This time we talk to Nick Hytner about forming the London Theatre Company and creating it's first home - the Bridge Theatre at One, Tower Bridge.

If like us you ever paused to wonder how someone goes about starting a theatre, this episode provides a fascinating insight into the process.

From the hunt for the venue, and the hair-raising rollercoaster of finding investors and securing funding, to the relationship with the architect and the design of the stage, auditorium, foyer and backstage space, we chart the journey of the Bridge from small, scrappy start-up to sell out run of Guys and Dolls.

In a wide-ranging interview, Nick also offers some choice observations and sage advice from a directing career that spans forty years and includes a decade spent running that other little place on the South Bank, the National Theatre...

This time, we leave behind the warm, dry confines of the conventional theatre space and head outside for an inspiring conversation with Angie Bual, creative director of Trigger, a company based in the south west of England, who create and produce bold live and digital events, often on a large-scale and often outdoors.

With obsessions that range from dragons to upholstery via horticulture and kite-flying, Angie is a brave and compassionate artist, who can talk millions of pounds of funding into existence and makes ambitious theatre without walls. We hear about her remarkable journey from a bespoke performance for a house-bound pensioner in a Glasgow tenement, to the hatching of a dragon the size of a double decker bus on the Plymouth Hoe in front of 30,000 people…

This time we talk to Sarah and Mark about their extensive experience writing and directing pantomime.  Their own particular brand of raucous rock-n-roll panto has been seen for 19 consecutive years at the Liverpool Everyman, during which time,  along side their multi-talented cast of actor-musicians,  they have built a loyal and lively audience.

We hear about their unique approach to developing the script, the true intent of the Flowerpot Men, managing the hazards of magic hair, and getting into a panto frame of mind on a beach in mid August.

They also talk frankly about the precarious nature  of being a freelancer, but despite having made ther last panto for the Everyman, and facing an uncertain year, rest assured;  it might well be behind you, but it's most certainly not behind them..

For this episode, Bruno adjusts pan and tilt to catch James squarely in the spotlight and focus on his career, and in particular his experience lighting opera.  We discuss the idiosyncrasies of working in this medium, and how it differs from lighting theatre.  We talk about how we respond to music with light, the rewards of getting to know a piece of music intimately, and how having a band in the room always seems to improve things.  We also explore the nature of the 'rep' system and the challenges of making work in some of the biggest repertory opera houses in the world, such as the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan in New York.  While we wait for maestro to finish tinkering with the overture, we also reveal a little of the life we lead on the road, and unpack the secrets of James's kitchen bag...

This time we are talking to Kate Pakenham, an independent producer with a passion for theatre, and a drive to make work with a strong social purpose. We learn how each show can be compared to a mini start-up, and how producing, even when you can line some things up, is always a leap of faith. We discover that a trip to Pret can be surprisingly lucrative, but also that where and who the money comes from can be just as important as the money itself. We hear about when to be in the room, when not to be, and a sage piece of parental advice; when in doubt, make people tea.

We kick off season two by inviting you to the secret world of the west end swing. We discover what happens when a member of an ensemble or a principle cast is off sick, and uncover the remarkable feat of behind-the-scenes organisation that takes place to ensure the show still goes on. We learn about tracks, split tracks, cut shows, a curious condition called ‘swing eye’, the difference between swings and understudies and why 4pm is zero hour. Above all, we learn just how motivated and downright talented you have to be to cut it as a west end swing…

Prasanna Puwanarajah is an actor, director and writer, working across theatre, film and television. He also happens to be a fully trained medical doctor..who is also writing a graphic novel. We thought someone with so many different hats might be well placed to offer a unique perspective on the experience of making theatre, and he doesn’t disappoint.

From the solitary life of the writer, to the first flag in the ground at the beginning of rehearsals, through to the joys of tech, this time viewed from both sides of the footlights, we embrace the unknowable...and also discover that you’re not really wet until your pants are wet.

In this episode we talk to the technical director of the Really Useful Group, Lee Batty.

We hear how a supportive family and some key advice from a trusted teacher played a pivotal role in setting Lee on his path. From childhood in a Yorkshire mining community, and an inspirational sixth form college, to life as a touring ASM charting a steep learning curve, who now turns left on the plane, with responsibility for an eye watering number of large scale musical productions all over the world.

We discuss the pros and cons of going to drama school versus an informal apprenticeship and learning ‘on the job’.  We also discover that you can never be sure what you might find hidden away on an abandoned airstrip, and that there might be something good in the water in Barnsley.  Just don't mention the tech...

We return to our comfort zone of lighting and have an insightful discussion with Ben Ormerod, who gives us the best explanation we have ever heard about what a lighting designer does. Ben has thought deeply about his art and developed it over many years of practice and we enjoy a conversation covering everything from his approach to design to how to how Ben’s career began. We learn to avoid clown vomit, to be careful around sleeping giants and discover that footlights are like fried onions and garlic.

In Episode 18 we discuss all things props with Lizzie Frankl, props supervisor and director of Propworks, who clearly loves her job and the people she works with.  We learn that research, organisation and creativity is key, the feel of a prop can be as important as its look, and that it is vital to have a fascination for detail. It can take quite a team to get a prop from a rehearsal note to the stage, and the most likely place to find them (and their mobile workshop) is in the bar.

In episode 17, we talk to award winning costume supervisor and deputy head of wardrobe at English National Opera, Sarah Bowern.  We quickly find out there is a whole lot more to the wardrobe department than just pins and needles, including a host of diplomacy skills, an unusual use for the pavement outside stage door, and an unexpected parallel with Sigourney Weaver. We unearth some of the dark secrets of the quick change, discover that the ENO has more 'livestock' than the average farm, and learn that having a mild breakdown isn’t always a bad thing. 

In Episode 16, Tamsin Greig joins us for a fascinating conversation about making theatre from the actor’s perspective. We talk about dogs, candles, trampolining, lip balm, her love of a dressing room and how every production needs an “introducer.” We discuss better communication across the footlights and the thrill of looking into the abyss. We hear about emotional and mental focus, seeking authenticity, and the danger of joking about nipple tassels in a rehearsal.