In our 30th episode we chat to George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, aka Stiles & Drewe. Stiles and Drewe are a multi award-winning musical theatre writing partnership. Writing credits include Honk! (National Theatre, UK Tour and Worldwide), Mary Poppins (West End, Broadway, International and currently on UK Tour), Cameron Mackintosh's new version of Half A Sixpence (Chicester Festival Theatre and West End), The Wind in The Willows (UK Tour and opening at The London Palladium 2017), Betty...

Prepare to be inspired! This week we speak to the man who turned a 15 minute skit, originally made to entertain a queue of people waiting to buy a book, into an Olivier nominated, critically acclaimed and world touring production! We are of course chatting to Co-creator of 'Potted Potter', 'Potted Panto' and 'Potted Sherlock, Dan Clarkson. This Christmas the Olivier nominated 'Potted Panto' returns to the West End and we hear all about how the hilarious 'Potted' world all came about! We...

This week we chat to Maggie Patterson, Principle of Pineapple Performing Arts School and Ballet Teacher at Pineapple Dance Studios. Maggie gives us a brilliant insight into life inside one of the most iconic Arts institutions in the industry, as well as her incredibly inspiring route to setting up her performing arts school there. We give you this podcast completely free. If you've enjoyed it and you'd like to help us make future episodes then: 1. Visit: insidethewestend.com 2. Click on...

In this episode we chat to actor David Fynn, the leading man from Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest hit West End musical, 'School of Rock'! David's acting career has been incredibly varied, from performing at theatres such as 'The National Theatre' and 'The Donmar Warehouse', to appearing in hit television shows such as 'The Inbetweeners', 'Sherlock', 'Game of Thrones', 'Doctor Who' and most notably the hit US NBC sit-com 'Undateable'. Having been based in Los Angeles for the last three years,...

This week we speak to top theatre critic and arts journalist Mark Shenton! Mark is a theatre critic, commentator and interviewer. He writes regularly for The Stage (including a daily blog), where he is an Associate Editor and also joint lead theatre critic. He also reviews for London Theatre Guide and is London correspondent for Playbill.com, for whom he writes daily news stories. He has conducted public platform interviews at the National Theatre, the Donmar Warehouse and Stratford East...

This week we chat to the 'Wigs Mistress' on the West End musical 'Motown', Katie Marson. We tweeted our followers asking what you would like to hear on upcoming episodes and we were inundated by people requesting more chats with the people working behind the scenes on West End shows. This episode was made because of you! If you want to hear from any one else in the industry then tweet us @insidewestend ! We give you this podcast completely free. If you've enjoyed it and you'd like to help...

This week we speak to one of the most influential people in musical theatre, Nigel Wright. Nigel has been Andrew Lloyd Webber's eyes and ears on pretty much all of his work since the early 90's. From orchestrating his shows to producing all of his cast recordings and movie soundtracks, Nigel's musical influence is impressively vast! We would go so far as to say that there is not a single listener who wouldn't have heard his work at some point! We give you this podcast completely free. If...

In this episode we speak to Deputy Stage Manager of the West End musical 'Motown', Ros Fenelon. After asking our followers on Twitter (@insidewestend) what they would like to hear more of on our podcast, we received a lot of tweets requesting more interviews with people working behind the scenes in the West End. So this is the first in a number of upcoming episodes revealing a totally different side of the industry! We give you this podcast completely free. If you've enjoyed it and you'd...

This week we chat to the legend that is Gary Wilmot! Gary started his career performing comedy routines and stand up in the working men's clubs of the UK. After an appearance on the TV talent show 'New Faces', Gary shortly became a house hold name on UK television, comedy and subsequently West End Theatre. With numerous roles and productions under his belt, Gary really is a true veteran of the industry. We give you this podcast completely free. If you've enjoyed it and you'd like to help...

In this episode we chat to musician, and now actor, Newton Faulkner! Newton's debut album, 'Hand Built by Robots', topped the charts in 2007, deposing Amy Winehouse, with over a million in sales and spending a year in the top 40. Since then Newton has toured extensively, releasing four further albums all to critical acclaim. Newton recently joined the cast of the Green Day musical 'American Idiot', playing the incredibly demanding role of Johnny, so we met up with him to hear how this...

In this episode we speak to recently-promoted First soloist of The Royal Ballet, Claire Calvert. We hear all about Claire's upbringing in Bath, leaving home at the age of eleven to train at 'The Royal Ballet School' and her life as a professional ballerina since graduating. We give you this podcast completely free. If you've enjoyed it and you'd like to help us make future episodes then: 1. Visit: insidethewestend.com 2. Click on the donate button at the top of the home page 3. Make a...

This week we chat to West End leading lady Julie Atherton. Having established herself as a household name with her portrayal of Kate Monster in the original West End cast of Avenue Q, Julie is now one of the most sought after musical theatre performers in the UK. She talks us through her life, from the early years scraping through school in her home town Preston, to coping with the demands of drama school at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. Julie speaks very honestly about the...

This week we chat to director Laurence Connor. Over the last decade Laurence Connor has become one of the most in demand musical theatre directors in the world. From re-imagining all of Cameron Mackintosh's most iconic musicals, to directing the critically acclaimed new Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'School of Rock', his career has been truly stratospheric. With 'School of Rock' opening in London this Autumn, Laurence came to chat to us fresh from a day of auditions. We hear...

This week we finally release the first ever interview we did for this podcast! Way back in February 2015 this podcast was nothing but an idea and a series of scribblings in notepads. During his run as the Phantom in London, Gerónimo Rauch kindly agreed to be our first ever interviewee. So without any of our tech sorted we headed to his home, sat in a corner of his bedroom using his own sound equipment and this is the result! Gerónimo chats to us about his upbringing in Buenos Aires,...

This week we chat to West End leading lady Kerry Ellis. Kerry started her West End career as Martine McCutcheon's understudy in Cameron Mackintosh's revival of 'My Fair Lady'. From becoming the first British Elphaba in 'Wicked' (in both the West End and Broadway), to working extensively with Queen guitarist Brian May, we hear about it all. Follow us on Twitter @insidewestend or find our group on Facebook, 'Inside The West End Podcast'. We love hearing from our listeners, so please get in...

This week we go backstage at 'Phantom of the Opera' and conduct our first group interview inside the lads ensemble dressing room. We chat to Tim Morgan, Richard Munday, Keith Higham and Tim Laurenti about the reality of life as a jobbing actor. We hear about juggling fatherhood with the industry as well as a whole heap of backstage gossip. Follow us on Twitter @insidewestend or alternatively find our Facebook page, 'Inside the West End'. We make this podcast for free, if you like it and...

This week we chat to West End choreographer Alistair David. Alistair's choreography can currently be seen in the critically acclaimed West End revival of 'Show Boat'. We discuss his vast experience as both dancer and choreographer; from his own classical training to the qualities he looks for when casting. Please make sure you subscribe to the show and follow us on twitter @insidewestend We make this podcast for free, if you enjoy it and want to help us continue to make it then please head...

We are back from our break! HURRAH! This week we talk to West End leading lady Summer Strallen. Summer hails from a dynasty of West End performers, with both her parents, aunties and all three of her sisters also being incredibly successful performers in their own right. We hear all about Summer's upbringing in this unusually showbiz family and she also chats about her active role in the ongoing fight for better working conditions for actors. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast and...

BONUS EPISODE ALERT! We are currently on a two week break while Rob enjoys his Honeymoon. Our normal weekly show will return on Sunday June 19th featuring West End leading lady Summer Strallen. In the meantime, here is a short compilation of the funniest things that some of our guests have seen happen on stage, featuring Killian Donnelly, Sasha Regan and Eva Noblezada. If you've enjoyed listening to our podcast, then please rate our show on iTunes and leave us a comment. Follow us...

BONUS EPISODE ALERT! We are currently on a two week break while Rob enjoys his honeymoon. Our normal weekly show will return on Sunday June 19th featuring West End leading lady Summer Strallen. In the meantime, here is a short compilation of the funniest things that some of our guests have seen happen on stage, featuring Damian Humbley, Eddie Elliott, Barry James and Debbie O'Brien. If you've enjoyed listening to our podcast, then please rate our show on iTunes and leave us a...

This is our second episode with the award winning comedian and 'Matilda' composer Tim Minchin. In this episode Tim discusses his life and his views on the industry in general. To hear our first conversation with Tim, check out 'Episode 1' of our podcast series where Tim gives an exclusive interview about his new musical 'Groundhog Day'. Follow us @InsideWestEnd on Twitter and on Facebook. For more information, please visit: www.insidethewestend.com

In this episode we speak to the veteran West End performer Philip Griffiths. Philip was recently awarded The Guinness World Record for 'The longest time spent in the same production (West End)' after 25 years and 185 days in 'The Phantom of The Opera' in London. He is still currently appearing in Phantom as the Auctioneer and Monsieur Reyer, so we sat down with him backstage at Her Majesty's Theatre to hear about his life, his career and how he has managed to achieve such an impressive...

In this episode we speak to one of the most prominent casting directors in the UK, Debbie O'Brien. Debbie specialises in theatre casting for the West End, UK and international tours and regional productions. She answers many of the questions that performers would love to put to the people who sit on the opposite side of the table in auditions. Debbie gives a frank and fascinating insight into the world of casting. Get your notepad out, this conversation is littered with incredible...

In this episode we speak with Motown cast member Eddie Elliott. Eddie discusses the challenges he faced in his upbringing, training and career while dealing with mental health issues. It's a truly inspiring and fascinating success story. Listeners may find the content of this conversation upsetting. If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode, then please visit www.samaritans.org or call 116 123 (for free) to talk to someone immediately. Follow us @InsideWestEnd on...