186. Bonus episode: Tim Sheader on new Donmar season announcement + Hadestown stars on their film

Sarah and Alex are within touching distance of the 2020s as they continue their examination of the best plays of the century. 2018 and 2019 offer up an array of epic plays exploring American history, solo shows that leave audiences flabbergasted, and a lot (really, a lot) of plays based on hit novels – from A Little Life, to Life of Pi, to Small Island. But which plays will Sarah single out as her favourite of each year? She has some difficult choices to make... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, artistic director Selina Cartmell unveiled her brand new season at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, coming hot on the heels of the 50th anniversary celebrations at the beloved theatre. Featuring new work by Simon Stephens and Ben Power as well as revivals of Faith Healer and Much Ado About Nothing (featuring the legendary Beverley Knight), Cartmell spills the beans on championing the theatre’s central ethos and telling vital stories for 2027 and beyond. She also had a lot to say about her love of Sondheim and her plans for an all-string orchestra for A Little Night Music, opening this Christmas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finally reunited after Alex's foreign forays, Sarah runs through her tireless fortnight of reviews – featuring Rent with Gaten Matarazzo, Hay Fever with Richard E Grant and Christine Baranski, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup, and As You Like It with Fisayo Akinade and Jonathan Groff. The conversation brings up a range of questions about reviewing revivals, the nature of star ratings and whether we should have more music critics reviewing musicals. After that, the pair discuss the new Almeida and Pitlochry seasons, and what audiences might expect from the new Tarantino play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday night, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera turned 40 – with the event seeing a special reunion between original stars Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. We chatted to the pair, Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh and current stars Jordan Donica and Beatrice Penny-Touré on the show's red carpet as this musical blockbuster hits four decades in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The great British actor is currently on stage as the great American showman Liberace. As he finished rehearsals he talked to Sarah about how to play characters with whom you have little sympathy, returning to the stage after serious illness, the Shakespeare roles he longs to play and working with Tom Stoppard just before the playwright’s death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.