TheatreRadio: Audio Download

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.

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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