Podcasts about sheffield crucible

Hello and welcome to Episode 58. Today, we are delighted to welcome to the podcast Phil Cheadle and Edward Bennett, the director and star respectively of ‘Selecting a Ghost', a stage adaptation of the Conan Doyle short story which was performed in Norwood, South London, in November 2024. Listen to our episode about ‘Selecting a Ghost' here: https://www.doingsofdoyle.com/2023/12/46-selecting-ghost-ghosts-of.html Read the Conan Doyle short story here: https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/Selecting_a_Ghost Listen to the podcast here: The episode will be uploaded to our YouTube channel soon, where you can listen with closed captions. In the meantime, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@doingsofdoyle And follow us @doingsofdoyle.com on BlueSky. Philip Cheadle Phil trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) and has an extensive range of theatre, television, and film credits. His notable stage roles include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End), Mrs. Affleck (National Theatre), Henry IV Part I & Part II, and Bedlam (Shakespeare's Globe), as well as The Changeling (Cheek by Jowl), Reasons to Stay Alive and Far from the Madding Crowd (ETT), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Sheffield Crucible), and Breaking the Code (Royal Exchange). On television, Phil has appeared in Harlots, Dark Angel, Crimson Fields, New Worlds, and Silent Witness. His film work includes 1917, John Carter, and the upcoming independent film Shalbourne, in which he plays the title role. In addition to his acting career, Phil is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Two Lines Productions. He recently adapted and directed Arthur Conan Doyle's short story Selecting a Ghost as an immersive, site-specific production for Stanley Arts' Day of the Dead festival. Website: https://www.twolinesproductions.com/ IMDB for Phil Cheadle. Edward Bennett Ed's diverse and extensive theatre work has seen him perform with some of the country's leading companies and directors, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Theatre Royal Bath and Chichester Festival Theatre. On the small screen, Edward stars most recently in Joan for ITV and in Series 3 of Bridgerton for Netflix. You can also watch him in Series 1 and 2 of Sky drama Cobra as Peter Mot, Max Owen in Sky Atlantic's Save Me Too, Industry for the BBC, Pennyworth for Warner Bros, Poldark for the BBC and Series 2 of ITV's Victoria. Ed's feature film work includes The Laureate directed by Jonathan Cape, Napoleon directed by Ridley Scott and as T E Lawrence in Benediction directed by Terence Davies.  IMDB for Edward Bennett. Photograph credit Photographs by Cecilia Costello Photography. Next time We rejoin the intrepid Challenger expedition (not that one) as they journey further into The Lost World. Support the podcast Please help us reach new listeners by leaving a rating or view on the podcast platform of your choice. And if you want to sponsor the podcast, please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/doingsofdoyle Acknowledgements Thanks to our sponsor, Belanger Books (www.belangerbooks.com), and our supporters on Patreon and Paypal. Image credits: Thanks to Alexis Barquin at The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopaedia for permission to reproduce these images. Please support the encyclopaedia at www.arthur-conan-doyle.com. Music credit: Sneaky Snitch Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.  

One of the last show's Mickey-Jo saw this year was a British regional theatre's revival of the musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS... which used British regional accents! The show, created by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, is currently running at the Sheffield Crucible and stars Colin Ryan and Georgina Onuorah as Seymour and Audrey, with Sam Buttery as the iconic Audrey II. Check out this full review to find out what Mickey-Jo made of this production's bold departures and creative choices... • 00:00 | introduction 02:54 | the material 07:22 | this production 21:21 | the 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

Join hosts Bobby and Steffan for an exciting episode featuring the incredibly talented Emma Johnson, who will soon be lighting up the stage in White Christmas at the Sheffield Crucible!

Nicki Davy is a Yorkshire actor, musician, writer and theatre-maker. She has been lucky enough to tread the boards at some brilliant venues, including Sheffield Crucible, Lyric Hammersmith, Nottingham Theatre Royal and Leeds Playhouse, and has toured to numerous other studios, libraries and schools up and down the country. Most recently, she performed in her debut play as a writer - 'Eva' - which played to sold-out audiences at Leeds Playhouse. In other news, she is mum to 2 pretty awesome kids, who are always shouting at her to 'TURN THE MUSIC DOWN!' when she is singing and dancing to her survival songs in the kitchen.Help us a grow a community of survival song listeners by joining us on over on Substack:https://survivalsongs.substack.com/Get Better' by Frank Turner can be found on our community playlist on Spotify along with our listener's Survival Songs. Check it out and add your own!https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5JBCcyJgMmYGRivsHcX3Av?si=92be50460fcf4590&pt=498b19d3d56cc7682fb37286285c9e48This episode contains small portions of 'Get Better' by Frank Turner. Survival Songs claims no copyright of this work. This is included as a form of music review and criticism and as a way to celebrate, promote and encourage the listener to seek out the artists work.Find out more about ARTIST here:https://open.spotify.com/artist/27M9shmwhIjRo7WntpT9Rp?si=iFI8_xP1SjSmGIG4kl5eXg

In the last weeks of Opening Night, Hadley Fraser kindly sat down with us to talk about his experience with the show and to look back on some of his recent credits too. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Music, Hadley has proven himself to be one of the most versatile actors on the West End stage, taking on principal roles in both musicals and classic plays. Hadley has also worked extensively in regional theatre, championing venues like Chichester Festival Theatre, Sheffield Crucible and Manchester's Royal Exchange. During Josie Rourke's tenure at the Donmar Warehouse, he also worked closely with the Donmar team on a number of shows including Coriolanus, Saint Joan and City of Angels. The Donmar was also where he met his now-wife: Olivier nominee Rosalie Craig with whom they share a daughter. The couple still occasionally work together, most recently on a livestream of Stuart Matthew Price's Before After and we look forward to seeing the pair on stage again soon.In this new interview, Hadley Fraser opens up about his experience as a performer and as a creative. He talks to us about his current experience of putting together Opening Night with Ivo Van Hove and discusses the importance of taking risks, even when in a difficult financial climate. He admits he was aware the show would split opinion but remained intrigued by the avant-garde director's vision of the show and shares his admiration for Wessex Grove Productions, Rufus Wainwright and Ivo Van Hove. As he prepares to take his final bows next month, he remains grateful for the time spent with this company as he looks ahead to life after Opening Night.Opening Night runs at Gielgud Theatre until 18th May with tickets available NOW.

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

Alexandra Faye-Braithwaite is a sound designer and composer working across theatre, tv and radio. As well as bespoke audio projects born in Lancashire and brought up in Yorkshire. She now calls Manchester home she's worked all across the UK including the The Royal Court, The Young Vic, The RSC, The Royal Exchange , The West End,  Sheffield Crucible and more as well as internationally, most notably in Beirut Lebanon 

Jessica Lee has had a whirlwind year, starring in Miss Saigon and Death Note.Jessica was cast as Kim in Robert Hastie and Anthony Lau's highly anticipated reimagined revival of Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Richard Maltby Jnr at the Sheffield Crucible. Jessica received huge acclaim for her performance and won Best Performer in a Musical at The Stage Debut Awards. Fresh from Miss Saigon, Jessica was cast as Misa Amane in the English-language premiere of Frank Wildhorn's musical adaptation of Death Note, based on the bestselling Japanese manga series of the same name. Jessica played Misa during the musical's limited run at the Lyric Theatre, following its two sold-out shows at The London Palladium. Some of Jessica's other credits include: understudy Éponine in Les Misérables  (Sondheim Theatre), understudy Mistress in Jamie Lloyd's Evita (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), High Fidelity (Turbine Theatre) and The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre). Follow Jessica on Instagram: @itsjessicaleeeeHosted by Andrew Tomlins  @AndrewTomlins32  Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  

The future of musical theatre? Very much Desmonda Cathabel. One day it will just be her performing all roles in every show at once. She has the talent, we just need technology to catch up.Desmonda won the 2022 Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year Award and since then has starred as Lorene in the Charing Cross Theatre's From Here To Eternity and as Kim in Miss Saigon at Sheffield Crucible, as well as many other exciting projects. She is currently starring as Jasmine in the UK tour of Disney's Aladdin in Edinburgh, and you can also catch her on ITV as an aspiring Sophie on Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream. For Aladdin tickets, visit: https://www.aladdinthemusical.co.ukWatch Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream on ITV: https://www.itv.com/watch/mamma-mia-i-have-a-dream-exclusive/10a4518Follow Desmonda on twitter and instagram.Produced by Ian Bowkett (twitter: @ianbowkett) in association with https://musicaltheatrereview.com (twitter: @musicaltheatrer)Follow the podcast:Twitter: @MusicalMayorPodInstagram: @MusicalMayorPodTikTok: @MusicalMayorPodHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Steffan and Bobby chat to the brilliant Adam Davidson. He will soon be appearing in White Christmas at the Sheffield Crucible! He also recently finished playing Nathan in the UK Tour of Strictly Ballroom. His previous credits include Mamma Mia and Mary Poppins in the West End understudying Bert They chat about CrossFit ,the physical demands of performing, how data can help with recovery. Enjoy the episode! Our brand new online coaching service Fit2 Perform has launched!!   Check it out at www.fit-2.co.uk   Join Fit2 Perform today and start your journey towards a stronger, healthier, and more confident you!!  Don't forget to leave us a rating and a review (preferably 5 stars!) and if you've got any questions you want answered, head to Instagram @fit2_talk and slide into those DM's!

Rachel Wagstaff wrote the book for multi-award winning musical, Flowers for Mrs Harris (Best Musical, UK Theatre Awards 2016) which transferred to Chichester Festival Theatre, directed by Daniel Evans, in September 2018 after a run at the Sheffield Crucible. Her critically acclaimed adaptation of Birdsong opened in the West End, directed by Trevor Nunn, and enjoyed four UK tours with the Original Theatre Company and Birdsong Productions. With Duncan Abel, she adapted Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train, which had a record-breaking UK tour and West End run in 2019 and her new adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd toured the UK produced by the Wales Millennium Centre and Wiltshire Creative, followed by a tour of India.  For radio, Rachel adapted Sebastian Faulks' novel The Girl at the Lion d'Or for a five part series for Woman's Hour on Radio Four, transmitted in 2009. Her Afternoon Play When I Lost You, also co-written with Duncan Abel, was transmitted on Radio Four in July 2013. Moonshadow, the musical she co-wrote with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), opened at the Royal Albert Hall in 2010, and then was produced at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne in June 2012. That Girl, was produced at the Soho Theatre in June 2012, by DryWrite. Rachel also wrote the book for the original musical Only the Brave, which opened at the Wales Millennium Centre in March 2016 with music composed by Matthew Brind.

One of the most eagerly anticipated productions for Chichester Festival Theatre's current season is Rock Follies, an adaptation of the hit 1970s series. The cast is led by West End star Carly Bawden as Anna, a role that was originated by the late Charlotte Cornwell in the TV series. The role marks Carly's first time performing in the Minerva Theatre having previously performed at the theatre's Concert in the Park 2021 and notably worked with departing Artistic Director Daniel Evans on My Fair Lady at Sheffield Crucible. After a short career break, Rock Follies also marks a return for Carly to the stage and we hear her talk about her experience readjusting to being in a rehearsal space, working with a company to create a show for Chichester audiences.  In our interview, Carly Bawden sat down to talk about creating the new show with Dominic Cooke and finding ways to honour the original source material whilst keeping the show fresh for a modern audience. We also hear Carly talk about her Somerset roots, growing up in a small town to performing on West End stages. Throughout our conversation, she remains very humble about her success since leaving Somerset and tells us how grateful she is to the local community for supporting her ambitions to perform. Indeed, since leaving school, Carly Bawden has become one of the most sought-after performers, leading landmark revivals of Carousel and Assassins as well as helped open the new Boulevard Theatre with Ghost Quartet back in 2019. Always playing challenging roles, we hear her talk about her love of working on thought-provoking texts and her hopes to continue working with brilliant people within the industry.Rock Follies runs at the Minerva Theatre until Saturday 26 August.

Last week Mickey-Jo headed to the Sheffield Crucible to see their bold new revival of the epic musical MISS SAIGON. Check out the new review for Mcikey-Jo's thoughts on this show... • 00:00 | introduction 02:07 | what is the show about? 04:41 | what's been changed? 09:06 | what was the star rating? 12:47 | what were the problems? 21:11 | what did I enjoy? 26:38 | how were the 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 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

Sally Hodgkiss is an award-winning actor, writer and comedian. Sally performs regularly on the comedy circuit, most recently as a guest with the legendary Comedy Store Players. She's performed with Whose Line is it Anyway - Live and The Stephen Frost Impro Allstars. Her acting career has taken her to many theatres around the UK including the Manchester Royal Exchange, Sheffield Crucible, Octagon Theatre Bolton, HOME, and Theatre Royal Plymouth among others. She has extensive screen experience including several short films and features, such as It Could Happen To You which was selected for the New York Short Film Festival 2021. She was recently in the BBC's Casualty improv episode which has been nominated for an RTS Royal Television Society award .Sally Hodgkiss is guest number 271 on 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 .For lives show and all things Sally visit: sallyhodgkiss.comFollow Sally Hodgkiss on Twitter @sallyhodgkiss .Follow My Time Capsule on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter: @fentonstevens and 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 this podcast ad-free 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.

Many will know Lewis Cornay as the two Johns in Southwark Playhouse's revival of John and Jen which recently played a 30th anniversary concert at 54 Below in New York. What many may not know is that Lewis Cornay has been performing for the best part of 20 years having been a child actor in shows such as Mary Poppins and The King and I. Since graduating from Guildford School of Acting, Lewis has been a powerful force in the industry, starring in The Book of Mormon on the West End, She Loves Me at Sheffield Crucible as well as performing in his own shows: Lewis Cornay and Friends and The Curious Case of Lewis Cornay. As a writer, Lewis' writing debut arrived at Seven Dials Playhouse at the end of last year with Daddy Issues starring Bebe Cave.In this exclusive interview, Lewis Cornay opens up about his career and what it has been like juggling being an actor, writer and composer. He discusses his love for theatre and why certain projects like She Loves Me and John and Jen have meant so much to him. We hear him frankly discussing challenges that the theatre is facing too with the current socio-economic climate and why it still feels like a blessing to be in a job. Later this year, Lewis will also be reuniting with Christie Bhima on SpongeBob the Musical which will tour the U.K. before a run at Queen Elizabeth Hall. It's a fascinating interview with a fascinating figure in the industry who's name we can expect to hear a lot more of in the coming years.

Last week Mickey-Jo finally got to go see the new musical STANDING AT THE SKY'S EDGE, which has opened at the National Theatre in London after its original run at the Sheffield Crucible. The show, with a book by Chris Bush and music by Richard Hawley, features Rachael Wooding, Faith Omole, Alex Young, Robert Lonsdale, Maimuna Memon and more! Check out the new review to find out if this show lives up to its rapturous word of mouth! • 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

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.  

Despite a mixed reception over the years, Southwark Playhouse is currently reviving Stephen Sondheim's early classic Anyone Can Whistle. The show which has light discussions of faith in miracles, corruption and mental illness has seen the likes of Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters and Rosalie Craig take on key roles in the show's history. In this final episode of the season, we are joined by Mayoress Cora Hoover Hooper herself: Alex Young. Here, we are treated listening to Alex's experience returning to Southwark Playhouse after playing in Promises, Promises and workshopping The A-Z of Mrs P.  After also starring in the National Theatre's revival of Follies, Alex Young also takes time to talk about the enduring legacy of Stephen Sondheim and why his work will continue to live through the years.Over recent years, Alex Young has helped recreate some iconic roles in the musical theatre cannon including Nellie Furbish in South Pacific, Amalia in She Loves Me and Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls. During this time, Alex has firmly established herself as one of the most exciting leading ladies working on Britain's stages today, taking on leading roles in the West End, Chichester and of course Sheffield Crucible where she has starred in 6 different productions. Today as Mayoress Hoover, Alex is still continuing to receive praise from audiences for her energetic performance as deliciously wicked politician with an equally delicious soprano. In this interview, we hear her reflect over the success of her career in recent years and what it's been like working alongside a new generation of talents in this revival Anyone Can Whistle. We should expect to see Alex Young's name pop up on more theatre posters moving forwards and we hope you enjoy listening along to our conversation.Anyone Can Whistle is currently running until 7 May 2022 and tickets are available here: https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show-homepage/anyone-can-whistle/

On your latest A View On Access, Tim Calver takes a look at the audio described production of She Loves Me which he saw at the Sheffield Crucible in January 2022. Tim also takes a look at the accessibility of the Sheffield Theatres: the Crucible, the Lyceum and the Crucible Studio, and highlights upcoming audio described shows like Anna Karenina, Dreamgirls, The Play I Wrote, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and more! Find out more here: The Crucible, Studio and Lyceum | Sheffield Theatres AVOA is written, presented and produced by Tim Calvert of Calvert Creative Concepts for RNIB Connect Radio and The Audio Description Association. For more information or to get involved email aviewonaccess@gmail.com  Image shows a look from the stage onto the audience stands at the Sheffield Crucible.  

As Sheffield's Crucible Theatre celebrates its 50th anniversary, Nick Ahad talks to Artistic Director Robert Hastie. Sheffield pop star Self Esteem on her award-winning album Prioritise Pleasure. Plus public debates about philosophy at Sheffield's Graves Gallery. Photo: Presenter Nick Ahad on location at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield Photo credit: Nick Ahad

They can take our lives, but they can't take…wait, know what? They can't take our lives. We're standing up to ‘The Man' this week and we're fighting alongside Jackie Crookstone and the whole lot of angry folks from Tranent. Actor and writer Paul Tinto brings us the little-known story of Jackie (aka Joan), the riots against the 1797 Militia Act, and the subsequent Massacre of Tranent. EDIT: We mispronounced Tranent throughout this episode. Apologies! Jackie Crookston depicted in memorial commemorating those who resisted conscription in 1797 Artistic rendering of Massacre of Tranent (Andrew Hillhouse) Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville Thomas Muir Bust Rights of Man, Thomas Paine ”Official” Narrative of events at Tranent Tranent local historian Peter McNeil's account of events More on Paul: Born and bred on the Isle of Arran off Scotland's west coast, Paul Tinto's career has enjoyed a wide range of stage and screen work. Credits include the multi award winning 1917, Outlander, Amazon Prime's adaptation of King Lear, and the BBC mini series The Last Post. His stage work includes productions in London's West End, The Sheffield Crucible, national and international tours with the National Theatre of Scotland and before lockdown he was touring nationally in the title role in Shakespeare's Macbeth. As a writer he is soon to publish his spoken word novel, Trouble In Spiritland, a hard hitting reflection on wealth inequality and social divides within western society, which is also currently being developed into an immersive audio drama with the backing of Scotland's arts council, Creative Scotland. Follow Paul at @ptinto10 on Instagram & @paul_tinto on Twitter SOURCES: Radical Scotland - Kenny MacAskill Handful of Rogues - Hector MacMillan Feisty and Firey and Fierce. Badass Celtic Women To Live Your Life By From Scotland, Ireland and Wales - Mhairi Kidd SOCIALS: Follow Under The Kilt at @underthekiltpod on Twitter & Instagram CREDITS: Original Theme: Tyler Collins aka “Two Metre Man” Additional Music: Garreth Spinn Original Art: Sarah Cruz Producer: Kathleen Mueller Mason SPONSORS: Direct sponsorship inquiries and other questions to underthekiltpod@gmail.com

They can take our lives, but they can't take…wait, know what? They can't take our lives. We're standing up to ‘The Man' this week and we're fighting alongside Jackie Crookstone and the whole lot of angry folks from Tranent. Actor and writer Paul Tinto brings us the little-known story of Jackie (aka Joan), the riots against the 1797 Militia Act, and the subsequent Massacre of Tranent.Jackie Crookston depicted in memorial commemorating those who resisted conscription in 1797Artistic rendering of Massacre of Tranent (Andrew Hillhouse)Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount MelvilleThomas Muir BustRights of Man, Thomas Paine”Official” Narrative of events at TranentTranent local historian Peter McNeil's account of eventsMore on Paul:Born and bred on the Isle of Arran off Scotland's west coast, Paul Tinto's career has enjoyed a wide range of stage and screen work. Credits include the multi award winning 1917, Outlander, Amazon Prime's adaptation of King Lear, and the BBC mini series The Last Post. His stage work includes productions in London's West End, The Sheffield Crucible, national and international tours with the National Theatre of Scotland and before lockdown he was touring nationally in the title role in Shakespeare's Macbeth. As a writer he is soon to publish his spoken word novel, Trouble In Spiritland, a hard hitting reflection on wealth inequality and social divides within western society, which is also currently being developed into an immersive audio drama with the backing of Scotland's arts council, Creative Scotland.Follow Paul at @ptinto10 on Instagram & @paul_tinto on TwitterSOURCES:Radical Scotland - Kenny MacAskill Handful of Rogues - Hector MacMillan Feisty and Firey and Fierce. Badass Celtic Women To Live Your Life By From Scotland, Ireland and Wales - Mhairi KiddSOCIALS: Follow Under The Kilt at @underthekiltpod on Twitter & Instagram SUPPORT: Our network, Arcade Audio, is on Patreon. Support them and gain access to loads of bonus content from Shared History and all other Arcade podcasts: patreon.com/arcadeaudio CREDITS:Original Theme: Tyler Collins aka “Two Metre Man”Additional Music: Garreth SpinnOriginal Art: Sarah CruzProducer: Kathleen Mueller MasonSPONSORS: Direct sponsorship inquiries and other questions to underthekiltpod@gmail.com

OWEN TEALE is an award-winning Welsh film, television and theater actor. His film credits include Dome Karukoski's Tolkien, Doug Lefler's The Last Legion and Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur. Teale's TV credits include "A Discovery of Witches" (Sky 1), "Line of Duty" (BBC), "The Hollow Crown" (BBC), "Spooks" (BBC), "Doctor Who" (BBC) and "Game of Thrones" (HBO). He is currently on set for Amazon's forthcoming miniseries "The Rig." On stage, Teale won a Tony Award in 1997 for his performance as Torvald in "A Doll's House," directed by Anthony Page in the West End and on Broadway. He has worked with director Terry Hands in "Under Milk Wood," "Mary Stuart" and "Macbeth," all for Theatr Clwyd. Teale played lead roles in "Ivanov" (National Theatre) and "The Country" (Royal Court), both directed by Katie Mitchell. The actor's other notable stage credits include "Creditors," directed by Alan Rickman (Donmar Warehouse/BAM); "No Man's Land," with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, directed by Sean Mathias (Wyndham's Theatre); "Rutherford and Son," at Sheffield Crucible; and "Julius Caesar," "Henry IV" and "King Lear," all for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

OWEN TEALE is an award-winning Welsh film, television and theater actor. His film credits include Dome Karukoski's Tolkien, Doug Lefler's The Last Legion and Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur. Teale's TV credits include "A Discovery of Witches" (Sky 1), "Line of Duty" (BBC), "The Hollow Crown" (BBC), "Spooks" (BBC), "Doctor Who" (BBC) and "Game of Thrones" (HBO). He is currently on set for Amazon's forthcoming miniseries "The Rig." On stage, Teale won a Tony Award in 1997 for his performance as Torvald in "A Doll's House," directed by Anthony Page in the West End and on Broadway. He has worked with director Terry Hands in "Under Milk Wood," "Mary Stuart" and "Macbeth," all for Theatr Clwyd. Teale played lead roles in "Ivanov" (National Theatre) and "The Country" (Royal Court), both directed by Katie Mitchell. The actor's other notable stage credits include "Creditors," directed by Alan Rickman (Donmar Warehouse/BAM); "No Man's Land," with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, directed by Sean Mathias (Wyndham's Theatre); "Rutherford and Son," at Sheffield Crucible; and "Julius Caesar," "Henry IV" and "King Lear," all for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

OWEN TEALE is an award-winning Welsh film, television and theater actor. His film credits include Dome Karukoski's Tolkien, Doug Lefler's The Last Legion and Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur. Teale's TV credits include "A Discovery of Witches" (Sky 1), "Line of Duty" (BBC), "The Hollow Crown" (BBC), "Spooks" (BBC), "Doctor Who" (BBC) and "Game of Thrones" (HBO). He is currently on set for Amazon's forthcoming miniseries "The Rig." On stage, Teale won a Tony Award in 1997 for his performance as Torvald in "A Doll's House," directed by Anthony Page in the West End and on Broadway. He has worked with director Terry Hands in "Under Milk Wood," "Mary Stuart" and "Macbeth," all for Theatr Clwyd. Teale played lead roles in "Ivanov" (National Theatre) and "The Country" (Royal Court), both directed by Katie Mitchell. The actor's other notable stage credits include "Creditors," directed by Alan Rickman (Donmar Warehouse/BAM); "No Man's Land," with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, directed by Sean Mathias (Wyndham's Theatre); "Rutherford and Son," at Sheffield Crucible; and "Julius Caesar," "Henry IV" and "King Lear," all for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

OWEN TEALE is an award-winning Welsh film, television and theater actor. His film credits include Dome Karukoski's Tolkien, Doug Lefler's The Last Legion and Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur. Teale's TV credits include "A Discovery of Witches" (Sky 1), "Line of Duty" (BBC), "The Hollow Crown" (BBC), "Spooks" (BBC), "Doctor Who" (BBC) and "Game of Thrones" (HBO). He is currently on set for Amazon's forthcoming miniseries "The Rig." On stage, Teale won a Tony Award in 1997 for his performance as Torvald in "A Doll's House," directed by Anthony Page in the West End and on Broadway. He has worked with director Terry Hands in "Under Milk Wood," "Mary Stuart" and "Macbeth," all for Theatr Clwyd. Teale played lead roles in "Ivanov" (National Theatre) and "The Country" (Royal Court), both directed by Katie Mitchell. The actor's other notable stage credits include "Creditors," directed by Alan Rickman (Donmar Warehouse/BAM); "No Man's Land," with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, directed by Sean Mathias (Wyndham's Theatre); "Rutherford and Son," at Sheffield Crucible; and "Julius Caesar," "Henry IV" and "King Lear," all for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

West End favourites Alice Fearn and Adrian Hansel join us for a very special episode of In The Frame! Alice and Adrian first worked together on tour with Michael Ball, and are about to reunite in Scott Alan’s song cycle The Distance You Have Come, which is being staged at the Apollo Theatre for two performances in June. Alice was playing Beverley Bass in Come From Away pre-pandemic, with her other roles including Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked and Nancy in Oliver at the Watermill.     Adrian played Benny in Guys and Dolls at the Sheffield Crucible just before the pandemic, with his other credits include originating the role of Seaweed in the West End production of Hairspray and playing Rusty in Starlight Express.  Alice and Adrian discuss using diva dollars, what they got up to on the road with Michael Ball and the magic of Scott Alan's music. and lots more! The Distance You Have Come runs at the Apollo Theatre on 21st and 28th of June. Visit www.nimaxtheatres.com for tickets. Hosted by Andrew Tomlins. @Andrew_Tomlins Thanks for listening! Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts. 

Lizzi Gee is a Choreographer, Movement Director and Practitioner whose work spans across all aspects of theatre, opera, film and television. Lizzi is an Old Vic Associate Artist. Lizzi is an extremely versatile creative, having worked on large scale musicals, creating a movement language for plays and opera, working ‘one on one’ to find the physical language of a character, to personal movement coach. Lizzi is able to adapt and collaborate easily across many different genres. She has a particular ability to put any performer at ease with her self assurance, energy and excellent social skills. Lizzi’s credits include, The National Theatre, the Old Vic, the Young Vic, English National Opera, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, Sheffield Crucible, Nottingham Playhouse, and many West End and touring Theatres. Lizzi also owns her own dance school, training children from the age of 3 right through to adults. She is often a guest lecturer and dance coach for many theatre schools across the UK, and when time allows volunteers at Nikosi’s Haven (a home for children and mothers affected by HIV) in Johannesburg, where she is a mentor and teacher of dance to the 120 children living there. Host: Jamie Neale @jamienealejn Discussing rituals and habitual patterns in personal and work life. We ask questions about how to become more aware of one self and the world around us, how do we become 360 with ourselves? Host Instagram: @jamienealejn Podcast Instagram: @360_yourself Music from Electric Fruit Produced by Tom Dalby Composed by Toby Wright

Mojisola Elufowoju is a British Born Nigerian, Award-Winning Director, and the CEO/Artistic Director and Founder of Utopia Theatre. She creates work extensively with under-represented voices. The next Utopia Theatre production 'Here’s What She Said To Me' opens 30 October on the main stage of the Crucible Theatre Sheffield, and is also available to stream live.Mojisola began her Directing career at York Theatre Royal. She is passionate about the growth and development of ethnic minorities in the theatre industry. You’ll hear in this episode about the work she does and her thoughts on the future of the theatre industry.Also in this episode Mojisola shares stories of reclaiming her name and what it means, how being brought up perhaps not traditionally how a girl of her generation and heritage might have been, gave her more voice and a sense of capability to express herself in the world. Plus seeing people as equals, asking for what you want, and choosing to be committed to see your dreams come true.Here’s a bit more about Mojisola Elufowoju – A Guest Director At The London Academy Of Dramatic Arts And London South Bank University. Was Staff Director At The National Theatre On Three Sisters By Inua Ellams. Was A Recipient Of The 2017 Opera Awards Foundation Bursary, A Founding Member Of Mosaic Opera Collective.And other Credits Include: Far Gone (Sheffield Crucible Theatre And Theatre Deli Sheffield) The Bogus Woman (Camden People’s Theatre 2019), On Missing (The Cockpit Theatre 2018), Shadows In Different Shades (Work In Progress - Sheffield Theatre 2018), The Pied Piper Of Chibok Opera (Opera North Residency And Arcola Theatre 2018), I Am David Oluwale (Work In Progress- Leeds Playhouse 2018), Iyalode Of Eti (Leeds Playhouse, Sheffield Crucible, Cast - Doncaster And Ake Festival Nigeria 2016/2017) London Tales (Rich Mix And Lost Theatre 2015)This Is Our Chance (Cultural Centre Calabar, Nigeria 2013)The Shepherd’s Chameleon (CLF Art Cafe 2013) House Of Corrections (Riverside Studios (2012) Wake Me When It's Time (York Theatre Royal 2012). Links:Website - https://utopiatheatre.co.ukUtopia Theatre Compilation - https://youtu.be/um5zpZpBH2MThe Creative Hub - https://utopiatheatre.co.uk/thecreativehub When Women SpeakWebsite ~ https://www.wwsgn.comFacebook page ~ https://www.facebook.com/whenwomenspeakglobalnetwork/Facebook group ~ https://www.facebook.com/groups/whenwomenspeakEmail ~ hello@wwsgn.comSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=hello%40wwsgn.com¤cy_code=GBP&source=url)

Our Amplify Producer, Craig Gilbert, has been holed up in his makeshift bedroom studio talking to a host of exciting artists of national and international renown. Â These conversations cover career and process as well as offering a few exciting ideas to explore from home during this time of Social Distancing.Nikolai was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, grew up in North Yorkshire and trained at Drama Centre London and at the Crucible, Sheffield.His work has been seen in many of the UK’s leading regional theatres, touring houses and internationally. Nikolai has been director on attachment at the Sheffield Crucible, the Royal Court Theatre and National Theatre Studio and served as an Associate Director at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.Nikolai is currently the Artistic Director of Leicester Curve where he has directed Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the world-premiere of Dougal Irvine’s adaptation of Riaz Khan’s Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual, nominated for Best Regional Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2019, An Officer and a Gentleman – the Musical (& UK tour), Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard (& UK tour), Joe Orton’s What the Butler Saw(with Theatre Royal Bath), Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s Grease (& Dubai World Trade Centre), Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (with Birmingham Rep), the Broadway musical Spring Awakening (with NYMT), Legally Blonde (Opera Garnier, Monaco & Daegu Opera Festival, South Korea – Winner Best Musical – Daegu International Musical Festival Awards), Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s (& Haymarket Theatre, London & UK tour), Roald Dahl’s The Witches(with Rose Theatre Kingston, Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds & UK tour), Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Shakespeare’s Richard III, Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good and a performance to celebrate the reveal of the tomb of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral.https://www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/support/curtain-up-appeal/

Join host Joe Bunker as he explores the classic 1950 musical Guys and Dolls with the artists behind the recent revival at the Sheffield Crucible. His guests are: Natalie Casey (Miss Adelaide), Rob Hastie (Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres), and Alex Young (Sarah Brown). Guys and Dolls: Part One features Natalie Casey performing 'Adelaide's Lament' and the first half of the PBP Guys and Dolls quiz! We really hope you enjoy Piece by Piece. If you do, please tell us about it by sharing your thoughts on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Louise Wallwein MBE, a renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer, gives the 11th annual LGBT History Month lecture This lecture contains strong language. Louise Wallwein MBE, a renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer, gives the 11th annual LGBT History Month lecture organised by the University's LGBT+ Advisory Group and the Equality and Diversity Unit. Louise has written and performed plays for National Theatre Wales, Contact, The Royal Exchange, Sydney Opera House, Red Ladder, Sheffield Crucible and BBC Radio 3 and 4, and an award winning one woman show on the wing of a WWII Shackleton aircraft in Manchester. Louise has undertaken writing residencies in Queensland and at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and is a BBC Contains Strong Language Poet in residence. Louise has achieved many accolades in her career but more recently her work to ‘make excellent art co-created with and for the people' was recognised when she was appointed as an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2018 for services to Spoken Word Music and outstanding achievement in the Community. Last year Louise won the Manchester Culture Award for Best Performance for her play Hidden which was created through a programme of public engagement and creative enquiry into the lived experience of young onset dementia.

Louise Wallwein MBE, a renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer, gives the 11th annual LGBT History Month lecture This lecture contains strong language. Louise Wallwein MBE, a renowned and award-winning poet, playwright and performer, gives the 11th annual LGBT History Month lecture organised by the University’s LGBT+ Advisory Group and the Equality and Diversity Unit. Louise has written and performed plays for National Theatre Wales, Contact, The Royal Exchange, Sydney Opera House, Red Ladder, Sheffield Crucible and BBC Radio 3 and 4, and an award winning one woman show on the wing of a WWII Shackleton aircraft in Manchester. Louise has undertaken writing residencies in Queensland and at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and is a BBC Contains Strong Language Poet in residence. Louise has achieved many accolades in her career but more recently her work to ‘make excellent art co-created with and for the people’ was recognised when she was appointed as an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018 for services to Spoken Word Music and outstanding achievement in the Community. Last year Louise won the Manchester Culture Award for Best Performance for her play Hidden which was created through a programme of public engagement and creative enquiry into the lived experience of young onset dementia.

Adrian Hansel has starred in countless shows, he was the original Seaweed J. Stubbs in Hairspray with his other West End credits including Tyrone in Fame, Rusty in Starlight Express & Adrian in All You Need Is Love.Andrew & Adrian discuss A Taste Of Honey (Trafalgar Studios), Six (UK Tour) & Stiff & Kitsch (The Vaults). There's lots of news about Cinderella, Chichester's new season & Bring It On casting PLUS find out what's going on over on Broadway.Adrian's other theatre credits include: Ain't Misbehavin' (Southwark Playhouse), The Distance You Have Come (Cockpit) & 5 Guys Named Moe (Marble Arch). Most recently he played Benny Southstreet in Guys & Dolls at the Sheffield Crucible and he is about to star in Dominic Powell's new musical Cases at the Other Palace.Cases runs at The Other Palace between 31st March & 18th April 2020.Hosted by Andrew Tomlins.Thanks for listening! Visit www.westendframe.co.uk to stay up-to-date with our podcasting adventures.

In this episode, Connor and Catherine sit down with West End star Rebecca Lock. We speak about Rebecca's time in the National Youth Music Theatre to her training at Central School of Speech and Drama. We speak about her variety of West End credits including Carlotta Giudicelli in Phantom of the Opera, Kate Monster in Avenue Q and Mrs Fleming in Heathers. We also speak about her time as Lilli Vanessi in Kiss Me, Kate, at the Sheffield Crucible. Theme music by Simon Oskarsson and Alex Cardall for ACT Music Ldn.

Theo Bosanquet talks to George Richmond Scott about his career as a vocal coach, how that role has helped him develop as a director, his time at the Sheffield Crucible, assisting on “Everybody’s Talking about Jamie”, why he chose “Blood Wedding” as his next project and why he set it in London in this reimagining of the piece.

This week's guest is Olivier Award-nominated actress Laura Pitt-Pulford. A graduate of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Laura's notable stage roles include Maria in The Sound of Music and Nancy in Oliver!, both at Curve, Leicester. The Light Princess at the National Theatre, Side Show at Southwark Playhouse, Flowers for Mrs Harris at Sheffield Crucible and the UK tour of Nell Gwynne. In 2016 she was nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance in the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She is currently starring in The Gronholm Method, which runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory until 7 July.

Three-time SAG Award winner Lesley Nicol has no shortage of incredible parts to her name, including the starring role of Beryl Patmore in Downton Abbey. She also appeared in the West End production of Mamma Mia! from 2000 to 2002, and the original stage production of East is East in 1996. She now comes to the Donmar Warehouse, where she appears in the new revival of Peter Gill's The York Realist. The show, set in 1960s Yorkshire, will transfer to Sheffield Crucible from 27 March.

Mark Smith talks to Esther Richardson, Bryony Lavery and Hannah Peel in a busy York Theatre Royal café about Pilot Theatre’s new adaptation of Brighton Rock. They discuss the appeal of Brighton Rock’s morally complex underworld, getting younger people into regional theatres, creating a musical and choreographic world for the play, and how the company set out to look at Graham Greene’s classic story through a lens which is both contemporary and of the time. Director Esther Richardson has been the Artistic Director of Pilot since February 2016. Her previous theatre work has included productions at theatres throughout the UK, including Soho Theatre, Cast in Doncaster, Tamasha Theatre, Royal and Derngate, Nottingham Playhouse, Bolton Octagon, and many more. Adapter Bryony Lavery is a renowned playwright whose work is regularly performed internationally. She is a prolific writer and adapter, whose plays include Stockholm, Beautiful Burnout and The Believers for Frantic Assembly, Queen Coal for Sheffield Crucible and Treasure Island at the National Theatre. She has also written numerous adaptations which have premièred at York Theatre Royal, including most recently the adaptation of Brideshead Revisited for the York Theatre Royal and English Touring Theatre’s 2016 production. Hannah Peel is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, composer and arranger, who has recorded as a solo artist as well as with band The Magnetic North and various other high-profile collaborators. She has created scores and co-composed for dance theatre performances at Sadler's Wells and for television. Brighton Rock runs at York Theatre Royal until 3 March 2018 and then tours to Brighton, Colchester, Hull, Cheltenham, Winchester, Watford, Birmingham, Newcastle, Mold, Derby and finally The Lowry Salford Quays. (Photo of Esther Richardson, Bryony Lavery and Hannah Peel by John Saunders.)

Playwright Fin Kennedy was thrust into the heart of the debate about arts funding when he produced a report—called In Battalions, a title taken from a quote from Hamlet—with professional researcher Helen Campbell Pickford into the effects of cuts in public funding to theatres on their production of and development of new writing. In this episode, Fin talks about the origins of the report in a conversation he had with UK Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Ed Vaisey and about its findings, as well as speculating on how this will continue to affect the theatre sector and on the motivations behind cutting an area of the UK budget so small that it will have a barely-noticeable effect on the UK deficit. Fin Kennedy is an award-winning playwright and theatre blogger whose plays are produced in the UK and US. In the UK, he has written for Soho Theatre, Sheffield Crucible, Southwark Playhouse, Half Moon Theatre, The Red Room, Birmingham Rep and BBC Radio 4. Fin also has many years’ experience teaching playwriting in schools, youth clubs, and universities. Since 2007 he has been writer-in-residence at Mulberry School in East London, for whom he has co-founded a theatre company and written four new plays which premièred at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He is also a visiting lecturer at Goldsmiths College, a member of the Writers’ Guild Theatre Committee and an occasional contributor to The Guardian and The Stage. For more information, see his blog at www.finkennedy.co.uk.