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The WhatsOnStage Podcast

The WhatsOnStage Podcast

Written by: Sarah Crompton & Alex Wood
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WhatsOnStage managing editor Alex Wood and chief theatre critic Sarah Crompton host a weekly podcast on all things theatrical. News, views, frank exchanges and lists offer an unmissable guide to what’s happening on stage (and in film and on television) now, in the past and in future. From musicals, to plays, to immersive shows, to interviews with the biggest stars, there's something for everyone!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Crompton, Alex Wood & Augusto Koschak Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 212. Bonus episode: Manchester's 2027 theatre scene just got more exciting

    212. Bonus episode: Manchester's 2027 theatre scene just got more exciting
    Oct 20 2026

    Today, artistic director Selina Cartmell unveiled her brand new season at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, coming hot on the heels of the 50th anniversary celebrations at the beloved theatre. Featuring new work by Simon Stephens and Ben Power as well as revivals of Faith Healer and Much Ado About Nothing (featuring the legendary Beverley Knight), Cartmell spills the beans on championing the theatre’s central ethos and telling vital stories for 2027 and beyond.

    She also had a lot to say about her love of Sondheim and her plans for an all-string orchestra for A Little Night Music, opening this Christmas.

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    25 mins
  • 211. When does a show deserve five stars?

    211. When does a show deserve five stars?
    Oct 15 2026
    Finally reunited after Alex's foreign forays, Sarah runs through her tireless fortnight of reviews – featuring Rent with Gaten Matarazzo, Hay Fever with Richard E Grant and Christine Baranski, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup, and As You Like It with Fisayo Akinade and Jonathan Groff. The conversation brings up a range of questions about reviewing revivals, the nature of star ratings and whether we should have more music critics reviewing musicals. After that, the pair discuss the new Almeida and Pitlochry seasons, and what audiences might expect from the new Tarantino play.

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    49 mins
  • 210. Bonus episode: Phantom at 40 with Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more

    210. Bonus episode: Phantom at 40 with Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more
    Oct 12 2026
    On Friday night, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera turned 40 – with the event seeing a special reunion between original stars Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. We chatted to the pair, Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh and current stars Jordan Donica and Beatrice Penny-Touré on the show's red carpet as this musical blockbuster hits four decades in London.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    14 mins
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