To complement the Royal Albert Hall’s current production of “Tosca”, the venue’s education department worked with Enfield Young Offenders to create a new, modern day interpretation of the story.

The Stage went to rehearsals for a special reading of “The Last Standing” by a cast of professional actors, directed by Phil Daniels. Hear interviews with the project leaders, two of the young writers involved and some of the cast.

This podcast contains strong language.

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The Stage went down to Brighton to meet some of the people behind BBC Showcase, the annual screening event held by BBC Worldwide to promote the best of British television to international broadcasters.

We talk to BBC Worldwide’s Abigail Hughes about the event, and the importance of ‘talent’ (actors, directors, etc.) to the promotion of programmes.

One of the BBC’s highest profile new shows at the event is relationship drama Mistresses. In a fun round table interview with cast members Sarah Parish, Shelley Conn, Sharon Small, Adam Rayner, Max Brown and Patrick Baladi, we talk about the success of the show, and how actors’ workload involves an increasing amount of PR work.

Finally, Timothy Spall joins us to talk about his role as Fagin in Oliver Twist, one of the BBC’s other high profile shows here at Showcase.

If you have any comments, you can leave them below, by email to podcast@thestage.co.uk, or on our page on Facebook.

 To access the podcast

There are several ways in which you can access the podcast.

• Use the player above to listen to a streaming version of this podcast.

• Download the MP3 file (right click and select “Save As…”, “Download this file” or equivalent).

• Subscribe to the MP3 podcast in your podcast player.

• If you use iTunes, subscribe to the enhanced podcast to get album artwork, chapter points for easier navigation, and smaller file sizes for faster downloads.

For our first podcast of 2008, Nuala Calvi interviewed The Sound of Music’s Maria, Connie Fisher.

As well as talking about the audition process via TV show which has spawned so many imitators, Connie talks about life now that she’s the star of the London Palladium production, as well as her plans for the future when she leaves the nun’s habit behind.

 To access the podcast

There are several ways in which you can access the podcast.

• Use the player above to listening to a streaming version

• Download the MP3 file (right click and select “Save As…”, “Download this file” or equivalent).

• Subscribe to the MP3 podcast in your podcast player.

• If you use iTunes, subscribe to the enhanced podcast to get album artwork, chapter points for easier navigation, and smaller file sizes for faster downloads.

If you have any comments, you can leave them below, or email them to podcasts@thestage.co.uk.

It’s a TV light entertainment special this edition, as we catch up with one of the winning Dance X dancers, Marie McGonigle, and her mentor during the BBC1 talent show, Bruno Tonioli.

• Download Dancing in Repeat from the iTunes Store.

Bruno is also taking part as one of the commentators for next Saturday’s Eurovision Dance Contest. At the press launch for the event, we talked to hosts Graham Norton and Claudia Winkleman.

 To access the podcast

There are several ways in which you can access the podcast.

• Use the player above to listen to a streaming version of this episode.

• Download the MP3 file (right click and select “Save As…”, “Download this file” or equivalent).

• Subscribe to the MP3 podcast in your podcast player.

• If you use iTunes, subscribe to the enhanced podcast to get album artwork, chapter points for easier navigation, and smaller file sizes for faster downloads.

If you have any comments, you can leave them below, or email them to podcasts@thestage.co.uk.

After Saturday’s final of Grease is the Word, The Stage’s Alistair Smith got the very first interviews with winners Danny Bayne and Susan McFadden, who are now to become the West End’s latest Danny and Sandy when Grease returns at the Piccadilly Theatre.

He also caught up with TV judge and the musical’s producer, David Ian, to talk about the winners and the series as a whole.

 To access the podcast

There are several ways in which you can access the podcast.

• Use the player above to listen to a streaming version

• Download the MP3 file (right click and select “Save As…”, “Download this file” or equivalent).

• Subscribe to the MP3 podcast in your podcast player.

• If you use iTunes, subscribe to the enhanced podcast to get album artwork, chapter points for easier navigation, and smaller file sizes for faster downloads.

If you have any comments, you can leave them below, or email them to podcasts@thestage.co.uk.

The third series of the revived BBC series Doctor Who starts on March 31. Prior to the press launch last night, I spoke to executive producer Julie Gardner about the new series, how her recent promotion to Controller of Drama Commissioning at the BBC affects her role on the show, and much more.

Just a couple of days after the new series starts, last year’s Christmas special, The Runaway Bride starring Catherine Tate, is released on DVD. We have a review.

A commentary track (as mentioned in the podcast) is available from the BBC Doctor who website.

And finally, some extracts from the press Q&A session with David Tennant and Freema Agyeman from the press launch, along with interviews with some of the actors in attendance: EastEnders actor and Doctor Who fan Adam Woodyatt; Noel Clarke, who played Mickey Smith in Series 1 and 2; and Linda Clark, who plays the prosthetic-heavy character ‘Bloodtide’ in the second episode of the new series.

Be warned — if you’re the type of person who wants to avoid any foreknowledge of future episodes, some of the interviews in this podcast contain mild spoilers.

 To access the podcast

There are several ways in which you can access the podcast.

• Use the player above to listen to a streaming version.

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• If you use iTunes, subscribe to the enhanced podcast to get album artwork, chapter points for easier navigation, and smaller file sizes for faster downloads.

To accompany our first podcast, we include a full transcript of the podcast here.