Edinburgh 2025: The 100-year-old clown and The Chase's Vixen on whether ABBA existed
Release Date: 08/12/2025
Edinburgh's Kings Theatre reopens
British Theatre Guide podcast
The King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, originally built in 1906, closed after the 2022 Edinburgh festivals for a major refurbishment project, and is to reopen in time for the 2026 festival season. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Fiona Gibson, CEO of Capital Theatres, the company that owns the King’s as well as the Edinburgh Festival Theatre and the Studio Theatre, about the refurbishment, the new and upgraded facilities, the support they have received from government, arts organisations and the public and the final preparations currently taking place for opening the doors to the public on...
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Something Rotten at Manchester's Opera House
British Theatre Guide podcast
Tim Jackson is a British director, choreographer, musical director, music arranger and performer who recently received his first Tony nomination for directing the musical Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York). Tim has directed and choreographed a revival of the musical Something Rotten, with music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by John O’Farrell, which has just opened for previews at the Opera House in Manchester starring Jason Manford, Richard Fleeshman and Marisha Wallace. Tim spoke to BTG Editor David Chadderton about his current show, as well as about his...
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Pitlochry's 75th anniversary season is Alan Cumming's first
British Theatre Guide podcast
Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Scotland, is about to open its 75th anniversary season, its first since star of stage and screen Alan Cumming took over as Artistic Director. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Sam Hardie, Associate Director at the theatre, who is directing a revival of Iain Heggie’s Wiping My Mother’s Arse, and to playwright Douglas Maxwell, whose new play Inexperience will open in June, about the new season and the ways in which the new artistic director and his predecessor, Elizabeth Newman, changed the theatre’s focus. Douglas also shares the best piece of advice he...
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Unity celebrates a century of radical theatre in Liverpool
British Theatre Guide podcast
Liverpool’s Unity Theatre is the last surviving member of the Unity Theatre movement formed from left-wing workers’ drama groups in the 1930s. The theatre is to present a series of events under the name A Radical Reimagining to celebrate a century of radical theatre in Liverpool, a project conceived by Artistic Director Eli Randle. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Eli about the project, the theatre’s history and the changing face of political theatre. Eli also paid tribute to Graeme Phillips, Artistic Director of the Unity for more than thirty years, who died last year. The various...
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Birmingham Rep returns to Shakespeare with Dream
British Theatre Guide podcast
Birmingham Rep is to present its first Shakespeare play for ten years. Joe Murphy who became artistic director 12 months ago is directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream along with deputy artistic director Madeleine Kludje. BTG Midlands editor Steve Orme spoke to Joe and Madeleine about their take on the play before chatting to three of the cast, Evie Ward-Drummond, Isabel Adomakoh Young and Charlotte Wallis. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will run at Birmingham Rep from Saturday 25 April until Sunday 24 May 2026. (Pictured from left: Charlotte Wallis (Helena), Isabel Adomakoh Young (Hermia),...
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Bryony Kimmings on Bog Witch and autobiographical theatre
British Theatre Guide podcast
Bryony Kimmings has been creating and performing shows based closely on events in her own life since her award-winning Sex Idiot in 2010. Her latest solo show, Bog Witch, about her difficult move from the city to the countryside and growing awareness of environmental issues, is currently on a tour of the UK and Ireland. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Bryony about the show, her creative process, how she began creating this type of theatre, the role of a dramaturg, her surprise at finding she was influenced by Brecht and doing audience participation the correct way. Bog Witch has been...
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Little Shop of Horrors in Derby and Newcastle
British Theatre Guide podcast
Northern Stage and Derby Theatre are joining forces to present the musical Little Shop of Horrors. Kristian Cunningham will play Seymour while Amena El-Kindy will take the role of Audrey. BTG Midlands editor Steve Orme spoke to director Sarah Brigham about her take on the play before chatting to Kristian and Amena. Little Shop of Horrors will run at Northern Stage in Newcastle from Friday 8 until Saturday 23 May 2026. It will then transfer to Derby Theatre from Saturday 30 May until Saturday 20 June.
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Henry Goodman in Arthur Miller's The Price
British Theatre Guide podcast
London’s Marylebone Theatre is soon to present a revival of Arthur Miller’s 1968 play The Price, directed by Jonathan Munby and starring Henry Goodman in the role of 89-year-old Gregory Solomon. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Henry about the role and the play and its current relevance as well as about rehearsing, directors, political theatre, the influence on him of playing Freud in Terry Johnson’s Hysteria and the types of roles he is currently looking to play. David then spoke to Jonathan about the play, his reasons for wanting to direct it now, the production’s design and...
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Taking Loach's I, Daniel Blake from screen to stage
British Theatre Guide podcast
The 2016 Palme d’Or and BAFTA-winning film I, Daniel Blake, directed by Ken Loach, written by Paul Laverty and featuring comedian and actor Dave Johns in the title role, was adapted by Johns for a stage production in 2023 directed by Mark Calvert. The production is to be revived for a short tour in 2026 produced by Northern Stage in Newcastle and Leeds Playhouse featuring most of the original cast and production team. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to director Mark Calvert about the play and its strong message, how playing the title role in the film fired up Dave Johns politically and...
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English Touring Opera's first Sheffield tour opening
British Theatre Guide podcast
English Touring Opera has been taking live opera productions and educational and community projects around the UK since 1979. The company has been based in London up to last year, when it began a move to Sheffield, and its spring 2026 season will be its first to open in the South Yorkshire city. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to ETO’s Artistic Director and CEO, Robin Norton-Hale, about the three productions about to open as well as about what makes the company unique, the challenges of touring, developing new opera works and about why no one should be afraid or daunted about going to the...
info_outlineThis episode features two very different solo shows, which can both be seen at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Thom Tuck is playing the titular 100-year-old clown, whose life story takes audiences though some of the major events of the 20th century, in Justin Butcher’s Scaramouche Jones, which he performed in Edinburgh in 2005, then again in 2015.
His partner, Jenny Ryan, best-known as The Vixen on TV quiz programme The Chase, is performing her musical comedy show Björn Yesterday that unpacks her theory that ABBA never existed.
BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to them both together almost halfway through the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe about their shows, the current state of the Fringe, remembering lines and quiz answers, philosophy, the music they grew up listening to and lots more.
Björn Yesterday runs every day at 5:30PM in the Cabaret Bar at Pleasance Courtyard from 30 July to 17 August. Thom Tuck is appearing in Scaramouche Jones at Hoots at Potterow at 2:45PM from 1 to 25 August 2025.