After earning widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Cassie in Leicester Curve's production of A Chorus Line, Carly Mercedes-Dyer is about to return to the iconic role two and a half years later. This time, the production will also head on a UK tour visiting various cities around the country including a run at Sadler's Wells in London. Since her Oliver nominated performance in Anything Goes, Carly has become one of the most sought after performers on the UK Theatre stage. Last year, she took on the role of Lynette Fromme in Assassins at Chichester and most recently also led the UK tour of The Drifters Girl.

In this brand new interview, Carly Mercedes-Dyer talks to us about her experience returning to Leicester and to the role of Cassie. We hear her talk about her experience working in the ensemble of shows like Dreamgirls and Chicago before going on to play principal roles like Anita in West Side Story and Cassie in A Chorus Line. We also talk about her collaboration process with the rest of the cast and she speaks openly for her admiration for Nikolai Foster and Ellen Kane, acknowledging their generosity in the room when reimagining such beloved classics. As she begins to prepare to head back out on the road, she also tells us about the importance of looking after yourself especially when doing such a physically demanding show. It's a lovely conversation, listening to Carly look back over various milestones in her career and we look forward to seeing A Chorus Line too.

Over the last year. Joaquin Pedro Valdes has proved himself to be one of the most sought after West End performers. Last year, he starred in the sold out concerts of Death Note, made his Menier Chocolate Factory debut in the highly acclaimed revival of Pacific Overtures and is now about to return to the Menier for an eagerly anticipated revival of The Baker's Wife. Originally hailing from the Philippines, Joaquin takes time to talk to us about his move to London to make his career here after already establishing a successful career in his home country before joining the international tours of The Lion King and The King & I. Since arriving in London, he also starred in the premiere productions of Killing the Cat and Then, Now & Next and we can expect more exciting projects from Joaquin going forwards.

In this special interview, Joaquin Pedro Valdes tells us about the journey he's made over the last few years and the joy he's found since arriving in London. He acknowledges the renowned talent that's based in the UK and the competition he's found himself facing whilst remaining inspired by his peers. He also pays tribute to his wife and his loved ones for continuing to support him in his career advancements. Now as he approaches the role of Dominique, Joaquin also tells us about his personal approach to tackling characters and why it feels like a masterclass working with this company at the Menier. Indeed, the show will see him starring opposite the likes of West End veterans: Clive Rowe, Josefina Gabrielle and Finty Williams. Composer Stephen Schwartz has also been in rehearsals to talk about the show and Joaquin shares his excitement at getting to continue working with so many great talents. It’s a very candid interview too and we hear Joaquin speak openly with heartfelt candour throughout our conversation.

The Baker’s Wife runs at Menier Chocolate Factory from 6 July - 14 September.

Joshua James is one of the most ravishing actors on the UK Theatre scene, taking on principal roles at the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe and the Royal Court Theatre. He is about to make his Arcola Theatre debut in Laura Walden's new play Some Demon, as a nurse working in an institution for people with eating disorders. Laura Waldren's won the prestigious Papatango Prize for her first play which Joshua calls one of the best pieces of new writing that he's read in many years. Following on from the run at the Arcola Theatre, the show will also transfer to the studio at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre where Joshua will also be making his debut there.

In our interview, Joshua James talks to us about the challenges of performing new writing and how to deal with sensitive subject matters such as eating disorders. He goes on to talk about the joy of getting to work on classic texts too having recently performed in landmark revivals of The Glass Menagerie and also The Vortex, where he starred opposite his real-life mother: Lia Williams. It's fascinating to hear him compare the experiences of working on existing texts compared to new work but he also tells us that it's important to approach classics afresh without holding them up with any particular reverence. We hear him share his hopes for the future too as he continues to tackle thought-provoking work both in London and in the regions.

Some Demon runs at Arcola Theatre until 6th July and runs at Bristol Old Vic Theatre from from 9 - 13 July.

After starting out in Pop Music in the 1980s-1990s, Frank Wildhorn made a transition to Musical Theatre with his first hit show being Jekyl & Hyde. Now nearly 30 years on, Frank has written over 40 musicals including Bonnie & Clyde, Carmen and Camille Claudel. In more recent years, Frank has also been exploring the manga genre with his show Death Note winning Best Musical in South Korea before a series of sold-out concerts in the West End last year. This year, he's returned with another exciting new show: Your Lie in April, another adaptation of a popular Manga series which sold out 2 concerts at the prestigious Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The show is now due to return for a 12 week run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End, with a cast led by Dean John Wilson and Zheng Xi Yong.

In this brand new interview with Frank Wildhorn, he talks about the development of Your Lie in April and Death Note, and why it feels so exciting to bring these shows to London with majority Asian casts. He tells us about his fondness for Japan and South Korea, and his appreciation for audiences in those regions who have really welcomed and celebrated his work. He credits his son for being a major driver in his involvement with these shows. We also hear him look back over his career, making the move from pop music to musical theatre and how he's managed to not get pigeonholed as an artist with him most recently composing the Danube Symphony that was premiered by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra at the Musikverein. It's a fascinating discussion with one of the most prolific composers working today and it'll be exciting to see what Frank brings next to London as he continues to work on a variety of projects.

Your Lie in April opens at Harold Pinter Theatre on 28th June and runs till 21st September.

Last year, Jack Wolfe won huge critical acclaim for his role as Gabe in the Donmar Warehouse's production of Next to Normal earning a WhatsOnStage Award, the Critic's Circle Theatre Award for Most Promising Newcomer as well as an Olivier nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. He is about to reprise his award winning role in the West End transfer of the Pulitzer-Prize winning show at the Wyndham's Theatre, starring alongside the same Donmar Warehouse cast who all return this Summer. Earlier this year, Jack also starred alongside the original London cast of Spring Awakening for a special 15th anniversary concert. Here, he also tells us how much both shows meant to him growing up and shares his excitement around getting to take part in these projects.

In this brand new interview, Jack Wolfe looks back over the last few years and reflects on the success he's found with projects like Next to Normal as well as Shadow and Bone and The Magic Flute. He also opens up about his roots, growing up in Yorkshire as well as Wales, providing a glimpse into his warm, down-to-earth personality. Our interview also looks at some of his earlier work - playing Tobias in Sweeney Todd at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast and working on the premiere of The Magician's Nephew at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford. Our interview also shows Jack’s vulnerable side as he also takes time to talk about his mental health and struggles with anxiety. Still, he remains very grateful for the friends he’s made during this journey and shares his hope for more opportunities to work on exciting projects going forward. His enthusiasm is quite infectious too telling us about his favourite musicals growing up and his love for his peers in the industry. It’s a fascinating and heartwarming conversation which we hope you enjoy listening to.

Next to Normal runs at Wyndham’s Theatre from 18th June - 21st September.

As the new season at Chichester continues to get underway, Jack Riddiford sat down with us to talk about the eagerly anticipated revival of Harold Pinter's The Caretaker. Often regarded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th Century, we talk about how the show has managed to stand the test of time, as well as about what it's like getting to approach the character of Mick. The Caretaker also marks Jack's Chichester debut as well as Artistic Director Justin Audibert's directing debut in Chichester too. In the latest revival of Pinter's seminal play, Jack will also star opposite Ian McDiarmid and Adam Gillen.

In this new interview with Jack Riddiford, we talk about his approach to tackling complex roles like Mick and what makes Harold Pinter still such a towering figure in the theatre industry. In our interview, he also shares his excitement at getting to work in Chichester and his love for intimate theatres like the Minerva Theatre where the show will be playing. Most recently, Jack starred as Mercutio in Rebecca Frecknall's production of Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre following their collaboration on The Duchess of Malfi, also at the Almeida in 2019 where he played Ferdinand. Jack has also starred in the West End runs of The Inheritance and Jerusalem, working alongside the likes of Vanessa Redgrave and Mark Rylance. Now as he starts his run in The Caretaker, he shares with us what he's learned over the years about being a good company member and the importance of being egoless in a rehearsal room

The Caretaker runs at Minverva Theatre from 8 June - 13 July

After arriving onto the London theatre scene. Daniel Monks has established himself as one of the most exciting actors around. He is now currently back at the Donmar Warehouse in Benedict Andrews' adaptation of The Cherry Orchard. He was last seen on stage in Jamie Lloyd's acclaimed production of The Seagull where he played the iconic role of Konstantin opposite Emilia Clarke and Indira Varma. Now as Pyotr Trofimov, he is once again demonstrating his prowess as an actor to audiences, and it is likely we'll see more spellbinding performances from him in the future.

In this brand new interview with Daniel Monks, he talks to us about his London theatre career, looking back on highlights like The Normal Heart and The Seagull. He talks fondly of his time coming to London from Perth, Australia and the journey he has made from writing and directing to coming back to acting. In our interview, Daniel also talks candidly about the ongoing struggles disable actors in the industry face, commenting specifically on the recent controversy around Shakespeare's Globe's casting of Michelle Terry in the role of Richard III. Still, he is encouraged by the progress made in London with actors like Lizzie Annis and Francesca Mills also delivering strong impacts on the industry. We also talk about the trailblazing directors he's worked with like Benedict Andrews and Jamie Lloyd who Daniel praises for having such courage to reimagine classic works. He also praises outgoing artistic director Michael Longhurst for his vision and openness to reimagining Richard III as Teenage Dick, bringing his talent to the consciousness of London audiences. It's a fascinating discussion and we look forward to seeing what else he does next in the future.

In a decades spanning career, Danny Sapani has become one of the most revered actors of his generation. After recently starring in the titular role of King Lear at the Almeida Theatre, he is currently playing Walter "Pops" Washington in the UK premiere of Between Riverside and Crazy at the Hampstead Theatre. Having previously worked on the Hampstead stage in Anderson's English, Danny tells us about the full circle moment of getting work opposite his drama school: Central School of Speech and Drama. Having gained considerable success on screen in dramas such as Killing Eve, Harlots and The Crown, we also get to hear him talk about his love for theatre and the excitement around getting to work during a particularly exciting time for the industry.

In our interview, Danny Sapani talks to us about the parallels between Lear and Pops, and his love for the intellectual challenge of getting to play unlikeable characters. Between Riverside and Crazy sees him playing a retired policeman struggling to maintain control of his home, estranged from his son and dealing with demons from his past. The Pulitzer Prize winning play was first performed in 2014 in the United States and we hear Danny reflect on how the themes of the play are just as relevant now in a British context as they are in America. We also hear him talk about how the themes in the play speak to him in his current stage of life and share his gratitude to Stephen Adly Guirgis and Michael Longhurst for developing such a relevant piece of drama.

Between Riverside and Crazy runs at Hampstead Theatre until 15 June.