All stories by Interviews By Chris Wiegand on BroadwayStars

Monday, November 13, 2023

‘We’re so lucky to have met her’: Anna Scher’s former students on their lessons in drama and life by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Anna Scher, who has died aged 78, gave acting classes to countless young people at her north London theatre school. Gary Kemp, Jake Wood, Winsome Pinnock, Trevor Laird and Ricardo P Lloyd re…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:12PM
Monday, August 1, 2022

‘How many litres of blood do we need?’: Ivo van Hove’s ITA on 20 years of shocking theatregoers by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

They’ve supercharged Shakespeare, staged impossible novels and stunned with scandalous cinema adaptations. Internationaal Theater Amsterdam reveal their radical secrets Ivo van Hove, direc…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:33AM
Monday, July 4, 2022

‘The greatest director the world has ever seen’ – actors salute Peter Brook by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Adrian Lester stripped back Hamlet with him, Janet Suzman can still hear the audience gasp, Glenda Jackson dug deep for the director and for Frances de la Tour he was incomparable. The stars…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:03PM
Monday, March 7, 2022

‘Anne Boleyn’s tiara was from Claire’s Accessories’ – how we made Six: the musical by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

What if Henry VIII’s wives were a pop group? The makers of the smash hit recall how Catherine of Aragon was very much Beyoncé, Anne Boleyn had Lily Allen vibes – while Jane Seymour was …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:48AM
Monday, November 29, 2021

‘He was a god for us’: actors on being side by side with Stephen Sondheim by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Musical theatre stars Jenna Russell, Daniel Evans and Janie Dee remember working with their hero, and the unique demands and rewards of his songs Sam Mendes: ‘He was passionate, utterly op…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:48PM
Monday, November 8, 2021

‘It had to be dark’ – how we made Matilda the Musical by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

‘We didn’t give Matilda any songs because she was shy. Then we realised: it’s a fricking musical – the protagonist needs to sing!’ The Royal Shakespeare Company had this theory tha…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:42AM
Monday, September 27, 2021

‘They changed my ending, I felt aghast’: how we made Wicked by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

‘I once performed Defying Gravity at the White House within spitting distance of the Obamas,’ says Idina Menzel. ‘In fact, I might actually have spat on them’ I’d played with the s…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:36AM
Wednesday, June 16, 2021

‘It was like running away with the circus’ – the thrills, shocks and genius of Kneehigh by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

As the legendary Cornwall-based theatre company closes, the people who made its astonishing productions look back on four decades of mayhem and innovation Mike Shepherd (founder, artistic di…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:03AM
Tuesday, May 25, 2021

‘There’s nothing like it!’ Musical stars return to storm the stage by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Performers from the hits Hamilton, Pretty Woman and Back to the Future consider theatre’s comeback and the shows they can’t wait to see We thought we’d be home for a couple of weeks wh…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:03PM
Monday, May 10, 2021

‘We even performed it in front of the pope!’ – how we made Godspell by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

‘Religious groups didn’t like Jesus wearing a Superman shirt or the lack of a resurrection. So we told them the curtain call was the resurrection – when Jesus runs on and takes a bow�…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:03PM
Tuesday, October 6, 2020

'Like being in a speakeasy during Prohibition' – standups on their first gigs since lockdown by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Bridget Christie was a bag of nerves, Suzi Ruffell played Covid for laughs and Stephen K Amos was so rusty he needed a clipboard ... top comics on the thrill of returning Lockdown was the lo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:06PM
Wednesday, September 2, 2020

'You are all the Black Panther': the electric theatre of Chadwick Boseman by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Before becoming a Hollywood star, Chadwick Boseman was a playwright. Three of his collaborators remember a gifted writer and a wise, generous friend Chadwick Boseman dies aged 43 Continue re…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:06PM
Thursday, July 9, 2020

'He's so strapping and virile': Patrick Stewart at 80 – by Shatner, McKellen, Tennant and more by Interviews By Chris Wiegand, Catherine Shoard and Toby Moses

Horse rides in stockings, rehearsals in deep freezes, fights in string vests ... as Patrick Stewart hits 80, friends from Harriet Walter to Brian Blessed pay tribute to the great actor Conti…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:54AM
Tuesday, March 17, 2020

'His songs are like a fabulous steak': an all-star toast to Stephen Sondheim by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Alexis Soloski

From West Side Story to Company, he revolutionised the musical. As the supreme lyricist and composer turns 90, Jake Gyllenhaal, Patti LuPone, Chita Rivera, Nathan Lane and more pay tribute C…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:06PM
Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Julie Taymor: how we made The Lion King musical by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

‘The sheer idea of having a stampede on stage was exciting – the bigger the risk, the bigger the payoff’ It was a surprise to get the call from Disney. Their world wasn’t my aestheti…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:42AM
Tuesday, July 23, 2019

'He humps all the other dogs … I’m his humping accomplice': comedians on their pets by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

As the Edinburgh festival approaches, Ed Byrne, Susan Calman, Stevie Martin and others on why their pets are friends, companions and a source of inspiration Comedians are needy, so of course…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:48AM
Tuesday, July 9, 2019

How we made Closer – by Clive Owen and Patrick Marber by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

‘I wanted to write a Shakespearean scene with someone in disguise, so I went into a lesbian chatroom pretending to be a gay woman’ I was in Atlanta in 1996 with a tour of my play Dealer�…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:54AM
Friday, February 1, 2019

'100% filled with mirth!' Comedians pay tribute to Jeremy Hardy by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Imogen Tilden

The standup inspired Mark Thomas with his activism, opened Jack Dee’s eyes and appalled Mark Steel – in the best possible way. Friends and colleagues pay tribute to Hardy, who has died a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:18AM
Thursday, January 24, 2019

My favourite Harold Pinter play by Phil Davis and Celia Imrie by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Stars of the West End’s Pinter at the Pinter season pick works by the dramatist that changed how they thought about theatreI was wandering around my local library in Essex when I came acro…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:54AM
Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Going beyond Bausch: Tanztheater Wuppertal's new moves by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Almost 10 years after her death, Pina Bausch’s company are presenting a pair of brand new creations. Veteran dancers and newer recruits discuss leaping into the worlds of Dimitris Papaioan…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:04AM
Tuesday, November 20, 2018

'I check her catsuit for wet patches!' The funny, freaky world of comedy duos by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Sharing bedrooms and backstage nerves, Lazy Susan and Norris & Parker reveal the intertwined lives of the double actFreya Parker: We started out as a trio called Lebensmüde. It was such…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:48AM
Thursday, November 15, 2018

My favourite Pinter by Tamsin Greig, Robert Glenister and Janie Dee by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Stars of the West End’s Pinter at the Pinter season pick plays by the dramatist that changed the way they thought about theatreAs a teenager I used to quote lines from The Homecoming as if…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:12PM
Friday, October 5, 2018

'I was welling up!' Teachers report on their School of Rock students by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

The child stars of the West End musical rock out in a band assembled by Dewey Finn, who poses as a supply teacher. What do their own teachers make of the hit show?What can teachers learn fro…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:36AM
Thursday, September 27, 2018

My favourite Pinter by Antony Sher, Hayley Squires and Paapa Essiedu by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Stars of the West End’s Pinter at the Pinter season pick plays by the dramatist that changed the way they thought about theatre Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:54AM
Monday, December 4, 2017

'If you're naughty, Krampus gets you' … stars around the world on their festive traditions by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Christmas doesn’t just mean turkey, crackers and carols. Oti Mabuse has a barbecue on the beach, Alma hits the sauna, Sofie Hagen hunts for a marzipan pig and Conchita Wurst hides from a h…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:42AM
Wednesday, November 1, 2017

'It's very sweary!' What Labour MPs make of James Graham's political comedy Labour of Love by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Emine Saner

The mountains of leaflets, the WhatsApp groups, the election night panic … Harriet Harman, Tracy Brabin and David Lammy on what the play gets right – and wrong Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:42AM
Monday, October 30, 2017

Strictly Come Dancing's Lilia Kopylova and Darren Bennett on their West End show, Latin Fever by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

The Strictly stars, who are partners on stage and off, talk about their passion for Latin-American rhythms and rehearsals for their first West End showDarren Bennett: My parents were profess…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:04PM
Monday, October 16, 2017

'Charming, soulful, a proper comic': Sean Hughes tributes – and his funniest jokes by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Tim Jonze

By his mid-20s he had scooped the Perrier award and landed his own TV show. But Sean Hughes never wanted to be a stadium standup. Mark Steel and Rhona Cameron pay tribute to a troubled talen…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:18PM
Monday, September 18, 2017

How we made West Side Story by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

‘I wanted to be the first guy to use a four-letter word in a musical – but the line ended up as “krup you” instead’I was at a party with Arthur Laurents who was about to write a mu…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:36AM
Tuesday, September 12, 2017

'Visionary, master diplomat – and absolute smoothie': stars pay tribute to Peter Hall by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Imogen Tilden

He gave Peter Brook his big break, helped Elaine Paige conquer her fear, showed Griff Rhys Jones the joy of farce and dazzled a teenage Samuel West. They celebrate the great director who has…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:12PM
Wednesday, August 2, 2017

'It was like meeting a cowboy': Ed Harris, Kathy Burke and others remember Sam Shepard by Interviews By Chris Wiegand

Ed Harris played pool with him. Kathy Burke called him to say sorry. He gave Lynn Nottage some 3am advice and watched the chaos of 9/11 with Matthew Warchus. Theatre stars share their encoun…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:42AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime