Theatre Audience Podcast

About Theatre Audience Podcast

Step into the captivating world of live performance with the Theatre Audience Podcast! Hosted by the dynamic duo, Natalie and Darren and special guests. This ongoing series promises to whisk you away into the heart of the theatre scene. Every Thursday afternoon, we bring you insights into the latest shows, buzz-worthy theatre news, and exclusive interviews with industry insiders. It's your backstage pass to the drama, the laughter, and the sheer magic of the stage. Join us on this exhilarating theatrical journey where the curtains never close on excitement. Tune in, stay ahead of the curve, and let your love for theatre shine bright! Don't miss out... Subscribe now for a front-row seat to the most thrilling episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Natalie Maher & Darren Murphy

Category

arts · arts · arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Sept 2019

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

238 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   In Conversation with Tim Crouch

   This episode, we're joined by the wonderfully inventive Tim Crouch - award-winning playwright, director, performer and one of British theatre's most original voices. From My Arm and The Author to I, Malvolio, An Oak Tree and Truth's a Dog Must to Kennel, Tim has spent his career questioning what theatre is, how stories are told and the extraordinary relationship between performer and audience. At the heart of our conversation is his groundbreaking play An Oak Tree, a theatrical experiment in which a different guest actor takes to the stage at every performance, having neither seen nor read the script beforehand. It's an extraordinary exploration of grief, suggestion, imagination and the unpredictable magic of live performance. We explore Tim's unconventional approach to storytelling, his fascination with the audience's imagination, the risks of surrendering control and why uncertainty can be one of theatre's greatest strengths. Thought-provoking, playful and refreshingly unconventional, this is a conversation about creativity, trust and the wonderfully strange things that happen when performers and audiences share a room. Because with Tim Crouch, theatre isn't simply something you watch. It's something you help create. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   16 Oct 2026

   The Afronauts, Golden Boy & Million Dollar Quartet

   This episode, we're travelling from the Royal Court Theatre's exciting launch of The Afronauts to the bruising world of Golden Boy, before turning up the volume with Million Dollar Quartet. It's an episode packed with theatrical ambition, extraordinary performances, musical legends and stories about people determined to follow their dreams - whatever the cost. The Afronauts - Royal Court Theatre Launch Party & Cast Reveal We're at the Royal Court Theatre for a special launch party and cast reveal for The Afronauts, an intriguing new production that promises to take audiences on a journey beyond the ordinary. We bring you a flavour of the celebrations, the excitement surrounding the announcement and a first look at the company bringing this ambitious new work to the stage. Golden Boy Josh O'Connor steps into the ring in Golden Boy, Clifford Odets' powerful drama about a gifted young violinist who abandons his musical ambitions for the potentially lucrative but brutal world of professional boxing. It's a story about ambition, identity, family expectations and the sacrifices we make in pursuit of success. O'Connor delivers an intensely physical performance, while Hayley Squires is a particular standout in a production that finds ingenious theatrical ways to bring the violence of boxing to life - without needing to stage a conventional fight. We discuss the clever use of a suspended punchbag, the extraordinary contribution of lighting and sound, and whether the production lands its emotional punches as convincingly as its physical ones. Million Dollar Quartet And finally, we're heading back to the birth of rock ’n’ roll! Million Dollar Quartet celebrates the legendary 1956 recording session at Sun Records in Memphis that brought together four extraordinary musicians: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. Packed with iconic hits, infectious energy and a fascinating glimpse into music history, this jukebox musical recreates the night four future legends found themselves together in one recording studio. We discuss the performances, the musicianship and the irresistible appeal of hearing some of rock ’n’ roll's greatest songs performed live on stage. From the promise of new theatre at the Royal Court to Josh O'Connor's bruising battle between art and ambition, and four musical legends making history in Memphis, it's another wonderfully varied week at Theatre Audience Podcast. Three productions. Big ambitions. And plenty of star power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   8 Oct 2026

   From the Heart, Tartuffe (Remixed), Jerker & Hay Fever

   This episode, we're covering four very different theatrical experiences, from an exclusive press-junket sneak peek at legendary lyricist Don Black's West End celebration From the Heart to a bold reimagining of Molière's Tartuffe, the provocative intimacy of Jerker, and Noël Coward's gloriously chaotic comedy Hay Fever. It's an episode packed with theatrical royalty, wicked humour, unexpected tenderness and some wonderfully questionable behaviour. Don Black's From the Heart - Press Junket Sneak Peek We kick things off with a special behind-the-scenes visit to the press junket for Don Black's From the Heart, returning to the Garrick Theatre. Celebrating the extraordinary career of Oscar-winning lyricist Don Black, the show brings together much-loved classics from Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love and the James Bond films, alongside brand-new material. Featuring Clive Rowe, Caroline O'Connor, Michael D. Xavier, Shona McGarty and Frances Mayli McCann, this promises to be a celebration of one of musical theatre's greatest lyricists. We share a sneak peek at what's in store. Tartuffe (Remixed) Mark Rylance returns to the stage as the deliciously manipulative Pastor Blake in Tartuffe (Remixed), a vibrant reinvention of Molière's classic comedy. Adapted and directed by Darren Raymond, the action moves into a contemporary Nigerian–Jamaican household where family loyalties, religion and an impending wedding collide with one very convincing con artist. With Usifu Jalloh, Nakeba Buchanan, Suzette Llewellyn and Sara Mokonen among the terrific company, this is a bold, funny and surprisingly moving retelling. We discuss Rylance's remarkable ability to disappear into a character and why this 17th-century story about hypocrisy, greed and gullibility feels so wonderfully relevant today. Jerker Provocative, explicit and unexpectedly tender, Jerker by Robert Chesley returns in a 40th-anniversary production directed by Henry Adams. Set in 1980s America against the emerging AIDS crisis, two men begin a relationship through a series of increasingly intimate telephone conversations. Paul Dennison and James Lee play strangers whose sexual fantasies gradually reveal something far more vulnerable and deeply human. We explore how a play that initially appears to be about sex becomes a moving examination of connection, loneliness and queer history. Hay Fever And finally, theatrical royalty behaving very badly! Christine Baranski makes her West End debut opposite Richard E. Grant in Noël Coward's gloriously mischievous Hay Fever, directed by Emily Burns. Baranski plays the outrageously theatrical Judith Bliss, with Grant as her novelist husband David. Joined by Ophelia Lovibond, Will Close, Nancy Carroll and Charles Edwards, the wonderfully self-absorbed Bliss family and their unfortunate house guests embark on a weekend of flirtation, social embarrassment and spectacularly bad manners. We discuss whether Coward's century-old comedy still has the power to delight, and what happens when two major stars share the stage with an ensemble of accomplished comic performers. From Don Black's timeless lyrics and Mark Rylance's masterful deception to intimate late-night phone calls and Christine Baranski causing chaos in the country, it's another gloriously varied week at Theatre Audience Podcast. Four productions. Some extraordinary performers. And absolutely no shortage of drama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Who has been a guest on Theatre Audience Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Omari Douglas
• Alexander Lincoln
• Becky Namgauds

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 46 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

72

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Theatre Audience Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Theatre Audience Podcast