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Composer and theatre creative Dominic Powell has always had a passion for stage stories, but an openness to the new ways that stage stories are being expressed today which he sees as a "new era for the arts." He is an intensely devoted fan of the stories and characters of the Marvel Universe, and recommends creatives make room for comfort and inspiration from areas outside of theatre. Dominic wrote the music and lyrics for the musical CASES which was recently released as a  studio album, and is the director of our new concert premiering this Friday, The Road to Prominence, which celebrates more than a century of incredible music from Black musical theatre creatives.   

From a very young age, the ephemerality and exhilaration of live performance totally captivated me. Being able to tell stories, build sometimes naturalistic other times abstract worlds and witness an audience reaction in real time - it gives me such a buzz! Musicals particularly excite me as the story is told not only through drama, but music and song. I love people, I love stories, I love experiencing art in a live context, and so working in theatre became a very easy decision to make when considering what I want to do with my life.

What’s something that you've learned along the way that you use often?

Know your worth, but be nice and kind to everyone. The industry is incredibly small in terms of networking, degrees of separation and you never ever know when you may need support from someone you've met, talked to, interacted with or worked with in the past. First impressions are important. Final greetings are fundamental. Remember names, fulfil promises and do a favour. Or a few.

Growing up in a low socio-economic background with a loving family has definitely given me a grit, determination and passion that underpins everything I do.

What experiences have shaped who you are and how you work?

Growing up in a low socio-economic background with a loving family has definitely given me a grit, determination and passion that underpins everything I do. I suppose also receiving good solid academic education has influenced my approach to creativity and also having often experienced being the only Black male, or person, in the room has taught me a lot with regardings to expressing my identity in work and ensuring it remains truthful and authentic. 

What advice do you have for people wanting to engage with the arts during this difficult time?

The possibilities are limitless, honestly. Maybe not in traditional formats or ways in which we have comfortably fostered creativity, but there are new mediums, software, technologies, venues and opportunities springing up everywhere. We are honestly in a very new era for the arts. I would also advise not to focus too heavily on the arts as it goes through this transition. Though there may be a somewhat lack of it, art has survived millenia, wars and the darkest of human experiences. 

Remaining in touch with the world, family, loved ones, friends, news, politics, developing hobbies and anything outside of the arts only helps to heal the soul and make us more interesting and informed individuals upon our return to the arts. When you've had some time away, then jump back in, stream away, download away to your hearts content. Your experience and engagement of the arts will then be just that little bit more sweeter. 

We see a plethora of African American stories in musical theatre, however it will be truly exciting to see Black British stories be awarded more of a platform. 

What kind of theatre would you love to see more of?

At this point in lockdown, any kind of theatre would be great! I'm quite open minded in my theatregoing choices, but any story that is told well, in a way I've never seen before with a committed and unified cast, creative and production team... I'm there. It'd be remiss of me not to highlight the need for more Black British stories, it's always wonderful to dig into stories across the black diaspora and in particular we see a plethora of African American stories in musical theatre, however it will be truly exciting to see Black British stories be awarded more of a platform. 

Find out more about The Road to Prominence

Streaming This Weekend: A Concert of Incredible LGBTQ+ Artists and More

This weekend watch an inspiring concert featuring 14 LGBTQ+ singers, in support of Stonewall UK. Also stream a gripping song cycle, a brooding psychological play, and a moving ballet performance inspired by history.

Check out our suggestions of theatre to watch from home this week: 

Break Free is an empowering musical celebration with LGBT+ theatre artists, sharing their personal journeys and performances of musical theatre and pop songs that have inspired them. 14 stage stars will feature in the filmed concert of pop and musical theatre songs, with proceeds going to LGBT+ charity Stonewall UK. 

Songs for Murdered Sisters - Filmed Performance, Concert 

With music by Jake Heggie set to poems by Margaret Atwood, this powerful new work is Joshua Hopkins’s way of honouring his sister’s memory who, along with two other women, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in a spree that is now considered one of the worst cases of domestic violence in Canadian history.

The scene is a pool hall, where a man in his mid-40s shoots a solitary game until a college student he has never met challenges him to play. As their game goes on, it becomes clear that the men recognize each other and have a deep connection. While the truth emerges, so does the fact that the past must remain just that.

LGBTQ Short Play Festival - Livestream, Virtual Festival

Triangle Rainbow Theater creative director Anthony Fusco will be presenting its first annual LGBTQ Short Play Festival of one-acts, live-streaming via Zoom and featuring 18-20 short plays competing for the title of best play. 

Northern Ballet explores passion, tragedy, and fierce devotion in this exquisite performance. Queen Victoria’s diaries revealed a life so fascinating that her daughter Beatrice tried to rewrite history.  Her irrepressible love for Albert sparked a royal dynasty. But his untimely death brought the world's most powerful woman to her knees with grief.

Discover more than 1500 digital resources on Thespie.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Fight for Fringe's 'Glorious Return' as President

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator and performer of the hit theatre and TV show Fleabag has signed on as the first ever President of the society that runs the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Waller-Bridge said that her appointment into the role is to help fight for the survival and "glorious return" of the festival, which typically occurs every August but was cancelled in 2020 due to the global pandemic. 

Presenting Fleabag at the Fringe in 2013 was instrumental in setting the trajectory of Fleabag's success, a pattern that has been repeated for hundreds of other shows that have gone on to achieve similar UK-wide and international successes, including the mega-hit musical SIX by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. After its fringe run, Fleabag was presented in London's West End and went on to win an Olivier Award, before being adapted into the acclaimed BBC series that was also released on Prime Video in the US, and then returning to West End stage in 2019. 

Waller-Bridge provided an eloquent statement about the Festival and its importance to the theatre industry, notably calling it "an annual cultural revolution" and a "global symbol of artistic freedom and experimentation." In reference to the current state of theatre and the challenges ahead for the Festival, she stated, "this festival is a beating heart of an industry that has been all but crushed by the pandemic, and I’m proud to be a part of the fight with the Fringe Society for its much needed survival and glorious return.”

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is a charitable organisation that exists to support those who want to participate in the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  The Society announced that the role is new in the history of the organisation and that Waller-Bridge will "act as a representative and advocate for the Fringe Society," and that her appointment was confirmed by a unanimous vote by the board of directors in previous weeks.   

Shona McCarthy, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society Chief Executive, shared: “We know we’ve got serious work to do to overcome the challenges that Covid has brought to our sector.... I am absolutely thrilled to have the fantastic Phoebe in our corner.”

Musical theatre star Shona White fell in love with theatre and musicals at a young age and has performed some incredible roles across her career, including Donna in Mamma Mia and Elphaba in Wicked. She got an early lesson in resilience when getting turned down for a summer job at McDonald's, but then managed a Baskin Robbins ice cream parlour instead—and considers resilience one of the key traits that help performers thrive in the theatre industry. She joins over a dozen other LGBTQ artists for our empowering concert, Break Free, which premieres tonight. 

Growing up as a young girl in Fife, Scotland it soon became clear there was nothing else I wanted to do other than theatre! I started singing in my village church where my Sunday School teacher encouraged me to explore my talent and passion. I joined the local children’s theatre group where I played Annie and then attended an acting school in Edinburgh 3 nights a week during my high school years where we took part in shows in The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and I (rather hilariously) played Miss Adelaide at 15! I had well and truly caught the performing bug! I saw the adverts for colleges in The Stage newspaper my village newsagent ordered in specially for me and just knew where I had to be! I moved to London to train in 1993, 5 days after my 17th birthday and never looked back!

We as performers have already built up resilience in reserve due to the uncertain nature of our industry and we are able to call upon that now.

Resilience! We as performers have already built up resilience in reserve due to the uncertain nature of our industry and we are able to call upon that now. We often have periods of no work between contracts and experience plenty of rejection along the way. Resilience is something many people are using to get through the challenges and uncertainty the pandemic has brought with it so we’re lucky we already have this in our toolkit.

I have worked my way up from ensemble/understudy to playing principal roles. I feel this makes me appreciate the opportunities I have been given as I have put in the hard graft and dedication needed to get there. It makes the blood, sweat and tears all worthwhile! (Maybe not blood but definitely a lot of sweat and plenty of tears!) I also take huge inspiration from industry colleagues around me and try to emulate their work methods and ethics.

I have watched a lot of online content during the pandemic and that has personally been a lifeline! I would encourage people to keep buying tickets for online performances so freelance creatives have some income during a time we cannot perform live in person. Keep the arts alive so we are all still there when we get out of this! Nothing can beat the buzz of live in person theatrical events but please support these online offerings to keep us all going as we are hopefully keeping you going! I would also urge people to book tickets for when venues reopen. Our industry will need support to get back on its feet!

To create a role/piece from scratch is just so thrilling!

I love new writing so would love to see more of that please! I love to watch new writing but also be a part of the creative process. To create a role/piece from scratch is just so thrilling! Also maybe some more gender blind casting? I’d love to have a crack at Judas in JCS!

Musical Mondays: Obama & Singing Presidents

This Musical Monday, in honour of Presidents' Day in the US, we've pulled together an eclectic handful of shows that feature American Presidents as characters in their stories. Some are political, some provocative, and some hilariously irreverent, but we hope you enjoy exploring some of these musicals (and an opera!) which reimagine these historical American leaders. 

We've also updated our Musical Theatre Covers & Discoveries playlist with tracks from these shows (including an Obama remix of Hamilton's "One Last Time"), as well as Julie Andrews singing the haunting "Take Care of This House" from Leonard Bernstein's rarely-performed 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue about the White House. 

Check out our new suggestions this week: 

This emo / alternative rock take on the story of President Andrew Jackson ran at the Public Theatre in New York City, and features a propulsive soundtrack, a highly fictionalised story of Jackson and plenty of irreverent humour.

What list of Presidential musical theatre could be complete without Hamilton, with it's rap-battle congressional debates and iconic, inclusive depictions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Not to mention the fact that an early preview of music from Hamilton was performed for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House two years before the show's Broadway debut. Also be sure to check out the Obama remix of "One Last Time," where he contributes George Washington's farewell address from the show, added to our Musical Theatre Covers & Discoveries playlist.

This traditional 1969 musical is seen by many as a conservative reaction to the hippie musical successes of the 60s, and was due to be revived on Broadway in 2021 in a new production by Diane Paulus, director of Waitress and the recent revivals of Pippin and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. 

This 1987 opera is an expressive, minimalist take on President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972 to meet with Mao Zedong, and imagines the characters' inner lives through extended arias and highly poetic language. 

This controversial musical from legend Stephen Sondheim looks at individuals who have attempted to assassinate American Presidents, with some of Sondheim's darkest themes since Sweeney Todd. There's plenty of lightness and humour in the music, notably "Unworthy of Your Love," recently recorded by Ben Platt and Zoey Deutsch for the Netflix series The Politician.

Musical Theatre Covers & Discoveries - Playlist

Hidden gems, surprising covers, and new discoveries from across musical theatre. 

Discover more cast recordings and audio performances on Thespie.

Andrew Patrick-Walker is a multi-talented singer/actor who has focussed his career around new musical theatre work, having performed in Bat out of Hell, CASES, BKLYN, and Jerry Springer: The Opera. Andrew started his journey in performance wanting to become a recording artist, and has gone on to record some of the stage roles he has originated, notably the newly released album for Dominic Powell's CASES. Alex is performing in both of our February concerts Break Free and The Road to Prominence. 

I fell into it, honestly. I'd always wanted to be a recording artist. I wanted to learn how to be an all-round performer… and the rest is history!

Something I've discovered recently is the importance of my own creative validity. Nurturing what I have and my own instincts. That's very important.

The world is so multifaceted and it's our responsibility as performers to know and portray that.

I've been shaped by my upbringing, coming from a Northern working class family, with no one in the arts. Also by being Queer, and trying to stay true to who I am and what I bring to the table. 

Also having a varied life outside of work, be it the places I visit, the things I do or the people I surround myself with. The world is so multifaceted and it's our responsibility as performers to know and portray that.




I would say, if being creative helps then fantastic. Do it without expectation. Sitting and doing nothing is also valid and needed.

I would love to see more queer stories being told in theatre.

Well… I'd love to see just any theatre, to be honest. But outside of the obvious pandemic nonsense, I would love to see more new musical theatre writing in general. For new writing to be supported and given the platform by bigger producers and theatre companies so it's accessible to see, and also for the actors to work in.

Find out more about The Road to Prominence and Break Free

Streaming This Weekend: Powerful Experiences and Uplifting Performances

This weekend explore experiences of Black, Brown, and multiracial communities which respond to recent global events, alongside two concerts celebrating LGBTQ+ history.

A company of twelve Black, Brown and multiracial young Londoners have produced this bold short film exploring their own experiences of everyday racism. 

Philip Glass's Akhnaten - Filmed Performance, Opera 

Philip Glass’s mesmerizing masterpiece of ancient Egypt. A portrait of the revolutionary title pharaoh, whose attempt to convert his society to the monotheistic worship of the sun leads to his being overthrown. Exploring themes of religion, race, and non-binary gender identity, Glass’s opera takes a ritualistic approach to depicting the events, hypnotising the listener with its repetitive yet immersive music.

Remnants for Poet and Orchestra - Filmed Performance, Concert

Expressed by poet Yomi Sode and the Chineke! Orchestra, Remnants is inspired by a seminal moment in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the UK, immortalized in the image captured by Thomson Reuters photographer Dylan Martinez of Patrick Hutchinson carrying a White counter-protester to safety. 

Harmony - Livestream, Virtual Fundraising Gala

For one fabulous hour watch this virtual fundraising gala, featuring special guest performances, celebrity interviews, exciting silent auction prizes, musical memories, inspiring fundraising, and more as fantastic ensembles are showcased to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

A group of songwriters respond to snapshots of queer history in this charity event. From forgotten historical figures to exciting experiences, the evening takes us on a journey through queer time, bringing lost histories and humans to life in a live, intimate concert.

Two Arethas in 2021: Jennifer Hudson & Cynthia Erivo

Audiences can rejoice - this year we have two Aretha Franklin musical biopics coming to screens everywhere, starring none other than the Broadway co-stars of The Color Purple, Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson.

First to premiere will be Genius: Aretha, a four-part limited series about the 'Queen of Soul,' led by Broadway and West End star Cynthia Erivo who won a 2016 Tony Award for her portrayal of Celie in The Color Purple. Genius: Aretha premieres March 21st on the National Geographic network, part of the Emmy-winning Genius series which has dramatised the lives of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in previous seasons. 


The network said that the season will "explore Aretha Franklin's musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world." In December 2020, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which will be released on Disney+ and will follow the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Then August 2021 brings the premiere of Respect, the feature film spanning the entirety of Aretha's six-decade career, led by stage star and recording artist Jennifer Hudson. Hudson is probably best known to musical fans as Effie in the film version of Dreamgirls, for which she won an Academy Award, but has also appeared in Cats, Hairspray Live! and Smash. 

Hudson was reportedly 'anointed' by Aretha herself to take on the role before Franklin passed away in August 2018 at the age of 76. “We met in New York, and one of the first things she said to me was, ‘You’re gonna win another Oscar for playing me, right?’” Hudson recalled in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “Imagine Aretha Franklin looking you in the face and saying that. I was like, ‘Eh, uh, eh… I can try.’”

Respect boasts an incredible supporting cast including 6-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Oscar and BAFTA winner Forest Whitaker, Mary J. Blige, and Marlon Wayans. Respect has a screenplay by playwright Tracey Scott Wilson, and was originally slated for a Christmas Day 2020 release but was moved amidst the shifting schedules related to COVID-19.

Both biopics clearly offer a wealth of musical performances, as well as views into Aretha's romantic and family life, her involvement in the US civil rights movement and her musical legacy.

Originally from Leeds, Alex Thomas-Smith has become a rising star of UK theatre over the last few years with roles in some of the most popular musicals. Their previous credits include the London productions of Dear Evan Hansen and Bat Out Of Hell and most recently Alex played Angel in Rent at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. They describe themselves as a gaming nerd and say that playing Mario Kart is the last thing they do before they go to sleep. Alex is performing in both of our February concerts Break Free and The Road to Prominence. 

There is no greater joy than being on stage and sharing a story with thousands of people. I wanted to do something for a living that I was passionate about that wouldn’t feel like work.

I've learned to listen and to take advice from those that have more experience. Real wisdom comes from the people that have been out there making a living in the industry for 20-30 years and it’s invaluable. 

Working with so many different people has made me realise how important it is to treat everyone with the upmost respect. Be kind, be professional, be early.




I would tell everyone to support online theatre. It's hard right now, but if a little bit of the money people are saving on not going to the theatre is spent on online shows, it could help to save our industry. They are put together so fantastically and are full of super talented people too, which is a bonus.

I would love to see more queer stories being told in theatre. It’s starting to happen, of course, but I want more. I'd also like to see less ableism, body shaming and classism in casting. Let's tell someone else’s story. 

Stream Exciting Theatre: A Haunting Ghost Story and More

A chilling ghost tale, a witty play exploring friendship, a selection of captivating monologues, and an icy political drama. Presented by Original Theatre Online.

The Haunting of Alice Bowles  - Filmed Performance, Play

In 1918 the recently widowed Alice Bowles is left destitute as she seeks to solve a mystery left by her late husband Francis. Fast-forward to 2020 and YouTube urban explorers Matt and Caitlin uncover a mysterious grave in an abandoned churchyard. What starts as harmless entertainment soon turns darker when their discovery begins to unwrap a mystery which has laid dormant for over century.

The Habit of Art - Filmed Performance, Play 

Exploring friendship, rivalry and heartache this multi layered masterpiece examines the joy, pain and emotional cost of creativity. In The Habit of Art, Alan Bennett gives us a play about a meeting between the poet WH Auden and the composer Benjamin Britten.

Barnes' People - Filmed Performance, Play

From writer Peter Barnes comes a selection of four exquisitely crafted monologues, performed by four of Original Theatre's leading actors and filmed on stage at the Theatre Royal Windsor.

A Splinter of Ice - Filmed Performance, Play 

Moscow 1987 and the cold war begins to thaw. After declining his offer for more than 30 years, novelist Graham Greene travels into the heart of Soviet Russia to meet his old MI6 boss, Kim Philby. The two men set about catching up on old times. With a new world order breaking out around them, how much did the writer of The Third Man know about Philby’s secret life as a spy and did Philby betray his friend as well as his country?

Musical Mondays: Ghosts, Aliens & Rollerskating Muses

This Musical Monday we're highlighting a trio of lesser-known musical theatre albums, all mixing elements of the supernatural or science fiction into their stories: a Stephen King / John Mellencamp ghost tale set in the American South, an alien love story about belonging and self-revelation, and a campy remix of a cult 1980 fantasy film.  

We've also updated our Musical Theatre Covers & Discoveries playlist with some new tracks from these shows and more. 

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County - Concept Album

In the tiny town of Lake Belle Reve, Mississippi in 1967, a terrible tragedy took the lives of two brothers and a beautiful young girl. During the next forty years, the events of that night became the stuff of local legend. But legend is often just another word for lie. Joe McCandless knows what really happened; he saw it all. The question is whether or not he can bring himself to tell the truth in time to save his own troubled sons, and whether the ghosts left behind by an act of violence will help him—or tear the McCandless family apart forever. This bloody, bluesy musical features a book by Stephen King, music and lyrics by John Mellencamp, and music production and orchestrations by T Bone Burnett.

Solar, a student at a new School, has never felt at home on planet Earth. They cling desperately to the hope of a world more mysterious than they can imagine- aliens, cryptids, and fairies around every corner. But when they climb to the roof one October night with a radio and a walkie talkie, it isn't aliens who answer- it's a girl. 
This intimate, catchy new musical is written by Sushi Soucy and Morgan Smith and is part of a broad, innovative universe of characters and works called Averno. 

Xanadu centers on a Greek muse who is sent to Earth to inspire Californians during the 1980s. While on earth, she meets and falls in love with an artist and helps him realize his dreams. This stage version of the cult 1980 fantasy film is replete with roller skates, sweat bands, and a high-energy pop-rock soundtrack to match.

Stage star Kerry Ellis has taken on some of the most iconic musical theatre roles, including Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Nancy in Oliver!, Fantine in Les Misérables, and of course Elphaba in Wicked. Yesterday evening she took to the stage for the BBC's Musicals: The Greatest Show, singing Defying Gravity, just one of dozens of performances she's given across the last year for streaming, radio and television. She also runs a podcast of candid conversations with stage artists, Keep Calm and Kerry On, and absolutely adores dogs, especially her 12-year-old pupper, Ocho.

There was never any question that I wouldn’t. I always loved performing as a kid and always saw myself going into the arts and performing. I didn’t really know how it would all turn out, I had a passion and dreams and followed them. 

We are very fortunate to be in an industry we love and work with some incredible people.

Be kind. It sounds so simple but it's so important, we are very fortunate to be in an industry we love and work with some incredible people, but if it wasn’t filled with kind people the job would be awful. Treat people the way you want to be treated yourself, and that's for life, and how I try to educate my kids too.  

You learn something from every job you do, usually down to the people, but every job is different and I find myself always picking up new skills, meeting new people, discovering how other people work. It’s fascinating, and I'm missing it dreadfully. However I have been getting creative in the lockdown, teaching on zoom doing private lessons, working in colleges and schools doing talks, created a podcast Keep Calm and Kerry On, written a book, and reached lots of people that I haven’t been able to before which I'm grateful for. 

Hang in there! It WILL get better and it WILL be alright. I think theatre students in particular are being incredibly resilient and attempting a new way of training right now and it’s inspiring. I would say keep at it because when things do finally open and get back to normal we want to be ready and not want to have wasted this valuable time. 

ALL OF IT!! I just can’t wait for theatre and all live events to be back on and open, there’s nothing like going to see a live show and the excitement of sitting in the theatre waiting for the show to start. It's riveting and thrilling and I can't wait to have that back. Also on a personal note I can’t wait to get back on those stages and start connecting with the crowds again. 

Find out more about Keep Calm and Kerry On

Streaming This Weekend: Powerful Plays, Musical Journeys and Inspiring Artists

This weekend you can watch a musical journey of self-discovery, some powerful but tender plays, and two inspiring artist talks with some leading UK theatre artists.  

Shook is a tender examination of three men in a young offenders' institution as they learn to become fathers, having never met their children out in the real world.

The Tailor-Made Man - Filmed Performance, Play 

This untold story of a taboo romance in the golden age of Hollywood pits matinee idol Billy against his studio bosses as he balances his public career with the hidden, tender romance of his private life. 

Black Butterfly blends Broadway, jazz, hip-hop, opera, blues and soul music into an empowering story of self-discovery, set in the bustling and exciting world of the New York City music scene.

The star of the upcoming musical film Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Max Harwood, speaks to our Creative Producer Aimie Atkinson about getting cast in the film, his experiences on set, and what the film means to him. Part of our lineup of artist talks celebrating LGBTQ theatre artists.  

Thespie Thursdays: Eloise Davies & Courtney Stapleton - Artist Talk

In this week's casual artist chat, stage stars Eloise Davies and Courtney Stapleton joined Thespie Creative Producer Aimie Atkinson to talk about dream roles, LGBTQ heroes, and much more.  All three are performing in the upcoming concert Break Free which stars LGBTQ theatre artists sharing their personal journeys and songs that inspired them. 

Stage Stars Join our Celebration of Black and LGBT+ Artists

Big news! We are excited to announce new artist talks and two incredible concerts on Thespie celebrating Black and LGBT+ theatre artists. Inspired by Black History Month in the US and LGBT+ History Month in the UK, we've worked with leading UK musical theatre artists to create The Road to Prominence which celebrates Black musical theatre creators, and Break Free, which features LGBTQ artists sharing stories and performances about their personal journeys.

Our free artist talks run throughout the month in two separate series: In the Room, conversations with performers and creators about writing, rehearsal, and collaboration; and Thespie Thursdays, informal artist chats designed to show artists in a more personal light. 

Break Free (19 Feb) and is an empowering musical celebration with LGBT+ theatre artists, sharing their personal journeys and performances of musical theatre and pop songs that have inspired them. The cast includes Natasha Agnew, Paul Baker, Allie Daniel, Eloise Davis, Andrew Derbyshire, Nick Hayes, Mark Inscoe, Eleanor Kane, Millie O’Connell, Alex Thomas-Smith, Courtney Stapleton, La Voix, Andrew Patrick-Walker, Shona White, Layton Williams and Charlotte Yorke. Proceed go to LGBT+ charity Stonewall UK. 

The Road to Prominence (26 Feb) celebrates Black musical theatre creators, from the early twentieth century to today, including performances and interviews with leading UK theatre performers. The filmed concert is directed by Dominic Powell whose musical Cases is featured in the concert, alongside works such as The Wiz, The Color Purple, Ain't Misbehavin', and Shuffle Along. The cast includes Zoe Birkett, Adrian Hansel, Waylon Jacobs, Aisha Jawando, Bobby Little, Maiya Quansah-Breed, Alex Thomas-Smith and Andrew Patrick-Walker.

The In the Room series of free artist talks comprise conversations with performers and creators and about writing, rehearsal, and collaboration. It will feature Max Harwood (3 Feb), star of the forthcoming film of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, with cast members from the Leicester Curve production of The Color Purple in conversation with Dominic Powell (10 Feb), and more to be announced later. 

The informal chat series Thespie Thursdays will feature artists Eloise Davis and Courtney Stapleton (4 Feb), Millie O’Connell (11 Feb), Genesis Lynea (18 Feb) and Melanie La Barrie (25 Feb) and is also free to view on Thespie.

Break Free premieres on Friday, 19 February at 8PM GMT (3PM EST / 12PM PST) and The Road to Prominence premieres on Friday, 26 February at 8PM GMT (3PM EST / 12PM PST). Both concerts will be available to stream on-demand following their premieres, and purchasers will have 72 hours to view. Tickets for each are £8/$10 per household with all proceeds going to Stonewall UK and Black Lives Matter UK. £15/$25 and £25/$30 tickets also available which include an extra donation. 

One ticket entitles you to view with your entire household. Repeat viewing is permitted, but a ticket can only be used on a single account and a single device. We hope you can join us!

Born and raised in South Texas, Amy Bailey trained as a classical ballet dancer before becoming an acro-balance artist for Cirque du Soleil. She eventually made the transition to acting and has lived and performed in the UK for 20 years. Amy, who says she prefers to eat ice cream with a fork, is part of the star-studded cast of the theatrical sitcom The Fosse Forest Ballet. 

I was a classical ballet dancer from a young age but didn’t come to theatre as an actor until my early 30s. I had naively auditioned for some West End musicals, not really having sung or spoken on stage before, and by some stroke of fate I booked The Producers. What followed was a very happy and organic transition to plays and musicals.

I practice a lot of gratitude and disciplined positivity. I know I’m lucky to have a career in the arts and never take it for granted, even through the tough times. 

Being a ballet dancer absolutely shaped how I work. It made me tough and self-motivated. It’s our responsibility as performers to be enthusiastic and generous team players so we can create magic for our audiences.




We must keep chins up, spirits high, and find new ways of engaging.

We are the luckiest generation of artists yet. Smart phones and access to social media allow us to stay connected and keep sharing our creativity. We are creators. We must keep chins up, spirits high, and find new ways of engaging.

I would love to see any kind of theatre. This experience has made me more appreciative than ever of live performance. I hope it will be possible again soon to play to packed audiences, and I hope those audiences return with a vengeance to support this incomparable art form. 

Find out more about The Fosse Forest Ballet

Now is a great time to feed your curiosity and explore even more facets of the performing arts. There are an abundance of documentaries that take you behind the scenes and we've found a few of our favourites to share with you. 

Check out our top suggestions of documentaries to stream at home this week: 

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne presented a stage spectacular on Broadway in 2019 with his American Utopia. In this documentary, director Spike Lee chronicles the show and shoots from all over the auditorium so that audiences can fully appreciate the intricacy of the staging. The footage is also interspersed with interviews with the show's creator. 

This six-part documentary gives an insight into the lives of students at the world-renowned School of American Ballet and follows the lucky few that get to perform the Nutcracker with New York City ballet over the holiday season. On Pointe provides a glimpse into the commitment of these incredible young performers and their families. 

Howard charts the life and career of the legendary lyricist Howard Ashman, who collaborated with composer Alan Menkin on numerous works for Walt Disney Studios like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. This documentary features archival footage as it explores his journey to become the lyricist behind some of the most beloved family films in the world.

Cirque du Soleil: Behind the Curtain - Youtube

Cirque du Soleil have a whole series of behind the scenes documentaries from their productions around the world. You can learn how to do some of their incredible acrobatic skills, like landing a double backflip on one stilt, while you take a look at how the breathtaking shows are put together. 

A documentary about the casting process of a Broadway revival of A Chorus Line, Every Little Step is an amazing insight into a side of theatre that we don't usually get to see. The show needs 19 dancers and over 3,000 show up to compete for the parts in this wonderful depiction of camaraderie born from rejection. 

Streaming This Weekend: Broadway Magic, Laugh-out-loud Monologues and an Interactive Adventure

This weekend you can watch a heartwarming Broadway magic show from Derek Delgaudio and a collection of hilarious monologues based on a fictional political PR company. Plus you can take part in a new intergalactic escape room adventure. 

Check out our top suggestions of theatre to watch from home this week: 

Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself  - Filmed Performance

Directed by Frank Oz, Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself captures a spectacular Broadway magic show in a documentary-style film that manages to encapsulate the emotion of DelGaudio's lyrical poem and celebrate the art of live performance. 

A streamed reading of Jon Robin Baitz’s acclaimed play, Three Hotels is a collection of emotive monologues set in hotel rooms that sees a married couple reflecting on their lives together.  

With a live cast of five actors, The Rubix puts audiences at the centre of an intergalactic escape room adventure where they must help to reprogram a space ship and identify a saboteur in order to save the mission. 

Cuttings is a collection of monologues about three publicists dealing with a PR disaster in the world of politics. The series follows their weekly Zoom calls where they write speeches, draft apologies, and think of ways to put a positive spin on the government’s pandemic response.  

Movie Musical Mondays: West Side Story, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and More

We've found more musical movies to share with you this week, including the ground-breaking classics West Side Story and A Chorus Line and some modern masterpieces. 

Check out our top suggestions of musical movies to stream at home this week: 

The classic tale of star-crossed lovers kept apart by rival factions in New York, West Side Story is often heralded as one of the most influential musicals of all time and is well-worth a watch, even if you've immersed yourself its ground-breaking music and choreography before.  

The 1985 film based on the revolutionary Broadway musical, A Chorus Line centres on a group of dancers auditioning for a place in a show. You can also enhance the experience by watching a documentary that explores the incredible journey of the musical called Every Little Step. 

This one isn't strictly speaking a musical, but Ma Rainey's Black Bottom does feature some incredible music. Based on the August Wilson play and starring Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman, it follows a prominent blues singer during a tumultuous period in 1920s Chicago. 

Powerful, uplifting and raunchy, Been So Long is based on Ché Walker's stage musical and centres on an unlikely couple who meet on a night out in London and embark on a complicated romantic relationship. 

Renée Zellweger takes on the formidable task of playing the movie legend Judy Garland in this biopic, which charts the last few months of the icon's life and her final live performances in London's West End. 

Anthony Meindl is a real all-rounder in the arts world. An actor, director and producer, who has written several screenplays and a number of best-selling books, he is perhaps best known for developing an actor training method that has been studied in his studios all over the world. Anthony describes himself as a climate activist and also has an inspirational podcast called In The Moment: Acting, Art and Life.

I think like many things in life, you fall into something. I went to grad school in London and then moved to New York and started the theatre audition grind. I eventually got work and as I continued studying and working, I became more and more interested in sharing new thoughts about creativity. 

I think the best work that also serves us in life is to listen. Listening is everything. It does the work for us. In life, our listening is a reaction to what we experience, hear or witness and acting follows the same principle. 

Being an artist and engaging in an artistic process is part of being human

Regardless of the time we are living in – being an artist and engaging in an artistic process is part of being human. It’s part of being alive. I think we sometimes confuse “success” or “influence” with creativity and exploration. How one sees the world – how you interpret life and find your way is artistic. 

I'd like to see new stories, stories written by voices we don’t hear enough from. Stories by black artists, indigenous artists, trans stories, stories from Latino and Hispanic voices. Life is expanding and evolving upwards and onwards – let’s keep reaching for what that expansion can creatively bring. 

Find out more about In The Moment: Acting, Art and Life

Family Theatre This Weekend: Cirque du Soleil, an Opera Fairytale and more

There's a whole host of family theatre to stream this weekend, with an opera version of a classic fairytale, some acrobatic excellence from Cirque du Soleil, an interactive journey through a majestic manor and more.   

Check out our top suggestions of family theatre to watch from home this weekend: 

Cirque du Soleil: Spotlight On Luzia - Filmed Performance

Cirque du Soleil's magical show Luzia is now available to watch free on their Youtube channel. With faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity, it features visually stunning effects and the breathtaking acrobatic performances the company is renowned for.  

Adapted from classic West African and Caribbean folklore and inspired by Unicorn Theatre's 2019 stage show, Anansi The Spider is a collection of stories about a mischievous arachnid, which the cast have filmed from their own homes. It's accompanied by free creative learning resources for teachers and a free family activity pack for home learning.


Audiences will discover curious creatures, a troubled Botanist and more as they make a virtual journey through the National Trust’s Mottistone Manor. With an original script and music, Forest Fables includes stories of majestic woodlands, ancient landscapes and the little creatures who serve them.  

An interpretation of the much-loved story of Cinderella, this version of the opera Cendrillon was originally staged by The Royal Opera in July 2011 and boasts an incredibly lavish set, a large cast and sumptuous costumes that together create a visual feast. 

Streaming This Weekend: A Classic Opera, a Broadway Comedy and an Interactive Courtroom Caper

This weekend you can watch a Broadway comedian delivering his Latin History For Morons and a classic opera from the Met. Plus you can join not one, but two different interactive adventures. 

Latin History For Morons - Filmed Performance

John Leguizamo's one-man Broadway show was filmed in 2018 and highlights the Latino history that's missing from his son's textbooks. Latin History For Morons is a fast-paced, funny and eye-opening historical narrative, which breaks down the 3,000 years since the Mayan civilisation.  

The audience is the jury in the interactive courtroom drama 12 Angry Guests. Set in 1958, the fate of a young man accused of murder is in the balance, as evidence is presented, a cross-examination of the suspect is conducted and eventually, a verdict must be decided upon.

Filmed in New York in 2018, Met Opera's Tosca is an operatic thriller set in 1800s Rome. It follows a diva, the man she loves, and a sadistic police chief determined to crush political rebellion. 

Played in teams on Zoom, Plymouth Point is an immersive theatrical thriller that puts audiences at the centre of an investigation into a disappearance. A virtual treasure hunt, with clues to find across the internet, this inventive production brings together elements of theatre and gaming. 

More and more people are taking to the airwaves to talk about their love of theatre and we are so excited to share some new podcasts on Thespie. Learn about artists, find out some interesting backstage facts and listen to insights into shows that didn't quite make it. 

Check out some of the new theatre podcasts to listen to on Thespie: 

Anthony Meindl is a writer-director-producer, teacher and inspirational speaker with studios all over the world. His In The Moment: Acting, Art and Life podcast features insights from inside the classroom and sit-down conversations with celebrities and creatives.

Emile Ruddock hosts A Cup Of Theatre, a lighthearted podcast that goes behind the curtain of London theatre, with actors, directors, choreographers and more as they share stories, tips and a general love of theatre. 

A different guest joins The Stagey Place podcast each week to discuss their journey within the theatre industry and their future aspirations. 

The Hear Me Now podcast showcases playwrights, actors and directors. Each episode features a performed monologue from the book, "Hear Me Now - Audition Monologues for Actors of Colour", or a new monologue commissioned for the podcast. 

Bobby Traversa and Kristina Miller-Weston discuss the Broadway shows that didn't quite make it big in this podcast for theatre fans. My Favorite Flop is a celebration of underrated shows and is filled with fun facts and funny stories.  

Hosted by actor and producer Louis Strong, Headstrong features engaging discussions with a variety of well-known individuals, who chat about their upbringings, their careers and their struggles. 

Movie Musical Mondays: Jesus Christ Superstar, The News Boys and more

The more we look, the more we find movie musical gems that are available to stream from the comfort of your own home, so we thought we'd continue to share our discoveries. This week we are watching Jesus Christ Superstar, The News Boys and some rip-roaring comedies. 

Check out our top suggestions of musical movies to watch from home this week: 

An updated version of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical, Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the turn of the last millennium, and focusses on the final days of Jesus and Judas. 

Opening Night is a very silly, but affectionate spoof that takes you behind the curtain of a hit Broadway musical. Think diva tantrums, costume malfunctions and strained relationships all mixed together to create a crazy and hilarious film with a heart. Also, the bloopers at the end are well worth a watch. 

Newsies was mysteriously re-titled as The News Boys for its UK release, perhaps so it wasn't confused with the filmed Broadway musical version. The good news is you can now watch both on Disney+. The movie musical stars a young Christian Bale as a plucky newspaper seller that fights against the system to gain fair pay for his cohorts. 

This is a bold statement, but Once Upon A Mattress might well be the kookiest movie musical we've ever seen. It's just so fabulously bonkers, with star turns from the likes of Carol Burnett, Matthew Morrison and Tracey Ullman, a fantastic pop musical score and ridiculously lavish costumes, it has it all. Set within a fairytale world and boasting some incredible tongue-in-cheek comedy, this movie musical won't fail to raise a smile. 

An absolute classic comedy musical from the pen of the legendary Mel Brooks, The Producers stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick as a couple of determined hustlers that are set on making a Broadway flop. 

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