TheatreRadio

Tim McArthur Interviews... John Owen Jones

Sunday 13th August
5pm BST
Repeated twice daily at 2pm BST and 10pm BST

This week on TheatreRadio, whilst Tim McArthur is in Edinburgh, we will be re-running an interview with John Owen-Jones, which was originally aired in July 2005.

John is currently starring as Jen Valjean in Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre, having recently taken a short break from the production to appear in Show Boat at the Royal Albert Hall.

He became the world's youngest ever actor to portray the role of Jean Valjean when he was originally with the company at the Palace Theatre, and recently completed a run of 1400 playing the title role in The Phantom Of The Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, gaining the title of 'London's Longest Running Phantom'.

As well as playing some fantastic music, Tim has a pair of tickets to see John in Les Miserables to give away, so make sure you tune in!

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Vote For Your Favourite Interview

This month, Tim will be taking a well earned break from TheatreRadio, to bring his alter ego, Sister Mary McArthur, to the Gilded Balloon for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2006.

While he is away, you will have the chance to listen to some of your favourite TheatreRadio interviews! And whenever possible, we will re-run the competitions, so there will be loads of tickets, CD's and other fantastic prizes to give away each week.

Select for your favourite interview by clicking on the voting form to the right, and who knows, you might just get a chance to hear your chosen star chatting to Tim one more time!

Tim will be back in September, hot on the trail of some of the biggest new musicals set to open in London this year! He'll be talking to all the stars from Wicked, Spamalot, Cabaret and many, many more!

To vote for your favourite interview, click here

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Tim McArthur Interviews... Matt Rawle

Sunday 6th August
5pm BST
Repeated twice daily at 2pm BST and 10pm BST

This week on TheatreRadio, Tim McArthur is joined by Matt Rawle, who is currently starring as Che in Michael Grandage's new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical, Evita.

As well as playing some fantastic music from the upcoming Evita 2006 London Cast Recording, Tim has a pair of tickets to give away, so make sure you tune in!

Matt made his West End debut in Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, understudying and playing the role of Chris. Next, he played the title role in Martin Guerre at the Prince Edward Theatre. He has since become one of a small group of performers who have appeared in all three Boublil & Schonberg musicals, completing the trio with a run as Marius in the UK tour of Les Miserables in 1999.

After taking a break from theatre, Matt Rawle returned to the stage and once again took up the role of Marius in director Matthew Ryan's new version of the show in Copenhagen. Back on the UK stage, in 2004, he joined the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre to play Sir Lancelot in Camelot and Flute in A Midsummer's Night Dream.

To book tickets for Evita, click here

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Audio Download: Jon Lee

Jon Lee made his West End debut at the age of 12, playing the title role of Oliver! at the London Palladium. Following puberty and a couple of years in chart-dominating group S Club 7 he made his West End return in 2003, playing Marius in Les Misérables. Three years on, and he’s back in the revolutionary musical. He’s also acting as an ambassador for Kids Week in the West End, the annual initiative aimed at introducing children to the magic of theatre. TheatreRadio’s Tim McArthur caught up with the star to record an interview.

In this new audio download, Lee talks to McArthur about why it is important that children should experience theatre and why he thinks Kids Week is such a good idea. He also chats about making his professional debut at such a young age, starring in Les Mis, audience members wearing spectacles and the intensive exercise regime needed to climb revolving gates.

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Tim McArthur Interviews... Rachel McDowall

Sunday 30th July
5pm BST
Repeated daily at 2pm BST and 10pm BST

This week on TheatreRadio, Tim McArthur is joined by Rachel McDowall, who is currently wowing audiences as Ulla in The Producers at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. As well as playing some fantastic music, Tim has a pair of tickets to give away, so make sure you tune in!

Rachel took over the role of long-legged Ulla from Leigh Zimmerman, having understudied the part in the original cast. Her previous theatrical experience includes Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Aladdin and 50 Musical Years Of Stage And Screen. Joining Rachel in the current cast of The Producers are Cory English as Max Bialystock and Reece Shearsmith as Leo Bloom.

The smash hit Mel Brooks musical The Producers will close in London on 6th January 2007. It opened on 9th November 2004 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane to unanimously stunning reviews, a record advance and sell-out business. Since opening in the West End, The Producers has won the Olivier, the Evening Standard and the Critics’ Circle Awards for ‘Best Musical’.

To book tickets for The Producers, click here

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Matthew Cammelle joins Summer Showstoppers

We are delighted to announce that Matthew Cammelle (current walking cover Phantom) will now also feature in the online broadcast of Summer Showstoppers, a star-studded musical extravaganza, recorded live with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight and at Powderham Castle in Exeter.

Matthew currently covers the title role in The Phantom Of The Opera, having previously played Raoul at both Her Majesty's Theatre and on the UK tour. He has also starred in Les Miserables, Follies, Martin Guerre and Aspects Of Love.

This unique two-hour medley features some of the best loved musicals including Cats, Guys and Dolls, Annie Get Your Gun, Mary Poppins, Anything Goes, Saturday Night Fever, The Phantom of The Opera, Les Miserables, Singin In The Rain, Starlight Express, Evita and We Will Rock You.

The talented line-up of principal artistes also includes Earl Carpenter (The Phantom in The Phantom of The Opera), Anita Louise Combe (Roxie in Chicago), Kerry Ellis (Elphaba in Wicked), Chris Holland (Dirty Dancing), Ramin Karimloo (Chris in Miss Saigon) and Rebecca Thornhill (Julie in Showboat).

Summer Showstoppers will run exclusively for a limited period from Tuesday 1st August. Varying levels of access available from only £4.95

Log on today at www.musicalmad.co.uk and take your seat for this very special event!

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Tim McArthur Interviews... Jon Lee

Sunday 23rd July
5pm BST
Repeated daily at 2pm BST and 10pm BST

This week on TheatreRadio, Tim McArthur is joined by Jon Lee, who has recently returned to the role of Marius in Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre. Jon is also an Ambassador of Kids Week 2006. As well as playing some fantastic music, Tim has a pair of tickets to give away, so make sure you tune in!

Jon Lee began his journey to fame at the age of 12, playing the title role in Oliver! at London Palladium alongside Jonathan Pryce as Fagin.

Jon's other theatre credits include playing Julian in a national tour of The Famous Five, headlining a gala performance of Notes From New York at The Trafalgar studios and, most famously, playing the challenging role of Marius in Cameron Mackintosh's production of Les Miserables at The Palace Theatre, for which he won great critical acclaim. 2005 saw Jon take the leading role of Sam in new musical Love Shack with Faye Tozer and Noel Sullivan.

In 1999, Jon became a member of pop sensation S Club 7, where he enjoyed four years of hit singles, arena tours and awards including two Brit Awards and Record Of The Year. Jon gained a generation of loyal fans and sold over 13 million records.

To book tickets for Les Miserables, click here

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Tim McArthur Interviews... Suzanne Shaw

Sunday 16th July
5pm BST
Repeated daily at 2pm BST and 10pm BST

This week on TheatreRadio, Tim McArthur is joined by Suzanne Shaw, who is currently starring as Janet in The Rocky Horror Show at the Playhouse Theatre. As well as playing some fantastic music, Tim has a pair of tickets to give away, so make sure you tune in!

Richard O’Brien’s legendary musical, The Rocky Horror Show, has returned to the West End for a limited season until 22nd July. Suzanne Shaw came to prominence as a member of the pop group Hear’Say, but has subsequently done a great deal of television work and was seen in the 2005 West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

The Rocky Horror Show was recently voted the most popular entertainment in the history of the Royal Court Theatre, which was celebrated with a star-studded performance of the show at the Royal Court Theatre in aid of Amnesty, for which tickets were changing hands at astronomical figures.

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Audio Download: Rebecca Thornhill and Earl Carpenter

Wife and husband Rebecca Thornhill and Earl Carpenter are both musical theatre stars in their own right. While Carpenter currently spends most of his time in a mask, scaring audiences at Her Majesty’s as The Phantom Of The Opera, Thornhill has recently completed a run in the groundbreaking Show Boat at the Royal Albert Hall. In this new audio download TheatreRadio’s Tim McArthur talks to Thornhill and Carpenter about their glittering careers and prospects for the future.

Thornhill has appeared in West End productions including Les Misérables, The Witches Of Eastwick, The Full Monty and Chicago, opposite David Hasselhoff, which is an experience she talks to McArthur about. Also among her downloadable musings are the beginning of her career, her forthcoming production Showstopper and the effect of having different voices in her head.

In addition to playing the West End’s favourite spectre, Carpenter has also appeared in Les Misérables, The Witches Of Eastwick and Beauty And The Beast. He chats to McArthur about Phantom’s speedily approaching 20th birthday celebrations, the plight of London’s long-running shows and what musical actors do when they’re not on stage.

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Tim McArthur Interviews... Maureen Lipman

Sunday 9th July
5pm BST
Repeated daily at 2pm BST and 10pm BST

This week on TheatreRadio, Tim McArthur is joined by Maureen Lipman, who is set to star in a tribute gala to Dan Crawford, the late artistic director of the Kings Head Theatre, at the Novello Theatre on Sunday 16th July.

For one night only a host of stars will come together at Londons Novello Theatre in celebration of Dan Crawfords life and work, whose maverick genius and unrelenting artistic passion earned him the distinction of being thought of by many as the father of the Capitals fringe theatre scene.

The Gala evening will showcase a dazzling array of musical tributes to this much-loved and respected Artistic Director whose loyalty, delightful eccentricity and revolutionary work ignited the careers of so many leading performers such as Anthony Sher, Victoria Wood, Steven Berkoff, Hugh Grant and Quentin Crisp.

The host of stars performing will include Don Black, Peter Bowles, Sharon D Clarke, Janie Dee, Anita Dobson, Louise Gold, Henry Goodman, Richard E Grant, Patricia Hodge, Bonnie Langford, Denis Lawson, Jon Lee, Ewan McGregor, Susie McKenna, Julia McKenzie, Linda Marlowe, Brian May, Robert Meadmore, Kim Medcalf, Sheridan Morley, Maz Murray, Paul O’Grady, Angela Richards, Wendy Toye, Sally Ann Triplett, Sam West and many more.

For more information, click here

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