55 stories by "Phil Willmott"
I’m surprised to be posing this question, as until this week a more prescient one seemed to be ‘how do the next
Around 1820 an aristocratic couple took a homeless girl under their wing having been convinced by a Spanish sailor and her unusual
My production of Stephen Sondheim's Road Show has just finished its run at the Union Theatre. I'll confess it began as a
I’ve been thinking it’s time we became proud of the words ‘fringe theatre’ again. It's a sad fact that there are a
Today was the first day of rehearsals for my production of Stephen Sondheim's musical Road Show. I always feel nervous the night
My first introduction to the theatre of German expressionist playwright Bertolt Brecht was as a kid when we did his The Caucasian
Why are there no gay characters in Chekhov? I found myself wondering that the other day. Think about it. He was the
Knowing I'd be covering a few of Mark Shenton’s blog spots while he was on holiday, I asked, via Facebook and other
The signage outside every show that opens in the West End quotes some critic or other declaring it a triumph and the
The answer is, of course, unequivocally, yes. An actor’s sexuality is no barrier to conveying the journey and sexuality of any character,
Every August for more a decade I've made a big classical production and a family show that around 30,000 people watch for
I recently wrote a provocatively worded article, ruffling feathers from Islington to Charing Cross, proposing that, now Equity’s National Minimum Wage case
Is Equity’s ‘Year of the Fringe’ over yet? I do hope so. Let’s get the formalities out of the way. Like all
For the last four weeks I’ve been directing The House of Bernarda Alba at the Court Theatre Training Company. Drama School work
I've waited a little while to write this, until I don't have a show running or about to open, so that it
Last week I wrote a satirical list of things I didn’t want to keep seeing in theatre. It got picked up across
Scratching your head about what to produce or write next? Here are some pointers for things to avoid… 21. Plays which reveal
When an old play by a long dead writer is little known and little loved, but you can see its faults whilst
Bored? Fancy a quick hit of artistic satisfaction? Try this. You'll need 10 minutes when and where you won't be disturbed and
We're a pretty liberal bunch in British theatre and I don't get the feeling that there's anyone out there who'd consider what's traditionally regarded as bullying " verbal and physical abuse…
A glance through Facebook and Twitter suggests the biggest problem besetting performers and creatives at the moment is the winter blues. It’s not something that’s unique to artis…
As usual I've picked both experienced actors and newcomers for my current cast. Everyone benefits. The youngsters get to learn from the seasoned pros and they in turn bring fresh energy and …
Last week I had the privilege of watching Anthony Sher playing Falstaff. A masterclass in making every word clear, meaningful and motivated " and as a result truthful, poignant and funny. I&…
I was recently casting my adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry VI (now entitled Play of Thrones) for the Union Theatre. Casting a low budget classical show is often more of a slog because of th…
Over two decades of going through the auditioning process five or six times a year (low paid and well paid, musicals and drama), I've identified 10 things I'd like actors to understand bette…
