This week, The Stage presents a special themed issue, in which we celebrate the 60th birthday of Andrew Lloyd Webber with a special focus on his unique contribution to the theatre industry.

• Writing exclusively for The Stage, Cameron Mackintosh gives a personal birthday greeting

• We reveal the results of our poll which asked what readers’ favourite ALW musical was.

• Insight: Andrew Lloyd Webber continues to break the mould of British musicals, both as a composer and producer, while reality TV shows have boosted his public profile. Mark Shenton examines his global legacy and considers why, as a prominent West End theatre owner, he has been reluctant to refurbish his venues

• With blockbuster hits like The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat now mainstream staples, it is sometimes easy to forget about the depth, complexity and innovation of Lloyd Webber’s work, says Michael Coveney

• Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rare combination of creative and commercial flair has seen him capitalise on the markets available from TV to Las Vegas and the internet, writes Alistair Smith

• Training: Andrew Lloyd Webber has long been involved in musical theatre education, but his recent appointment as the new president of Arts Educational Schools London is likely to draw even more attention to training young performers, writes Susan Elkin

• Nick Smurthwaite meets Lynn Jezzard, who joined The Phantom of the Opera’s corps de ballet when it opened in 1986, and has remained with the show since, becoming resident choreographer in 2002

Also in this week’s edition:

• Continuing her exclusive weekly column, vocal coach and Any Dream Will Do judge Zoe Tyler reviews BBC talent show I’d Do Anything — and says why she thinks Rent actress Francesca Jackson should have been sent home for good from Nancy School

• Currently starring in The Lady From The Sea at Birmingham Rep, Claire Price tells Al Senter why Ibsen’s female characters appeal to her so much and why, after playing a succession of classical theatre parts, she chose to push for a television profile by working with Ken Stott in ITV’s Rebus

• Geoffrey Perkins has a string of comedy hits to his name. As his latest success, Benidorm, returns to ITV1 for its second series, the producer still dreams of finding that winning formula for prime time sitcom gold, writes Mary Comerford

• Maggie Brown examines the growing success of BBC1’s Doctors as it takes on Five’s recently acquired Neighbours in the daytime slot

• Natalie Anglesey speaks to film star and country music legend Kris Kristofferson about his varied life, and how landing a helicopter in Johnny Cash’s backyard helped kickstart his career

• Liz Thomas on the revolving door of television executives

• Maggie Brown on media: What Channel 4’s Next on 4 policy rethink means for its drama output

• Dillie Keane: I’ve just played Lady Bracknell — but I wish I could have been Miss Prism

• Dear John: “I’m doing a show based on an underlying issue which I am really committed to. How can I make my performance theatrical, rather than dry and worthy?”

• Backstage Focus: Barbara Eifler reports from the recent Health and Safety Conference organised by the TMA with the ABTT and SMA.

• The Stage remembers Anthony Minghella, who passed away last week

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

In this week’s issue of The Stage:

• The Passion scriptwriter Frank Deasy tells Matthew Hemley what inspired him to pen the story of Jesus’ last days for the BBC, and why he found the human approach the most dramatic of all

• As the successful US rock’n’roll musical Jersey Boys transfers to the West End, director Des McAnuff talks to Nuala Calvi about the challenges he faced brining the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Season to the stage, his encounters with the Mafia and what sets this show apart from the standard jukebox musical.

• Insight: At least half a million teenagers are now taking drama, dance or singing lessons every week. Susan Elkin looks at the market of independent theatre schools for children and assesses its development

• In light of the government’s plans to fund state school excursions to ballet, opera and classical music concerts, Hilary Strong, director of the National Council for Drama Training, considers how youngsters view various forms of theatre and how important it is for children and their parents

• Dear John: “Can I further my career as a dancer better as a solo artist or as part of a dance troupe?”

• Postgraduate Training: From scriptwriting to performance and directing, Susan Elkin gives an overview of the wide range of postgraduate training available and advises on how to go about choosing the right course and securing funding for your study

• Financial Services: Although it’s not a subject many actors like to dwell on, keeping finances in order is one of the most important elements of the profession. News editor of Accountancy Age Alex Hawkes outlines his top money-saving tips, while showbiz accountant Robert Breckman looks at the problems facing grant-aided companies since Arts Council England announced its cuts

• Former How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do judge Zoe Tyler joins The Stage with a regular weekly column reviewing BBC1’s new theatre recruitment show, I’d Do Anything

• Leaping back to London after a 25-year absence, the New York City Ballet is performing at the Coliseum this month. Kevin Berry talks to NYCB teacher Sean Lavery and principal dancer Jonathan Stafford about the ongoing influence of the company’s founding fathers

• Thirty years on from when it was first televised, Bob Hoskins shares his memories of starring in Dennis Potter’s seminal musical trilogy, Pennies From Heaven, with Charles Norton

• Columnists: Ian Herbert, Richard Jordan, Clive Barnes, Patrick Newley

• Showpeople: Interviews with Amy Manson, Paddy Cuneen

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

In this week’s issue of The Stage, we include our annual guide to summer school courses. Whether you’re a teenager interested in starting in the performing arts, a keen amateur hoping to hone your abilities or a professional wanting to learn new skills, there is a summer school course for you. Susan Elkin looks at some of the training on offer in 2008.

Plus, exclusively online, a Dear John special in which singer Lorna Marshall talks about the benefits of teaching summer courses.

Also this week:

• With the ‘people’s Maria’ Connie Fisher leaving The Sound of Music last month, Andrew Lloyd Webber had a cunning plan to regenerate interest in the show and its new star. Alistair Smith talks to Summer Strallen about keeping her Hollyoaks plot line quiet and replacing a stage favourite

• In an exclusive news report, Matthew Hemley talks to performers from BBC1’s The One and Only tribute show, with some claiming they have been left out of pocket and out of work

• Insight: Rumours of the death of digital radio could not be more misleading, says Michael Quinn

• Managing Director Craig Hassall has turned the English National Ballet around from an ailing company to taking on tours across the globe.

• Maggie Brown on Media: The BBC’s Passion | Crediting the credits

• Arthur Smith: Presenting TV can sometimes be fun

• Dear John: “Is it really viable to run your own business alongside being a performer? Won’t one side or the other suffer?”

• Training: The Little Angel Theatre is at the forefront of training in professional puppetry

• Stars of The Fixer Andrew Buchan and Tamzin Outhwaite had very different routes to television success. They explain all to Mary Comerford

• Voice coash Patsy Rodenburg has staged Shakespeare in maximum security prisons, taught in poor areas of India, braved knuckle-dusters in London and worked with the best of British talent

• Joss Ackland talks to Matthew Hemley about his role as Big Daddy in Radio 3’s forthcoming adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and reveals that after eight years avoiding the theatre, he is considering a return to the stage

• Backstage Focus: The new Rose Theatre in Kingston, with its medieval-style stage and tiered circular Elizabethan-type auditoria, is a wonderful homage to 16th-century design, write Geoffrey Joyce

• Catapulted to stardom by her 1976 duet with Elton John, Kiki Dee’s career has followed a more laid-back path than her flamboyant partner. Dee talks to Michael Quinn about her ‘all-sorts’ career and touring with songwriter Carmelo Luggeri

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

• Michael Quinn takes an overview of MIDEM, the larget music industry trade event of the year

• Joe Duttine on his new role in The Elephant Man: “I personally put the script down and thought, ‘Oh my God, why do human beings treat each other in this way?’”

• Some theatre companies owe their existence to a single, creative individual — but problems can arise when a successor is needed

• Maggie Brown on media: ITV shouldn’t be beaten up over underperforming new shows | The Whicker masterclass | The challenge for soap opera sets in the era of HD

• Dillie Keane on playing Lady Bracknell: “You get the feeling you’re not playing a part, merely lurching from quotation to quotation”

• Dear John: “I’ve been told I have a distinctive sound. How do I break into the world of voice-over work?”

• Training: Rose Theatre Kingston’s ambitious training programme includes a year’s apprenticeship to a resident repertory company, an annual festival of youth work and an outreach scheme

• CASINO ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL: As more global players enter the British gambling market and all-round entertainment becomes increasingly important in casinos, opportunities for performers are growing rapidly. We examine the shift towards live shows, list those venues across the UK which already offer them and review some of the acts.

• Producer Brian Park gave us Footballers’ Wives, Bad Girls and Waterloo Road. Now he unveils his X Factor-inspired ITV1 drama Rock Rivals - starring Michelle Collins and Sean Gallagher — which goes behind the scenes of a TV Talent show

• Alan Dale truns his hand to something completely different as King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot, tackling dance and comedy in the West End. He tells Matthew Hemley about working on Ugly Betty, dealing with critics and battling the spectre of his Neighbours character, Jim Robinson

• Richard Winsor on touring with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: “We are steering clear of the iconic Hollywood image… my costume is quite revealing, so you will be able to see the scars on my body”

• Chilean playright Ariel Dorfman, best known for Death and the Maiden, talks about his prolific writing, themes of hope and guilt, and his latest works

• Laura Stevens on her play about anorexia, Thin Toes: “What frutrates me is that anorexia is being over-simplified. You can’t just say, ‘For goodness sake, eat, you silly girl!’ It’s a very complex condition”

• With three major arts festivals taking place in Budapest each year, an increasing number of tourists are soaking up the city’s thricing cultural scene

• Backstage Focus: Travelling abroad with a show can be exciting, but there are often unexpected challenges. Freelance production manager David Evans offers his tips

• Mark Shenton looks back on a decade of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket’s Masterclass scheme

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

• News Feature: With ITV comedy in dire straits, Matthew Hemley examines whether the broadcaster can return to its golden age of family-friendly sitcoms

• Insight: West End box office income hit an all-time high last year, but much of this success is down to just a few productions, while ticket prices have rocketed. With this year’s Olivier Awards acknowledging subsidised venues as being the chief providers of theatrical merit, Mark Shenton questions whether the West End is still relevant to the artistic health of London theatre

• As plans get under way for a skills academy that can provide nationally recognised standards and access to training for technicians of all disciplines, it’s important to ask what lessons can be learned from the mistakes of the past 20 years, urges AK Bennett-Hunter

• Dear John: “As an older performer, I’m finding it progressively more difficult to find work. What can I do to increase my chances?”

• Training: Blunderbus theatre company provides a training scheme for a number of students to gain valuable, hands-on experience in all aspects of theatre from puppetry to acting

• SOLT Centenary: As the Society of London Theatre celebrates 100 years, president Rosemary Squire talks to Mark Shenton about the challenges that lie ahead. And Rupert Rhymes reflects on his time as a SOLT member, its president and chief executive

• Since graduating from Cambridge in 2004, Dan Stevens’ rapid rise to fame has been boosted by his ongoing work with director Peter Hall, including As You Like It, and opposite Judi Dench in Hay Fever. As he retrurns to the West End to play the lead role in another Hall production, The Vortex, he speaks to Mark Shenton

• With Capital of Culture year in full swing, Chris High talks to Liverpool playwright Willy Russell about rewriting his 1978 play Stags and Hens, now running at the city’s Royal Court, and what the state of play is for aspiring authors

• Choreographer Gary Lloyd has been working hard on BBC tribute show The One and Only, painstakingly training the would-be stars to move like their celebrity icons. He tells Matthew Hemley about the experience and his future projects

• After hitting the big time with a supporting role in Life on Mars, Liz White is about to appear in an ITV1 drama made by the same production company. She talks to Phil Penfold about her harrowing part in The Fixer

• Backstage Focus: With fewer theatres runing their own workshops, the provision of specialist, on-the-job training such as the courses run by the Technical Theatre Arts department at RADA, is more important than ever, writes AK Bennett-Hunter

• Ian Herbert: Let’s not consider the ACE grants a done deal

• Richard Jordan: Are there signs that the movie-to-Broadway route is finally reversing?

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

• Magic and Magicians supplement: From sleight-of-hand to mind-reading, magic is a brand of entertainment that requires exceptional technical skill and a flair for showmanship.

  • Bill and Roy Davenport, managers of Davenports Magic, the oldest family-run shop of its kind in the world, tell Liz Arratoon about its continuing success and tricks they recommend

  • Legendary magician Ali Bongo* writes about how the Magic Circle encourages budding illusionists under 18, including special workshops and the Magic Circle Young Magician of the Year Award

  • Psychic entertainer Alex Crow interviewed

• In an attempt to bring opera to a wider audience, Lesley Garrett is hosting 20 Operas to See Before You Die on Sky Arts, a run of televised operas which she introduces each week. The singer talks to Matthew Hemley about her likes (music and The West Wing) and her dislikes, including musical snobs and the precariousness of showbusiness life

• Hayley Atwell’s boundless enthusiasm for her work may be overwhelming, but with a jam-packed schedule since leaving drama school it is also understandable and disarming, writes Nick Smurthwaite

• Starring alongside Danny Dyer and Neil Dudgeon, Kenneth Cranham is currently playing Max in The Homecoming at the Almeida. He talks to Michael Coveney about returning to a Pinter play

• Curtain Up: The London transfer of Kneehigh’s stage adaptation of the David Lean film Brief Encounter has resurrected a theatre, writes Alistair Smith

• As the redevelopment of a shopping centre took its toll on the Derby Playhouse, the final nail in the coffin came when ACE confirmed it was to withdraw its £723,000 annual grant. Lalayn Baluch discovers the last-ditch attempts of a venue facing a seemingly insurmountable struggle

• Insight: The education system has long been an important source of work for the performing arts, writes Susan Elkin. This is set to grow as more state schools specialise in theatre and the private sector embarks on a flurry of venue building

• The doom and gloom generated by the recent ACE cuts shouldn’t hasten the arts world into despair — demonstrating the intrinsic value of the arts to businesses is the key, argues Colin Tweedy, chief executive of Arts & Business

• BBC drama Attila the Hun uses computer effects on a scale usually only seen in feature films, but which are increasingly making their way onto the small screen. Holly Wicks talks to director Gareth Edwards and producer Mark Hedgecoe

• Playwright Leo Butler takes inspiration from The Tempest in his new work for the RSC, I’ll Be the Devil. He talks to Aleks Sierz about the Bard and original writing

• Maggie Brown on Media: BBC1 show The One and Only is a tribute to tribute acts | Jeremy Beadle remembered | What is taking the place of Grange Hill?

• Arthur Smith: The loss of Ed Wilson, former director of the National Youth Theatre

• Dear John: “I have been performing my country’s traditional dance for several years and have been told that I am good enough to earn a living from it. Do I need a more formal theatrical or dance training first?” This week’s guest advisers: Afrika! Afrika! choreographer Georges Momboye and performer Huit Huit

• Clive Barnes in New York: The Little Mermaid has flopped on deck like a wet cod

• Backstage Focus: As the flow of skilled workers in the entertainment industry increase between countries, backstage experts are now jetting between jobs. Lighting designer Mark Jonathan describes the experience of keeping up with a hectic international schedule

• More than 50 years ago, Julie Wilson was a regular performer in the West End. Mark Shenton meets the American singer as she prepares to return to London with the best of US cabaret

• Showpeople: Interviews with actresses Ruth Negga and Agnieska Korzuszek and comedian Stewart Masters

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

In this week’s issue of The Stage:

• Broadway star Chita Rivera is back on the London stage, 50 years after making her debut in the West End. She tells Mark Shenton about her long career and the attraction of theatre

• Arts Council Funding: Alistair Smith looks at the winners and losers in the Arts Council England’s final decisions on funding. We also canvass opinions across the industry. Keep up with the latest funding news on our website at http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/funding

• With a career spanning more than 50 years, playwright Ronald Harwood is responsible for works such as The Dresser and Taking Sides. He won a Best Screenplay Oscar for The Pianist and has worked on high-profile films such as Baz Luhrmann’s epic Australia, which stars Nicole Kidman and is released later this year. He chats to Nick Smurthwaite about supporting the striking US screenwriters and opposing the smoking ban

• Best known for her comedy work in TV such as Smack the Pony, Fiona Allen is branching out into drama by playing the mother of a gay teen in the second series of E4 hit Skins. She talks to Matthew Hemley about doing things her own way and why she won’t be appearing in the West End any time soon

• Insight: India is becoming a major global player and its entertainment and media sectors are growing rapidly. As Michael Quinn reports, this is creating an important two-way creative flow with Britain

• Aside from dealing with the competition, one of the hardest aspects of the industry for young actors is accessing information, whether it’s finding out about castings or networking with the right people. Hilary String, Director of the National Council for Drama Training, argues that it’s time for organisations to speak directly to their potential employees

• Ian Herbert: What has happened to the Theatre Museum since the building closed a year ago?

• Ben Dowell: Fostering celebrity backing for venues threatened by Arts Council funding is arrogant, obvious and crass

• Dear John: “What is collaboration on a creative project like compared to working solo?” This week’s guest experts: writer Kirsty Eyre and musician Shale Morgan

• Training: Susan Elkin meets Francis Seriau, the founder of Tech Music, which celebrates its 25th anniversary as a contemporary music college

• The Stage Archive: At the end of this month, The Stage will launch our fully searchable online archive, with every edition of the paper from 1880-19967 quickly and easily accessible through your computer. Following months of work and preparation, this invaluable and unique resource will provide an unparalleled insight into the history of British entertainment. Ian Herbert and Nick Smurthwaite look at the content that will be available, and the work involved in digitising the newspaper’s history

• The entertainment market is strong in tourist favourite Tenerife South, running all through the year. Denise and Tom Bell have made their mark with Viana Shows, but they teallDerek Smith that competition is fierce

• Backstage Focus: As the Grove Theatre in Dunstable prepares to celebrate its first anniversary in April, technical manager Matt Kingslake takes Geoffrey Joyce on a tour of the venue

• As he prepares to revive his hit solo show from the sixties, Brief Lives, Roy Dotrice reminisces about fleeing from the Nazis, partying at the Savoy and successfully reinventing himself for the US market

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

• West End stars, theatre professionals and The Stage staff mingled at the newspaper’s annual party at the Theatre Royal Drury lane last week. View a selection of photos in the paper, or if you’re on Facebook you can view a more extensive album at http://www.thestage.co.uk/facebook.

• Stage School Franchises special: A stage school franchise develops when a trusted name transofrms itself into a brand, with a school hitting on teaching methods that can be replicated at all sites in other centres. Susan Elkin explores the phenomenon and asks leaders in the field about the secrets of their success

• Tips from the top: The stars of theatre, film, TV and light entertainment share their favourites pieces of advice, from practical suggestions to confidence boosters

• Life on Mars creator Ashley Pharoah talks to Matthew Hemley about the forthcoming sequel, Ashes to Ashes, and why researching the eighties was such a poingnant experience. Plus, the series producer Beth Willis on the challenges facing her in this, her first producing role

• Michael Quinn looks at the rise of Christian theme park in America, and asks if there is a market for such a venue in Britain.

• Education correspondent Susan Elkin arges that pupils are being forced to choose early on between performing arts or academic study

• Backstage Focus: Kevin Berry meets Scottish Dance Theatre’s technical manager, Emma Jones

• Media expert Maggie Brown on new Culture secretary Andy Burnham, and the delights of ITV1’s new show Moving Wallpaper

• Dillie Keane on the 25th anniversary of Fascinating Aida

• Douglas McPherson discovers that comic Duncan Norvelle’s catchphrase is still going strong and that he has added singing to his skills

• Dear John: “I’m redesigning my promotional material for 2008 and I am prepared to invest in getting it right — but how can I get the best result for my money?”

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

• Make-up Special: Make-up is one of the most crucial elements to creating a role, whether it’s a beautiful leading lady or a sci-fi alien. We give an insight into the industry, from the upcoming International Make-up Artists Trade Show to tips from young professionals on how to find work and useful resources

• Since leaving drama, school Danny Lee Wynter has enjoyed the kind of career progression most graduates dare not dream of. The star of the recent Stephen Poliakoff double bill Joe’s Palace and Capturing Mary gives his personal take on why he became an actor and life after LAMDA

• As one of the chiefs in The Simpsons empire, James L Brooks is in town to promote the release of The Simpsons Movie on DVD. He talks to Ben Dowell about the continued success of the cartoon series and where it goes from here

• Actress Jenny Jules is set to sparkle in her latest role as Ruth in Pinter’s The Homecoming at the Almeida. It is a daunting part, but it helps to have had the playwright’s blessing, she tells Nick Smurthwaite

• Now playing a recovering alcoholic in BBC2 comedy Never Better, Stephen Mangan continues to demonstrate that he is comfortable with darker roles. He talks to Matthew Hemley about what attracts him to projects and why he’s keen to return to the stage

• Insight: The declining number of children learning musical instruments has become a cause for concern, but government measures designed to give every pupil access to tuition should help stem the flood and reverse the trend, writes Susan Elkin

• Fondly remembering their Animals in the Box routine that was first performed in 1956, Jim Casey and Eli Woods talks to Kevin Berry about the changing line-up and the winning gag

• “No pain, no gain:” Arts Council England might need a lesson in PR, but its responsibility to taxpayers means it is right to be making cuts, even if some of them are in the wrong places, argues Alistair Smith

• Dear John: “I know you can’t gain experience any way other than the hard way, but what tips can someone with experience pass on to someone just starting out?”

• Maggie Brown on Media: Channel 4’s rehabilitation starts here, with Celebrity Big Brother’s confinement to E4 allowing the main channel’s public service credentials to flourish — and bravery from ITV makes 2008 seem like a mini golden age

• Arthur Smith: If only I had Jodie Marsh’s comic sense of timing

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

• Having made a name for herself in 3 Non Blondes, Jocelyn Jee Esien made history as the first black woman with her own TV sketch show. Now making the move to BBC2, she tells Tony Cooke why her native east London is still her biggest inspiration

• The Rose Theatre in Kingston celebrates its opening with new production of Uncle Vanya this month. Nick Smurthwaite talks to the team behind the venture that’s been 20 years in the making and look at whether the Kingston venue is likely to succeed

• News Special: With the Bush Theatre facing a £180,000 ACE funding cut, artistic director Josie Rourke tells Alistair Smith why the money is vital for encouraging new playwriting talent.

• When James Lipton set up the Actors Studio Drama School in New York, he had no idea that the televised interviews he conducted with some of the top names in the business would be both so personal or so successful, he tells Matthew Hemley

• Insight: With too few funded places available, it can prove a struggle for drama students without wealthy parents to find the finances to attend an accredited drama school, writes Susan Elkin

• Dear John: John gives some unasked for advice to two pop performers who represent the extremes of fortune 365 days can visit upon a career.

• Backstage Focus: Nick Smurthwaite talks to leading fight directors on the skills needed, from the ‘Errol Flynn factor’ to martial arts knowledge and psychological know-how

• Student Showcase reviews: Our round-up of the winter season of graduate showcases

• Female playwrights in the 18th century encountered great opposition, but a few intrepid souls managed o break through the hostile ranks nonetheless, writes Anthony Field

• Columnists: Ian Herbert on the Beijing Cultural Olympics: Maria Hodson on becoming an animated character (and filing her self-assessment returns), Patrick Newly on Danny La Rue in Benidorm and Howard Bird on backstage accidents

• Showpeople: Interviews with comedienne, singer and impressionist Karen Dalton, panto star Janet Greaves, gymnasts turned Cirque du Soleil performers Andrew and Kevin Atherton

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

In this week’s issue of The Stage:

• Singer and pianist Michael Feinstein, returning to perform in London for the first time in three years, talks to Mark Shenton about his passion for preserving the Great American Songbook

• Actor John Barrowman, who as Captain Jack returns to Torchwood in two weeks, talks to Matthew Hemley about working on the show and its parent, Doctor Who, and his hopes that his TV work will show audiences how good West End actors are

• Curtain Up: Alistair Smith previews Afrika! Afrika!, the circus-style celebration running alongside the O2 from January 17

• The RSC has enjoyed a remarkable rise in visitor numbers to Stratford. Sofie Mason looks at the marketing techniques which the industry as a whole could emulate

• The recent unsuccessful High Court action against Jerry Springer - The Opera means that theatre and television shows are unlikely to be successfully prosecuted under Britain’s blasphemy laws, writes legal expert Lindsay Dawson

• Cirque du Soleil’s Dominic Champagne talks to Nick Smurthwaite about the revival of his 2002 production Varekai, which returns to the Royal Albert Hall this month

• Nick Smurthwaite meets Paul Potts, winner of ITV1’s Britain’s Got Talent, and finds a natural talent who get a break at just the right time

• We meet the winner of our recent competition to win training at The Plumbing Academy

• Maggie Brown on media: How ITV1’s new schedule is make-or-break for the broadcaster - and the demise of the newspaper TV critic in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday

• Dear John: We start 2008 with a look back at some of the most useful advice our weekly column has provided in 2007

• Training: Susan Elkin meets Gavin Henderson, principal of the Central School of Speech and Drama

• Backstage: Flyman suggests some new year resolutions for stagehands

• Backstage Focus: Michael Sell examines how one Czech architectural team is successfully reviving the traditional European model of the combined theatre/hotel

• Rodney Wood remembers theatrical visionary Stephen Joseph

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

This week’s Christmas issue of The Stage is packed full of features for the festive season:

• In a series of interviews with West End actors recruited via TV talent shows, Joseph star Lee Mead talks about the risks he took in swapping his regular job in Phantom for the insecurity of the Saturday night audition show Any Dream Will Do

• The original reality casting star Connie Fisher talks to Nuala Calvi about being the ‘guinea pig’ of the process, and her plans for her career after she leaves the role of Maria in The Sound of Music next February

• Six months after winning ITV’s Grease is the Word, Danny Bayne and Susan McFadden tell Alistair Smith how they’ve coped with a tough schedule, mixed reviews and an uncertain future

• Chris Bartlett looks at UK broadcasters’ attempts to grapple with online viewing

• The Stage’s media expert Maggie Brown looks back at 2007 television, and remains optimistic for the future

• Comedian Arthur Smith offers a belated apology to Stephen Fry for bringing a Gary Glitter impersonator to a Christmas party

• Dear John: “I want to put my talents to good use for charity this Christmas, but how can I make a real contribution that’s not just for show?” Guests Ellena Ophira and Sheila Ferguson help John Byrne answer.

• The Stage’s very own Mark Ritchie visits Nigel Ellacott at the Kenneth More Theatre learns exactly what it takes to be the perfect pantomime ugly sister

• Training: Susan Elkin picks out some of the best books to learn acting and directing skills, perfect accents and use drama to help teach schoolchildren

• Looking for last-minute Christmas present ideas? Ian Herbert, Michael Quinn and Kevin Berry highlight the top theatre-related books, CDs and DVDs

• Backstage Focus: With pantomime season in full swing, Peter Ruthven Hall picks out some festive images of Christmas shows from the Collaborators exhibition of design for performance, now installed at the Victoria and Albert Museum

• Still looking for something to do? Try our festive quizzes and crossword!

2007 Review

• News: Lalayn Baluch and Matthew Hemley look at the events making the headlines in the theatre and TV world each month

• The Stage: Paul Vale looks at how the newspaper has been active in the past year, from awards sponsorship to ebook publishing and more

• West End theatre: Musicals and straight plays alike succeeded, but there were turkeys along the way, notes Paul Vale

• New writing: Aleks Sierz looks at the number of productions premiering in 2007

• In pictures: Our choice of the visual highlights of the year

• Regional theatre: Kevin Berry looks at achievements around the UK, including Birmingham Rep’s canal-based Box

• Dance: From ballet to Strictly Come Dancing, the last year has seen a surge of interest in dance, writes Kevin Berry

• Opera: George Hall notes the big achievements of the year, whether on stage in Satyagraha or at the business level with the appointment of Francesco Corti as music director for Scottish Opera

• Light entertainment: Mark Ritchie explores the big changes in the LE sector, from the smoking ban’s impact to full membership of the CIU for women

• Drama schools: The profile of drama training has improved this year, thanks in part to TV talent shows, says Paul Vale

• Television: Matthew Hemley reviews the highs and lows of drama, comedy and light entertainment on the box

• Radio: Nick Smurthwaite looks back at a year in wireless, as young listeners showed little signs of brand loyalty to the BBC, and Harold Pinter starred in a new production of his play The Homecoming

• Plus pictorial looks at some of the famous names of entertainment who passed away in 2007, as well as our picks of the year from Scene Around, our regular party pages

A very happy Christmas from everyone at The Stage. Please note that next week’s paper, which will feature our annual Stage 100 poll of the most influential people in live entertainment, will be on sale on Friday December 28.

• It’s the annual Christmas and Panto shows issue (oh yes it is). Kevin Berry casts an eye over the variety of seasonal shows on offer across the UK, Qdos director Jon Conway talks about his career in pantomime, you can win family tickets to one of 19 pantos around the country, and we have six pages of seasonal show listings

• Peters Fraser and Dunlop represents numerous actors and writers, including Ewan McGregor, Samuel West and Alan Bennett. Nick Awde looks at the unrest between PFD and owner CSS Stellar, and considers the nature of representation and the case for super-agencies

• Chris Bartlet considers whether the fallout from the recent spate of premium rate swindles has dented the public’s appetite for phone voting TV shows

• Dear John: “With Christmas approaching, what can I do to get more work and make more money?”

• Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench tells Maria Esposito why she was so keen to be a part of the BBC’s latest costume drama, Cranford. And the BBC’s head of series and serials, Kate Harwood, tells Matthew Hemley why the public can’t get enough of the classics

• Ten years ago Richard Blackwood was one of the UK’s leading stand-up comics and TYV presenters, but all that changed when he was declared bankrupt in 2002. Now he is making a comeback as and actor in a touring production of Agatha Christie’s The Unexpected Guest. he speaks to Jeremy Austin

• Ben Barnes has performed in The History Boys in the West End, the recent fantasy film Stardust and won the role of Prince Caspian in the big screen versions of the Narnia novels. He tells Emma Barnett how it feels to play the lead from a much-loved childhood book and acting tips he has learned

• Backstage Focus: The Theate Royal in Norwish has been refurbished and restructured by architect Tim Foster, who took inspiration from pre-cinema designs, writes Francis Reid

• Columnists: Ian Herbert on the best theatre blogs; Richard Jordan on the resurgence of the musical; Barbara Eifler on why ‘improving access’ to backstage jobs would be best achieved by improving the jobs on offer; Patrick Newley on the golden days of wrestling

• Showpeople: Interviews with Lauren Hendry, circus performer; Richard Gauntlett, panto dame; Taresh Solanki, the first Asian actor to play Buttons; Jamie Thompson, New English Contemporary Ballet’s dance education manager.

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

• News Exclusive: Read how the Department of Media, Culture and Sport has been forced to admit to a series of embarrassing errors after an investigation by The Stage revealed it had been overstating the amount of money given to the arts by government by millions of pounds.

• Broadway stagehands’ strike: Mark Shenton reports on the dispute closing New York’s theatres and assesses the impact it is having throughout the industry. Keep up to date with the latest on his blog, http://www.thestage.co.uk/shenton/

• As it gets harder to translate new writing into plays on the stage, different methods are being used to develop it. Jo Caird considers whether traditional readings still have a role for authors trying to sharpen up their work

• Maggie Brown on the current state of television drama

• Arthur Smith on the blurring of distinction between stand-up and character comedy

• Dear John: “How can I tailor my act for the corporate/party gigs market?”

• Training: Since setting up a musical theatre school 20 years ago in a hall in Eltham, sisters Donna and Bonnie Sullivan’s business has flourished, enabling them to launch a successful agency and offer subsidised Further Education, writes Susan Elkin

• Lookalikes special: The demand for celebrity and character lookalikes at parties, corporate events and premieres is rising, and it can be lucratve for those with a natural resemblance and a sense of cultural fashion, writes Mark Ritchie

• Actor Andrew Garfield tells Phil Penfold about his role in Channel 4’s controversial new drama Boy A, which follows the story of two children who kill a girl of their own age. He also reveals what it was like working with Robert Redford on his recently released film, Lions for Lambs

• Actor Tom Waite shares his experiences of working in Singapore for seven years with Nick Awde, while director Patrick Sandford tells Kevin Berry about the challenges of overcoming language and cultural barriers when working with foreign actors

• As BBC3’s Tittybangbang enters its third series, the show’s stars Lucy Montgomery and Debbie Chazen tell Matthew Hemley they’ll be dropping the darker sketches — including the necrophiliacs and bare-bottomed Harrogate Ladies — in favour of less offensive material

• Currently running at Hampstead Theatre, Anthony Sher’s new play The Giant eplores the conflict between two great artists competing to carve the statue of David — Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Roger Allam (Leonardo) tells Al Senter why he’s reluctant to return to the RSC and venture back into musicals

• Proclaimed “the granddaddy of in-your-face theatre”, Anthony Neilson’s God in Runs comes to London’s Soho Theatre next week. The playwright talks to Aleks Sierz about his loose adaptation of A Christmas Carol and its all-male cast of 11 in need of merriment

• Win the chance to learn a self-employed trade to give you peace of mind and boost earnings in between auditions and entertainment work, with £6,000 of training to be won

• Notes for The Stage: In our final Notes for The Stage column, Paul Spicer, co-founder, assoicate director and star of the Notes from new York series, heralds the last stages of the cmpetition and looks ahead to a future full of compositional creativity

• Backstage Focus: Sound designer Gregory Clarke has worked on successful shows such as Equus and The Emperor Jones, winning praise and an award along the way. He talks to Nick Smurthwaite about the delights of working on the more subtle aspects of a production

• Makeup artist Ron Freeman worked with Luciano Pavarotti at the legendary tenor’s debut at Covent Garden and then throughout his career. He tells Brian O’Connell about getting to know the man behind the iconic stage persona

• Showpeople: Interviews with technical theatre graduate Amber Tomlin, recipient of this year’s Diana Boddington Memorial Award; Ian Forrest, artistic director of Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake; Tarell Alvin McCraney, writer of The Brothers Size at the Young Vic

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/.

• News Special: Reports from the TMA conference and Equity’s diversity conference

• Insight: With many young playwrights unable to afford the time or the money to write, Sofie Mason argues that for theatre to truly reflect a broad spectrum of society, it is vital for the industry to rally around and support writers

• Shadow minister for culture Ed Vaizey examines the recommendations made by an independent task force before the launch of the Conservative manifesto and suggests how Stage readers can contribute towards the debate

• Dear John on the quest for long-term success, featuring guest adviser Gabrielle

• Full coverage of last week’s Showcall Showcase, with full reviews of all eight sessions

• Comedian Sharon Horgan (Pulling, Annually Retentive) talks to Matthew Hemley about writing and starring in her new sitcom for Five, Angelo’s

• The Lichfield Garrick has made quite a few changes since weathering a severe dressing down from Stage reader and actor Giles Watling. Howard Bird returns to the theatre to see whether the venue has turned a corner

• Paul Vale meets the four members of vocal group Teatro, about to release their first album of stage tunes

• West End actress Julie Atherton, founder member of Notes from New York and star of Avenue Q, shares her thoughts on the highs and lows of the series, and excitement at getting to sing a range of new material — including the shortlisted songs entered for Notes for The Stage

• As it celebrates its tenth anniversary in the West End, Nick Smurthwaite takes a look back at the history of Chicago

• Backstage Focus: Intro to Nitro production manager Kat Nugent talks about the difficulty of bringing a soul food themed show, which planned to use a gas burner, to the stage

• Columnists: Ian Herbert on Russian opera audiences; Maria Hodson on children’s theatre, Lyric Firsts and performing in the new Maximo Park video; Clive Barnes on the latest New York productions; Liz Thomas on the BBC’s latest acting talent series; Howard Bird on coping with raked stages; Patrick Newley on actors with annoying voices

• Showpeople: Interviews with Debbie Curtis, Britain’s only female big band leader; director Rebecca Mccutcheon; and actress Elspeth Brodie

Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.

The Stage is available from major newsagents, including most High Street branches of WH Smith, every Thursday priced £1.30. You can also subscribe and receive a copy by mail every week: more details and prices at http://www.thestage.co.uk/subscribe/ .