Episode 926: The Final Timeline - Back to the Future Closes
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
Release Date: 04/14/2026
Episode 939: EdFringe 2026 - Hole!
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
It's time to join MusicalTalk at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 for another episode featuring some of the best and most interesting musical theatre offerings to be found at the world's largest and greatest arts festival. This week, Thos sits down with Jake Brasch and Nadja Leonhard-Hooper, the creative force behind the hilarious Hole!, a musical so large in scope it is literally (and we mean literally) out of this world! Let the Great Sucking commence!
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Episode 938: EdFringe 2026 - War of the Worlds (On a Budget) Redux
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 is here! Hoorah! It's the biggest arts festival in the world and MusicalTalk is there - as always - to see what's on offer for the lover of musical theatre (that's you!) and to provide extensive in-depth coverage of the best shows. This week, we look at the revival of War of the Worlds (On a Budget), the multi-star winning hit musical giving a unique, hilarious and brilliantly song-filled take on HG Wells' famous story. Cue the cute martians....!
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Episode 937: From Smiles to Sandworms - Why Annie Works (and Beetlejuice Doesn't)
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
Nick and Hannah head to the theatre for two of the biggest musical revivals currently touring the UK—but come away with very different reactions. It's sunshine, optimism and red-headed charm as they celebrate the UK tour of Annie, asking why this classic musical continues to captivate audiences nearly fifty years after its Broadway debut. Then, things take a decidedly darker turn as they tackle the West End production of Beetlejuice. With a hit Broadway incarnation and a devoted fanbase setting sky-high expectations, why does this London production leave them feeling so underwhelmed?...
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Episode 936: Savoy! Everybody's Doing It!
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
In this episode of MusicalTalk, it's time to join Thos as he stomps at the Savoy - and perhaps not just stomp! So take a sophisticated interwar sensibility, some reworked and reminaged songs from European operetta, spiced with an uber-modern take on the world of relationships, and you have the heady, intoxicating mix that makes the hit cabaret show, Savoy! Everybody's Doing It! so delicious. When it comes to love, relationships, and sex, it seems that everybody's doing it (and always has done). So, why not join them in this enticing episode?!
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Episode 935: Breaking into Song with Edward Easton in Flo and Joan's One Man Musical
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
Edward Easton never imagined his next role would see him leading a musical. With no previous musical theatre experience, taking on One Man Musical was a genuine leap of faith - but one that quickly proved to be worth it. Nick and he chat about learning the music, finding confidence in a new genre, working with Flo & Joan and making an established role his own. You can see Edward in the role of portraying the superstar Lord (and we don't mean Jesus Christ) at the Edinburgh Fringe!
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Episode 934: Going Wild! – Craig Crowton and The Animal Guyz
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
What do you get when you combine theatre, spectacular puppetry, conservation, comedy and a whole host of incredible animals? Nick Hutson finds out as he chats with Craig Crowton, the creative force behind The Animal Guyz. Craig discusses how the show evolved from a passion for wildlife into an exciting theatrical experience that has delighted family audiences across the UK. Discover how larger-than-life animal puppets, music, audience participation and an important environmental message come together to create an unforgettable live event. Nick and Craig also explore the challenges of touring,...
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Episode 933: War & Musicals - Untold Wars
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
MusicalTalk continues its exploration of the many and varied ways that war and conflict can be portrayed in the world of musical theatre. This week, Thos revisits a remarkable piece of verbatim musical theatre (itself a rare and unusual form) created to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, which explored 100 years of the British involvement in battle through the musicalisation of real testimony from actual participants. And as the video of the show remains viewable on YouTube, it's a musical you can still watch as well as hear all about.
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Episode 932: War & Musicals - Enigma
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
Join Thos as he continues his look at the amazingly varied way that musical theatre has approached war and its consequences. This week he revisits Enigma, a show about the American experience of wartime code-breaking and the real life (and death) consequences of doing it. With songs and music from the piece, hear composer, Hedda Rustad Carlsen and Thos discuss this all female written and acted show which throws a light on a long overlooked area of American wartime history. An enigma no more!
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Episode 931: War & Musicals - Alfie
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
One of the many paradoxes of war is that it often generates a surprisingly rich cultural output and when musical theatre decides to tackle the subject, the results can be rewarding - and varied! Just look at Blitz, Oh What A Lovely War and Bedknobs and Broomsticks to see three utterly different ways of tackling conflict and death in a musical. And it doesn't stop there! So join Thos as he sits down with the three people behind the touching but raw story of Alfie, the boy who went to war - and find out why this grounded musical drama was as good as it was in an episode that...
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Episode 930: The Bear, the Puppets and the Mockumentary
MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast
On this week’s episode of MusicalTalk, Nick and Robert dive into a trio of very different theatrical experiences! Robert shares his thoughts on London's lagest mega-hit musical: Paddington. We revisit the gloriously irreverent Avenue Q, discussing its enduring appeal, razor-sharp humour and whether its once-shocking material lands differently with modern audiences. We also explore the hilarious and affectionate documentary spoof Original Cast Album: Co-Op — a loving parody inspired by the legendary recording sessions of Company.
info_outlineNick, Chris and Nikki fire up the flux capacitor one last time as they attend the final performance of the London production of Back to the Future: The Musical. What makes this farewell especially poignant is their unique full-circle journey with the show — having been there at the very beginning during its early Manchester run in 2020, just before the world changed forever.
In this reflective and heartfelt episode, they explore how the themes of Back to the Future — time, change, and second chances — have mirrored real life in unexpected ways. They discuss the turbulent road (or lack thereof…) the production has travelled, from uncertainty and global shutdowns to becoming a vibrant, beloved destination for theatre fans.