55 stories by "Phil Willmott"
No news of government help for theatre as Tories announce a £100 million bailout… for zoos! Yes, that's right. You couldn't make it up!
Analysing the opening moments of any musical tells you a lot about the writer's intentions for the evening to come.
Having seen the results of brilliant people bringing about social change with swift, direct action for the #MeToo campaign, there are surely
Writer, actor or producer " getting involved at the start of a production can be advantageous for all theatremakers " you never
With myriads of fringe theatres to choose from, picking the right venue for your show can be a daunting prospect. As the
Anything on social media suggesting producers on the fringe could convert profit-share to paid work, if nudged, gets us all clicking "like".
There used to be little support to develop musical theatre shows in the UK, but many new schemes have appeared. Phil Willmott
You're all in it together but the message often gets lost between director and actor when building a performance and production. Director
The recent report Workforce Review of the UK Offstage Theatre and Performing Arts Sector made for fascinating reading and it raises many
What does the perfect acting course look like? Here’s my wish list based on first-hand experience of drama school and working with
My brother’s wedding. As often on these occasions " it probably happens to you too " I’m introduced to a mum whose
Like anxious courtiers of the ailing Henry VIII, it may be judicious for us to anticipate future regimes. You see, a day
Last year's round-up of new UK musicals in The Stage made depressing reading for anyone hoping for good news about British composers,
I thought it might be interesting for actors to know a little bit about how a cast is selected. Or at least
I don’t think I’d ever undertake either a production or major project without an assistant director. It may be controversial to say
This isn’t something that’s troubled me for a while. I believe if you and your cast collaboratively identify the motivation behind each
It’s that time of the year again when a huge percentage of the profession is locked into long days in the darkness
For the past few weeks I’ve been performing in Crime and Punishment at the Scoop in the evenings and rehearsing a revival
Last week our leading man, Alec Porter, broke both his ankles. That posed a challenge for everyone down at the Scoop, the
I get asked this a lot by playwrights at the moment, particularly because I've been known to do various combinations of all
So here we are in deepest, darkest technical rehearsals. Like ghostly waifs, we dream of sunlight, a distant memory. Actually, we’re not
Over the past few months, we’ve all been shocked by a series of humanitarian, political and ethical horror stories illuminating the mindset
This morning I looked through 468 submissions for a theatre piece I'll be directing in a few months. I can audition about
 For the past decade or so, a significant percentage of my income has come from writing musicals. This may surprise you: it
Here’s my guide for auditions, no matter where you fit into this essential, if not universally loved, part of the production process.
