason he quit. From their return to LA on, the Turtles would be down to just a five-piece band. After leaving the club, the group went off in different directions, but then Kaylan (and this is according to Kaylan's autobiography, there are no other sources for this) was approached by Brian Jones, asking for his autograph because he loved the Turtles so much. Jones introduced Kaylan to the friend he was with, Jimi Hendrix, and they went out for dinner, but Jones soon disappeared with a girl he'd met. and left Kaylan and Hendrix alone. They were drinking a lot -- more than Kaylan was used to -- and he was tired, and the omelette that Hendrix had ordered for Kaylan was creamier than he was expecting... and Kaylan capped what had been a night full of unimaginable highs and lows by vomiting all over Jimi Hendrix's expensive red velvet suit. Rather amazingly after all this, the Moody Blues, the Beatles, and Hendrix, all showed up to the Turtles' London gig and apparently enjoyed it. After "She'd Rather Be With Me", the next single to be released wasn't really a proper single, it was a theme song they'd been asked to record for a dire sex comedy titled "Guide for the Married Man", and is mostly notable for being composed by John Williams, the man who would later go on to compose the music for Star Wars. That didn't chart, but the group followed it with two more top twenty hits written by Bonner and Gordon, "You Know What I Mean" and "She's My Girl". But then the group decided that Bonner and Gordon weren't giving them their best material, and started turning down their submissions, like a song called "Celebrity Ball" which they thought had no commercial potential, at least until the song was picked up by their friends Three Dog Night, retitled "Celebrate", and made the top twenty: [Excerpt: Three Dog Night, "Celebrate"] Instead, the group decided to start recording more of their own material. They were worried that in the fast-changing rock world bands that did other songwriters' material were losing credibility. But "Sound Asleep", their first effort in this new plan, only made number forty-seven on the charts. Clearly they needed a different plan. They called in their old bass player Chip Douglas, who was now an experienced hitmaker as a producer. He called in *his* friend Harry Nilsson, who wrote "The Story of Rock & Roll" for the group, but that didn't do much better, only making number forty-eight. But the group persevered, starting work on a new album produced by Douglas, The Turtles Present The Battle of the Bands, the conceit of which was that every track would be presented as being by a different band. So there were tracks by  Chief Kamanawanalea and his Royal Macadamia Nuts,  Fats Mallard and the Bluegrass Fireball, The Atomic Enchilada, and so on, all done in the styles suggested by those band names. There was even a track by "The Cross Fires": [Excerpt: The Cross Fires, "Surfer Dan"] It was the first time the group had conceived of an album as a piece, and nine of the twelve tracks were originals by the band -- there was a track written by their friend Bill Martin, and the opening track, by "The US Teens Featuring Raoul", was co-written by Chip Douglas and Harry Nilsson. But for the most part the songs were written by the band members themselves, and jointly credited to all of them. This was the democratic decision, but one that Howard Kaylan would later regret, because of the song for which the band name was just "Howie, Mark, Johnny, Jim & Al". Where all the other songs were parodies of other types of music, that one was, as the name suggests, a parody of the Turtles themselves. It was written by Kaylan in disgust at the record label, who kept pestering the group to "give us another 'Happy Together'". Kaylan got more and more angry at this badgering, and eventually thought "OK, you want another 'Happy Together'? I'll give you another 'Happy Together'" and in a few minutes wrote a song that was intended as an utterly vicious parody of that kind of song, with lyrics that nobody could possibly take seriously, and with music that was just mocking the whole structure of "Happy Together" specifically. He played it to the rest of the group, expecting them to fall about laughing, but instead they all insisted it was the group's next single. "Elenore" went to number six on the charts, becoming their biggest hit since "She'd Rather Be With Me": [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Elenore"] And because everything was credited to the group, Kaylan's songwriting royalties were split five ways. For the follow-up, they chose the one actual cover version on the album. "You Showed Me" is a song that Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark had written together in the very early days of the Byrds, and they'd recorded it as a jangly folk-rock tune in 1964: [Excerpt: The Byrds, "You Showed Me"] They'd never released that track, but Gene Clark had performed it solo after leaving the Byrds, and Douglas had been in Clark's band at the time, and liked the song. He played it for the Turtles, but when he played it for them the only instrument he had to hand was a pump organ with one of its bellows broken. Because of this, he had to play it slowly, and while he kept insisting that the song needed to be faster, the group were equally insistent that what he was playing them was the big ballad hit they wanted, and they recorded it at that tempo. "You Showed Me" became the Turtles' final top ten hit: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "You Showed Me"] But once again there were problems in the group. Johnny Barbata was the greatest drummer any of them had ever played with, but he didn't fit as a personality -- he didn't like hanging round with the rest of them when not on stage, and while there were no hard feelings, it was clear he could get a gig with pretty much anyone and didn't need to play with a group he wasn't entirely happy in. By mutual agreement, he left to go and play with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and was replaced by John Seiter from Spanky and Our Gang -- a good drummer, but not the best of the best like Barbata had been. On top of this, there were a whole host of legal problems to deal with. The Turtles were the only big act on White Whale records, though White Whale did put out some other records. For example, they'd released the single "Desdemona" by John's Children in the US: [Excerpt: John's Children, "Desdemona"] The group, being the Anglophiles they were, had loved that record, and were also among the very small number of Americans to like the music made by John's Children's guitarist's new folk duo, Tyrannosaurus Rex: [Excerpt: Tyrannosaurus Rex, "Debora"] When Tyrannosaurus Rex supported the Turtles, indeed, Volman and Kaylan became very close to Marc Bolan, and told him that the next time they were in England they'd have to get together, maybe even record together. That would happen not that many years later, with results we'll be getting to in... episode 201, by my current calculations. But John's Children hadn't had a hit, and indeed nobody on White Whale other than the Turtles had. So White Whale desperately wanted to stop the Turtles having any independence, and to make sure they continued to be their hit factory. They worked with the group's roadie, Dave Krambeck, to undermine the group's faith in their manager, Bill Utley, who supported the group in their desire for independence. Soon, Krambeck and White Whale had ousted Utley, and Krambeck had paid Utley fifty thousand dollars for their management contract, with the promise of another two hundred thousand later. That fifty thousand dollars had been taken by Krambeck as an advance against the Turtles' royalties, so they were really buying themselves out. Except that Krambeck then sold the management contract on to a New York management firm, without telling the group. He then embezzled as much of the group's ready cash as he could and ran off to Mexico, without paying Utley his two hundred thousand dollars. The Turtles were out of money, and they were being sued by Utley because he hadn't had the money he should have had, and by the big New York firm, because  since the Turtles hadn't known they were now legally their managers they were in breach of contract. They needed money quickly, and so they signed with another big management company, this one co-owned by Bill Cosby, in the belief that Cosby's star power might be able to get them some better bookings. It did -- one of the group's first gigs after signing with the new company was at the White House. It turned out they were Tricia Nixon's favourite group, and so they and the Temptations were booked at her request for a White House party. The group at first refused to play for a President they rightly thought of as a monster, but their managers insisted. That destroyed their reputation among the cool antiestablishment youth, of course, but it did start getting them well-paid corporate gigs. Right up until the point where Kaylan became sick at his own hypocrisy at playing these events, drank too much of the complimentary champagne at an event for the president of US Steel, went into a drunken rant about how sick the audience made him, and then about how his bandmates were a bunch of sellouts, threw his mic into a swimming pool, and quit while still on stage. He was out of the band for two months, during which time they worked on new material without him, before they made up and decided to work on a new album. This new album, though, was going to be more democratic. As well as being all original material, they weren't having any of this nonsense about the lead singer singing lead. This time, whoever wrote the song was going to sing lead, so Kaylan only ended up singing lead on six of the twelve songs on what turned out to be their final album, Turtle Soup. They wanted a truly great producer for the new album, and they all made lists of who they might call. The lists included a few big names like George Martin and Phil Spector, but one name kept turning up -- Ray Davies. As we'll hear in the next episode, the Kinks had been making some astonishing music since "You Really Got Me", but most of it had not been heard in the US. But the Turtles all loved the Kinks' 1968 album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, which they considered the best album ever made: [Excerpt: The Kinks, "Animal Farm"] They got in touch with Davies, and he agreed to produce the album -- the first time he did any serious outside production work -- and eventually they were able to persuade White Whale, who had no idea who he was, to allow him to produce it. The resulting album is by far the group's strongest album-length work, though there were problems -- Davies' original mix of the album was dominated by the orchestral parts written by Wrecking Crew musician Ray Pohlman, while the group thought that their own instruments should be more audible, since they were trying to prove that they were a proper band. They remixed it themselves, annoying Davies, though reissues since the eighties have reverted to a mix closer to Davies' intentions. Some of the music, like Pons' "Dance This Dance With Me", perhaps has the group trying a little *too* hard to sound like the Kinks: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Dance This Dance With Me"] But on the other hand, Kaylan's "You Don't Have to Walk in the Rain" is the group's last great pop single, and has one of the best lines of any single from the sixties -- "I look at your face, I love you anyway": [Excerpt: The Turtles, "You Don't Have to Walk in the Rain"] But the album produced no hits, and the group were getting more and more problems from their label. White Whale tried to get Volman and Kaylan to go to Memphis without the other band members to record with Chips Moman, but they refused -- the Turtles were a band, and they were proud of not having session players play their parts on the records. Instead, they started work with Jerry Yester producing on a new album, to be called Shell Shock. They did, though bow to pressure and record a terrible country track called "Who Would Ever Think That I Would Marry Margaret" backed by session players, at White Whale's insistence, but managed to persuade the label not to release it. They audited White Whale and discovered that in the first six months of 1969 alone -- a period where they hadn't sold that many records -- they'd been underpaid by a staggering six hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They sued the label for several million, and in retaliation, the label locked them out of the recording studio, locking their equipment in there. They basically begged White Whale to let them record one last great single, one last throw of the dice. Jim Pons had, for years, known a keyboard player named Bob Harris, and had recently got to know Harris' wife, Judee Sill. Sill had a troubled life -- she was a heroin addict, and had at times turned to streetwalking to earn money, and had spent time in prison for armed robbery -- but she was also an astonishing songwriter, whose music was as inspired by Bach as by any pop or folk composer. Sill had been signed to Blimp, the Turtles' new production and publishing company, and Pons was co-producing some tracks on her first album, with Graham Nash producing others. Pons thought one song from that album, "Lady-O", would be perfect for the Turtles: [Excerpt: Judee Sill, "Lady-O"] (music continues under) The Turtles stuck closely to Sill's vision of the song. So closely that you haven't noticed that before I started talking, we'd already switched from Sill's record to the Turtles' version. [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Lady-O"] That track, with Sill on guitar backing Kaylan, Volman, and Nichol's vocals, was the last Turtles single to be released while the band were together. Despite “Lady O” being as gorgeous a melody as has ever been produced in the rock world, it sank without trace, as did a single from the Shell Shock sessions released under a pseudonym, The Dedications. White Whale followed that up, to the group's disgust, with "Who Would Ever Think That I Would Marry Margaret?", and then started putting out whatever they had in the vaults, trying to get the last few pennies, even releasing their 1965 album track version of "Eve of Destruction" as if it were a new single. The band were even more disgusted when they discovered that, thanks to the flurry of suits and countersuits, they not only could no longer perform as the Turtles, but White Whale were laying legal claim to their own names. They couldn't perform under those names -- Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman, and the rest were the intellectual property of White Whale, according to the lawyers. The group split up, and Kaylan and Volman did some session work, including singing on a demo for a couple of new songwriters: [Excerpt: Steely Dan, "Everyone's Gone to the Movies"] When that demo got the songwriters a contract, one of them actually phoned up to see if Kaylan wanted a permanent job in their new band, but they didn't want Volman as well, so Kaylan refused, and Steely Dan had to do without him. Volman and Kaylan were despondent, washed-up, has-been ex-rock stars. But when they went to see a gig by their old friend Frank Zappa, it turned out that he was looking for exactly that. Of course, they couldn't use their own names, but the story of the Phlorescent Leech and Eddie is a story for another time...

Last week Mickey-Jo was delighted to be invited to see RIDE, a new musical by Jack Williams and Freya Catrin Smith at the Charing Cross Theatre. Having followed this show from the VAULT Festival and a staged workshop at the Garrick Theatre, Mickey-Jo was thrilled to finally see a fully realised staging starring Liv Andruiser and Yuki Sutton. Check out the new review to find out why this show is so special... • About Mickey-Jo: As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 60,000 subscribers. Since establishing himself as a theatre critic he has been able to work internationally. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows both in New York, London, Hamburg, and Paris. He has also twice received accreditation from the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK and LondonTheatre.co.uk. He has been invited to speak to private tour groups, at the BEAM 2023 new musical theatre conference at Oxford Playhouse, and on a panel of critics at an event for young people considering a career in the arts courtesy of Go Live Theatre Projects. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre

Something a bit different this week as Alexa is joined by two guests. Cat Ogden is a singer and vocal coach who specialises in singing for mental health and wellbeing, and she is alongside founder of Sing Now, Sarah Joyce. As you'll see from the episode title, congratulations are in order as both guests on Singing Teachers Talk are expecting, so the topic of conversation today is all around understanding pregnancy for the singer and the self-employed.   KEY TAKEAWAYS In Dr Catherine Gardner's report, she notes that the common physical experiences of pregnancy such as nausea, vomiting, breathlessness, swelling, reflux, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue were sometimes made worse by singing. Cat experienced debilitating sickness while pregnant with her second child which led to vomiting, weight loss, and hospitalisation. As someone who is self-employed, there was nobody to fall back on while she was ill. There was no one else to take her students' lessons and she had to do it all herself.  The vomiting she experienced while ill affected Cat's voice but she was able to find support from Pregnancy Sickness Support, which is linked in the notes below.  The positive impacts that pregnant women brought up in Dr Gardner's research included greater breath awareness, reduced performance anxiety and the ability to refocus priorities.    BEST MOMENTS ‘I was literally vomiting either side of lessons'  ‘Acid reflux through trimesters 1, 2, and 3 was a really big one for me'  ‘When it comes to performing I'm more relaxed than I ever have been'   EPISODE RESOURCES  BAST Training    Guest Website: sarah-joyce.co.uk sing-now.co.uk catogdensinging.com   Social Media:  @sarahjoycesing @catogdensinging   Relevant Links & Mentions:  Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Episode 55 - Teaching Singing for Mental Health and Wellbeing with Cat Ogden: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EE00DU5gciDilLMAfq1SG?si=50834e119d7141e8 Dr Catherine Gardner: singingfortwo.com Vocal Health Education: vocalhealtlh.co.uk Pregnancy Sickness Support: https://www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/; @pregnancysicknesssupport Medication List: https://ncvs.org/prescriptions/ Happy Mum Happy Baby Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1q5dLwCTmrU4XNEy8cXyBX?si=c046318def5344e8 ABOUT THE GUEST  Sarah Joyce: On graduating from Guildford School of Acting in 2008, Sarah made her West End debut in Zorro at the Garrick Theatre, covering and playing the lead female role, Luisa. This was followed by a world tour as principal singer on board Cunard's renowned Queen Victoria. Sarah then toured the UK with the 25th anniversary production of Phantom of the Opera, covering and playing Madame Giry, and appeared in the London Palladium production of Scrooge starring Tommy Steele, where she played Mrs Cratchit. As well as running her own choir in Surbiton, Sarah gigs with the London Contemporary Voices and is lead singer for the Soultanas, funk & soul band. In addition, Sarah enjoys working as a vocal coach at her studio in Guildford as well as teaching at Italia Conti and the University of Creative Arts. She holds a certificate in vocal health first aid from Vocal Health Education, and is now a Vocal Habilitation Professional.   Cat Ogden: Cat Ogden trained at UCLan in Music Theatre and is currently studying for a Master's in Voice Pedagogy with the Voice Study Centre. She specialises in teaching children and young adults, and in singing for mental health and wellbeing. Cat has a certificate in mental health first aid, vocal health first aid and has completed the BAST 20 hour course. She lives in Cheshire.    ABOUT THE PODCAST BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events. Website: basttraining.com Get updates to your inbox: Click here for updates from BAST Training Link to presenter's bios: basttraining.com/singing-teachers-talk-podcast-biosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a land ruled by a paranoid and jealous king hell-bent on destroying his own family and buffeted by violent storms, miracles, and a very large and hungry bear, Shakespeare's characters go from intense melodrama to comedy to redemption in the five wild acts of The Winter's Tale. In this week's episode, Will and James find themselves surprised by how much they liked this romance and debate what makes it so much more successful than some of the Bard's later plays.CreditsIntro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous)Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous)Illustrative Excerpts: “The Winter's Tale,” dir. Gregory Doran, Heritage Theatre (1999); “The Winter's Tale,” dir. Kenneth Branagh, Garrick Theatre (2015)

Taking the queer question challenge this week are drag legends Gareth Joyner, better known as Myra Dubois, and Latrice Royale. The duo will be taking a breather from their hit West-End show, Death Drop (showing at the Garrick Theatre until the 11th July) to answer various questions on a wide-range of topics from coming out to RuPaul! It could get vicious, but will definitely be interesting.Please note, some of the topics discussed in this episode might be sensitive and/or triggering. For help and support with any LGBTQ+ issues you might be facing, you can contact Switchboard on 0300 330 0630. Alternatively, the Samaritans are available twenty-four hours a day on 116 123. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Episode Nine of The West London Witch, a podcast where we share stories about those moment where we find ourselves very much not alone.  This week Actress Sabina Franklyn shares some chilling stories about the Garrick Theatre and the Theatre Royal Bath and we also dive deep into the dark and murderous history of The Theatre Royal Drury Lane.