British Theatre Guide podcast

Ockham's Razor was founded in 2004 by its current Artistic Directors, Alex Harvey and Charlotte Mooney, who have directed and toured many large-scale circus-based productions over the last two decades.
Their latest show, Collaborator, is an intimate two-hander that sees the company founders back on stage together for the first time in five years.
BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Charlotte about the origins of the show and how it came together, the company's approach to making work, the challenges of touring a circus show to conventional theatre venues, adapting running a theatre company around raising a family and a great deal more.
Charlotte also spoke about seeing a contemporary circus performance in Chile about the 'disappeared' during the Pinochet regime that still made her feel emotional to talk about 25 years on and that probably set a smoking, drinking literature student on track to what she does today.
Ockham's Razor's Collaborator will open at The Place in London from 29 to 31 January before touring to The Lowry in Salford from 5 to 7 February and the Corn Exchange in Newbury on 11 March 2026.
(Photo of Charlotte Mooney and Alex Harvey in Collaborator, credit: Kie Cummings)

BTG's Panto Editor Simon Sladen spoke to Allan Stewart, who marks an extraordinary milestone of 50 years in pantomime.
Allan reflected on his early start as a teenage club performer, his unexpected first role as Buttons without ever having seen a panto and the lessons learned from mentors such as Jack Radcliffe and producer Paul Elliott. He shared stories from working alongside stars including Les Dawson, Danny La Rue and Frank Bruno and offered insight into the craft of comedy and the traditions that make pantomime unique.
Simon and Allan also discussed his long-standing partnership with Andy Gray and Grant Stott, the enduring appeal of Edinburgh's Kings Theatre and how pantomime has evolved from single microphones to spectacular, high-tech productions.
Allan also considered the sense of family that develops within a company and why panto remains such an important introduction to theatre for audiences of all ages.
Jack and the Beanstalk continues at Edinburgh Festival Theatre until 11 January 2026.
(Photo of Allan Stewart as Auntie May in Jack and the Beanstalk (c) Douglas Robertson)

The Big Tiny Productions Ltd, founded in 2019 by Will Cousins and Ben Richards, is producing four shows in the North West for Christmas 2025, three of which are pantos written by Ben and designed by Will.
BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to them both, with a few contributions from their dog, Toby, about the company and this year's shows, as well as about the changing nature of panto, the balance between tradition and innovation (it's like a lasagne…), choosing panto stories, Northern v Southern humour, funding spectacular shows in small venues and Ben's panto-related PhD, amongst other things.
The Big Tiny's shows for Christmas 2025 are Rumpelstiltskin at Contact in Manchester from 9 to 31 December 2025, The Pied Piper of Hamelin at The Met in Bury from 6 to 28 December, Hansel and Gretel at Millgate Arts Centre in Saddleworth from 6 December to 3 January and Mrs Claus Saves Christmas at Bolton Octagon from 10 to 24 December.
The set, prop and costume exchange service that Ben and Will mention in the interview is Pursued By Bear.
(Photo of Will Cousins & Ben Richards, credit Howard Barlow)

The British Theatre Consortium, headed by playwrights Dan Rebellato and David Edgar, has followed up its reports on the state of the British theatre repertoire in 2013 and 2014 with a study into how things have changed in the industry between 2019, the year before the COVID lockdowns began, and 2023.
BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Dan Rebellato about the findings of the report, what it tells us about the problems, vulnerabilities and stability of British theatre over those four years and how it was changed by the pandemic.
The report British Theatre Before & After Covid was published on 26 November 2025 by the British Theatre Consortium based on the work of a research team led by Catherine Love-Smith. The full 143-page report can be read at or downloaded from the BTC web site.

David Ireland is an Irish playwright with a reputation for writing hard-hitting drama such as The Fifth Step, Ulster American and Cypress Avenue, but director Max Elton is reviving a very different play by him, Most Favoured, which can be seen at Soho Theatre in London over the Christmas period.
BTG David Chadderton spoke to David about the play and his influences as a writer, as well as how his love of Shakespeare began in a Blackpool guest house at the age of 9 and why he wants to write romantic comedies and feels he couldn't face watching some of his earlier plays now.
Most Favoured, starring Lauren Lyle and Alexander Arnold, will run at Soho Theatre in London from 11 December 2025 to 24 January 2026.
(David Ireland photo credit Tommy Ga-Ken Wan)