Tag: interview

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Nicolás Pérez Costa

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Ahead of this striking and physically charged production, we spoke with director and performer Nicolás Pérez Costa about the delicate balance between control and risk on stage. Marquis de Sade, an Uncomfortable Evening plays at Etcetera Theatre on 16th April. Tickets are available here.

How do you create a sense of danger while still maintaining control as a performer?

For me, danger on stage is not chaos — it’s precision pushed to its limit. What creates danger is the feeling that something could break at any moment, but underneath that, there is a very clear structure. I work from the body. When the body is fully committed to an action — with urgency, with necessity — the audience perceives risk. But that risk is built on a score of actions. I know exactly what I’m doing, even if it feels like I don’t. So the control is in the structure, and the danger is in how far I’m willing to go inside that structure. The performer must be on the edge, but never outside of it.

How has your training and teaching shaped the way you approach this role?

Everything I do as a performer comes from my work as a teacher — and vice versa.

Over the years, I’ve developed a way of working where the actor is not interpreting ideas, but generating them through action. I don’t start from psychology; I start from the body in motion. Teaching has forced me to understand what actually works. When you have to explain something to others, you strip away the unnecessary. What remains is essential: action, repetition, urgency. So in this role, I’m not trying to “play” something. I’m building a sequence of actions that produces meaning. The emotion appears as a consequence, not as a goal.

How do you guide spectators from observation into participation without breaking trust?

The key is respect.

I never force the audience to participate — I invite them. And that invitation comes from the level of truth in what’s happening on stage. When the performer is fully committed, the spectator starts to feel involved without being asked. Then, if I bring them closer — physically or emotionally — it doesn’t feel invasive, it feels inevitable.Trust is built through consistency. The audience understands the rules of the world we’re creating. Once they trust that, they’re willing to go further with you.

What has changed in this production as it has travelled from Buenos Aires to Madrid and now London?

The essence hasn’t changed, but the listening has. Each city has a different rhythm, a different relationship with the body, with language, with provocation. Buenos Aires is very direct, Madrid has a certain resistance that you have to break, and London is extremely precise — the audience reads everything.

So the work has become sharper. I’ve had to refine the timing, the clarity of the actions, the precision of the score.

It’s the same piece, but more distilled. Less explanation, more presence.

How do you rehearse intensity without exhausting or desensitising yourself as a performer?

Intensity is not about doing more — it’s about doing with necessity. If you rehearse from emotion, you burn out. If you rehearse from action, you can repeat it endlessly without losing truth. I work with what I call “states of alert.” The body is ready, activated, but not destroyed. I don’t need to reach the maximum every time — I need to build the path to it.

Also, repetition is key. Through repetition, the body learns how to arrive at intensity without forcing it. And that allows you to preserve yourself while still going very far in performance.

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Molly Keogh

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We sat down for an exclusive interview with Molly Keogh, founder of HOUSE23, a multi-faceted creative community built to keep the fire burning for established and emerging artists across all crafts.

Short Shorts: Comedy is an invite-only screening and networking event on Sunday 12th April at Riverside Studios for filmmakers and performers to celebrate comedic storytelling. Apply to attend here.

HOUSE23 is described as a space to “keep the fire burning” for artists. What first inspired you to create this community?

As an artist, it can feel incredibly isolating when you aren’t working. Whether you’re waiting for an email response, working your side hustle, or staring at a blank page, it’s in those quiet, frustrating gaps that we need community most. Being an artist isn’t just about being on stage; it’s the moments in between – the compromising, the patience, and the hope. HOUSE23 was born to keep that hope alive and the fire burning during the hard times. We’ve created a space to celebrate our achievements and overcome the imposter syndrome that so frequently knocks at our door. I want artists to come together, support each other’s work, and keep championing one another so that every creative feels seen.

Short Shorts: Comedy feels like more than a screening. What was your vision for bringing this kind of event together?

My vision was to launch a series that brings creatives from all stages together to share work, support one another, and learn. I wanted to create a space that actively throws the ladder back down, dismantling the hierarchy and removing the gatekeeping that often feels so impenetrable. By showcasing BAFTA-winning talent alongside emerging voices at Riverside Studios, we are breaking down walls and fostering a genuine sense of hope. This event is more than a screening; it’s a collaborative environment for networking and growth. It marks the beginning of a series of films designed to prove that the work speaks for itself, providing a platform where we can champion each other and keep the creative fire burning.

How did you approach curating the selection of films for the evening?

I had so many wonderful pieces to choose from – it was a real challenge! Comedy is deeply subjective, so my approach was to be as broad as possible with the styles I put forward. I’ve curated a lineup that balances high-calibre, BAFTA-winning projects with bold, fresh indie voices. Each film has its own unique strength, ranging from surrealist wit to sharp, observational storytelling. I wanted to showcase the incredible breadth of UK talent and prove that brilliant comedy can come from any career stage. I’m super excited to provide a platform for these creators to share their work in a room full of peers who truly appreciate the craft and the effort behind every punchline.

What do you think artists need most right now in terms of support and connection?

We are navigating a world where so many doors feel permanently closed. The industry’s gatekeepers often feel out of reach, leaving many artists feeling they aren’t ‘good enough’. Social media has further skewed this access; if you don’t have a certain follower count, you often aren’t given a look-in. We see this in theatre constantly – unless you’ve done big TV, sometimes the West End can feel inaccessible. We need to change the narrative and prove to producers that backing us isn’t a ‘risk’. We have the skills, the talent, and the craft. The work speaks for itself, and it’s time to stop choosing the predictable route. Artists need a community that champions talent over metrics and demands that merit takes centre stage.

The evening includes a live Q&A with filmmakers and performers. What kinds of conversations are you hoping to open up through that?

I’m hoping to offer an honest look at the reality of a creative career. It’s not just about the accolades; I want to dive into their journey from indie filmmakers to BAFTA winners and discuss the genuine obstacles they’ve overcome to get there. By talking to Ruth Pickett and Luke Rollason, I want to show my audience that this path is possible and within reach, but it requires resilience. I want to provide hope and guidance, encouraging people to keep making the art that fires them up. Look at these two! They’ve navigated the hurdles and come out the other side. My goal is to demystify that process and share the grit behind the success.

How do you see HOUSE23 evolving in the future?

The future of HOUSE23 is etched into its name: bringing individual voices (2) into a social community (3). It’s about community, community, community. I want to rebuild the industry landscape to help artists create sustainable careers through more screenings, workshops, wellbeing sessions, and live shows. My vision is for HOUSE23 to become a permanent home that creatives can turn to when times are tough – a place to reconnect with themselves, their peers, and their work. This is a notoriously difficult industry, and we could all use each other’s support to keep going. As we evolve, we will stay dedicated to being that vital support system, ensuring no artist has to navigate their journey in isolation.

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Elizabeth Alvarado

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Ahead of My Uncle is Not Pablo Escobar, we caught up with writer and performer Elizabeth Alvarado to talk about the personal stories behind the piece, balancing humour with complex cultural narratives, and what it means to reclaim identity on stage. In this Q&A, Alvarado discusses the power of collective storytelling, the real-life events that shaped the play, and how the production walks the line between activism and entertainment.

My Uncle is Not Pablo Escobarplays at Brixton House now until 3rd May. Tickets are available here.

How do you make a heist thriller hit hard without losing the truth of British-Latinx lived experience?

    We knew we were setting out to create and write this show about lived experiences, and the issues young Latin American women feel when growing up with dual identity. Centring the show on these issues was our priority. The HSBC scandal that provided the basis for the heist at the centre of the show added a further layer of reality. The heist thriller element is intentionally chosen not only to be entertaining, but to help convey the issues that the Latin American community face. Through the larger-than-life story the audience gets to engage with deep global and structural injustice, and feel the satisfaction of the characters speaking truth to power. By channelling lived experience into characters that are part of a bigger story, we expand the truthful daily emotions we feel, into a dramatic world that retains truthful emotional resonance. 

    What’s the one thing in your research into corporate complicity that completely changed how you wrote the story?

      This story is based on the 2012 HSBC scandal, when the bank was fined 1.9 billion dollars for failing to prevent money laundering by Mexican and Colombian drug cartels. HSBC signed a Deferred Prosecution Agreement for breaches of the US Bank Secrecy Act, the Trading with the Enemy Act and assorted money laundering offences. It sounds like a big deal but in reality, the fine is equivalent to about five weeks’ profit and the incident had very little impact on the company or drug trafficking and violence in Latin America – many people don’t even remember or know about it and continue to bank with HSBC. We were astonished at how little attention the issue of money laundering receives and how governments do so little to prevent it, considering the harm it perpetuates, the crime it supports, and the way it affects us all. The play is an opportunity to reject reality, rewrite history and dream how we wanted the world to be, with the actions of our characters triggering large-scale economic justice. 

      Did writing as a collective sharpen or complicate your sense of a shared British-Latinx voice?

        Mainly sharpen. Having the space in rehearsal to express our individual views was an opportunity to hone, deepen and expand all of our creative voices. That’s the beauty of a process like this; we learn from the people we’re working with, and through expressing ourselves learn more about how we think. Working in a collective gave us all more courage, we supported each other to speak our truth and from the beginning we acknowledged we couldn’t speak for the whole Latin American community. Hopefully by speaking up for ourselves we’re showing everyone they deserve to take up space! It’s not always easy, and we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, which in itself is a beautiful multiplicity.

        How do you subvert the “Pablo Escobar” stereotype without letting it define the narrative?

          The title is a reclamation of our identity against the slurs thrown our way for being Latin American. The stereotype of being related to drug dealers, drugs or cocaine was something we had to deal with a lot in secondary school. We wanted to provoke people to watch the show, since people seem to be obsessed with Escobar, we knew it would be a great way to get them into the theatre. We use the stereotype to our advantage, and we don’t mention him specifically within our story. Everyone knows that drug cartels are engaged in criminal activity, but what we felt was less understood was how multinational companies, including British banks, have enabled and profited off those crimes, for example through money laundering. 

          What has your relationship with Brixton’s Latinx community directly shifted in the script?

            Alongside the theatre show we have curated a Latin X Brixton Festival running at Brixton House, with workshops, food, talks, DJs, exhibitions. It’s a whole day of free events taking place on Saturday 18 April, open to everyone. 

            Where do you draw the line between activism and entertainment—and do you ever want to blur it more?

              We are strong believers that the arts is a political space. In our work there isn’t a strict line between activism or entertainment. Toni Cade Bambara said that artists are responsible for making the revolution irresistible, and that’s what we set out to do, through populist entertainment featuring dance numbers, glittering costumes, jokes, a thrilling story, great music.

              Photo by Deborah Jaffe

              IN CONVERSATION WITH: Ekleido

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              We sat down for an exclusive interview with Ekleido. Ekleido, who took the dance world by storm in 2024, return this year to Breakin’ Convention with Femina, a bold new work celebrating the power of the feminine through their signature fusion of contemporary, club, and street dance styles. Inspired by Janina Ramirez’s Femina, the piece brings together six dancers in a vibrant, electronic-driven world where women and LGBTQIA+ voices reclaim space and power.

              Breakin’ Convention runs from 1-3rd May at Sadlers Wells – Tickets here

              Femina takes its starting point from Janina Ramirez’s book Femina. What was it about that text that felt urgent enough to turn into a physical, danced response?

              Femina was always a piece we were going to create. As two women leading the company and with our involvement in The Ballroom Scene, it felt essential to make a work that celebrated and explored femininity. Reading Janina Ramirez’s book Femina felt just like that—it brought light to all these strong, influential women and queer people in the medieval period. It made us want to research the theme further, both within texts, through research partners, as well as getting into the studio and exploring themes with our dancers. From our research in the studio, we felt it wasn’t necessary to focus quite so literally on medieval women, but instead on an abstract theme of femininity. The feminine is constantly pushing to be seen and heard, and often silenced by the idea of “traditional masculinity.” Janina Ramirez mentioned early on in her book that “femina” was something scribbled on the corners of texts written by women, so less worthy of preservation. Our work Femina unapologetically celebrates femininity, which feels urgent in the current political climate where women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights are still being challenged. We are really excited to be returning to Breakin’ Convention, this time bringing a bigger cast of six dancers to present Femina.

              The piece blends contemporary dance with club and street styles like New Way Voguing, Waacking and House. How do you keep those forms authentic while shaping them into a theatrical work?

              Authenticity is really important to us when incorporating street and club styles into our work, as these styles were born out of subcultures with rich social and cultural histories. When choreographing, we make very conscious choices on how to incorporate the styles in a way that feels appreciative rather than appropriative by maintaining open dialogue with our dance artists. We ensure authenticity firstly by choosing dancers fully immersed in their respective scenes.

              We (Faye and Hannah) have both been involved in The Ballroom Scene for 10 years—walking New Way Voguing—with Faye a part of the House of Revlon and Hannah part of the House of Elle. Roshaan Asare is an active member of the London Waacking Scene and part of ‘London Waacking Movement’, and Rory Clarke is an internationally renowned House dancer and part of ‘IndaHouse’. As Breakin’ Convention celebrates Hip Hop Theatre, it felt important to showcase the street dance influences of our work in their pure form, but only by those who are part of that scene. For example, Faye and Hannah do a New Way Voguing section, Rory does a House solo, and Roshaan does a Waacking solo.

              In terms of the ensemble choreography, we blend contemporary dance, New Way, and club dance influences to create a new language rather than presenting, for example, pure Voguing.

              You describe Femina as creating “a space in which the feminine rules.” What does that look and feel like on stage, and how do you want audiences to experience that world?

              We want the audience to see femininity represented in many ways and through different people. Within the 10-minute version of Femina, we’ve focused mainly on how the movement can represent power, precision, strength, elegance, and rawness through a relentless, almost non-stop number. We hope the audience experiences those feelings vicariously through the performers, alongside the music created by the incredible Stella Mozgawa, which supports that pulsing feeling of power and celebration. Being influenced by club culture, where one feels free to express themselves and get lost in the music, is exactly the world we want our audience to experience while watching Femina.

              As leaders with roots in the Ballroom scene, how does that culture influence not just the movement vocabulary, but the values and energy of the piece?

              The theme of the work is a celebration of femininity that is not bound to gender norms—this has been directly inspired by our backgrounds in the Ballroom Scene and Club Culture, which hold space for expressions of femininity and masculinity liberated from gender.

              It was also important to infuse the essence of Ballroom Scene energy into the music. In our initial conversations with Stella Mozgawa, many examples we sent were classic ballroom tracks like “The Ha Dance” by Masters at Work, “Give It Up” by The Good Men, and Chocolate Puma. The final track Stella created for Femina perfectly captured that energy and created the club atmosphere we were striving for.

              The cast bring very distinct styles and lived experiences. How collaborative has the creation process been, and does the choreography grow out of the dancers themselves?

              We are very particular with casting, as it’s important that dancers have lived experiences relevant to the theme and that their personal expression in different movement styles is represented.

              Our creative process involves sharing our movement language with dancers, combined with a collaborative approach, particularly when creating solos and contact material. With our stellar cast, their varied backgrounds have had a huge influence on our movement vocabulary for this work and beyond. It has been a joy and privilege to share ideas with these world-class artists and find moments where New Way meets Waacking, meets House, meets contemporary, meets gymnastics. Coming from both freestyle and studio-trained backgrounds, we value individuality and self-expression, as well as control and virtuosity, and love to showcase and celebrate the strengths of each artist we work with.

              In the current political climate, themes around women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights feel particularly charged. Do you see Femina as protest, celebration, reclamation, or something else entirely?

              Femina at first glance feels like a celebration of the feminine; however, much like Balls in The Ballroom Scene, club spaces, or Pride marches, these spaces began as acts of protest and subversion against discrimination, creating spaces to reclaim expressions society denies. With this as a backbone, we see celebration as a form of protest and reclamation.

              IN CONVERSATION WITH: Will Fowler

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              Trash! The Wildest Films You’ve Ever Seen is now at BFI Southbank until 30 April. We hold this exclusive dialogue with Will, BFI National Archive curator and co-programmer.

              ·  Trash cinema wears “bad taste” as a badge of honour, but where do you personally draw the line between deliberate transgression and something that simply fails?

              I think the line between those states lies very much in the eye of the beholder and is even deliberately blurred in the case of some filmmakers, like say Jack Smith (NORMAL LOVE).  But what does failure mean?  If a film gets made and is shown on the big screen, then its successful from the perspective of the creative act. If something fails according to expectations of mainstream Hollywood cinema then instead it is doing something different.

              ·  Many of these films were born in marginal, DIY spaces, so does bringing them into an institution like the BFI risk softening their original anarchic spirit?

              Sometimes it can feel like it but in many cases the provocative punch of these works still strikes the optic nerve and in a comfortable, nice cinema may even have more impact – something dissonant can happen. These works were always straddling the underground and the acceptance of more established environments – it almost feels part of their DNA.  John Waters’ PINK FLAMINGOS played at Cannes, for instance.

              ·  The season spans from the 1930s to the 1990s, so what surprised you most about how the definition of “trash” has evolved or perhaps stubbornly refused to?

              Trash feels like a time specific cinema which we indulge in now slightly retroactively.  We experience it in the present when we view trash films but at the time of production they were creating the concept and working it out.  There’s something transcendent about pasting marginal lives and activities up on the cinema screen, at huge scale.  So that limits the time scope to a pre-home video age, arguably.  In terms of surprise, I can still sometimes be astonished at how strong and transgressive early cinema can be. 

              ·  Films like Pink Flamingos still shock today, so do you think modern audiences are harder to scandalise or have we simply changed what we are scandalised by?

              Some films once considered shocking now feel like historic artefacts, their production aesthetics more clearly linking them to a certain time. But some films, as noted, still pack a punch, for sure.  Naturally, we’re scandalised by different things now however cinema was once the domain of shock and scandal, with calls for films to be banned, but this happen incredibly rarely now. The channels of communications are so much broader.  It changes from the specific to the general – we talk about types of content now or platforms, rarely a particular piece of moving image material.   However, sit certain people down with certain films and they would be freaked out.  But that’s the domain of in the individual rather than a kind of mass hysteria as was the case with the video nasties.  There’s a lot to say about this question!

              ·  There is a strong thread of queer identity and outsider voices running through the programme, so how central is trash cinema to preserving histories that mainstream film ignored or erased?

              It’s essential.  Certain identities only lived in these spaces and in certain respects these works act as a kind of metaphysical documentary record, preserving faces, attitudes and creative endeavours.  The people in these works are heroes to a great many people.

              ·  With the pristine 35mm restoration of Plan 9 from Outer Space, is there a delicious irony in giving one of the so called worst films ever made the archival reverence usually reserved for masterpieces?

              Strictly speaking it’s not a restoration but a new print made from original elements.  We didn’t intervene or recreate anything but I take your point!  To be able to make a new print is actually what’s of interest, what is says about the films we preserve in the BFI National Archive, in certain respects.  The collection is enormous and encompasses all types of film.  And for the record, Plan 9 from Outer Space is a good film with all sort of curious, extraordinary things going on in it.  Making a new print means people get to see it as it was originally intended – on film, in a cinema.  The cult of this film has been made through the video age, arguably, but that only increases the reason to put it back on film.  People can see it as it was intended – and looking really good!  I think Ed Wood always knew his films would endure and receive some larger appreciation later in life.  So many are about resurrection – and we’re resurrecting Plan 9 on celluloid.  Ed Wood has the last laugh.

              Image Credit: Jamie Zubairi

              IN CONVERSATION WITH: Sarah Louise Young

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              AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH (WINNER: Best Cabaret Award, Adelaide Fringe 2025) returns to London to Underbelly Boulevard, Tuesday 14 – Sunday 26 April, following critically acclaimed sold out tours of Australia and New Zealand. This is the first time the two-act version of the show has been performed in the West End featuring additional material and songs. Sarah-Louise Young, who made the show with Russell Lucas and performs in it, is an actress, writer, director and renowned cabaret artist. She has appeared in the West End with Julie Madly Deeply, Fascinating Aïda, La Soirée and Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, with whom she won an Olivier Award. Over 20 years of touring she has performed internationally, including Off Broadway and four seasons at the prestigious Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and closer to home with her solo shows, such as Cabaret Whore and The Silent Treatment. She has won numerous awards including The Stage Award for acting. We sat down with Sarah to discuss her upcoming performance.

              Your show invites audiences to release their inner Kate Bush for the evening. Have you discovered that almost everyone secretly has a bit of Bush waiting to emerge once the music starts?

              A surprise delight of touring this show over the past seven years has been to discover that you do not need to be a Fan Of the Bush to feel part of the experience. Lots of audience members tell me they felt swept along with the enthusiasm and energy of the night, even if they didn’t know many of her songs to begin with. 

              Maybe that’s because she writes about such big themes, not just boy-meets-girl stuff, but global warming, loss, recovery… even falling in love with technology! Listening to her songs and sharing stories can make us feel part of something bigger than ourselves. Our hearts beat in sync and for one night we are a community, united by music. 

              That feels especially important right now, to consider what unites us as opposed to what divides us, even if it’s just tapping your foot along to the music. That’s what releasing your inner Bush is all about. 

              Kate Bush’s songs are famously theatrical, full of ghosts, moors, storms and strange phenomena. Which song has proved the most delightfully chaotic to bring to life on stage?

              I do enjoy the untethered mayhem of performing The Hounds Of Love. It’s the first time I invite the audience to join in with me if they want to (and I should add that there is never any pressure to participate, it’s ‘opt-in’ only. But for those who want to there are opportunities to share your fandom). I love roaming about the audience and seeing where potential playmates might be sat. 

              Cloudbusting also has the potential to go in many different directions too. Once I got a lass up to sing backing vocals and she was so good I just handed her the mic and let her finish the whole song. She was 14 and aced it. I love those types of moments when the show has a life of its own. 

              The title promises An Evening Without Kate Bush, yet her presence seems to haunt every moment of the show. Does it sometimes feel as though you are channelling her spirit rather than impersonating her?

              When the show’s co-creator, Russell Lucas and I first conceived the piece,  we knew it was never going to be a traditional tribute act. I have always aimed for ‘Essence Of Kate’ instead of an impersonation. 

              People do often tell me I sound like her and whilst I am deeply flattered, I never set out to try to imitate her sound. 

              Instead I play with how her songs makes us feel. For many people, she is the soundtrack to their lives, so when they hear the start of a track, it hot-wires them back to the original and that in turn allows them to access their special relationship with that song. It’s a privilege to facilitate their memories and be allowed to sing her incredible body of work. 

              It’s the same with the staging. We’ve taken inspiration from her dance moves, and we might tip a hat to a costume choice, but we never replicate something exactly as she did it. 

              For the eagle eyed there are plenty of cheeky Easter Eggs to hunt – a pair of red shoes in Hammer Horror, the dunce hat from Sat In Your Lap popping up in Cloudbusting for example. My feathered headress is a nod to Aerial and her love of birds. The Stage once said we “re-invented the tribute act” and I love that. 

              As far as I am concerned, there is only one Kate Bush, and although there are some terrific tributes out there (Mandy from Cloudbusting is amazing as as close as you can get to the real Kate in my opinion), Russell and I we were more interested in exploring how her music makes us feel and what it’s like to be a fan of someone who rarely performs lives themselves. 

              The show has travelled from Glastonbury to sold out theatres across Australia and New Zealand and now arrives in the West End. Have audiences in different places revealed different kinds of Kate Bush devotion?

              Every audience is different and brings their own unique atmosphere but in Australia the song Hammer Horror sometimes gets a slightly bigger reaction than it does n the UK. I think it’s because it’s the only song she performed on Countdown (which was their version of the music show Top Of The Pops). When I ask audiences for their favourite songs I tend to get a few more from her album The Dreaming there too as it was inspired by her visit to Australia. 

              Festival crowds can be a bit more wild and free but honestly, the love felt for Kate’s music seems to transcend all cultural differences. 

              Kate Bush fans are famously passionate and wonderfully eccentric. What is the most memorable reaction you have ever had from someone in the audience during the show. 

              The show often makes people laugh and cry and I love that the act of sharing music and stories has the power to do that. I invite the audience to tell me about specific songs which are important to them and sometimes those stories are deeply personal and touching. Other times they are light and playful. We’ve had people come to the show dressed as Kate and share personal tributes like tattoos of lyrics or times in their life when her music has had a profound impact on them.

              One of my favourite stories was about a year after a couple saw the show. The wife in the partnership messaged me and told me that before the show she was thinking of ending her marriage, but then when I asked the couple to slow dance during a song, she was so shocked that her husband said yes and would publicly show his affection for her in this way, she gave him another chance! They went to couple’s counselling and a year later are stronger than ever! We also had a couple get engaged after they participated in the show. Isn’t that amazing? 

              You joke that perhaps one day the real Kate Bush might quietly slip into the audience. If that actually happened, do you think you would finish the show… or simply collapse?

              Ha ha, well I would LOVE her to come but I think she would have to wear a disguise because even if I managed to finish the performance, I don’t think the audience could cope with seeing her! Part of the joy of An Evening Without Kate Bush is celebrating the way fans come together to honour our idol. So events like The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever where people get dressed up as Cathy from Wuthering Heights and perform the iconic dance together – they have sprung up over the nearly 35 years she took off from performing live. If she were there in person it might make people feel inhibited… but to be honest, that’s a risk I’m willing to take. Kate, if you are reading this, we have your tickets ready and waiting! Just say the word.

              IN CONVERSATION WITH: Abigail Odat

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              Based on the much-loved film and featuring music by Alan Menken, Sister Act is a joyful, high-energy musical comedy – a feel-good celebration of community, inclusivity and a little bit of divine disco. We hold this exclusive dialogue with Abigail Odat, the co-director of the show.

              Q: This show is known for it’s joy and energy – how have you approached capturing that spirit with Centre Stage London?
              We’ve really embraced the joy and energy of the show by celebrating the diversity of the Centre Stage society and our cast. Amateur theatre in London brings together people from all walks of life, and that mix of backgrounds and experiences is something we’re incredibly proud of. As a production team, we’re proud to continue celebrating inclusivity and openness, and we’ve loved making sure everyone has the chance to shine and bring their own individuality to the stage.

              We’ve also leaned into the show’s energy, turning it into a real celebration of dance, perhaps even more than you might usually see in Sister Act the Musical. So prepare to be dazzled by disco!

              Q: What was it about Sister Act the Musical that made you want to bring it to Fulham Broadway right now? 

              Sister Act the Musical is a story about overcoming differences to find your community, and that’s a message that feels particularly powerful right now. London is full of people from different backgrounds, and has a wonderful sense of community that really reflects the heart of this show. So, really it felt like a no brainer! Plus, this show is full of joy, energy and phenomenal music, which is something we could all use a bit more of. After all, who couldn’t do with a good laugh and a little disco in their lives these days?


              Q: Alan Menken’s music is so iconic – were there any numbers that particularly excited or challenged the cast? 

              His score really is iconic, and our Musical Director, Eve Millward, has done a fabulous job of bringing it to life. The great thing about Sister Act the Musical is that it’s jam packed full of different songs – from disco-inspiration to powerful ballads, so there’s so much to take in. Songs like ‘Raise Your Voice’ and ‘Sunday Morning Fever’ are big crowd-pleasers, but they’ve also been a challenge for the cast too. In the songs, we’re constantly switching between small scenes of dialogue to dancing and singing, so they require a lot of energy and focus from everyone involved. It’s demanding, but the cast and creative team has had an absolute blast bringing the score to life!

              Q: What has it been like working with this particular cast and creative team?

              Working with this cast and creative team has been fantastic. Because the show celebrates (quite literally) ‘Sisters Doing It for Themselves’ we felt it was only right to bring together an all-female production team. We’re incredibly proud of the talented production group we’ve assembled, who have worked together to create such a knock-your-socks-off production. Their creativity and vision has resulted in a really unique take on Sister Act the Musical that will delight even the biggest fans! (But I won’t say too much more on that, as I don’t want to give away the surprises!).

              The level of talent on stage is also remarkable. Casting was such a tough process because there were so many strong performers, but we’re overjoyed with the final cast. The show moves at a relentless pace and there’s a huge amount the cast have had to learn, but the they’ve more than risen to the challenge, and they are ready to shine on the Oratory stage. 

              Q: For someone who’s never seen Sister Act before, what would you say to tempt them into the theatre? 

              If you’ve never seen Sister Act the Musical, this is the perfect introduction! It’s a joyful, feel-good musical packed with powerful gospel-inspired songs, dazzling choreography and plenty of heartfelt humour. The story follows Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer forced into hiding in a convent, where she unexpectedly transforms the choir, and the lives of the nuns around her.

              Our production is a full-throttle celebration of community, inclusivity and a little divine disco energy. It’s uplifting, funny and full of soul, guaranteed to send you out of the theatre smiling.

              For tickets and listing, please visit here.

              IN CONVERSATION WITH: Eliane Correa

              Published on by Tabitha JamesLeave a comment

              We sat down for an exclusive interview with Eliane Correa. Acclaimed Cuban-British pianist, composer and cultural ambassador. Eliane recently toured with Hans Zimmer, and will be curating a special show celebrating the centenary of Celia Cruz with an all-female salsa band. Elaine performs at the Jazz Cafe on 25th April. Tickets are available here.

              La Linea, London’s biggest and longest running Latin music festival, runs from 20th April – 6th May. Tickets here

              What does celebrating Celia Cruz’s centenary with an all-female salsa band mean to you personally as a Cuban artist working across cultures?

              I’m very grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to put together such a stellar lineup of fantastic musicians who also happen to be women. We lack visibility, so I decided to prioritise doing this with just women as a public statement. I hope this is the first of many shows we do as Las Salseras. I would love to keep this project going.

              I’m as much Cuban as I am Argentinian, European, and now also a Londoner. My entire life has been about working across cultures and looking to create space for multicultural exchange. Celia Cruz herself moved to the USA from Cuba at 35 years old and met salseros from other Latin American and Latin diasporic cultures and communities, which contributed to her unique sound without making her expression any less Cuban.

              Having toured with Hans Zimmer, how has moving between cinematic worlds and salsa stages reshaped your understanding of musical storytelling?

              This is a great question. I think it’s made me think about cultural decoding a lot: for example, the way a Cuban audience receives and reacts to a Cuban “salsa” orchestra is quite different from the way it’s received by a London audience, and then if you put this same band in Kinshasa, Calcutta, or Miami, the audience reactions will be different.

              Whether we like it or not, musics that aren’t “mainstream” (which is quite a Western-centric concept in itself, by the way!) can be interpreted in wildly different ways depending on what the listener’s “cultural decoding tools” are saying. I think cinematic music and pop music are genres that unite us all across cultures: the way we understand them around the world is relatively similar.

              I think I’ve started keeping this in mind more when I compose music, arrange, or select and shape a repertoire. In some of my projects, I keep this idea of who am I putting this together for at the forefront. In my personal original projects, though, I just write from my heart, and it’ll be what it’ll be—I relinquish control over how it will be received.

              A project such as this homage to the Queen of Salsa at the Jazz Café has me asking myself: how do I best do justice to her rich, amazing legacy for the audience—not for me with my Cuban-Argentinian-European ear, but for the people who will be at this show to have an amazing experience where they leave sweaty, happy, with their hearts full of music and a renewed love for Celia.

              Salsa has historically been male-dominated—what barriers still exist for women, and how are projects like Las Salseras actively dismantling them?

              We have to keep in mind that the struggle for equality is a recent occurrence within the wider frame of history. It’s normal that salsa, having grown in the mid-to-late twentieth century, has been male-dominated throughout most of its history and still is today.

              We’re just part of a process that is still a work in progress, which is why it’s important to create spaces for women to thrive in, just as is happening in STEM and other male-dominated fields. Of course there is a barrier, because this is all still quite new, and everything new requires a reconfiguring of public perception.

              Las Salseras is just a small part of a bigger push to normalise our presence in all spaces and level out the historical imbalance.

              How do platforms like La Línea change the visibility and career trajectories of female Latin musicians in the UK and Europe?

              This year La Línea has an unprecedented number of female artists in its lineup. Again, all this does is counterbalance the normalised standard of male-dominated line-ups—without compromising on quality (this is very important!). We are not tokens—we turn up and we deliver.

              The volume of high-quality female and female-led acts in La Línea this year makes the statement that we belong, and that there is room for us to simply exist and do our thing in spaces that have historically been populated by a majority of men.

              Every time there’s a group of women making music on a stage, it’s a small grain of sand of visibility added to the process of normalising our presence. It’s great, and I love that I’ve been given a chance to be a small part of this process.

              When curating an all-female ensemble, what values or energies are you prioritising beyond technical excellence?

              Actually, it’s just technical excellence, which in my opinion includes understanding the musical language we are operating in. I don’t really believe in “feminine energy,” etc. I just want to play with really, really good musicians who bring good vibes, and I put Las Salseras together to counterbalance the lack of female presence in our scene.

              I dream of a world where women are no longer bearing the weight of the differential—where it’s completely normal to have a killer salsa band that just happens to be all women (and never, ever have to hear “you play like a man” again!).

              What do you hope younger Latina musicians in London take away from seeing this tribute on a major festival stage?

              Without visibility, it’s hard for younger generations of female Latin musicians to even internalise that this is something to aspire to. We’re hoping that this can be a small step in paving the path for younger Latin women musicians to take up space and see this as something realistic to achieve.

              And also, for them to continue making more space for future generations beyond the reach that we have right now—the way Celia did for us back in the day.

              IN CONVERSATION WITH: Jez Bond

              Published on by Ke MengLeave a comment

              Artistic Director Jez Bond, Executive Director Catherine McKinney, and the whole team at Park Theatre announced further details of Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 4, the next instalment of its hugely popular fundraising comedy spectacular, which returns from 11 May – 27 June 2026 with the most ambitious version yet. We hold this exclusive dialogue with Jez.

              Each performance features a different unrehearsed guest sheriff. What continues to surprise you about that format?

              I think it’s a perfect blend of comic structure and comic chaos. Looking on, it might not seem like it all the time but the cast are utterly in control of every moment. Interestingly the blocking (unless we specifically allow it not to be for a short time) is the same from person to person; which is all about the skills of how the actors manipulate the stage space. The star is always exactly where we want them to be – which is particularly important, of course, for the jokes that rely on them facing the wrong way or addressing the wrong person! But the surprise is also that there’s plenty of space for each actor to bring their flair to the table, to portray the character in a different way and – here’s the real answer, I think – for the audience to enjoy the different live reactions on the stars’ faces. Many people come more than once and you might see one actor taking it very seriously, another trying to but with a glint in their eye, yet another might have a number of corpses throughout (yes, I know it’s a murder mystery but I’m not talking about dead bodies, I’m talking about the kind or corpse where you allow yourself to visibly laugh).

              How does the success of Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] directly impact the theatre’s ability to develop new work and support artists?

              We need to raise around £600,000 per year on top of regular box office income to stay afloat. Because we believe that theatre is for everybody, and a big part of accessibility is affordability, we don’t want to charge West End prices. We also do a huge amount of work in the community, from programmes with young people through to our flagship dementia work. As such, as a charity, we need to make up our shortfall by fundraising. We don’t get any core funding from the Arts Council or local government – and with individual donations, smaller scale events and trust and foundation support we’re able to bring in half of what we need each year. The Whodunnit show, running every other year, makes up that gap. It’s not exaggeration to say that it’s totally vital to our continued operation. In terms of supporting new work and new artists, this is a big commitment of ours. Across our two spaces we programme more new work than revivals and we also provide space and support to a number of companies and individuals each year to develop their work.

              What does it say about Park Theatre’s identity that an event like this has become part of its DNA?

              Ha! Financially I suppose it says that this creative idea borne out of need is now a regular fixture necessary to stay alive. I hope for our patrons it says that Park Theatre is known for exciting, fun work and for being able to harness the incredible power and generosity of its high profile friends (all of whom perform, I must add, for free to support the charity).  I should also add that as a fundraiser tickets for this one are purposefully significantly higher – as it’s doing this show that enables us to run for the rest of the year. But even so we’re keen to ensure some lower price tickets and booking early is the best strategy as prices may change based on demand. Conversely there are also a limited number of standing tickets released on the day of each performance at our discretion. We are also going to be doing Lottery tickets – a small number of tickets for each performance at a reduced price. Full details on how to enter that will be announced closer to the show.

              When audiences leave Graveside at the end of the evening, what do you hope stays with them?

              So much! From the wonderful, themed food and cocktails throughout the night to the exciting touches across the building – whether that be actors conversing in character in the bar, or the addition of hay bales and whiskey barrels throughout. Of course, on stage I think there’s a few gags that will stay with them for a long time (there are still people who tell me they haven’t forgotten a particular gag in the first reading we did of this new script a year ago). But overall, I think the feeling you’re left with after Whodunnit (perhaps more so than ever in this all-encompassing immersive version) is the joy of having experienced something truly special that will never be repeated.

              For tickets and listing,  see https://parktheatre.co.uk/events/whodunnit-unrehearsed-4/

              IN CONVERSATION WITH: Emme Hensel

              Published on by Tabitha JamesLeave a comment

              We sat down for an exclusive interview with Emme Hensel, co-principal flautist for the National Youth Orchestra’s Spring tour ‘Collide’.

              Dates and times for Collide are 9th April 2026 at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, and 11th April at Royal Festival Hall, London, both at 7:30pm – Tickets here

              Collide explores huge themes like love, courage and conflict. As a musician, how does it feel to bring such powerful stories to life through your flute?

              Being able to bring such powerful stories to life through my flute feels almost like I am becoming the characters in the pieces myself. Not only can I feel the emotions of my characters, but when playing with the rest of the orchestra, I can feel the whole story coming to life around me. Having such a variety of emotions to explore whilst I am playing also adds a lot of excitement, as well as opportunity for creativity and exploration of sound, which I love.

              For many teenagers in the audience, this might be their first orchestral concert. What do you hope they feel when they hear the orchestra play?

              I hope that the teenagers in the audience who haven’t been exposed to orchestral music before are captivated by the collective power of so many teenage musicians working together to produce something bigger than them. I think that one of the incredible things about orchestral music is the way in which we all have to work together and communicate with each other through our playing, in order to convey emotion to the audience.

              NYO offers free tickets for teenagers to make orchestral music accessible. Why do you think it’s important that young people get the chance to experience music like this live?

              I think that it is so important that young people get to experience orchestral music because it provides a way for them to connect with others and be a part of a new community. The experience of seeing the orchestra live (as opposed to streaming it at home) will allow them to be immersed in the atmosphere created by the music. This is really exciting as it means that the teenagers can experience the story within the music firsthand, and hopefully get even more enjoyment out of the overall experience!

              When you’re performing something as dramatic as Romeo and Juliet, do you feel like you’re telling the story through the music rather than just playing the notes?

              I believe that with something as dramatic as Romeo and Juliet, that already has such a well known storyline, we as performers are provided with a vessel to help us pass even more emotion to the audience. This makes it thrilling to play because of the creative element of telling the story as well as playing the notes. Due to the story being so well known, we also have room to provide the audience with our own interpretations of the feelings of characters in certain scenes, which is a lot of fun.

              The National Youth Orchestra brings together 160 teenage musicians. What is the energy like when you all perform together on stage?

              I think the energy of an orchestra of teenagers, especially when most of us are playing repertoire for the first time, is something incredibly unique and amazing. I hope that with both our playing, and the creative side of NYO with our encores, we can inspire this generation of young people to gain the same enjoyment of classical music that we get to experience through NYO. I love the buzz of making music with such close friends. It’s an amazing feeling to create something so spectacular, that means so much to so many people, with those who you care about a lot. I feel incredibly lucky to get to play with such brilliant musicians, and brilliant people.     

              You’re performing music inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle, Tristan und Isolde and Romeo and Juliet. Which piece in the programme excites you the most to play and why?

              I love that all of the music in the Collide tour tells such vivid stories. It makes the music thrilling to play because it makes you feel like you’re actually playing a part in the story itself. In Romeo and Juliet in particular, I can hear all of the characters, who I knew growing up, coming to life.