British Theatre Guide Podcast

Imitating the Dog, a company known for its integration of video and other technology into its theatre work, has managed to secure the rights for the first ever UK stage adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms for a short tour of the UK and Italy. The novel has been adapted for the stage and is directed jointly by Imitating the Dog founder members Pete Brooks and Andrew Quick. In this episode, David Chadderton speaks to Pete Brooks a week before the show’s opening about the production, acquiring the rights from the Hemingway estate, the company's style and production process and some of the challenges of touring work to Europe. The production opens at The Dukes in Lancaster on 10 October 2014, before visiting Cast in Doncaster, New Wolsey in Ipswich, The Lowry in Salford, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and The Old Market in Brighton, followed by a tour of Italy. For more information about the production and the company, see www.imitatingthedog.co.uk.

York-based Pilot Theatre’s latest project is an adaptation by British playwright Roy Williams of the Greek classic play Antigone by Sophocles. In this episode, Pilot artistic director Marcus Romer, who is directing this production, talks about how the project came about, how they have approached this ancient Greek play, working with Roy Williams and about the work and philosophy of Pilot Theatre Company. Antigone from Pilot Theatre opens at Derby Theatre on 19 September 2014, then goes to Northern Stage in Newcastle, Nottingham Lakeside Arts, Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield, York Theatre Royal, Watford Palace Theatre, Gulbenkian in Canterbury, Theatre Royal Winchester, Exeter Northcott Theatre, finishing at Theatre Royal Stratford East on 14 March 2015. For more information, see www.pilot-theatre.com.

The hottest tickets for 2014’s autumn theatre season in Manchester are productions of Shakespeare from two of the region's leading theatre companies. The Royal Exchange Theatre production of Hamlet is directed by artistic director Sarah Frankcom starring popular stage and TV actress Maxine Peake in the title role. When we spoke to Sarah and Maxine with two and a half weeks to go before opening, this had already become one of the theatre’s most popular productions. Hamlet runs at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester from 11 September to 25 October 2014. For more information, see royalexchange.co.uk. Manchester’s new arts centre, Home, is presenting a series of site-specific productions in the run-up to the opening of its new purpose-built venue next spring. After Angel Meadow, the second of these is new artistic director Walter Meierjohann’s directorial debut for the company, a production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet performed in Manchester’s historic Victoria Baths, which sold out before ope

Townsend Productions is touring a new play about a group of protesters in the 1972 builders’ strike who have become known as the Shrewsbury 24, one of whom is now well-known to TV viewers as actor Ricky Tomlinson. The 24 strikers were arrested and charged with conspiracy, and the campaign to have their convictions quashed is still ongoing 42 years later. In this episode, we speak to writer and co-performer Neil Gore. United We Stand by Neil Gore from Townsend Productions, directed by Louise Townsend and performed by Neil Gore and William Fox, will tour from 19 September to 29 November 2014. For more information, see www.townsendproductions.org.uk.

Producer Richard Jordan and BTG's Philip Fisher discuss trends in Edinburgh and recommend shows that should not be missed, including The James Plays in the International Festival. Founder and Co-Artistic Director Hannah Price tells Philip Fisher about the phenomenon of Theatre Uncut, which sets out to address political issues through drama, its genesis and future. Actor, director and one of the most established and respected theatre producers on the Edinburgh Fringe Guy Masterson, now in his 21st year at the world's largest arts festival, talks to David Chadderton about this year's Fringe programme, how he began as a Fringe performer and producer, surviving as a producer outside the public funding system and his hatred of the star system, amongst other things.

David Chadderton talks to Zach Reino, Jessica McKenna and Nick Semar of American comedy group Baby Wants Candy, one of the longest-running companies to offer a brand new, fully-improvised musical at each show. The Completely Improvised Full Band Musical runs at Assembly Roxy until 25 August 2014, plus the same group's All Star Improv Explosion Show runs at Underbelly Bristo Square until the same date. For more information, see babywantscandy.com Also, Philip Fisher talks with James Grieve, co-artistic director of new writing company Paines Plough, about the company’s history, its new touring pop-up theatre Roundabout and its four Edinburgh productions. For more information, see www.painesplough.com

Lancashire-based Horse + Bamboo, a company that has specialised in mask and puppet theatre since it was founded in 1978, brings its version of classic fairy tale Red Riding Hood to the Scottish Storytelling Centre for the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe. Performers Jonny Quick and Nix Wood talk to BTG editor David Chadderton about the production and their involvement with the company. The production runs at 1PM until 17 August 2014. For more information about this and the company, see www.horseandbamboo.org. Also in this episode, Philip Fisher talks to legendary cricket broadcasters Henry Blofeld and Peter Baxter about their show Memories of Test Match Special, back by popular demand after a run at last year's Fringe. They discuss the show, which recalls anecdotes about the sporting radio institution of Test Match Special, as well as their perspectives on the Fringe and on live performance. Their show runs at the Pleasance Dome at 16:20 until 24 August 2014, and can also be seen at the Lyric Theatre in London on 22 Sep

Halifax-based Northern Broadsides will soon tour a new production of Oliver Goldsmith’s 1773 comedy She Stoops to Conquer, directed by director, actor and composer Conrad Nelson, a regular member of the Broadsides production team. In this episode, Conrad talks about his production and about how it fits with the general philosophy of the company. She Stoops to Conquer will open on 29 August 2014 at the company’s own Viaduct Theatre in Halifax before touring to The Dukes in Lancaster, Rose Theatre Kingston, Oxford Playhouse, Harrogate Theatre, Everyman Cheltenham, Theatre Royal Winchester, Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough, West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Liverpool Playhouse, York Theatre Royal, Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield and finally The Lowry in Salford, where it will close on 13 December. For more information about Northern Broadsides, see www.northern-broadsides.co.uk.

Actors Shobna Gulati and Joe McGann speak to BTG Midlands editor Steve Orme about touring in John Godber's two-hander April in Paris, directed by the author. Shobna Gulati is best known for playing Anita in Victoria Wood’s Dinnerladies and Sunita Alahan in Coronation Street from 2001 to 2006, a role to which she returned at the end of 2009 and departed again in 2013. Since then she has been a panellist on Loose Women. Joe McGann was Charlie Burrows, the “housekeeper”, in the hit TV comedy series The Upper Hand, which ran for six years. His major stage roles include Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof and Ray Say in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. April in Paris will open at Derby Theatre (27 June to 12 July) then tour to Brighton, Woking, Aylesbury, Malvern, Bromley, Glasgow, Crewe, Manchester, Richmond, Chesterfield, New Brighton, Dundee and Coventry.

HOME Manchester, the new arts organisation formed from the merger between the Library Theatre Company and Cornerhouse Cinema, is filling the time before the opening of its new, purpose-built home in spring 2015 with a series of site-specific productions around the city. The first of these, Angel Meadow, is a collaboration with Dublin-based ANU Productions that looks at the Irish communities in Ancoats who settled there in the late nineteenth century. In this episode, some of the team from ANU talk about the process of creating and performing this devised, site-specific piece and some of the difficulties it has posed. First, we spoke to actors Thomas Reilly and Lloyd Cooney, and then to director Louise Lowe with performers Dee Burke, Will Irvine and Úna Kavanagh. Angel Meadow from ANU Productions will be produced by HOME Manchester in Ancoats with performances from Tuesday 10 to Sunday 29 June 2014. For more information on this and the other site-specific productions in this HOME season—Romeo and Juliet at Vic

The Octagon Theatre in Bolton ends its year-long season with the first UK revival of the musical Love Story since it closed on the West End in 2010. Based on the novel by Erich Segal and the hit film, both from 1970, the show features a book by Stephen Clark and a score by Howard Goodall. The Octagon’s production is directed by Elizabeth Newman, the theatre’s associate director, with the principal couple both played by graduates of the BBC TV audition reality shows: Daniel Boys, who was in Any Dream Will Do in 2007, and Lauren Samuels, who was Over The Rainbow in 2010. In this episode, both actors and the director together with musical director Tarek Merchant speak about the show and a rehearsal process that is more usual for a play than for a musical, and also about life as a working performer after the glaring spotlight of the TV reality show. Love Story will run at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton from 19 June to 12 July 2014. (Love Story rehearsal photos by Ray Jefferson, Bolton Camera Club)

Kneehigh Theatre Company from Cornwall is currently working on a brand new adaptation of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera titled Dead Dog in a Suitcase, with a script by regular Kneehigh writer Carl Grose and music by Charles Hazlewood, directed by Kneehigh founder Mike Shepherd. Charles Hazlewood spoke to us from Sweden where he was conducting a concert of music from video games with the Malmö SymfoniOrkester. He talks about his involvement in the project from taking it to Mike Shepherd as an idea around three years ago through his process of creating the score in rehearsals with the performers and scriptwriter-lyricist Carl Grose. Mike Shepherd, speaking to us at the end of the first week of rehearsals at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, where the show opens in June, speaks about the evolving story and politics of the show and the influences of modern events and modern popular culture, as well as the process of bringing it to the stage. Mike also explains how Kneehigh has developed and constantly changed dir

Britain’s National Theatre is currently promoting tours of three of its most successful productions: War Horse, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s First World War novel by Nick Stafford, Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors, an updated version of Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters set in 1960s Brighton, and an adaptation by Simon Stephens of Mark Haddon’s much-loved novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The title character of War Horse is Joey, created on stage by the puppetry of South African company Handspring. We speak to the three performers currently playing the part of the adult Joey, Dave Emmings, Stuart Angell and Mikey Brett, who play Joey’s head, heart and hind respectively The lead character in One Man, Two Guvnors was originally played by James Corden, but the latest tour will feature Gavin Spokes in the exhausting role of Francis Henshall, who tells us all about playing the role. We also speak to National Theatre associate director Marianne Elliott, co-director of War Horse

Irving Berlin’s classic Wild West musical Annie Get Your Gun, based on the true romance story of sharpshooters Annie Oakley and Frank Butler, is to be revived by Ambassadors Theatre Group starring Jason Donovan and Emma Williams in the two lead roles with Norman Pace as Buffalo Bill Cody. Like many of ATG’s own productions, it will open at one of the company’s own Manchester theatres as part of its “Manchester Gets It First” scheme, with previews at the Opera House from 16 May 2014. Director Ian Talbot OBE ran the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for 20 years where he introduced the summer musical productions for which the company is now famous. He talks about his take on the production and why he believes it hasn't been revived much professionally recently and reflects on his legacy at Regent's Park and the work he has done since he left. Norman Pace is best known as half of the comedy duo Hale and Pace but has also forged an acting career in plays and musicals, including a spell as Amos Hart in Chicago on the

Mark Babych, who was artistic director of the Octagon Theatre in Bolton for ten years up to 2009, was appointed artistic director of Hull Truck Theatre in 2013. His debut production as director is a revival of Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey, which will run at Hull Truck from 27 March 2014 starring Shameless and Waterloo Road actress Rebecca Ryan as Jo before embarking on a national tour. In this episode, Mark speaks about why he chose this play, bringing one of Salford's best-known plays back to Salford's Lowry, his involvement with the successful bid for Hull to become the UK's City of Culture for 2017 and how he went from the Octagon to freelance to taking on another building-based theatre company. He also pays tribute to Chris Honer, who stepped down as artistic director of Manchester's Library Theatre Company recently and whom Mark considers to be a big influence on his own work.

Highlights of the 2014 Manchester Theatre Awards at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester on 7 March 2014 hosted by Justin Moorhouse, celebrating the best theatre seen in Manchester throughout 2013. Speakers, presenters and award winners who can be heard on the podcast include: Kevin Bourke, Sue Jenkins, David Crellin, Andrew Wright, Kathryn Davies, Richard Mantle, Ray Fearon, Julian Glover, Lisa Maxwell, Catherine Kinsella, Paula Wilcox, Christine Cort, Christopher Villiers, Isla Blair, Shirley Darroch, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Alistair McDowall, Sir Richard Leese, Matthew Forbes, LipService, Graeme Hawley, Colin Connor, Lisa Connor, Rachel Austin, Ian Kershaw, Eric Potts, Charlotte Keatley, Rob Ward, Martin Jameson, Wyllie Longmore, Freya Sutton, Caroline Clegg, John Henshaw, Joyce Branagh, Suranne Jones, Cush Jumbo, Alex Poots and Chris Honer. Plus other representatives of the Michael Clark Company, Singin' in the Rain production team, Opera North, Manchester International Festival, National Theatre's War Ho

Ellie Nunn, daughter of director Sir Trevor Nunn and actress Imogen Stubbs, talks to BTG reviewer Belle Lupton about her one-woman show Bombshells. Ellie talks about playing six different roles in this comedy by Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith which she performed at Jermyn Street Theatre in London in January 2014. She also explains about not going to drama school and about growing up with parents famous for their theatre work—plus how she reacts if they offer her advice.

Jersey Boys is a smash hit musical based on the songs and the life story of pop band Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons which started life at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California in 2004, moved to Broadway the following year and has since opened all over the world, winning best musical awards at the Tonys in 2006 and the Olivier Awards in 2008. Producer David Ian talks about bringing the show to the UK after seeing the last preview on Broadway. West End cast members David McGranaghan and Jon Boydon, who play Nick Massi and Tommy DeVito, and Tim Driesen, who has been playing Frankie Valli in the Dutch production, talk about the rigorous selection and training process and about what it is like to be a part of the show. Richard Hester, who has been involved with the show since it began in San Diego in 2004, tells us what it has been like to go from stage manager of that original production to being in charge of 11 productions throughout the world. Finally, co-writer Rick Elice talks us through the pro

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

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