December 2009 Archives

Every year, The Stage publishes the Stage 100, the list of the hundred most influential people currently working in British theatre.

Scott Matthewman discusses this year’s list with Alistair Smith, The Stage’s news and opinion editor who oversees the compilation of the list each year. They discuss who is eligible for inclusion, some of the key movers in the top 20, and a selection of the interesting names from lower down in the list.

The full list can be found in the December 30 issue of The Stage, and will be available online later this week.

To listen to the podcast:

The preferred way to listen to the podcast is through iTunes. If you subscribe to the podcast series in iTunes, then not only will you get this edition of the podcast, but you will automatically receive further editions, for free, as they are released. The iTunes edition of the podcast also has additional photography and chapter marks for easier navigation.

• Listen and subscribe now in iTunes (recommended)

A lower quality MP3 version can be played below:

In this week’s Stage Podcast, theatre critics Mark Shenton (The Stage, Sunday Express) and Charles Spencer (Daily Telegraph) discuss the nature of theatre journalism in front of an audience of students.

The seminar was recorded two weeks ago at TheatreCraft, a careers fair sponsored by The Stage.

Read Mark Shenton’s daily blog at thestage.co.uk/shenton.

To listen to the podcast:

The preferred way to listen to the podcast is through iTunes. If you subscribe to the podcast series in iTunes, then not only will you get this edition of the podcast, but you will automatically receive further editions, for free, as they are released. The iTunes edition of the podcast also has additional photography and chapter marks for easier navigation.

• Listen and subscribe now in iTunes (recommended)

A lower quality MP3 version can be played below:

Next week, the three couples competing in the Strictly Come Dancing semi-final will each perform an Argentine Tango in their quest to compete in the following week’s final.

Argentine Tango experts Kele Baker and Ralf Schiller teach the dance style to the celebrities and professional dancers who have reached this stage in the competition. They have also written a book, Strictly Come Dancing: Step-by-Step Dance Class, which illustrates each of the classic ballroom and Latin dances used in the series.

I went to Kensington Dance Studio and met Kele Baker to talk about the book, the Argentine Tango — and to sneak a few minutes of tango practice.

Strictly Come Dancing: Step-by-Step Dance Class is published by BBC Books, ISBN 9781-1-846-07765-4, RRP £9.99

• Buy Strictly Come Dancing: Step-by-Step Dance Class from Amazon.co.uk - price at time of publishing this blog post is £6.50 (35% off)
• Last week’s Strictly Come Dancing Results Show, which featured demonstrations of the Argentine Tango by Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, is still available on iPlayer until 7.09pm on Friday, January 1, 2010. The studio dance is also available on YouTube.

To listen to the podcast:

The preferred way to listen to the podcast is through iTunes. If you subscribe to the podcast series in iTunes, then not only will you get this edition of the podcast, but you will automatically receive further editions, for free, as they are released. The iTunes edition of the podcast also has additional photography and chapter marks for easier navigation.

• Listen and subscribe now in iTunes (recommended)

A lower quality MP3 version can be played below:

In this week’s Stage Podcast, Nick Smurthwaite meets Peter Davison. The television and theatre actor plays Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde: the Musical, which starts previews at the Savoy Theatre on December 5.

• Legally Blonde The Musical - Original Broadway Cast Recording [CD]
• Legally Blonde - Original Broadway Cast Recording [MP3]
• Buy tickets for Legally Blonde the Musical, Savoy Theatre

To listen to the podcast:

The preferred way to listen to the podcast is through iTunes. If you subscribe to the podcast series in iTunes, then not only will you get this edition of the podcast, but you will automatically receive further editions, for free, as they are released. The iTunes edition of the podcast also has additional photography and chapter marks for easier navigation.

• Listen and subscribe now in iTunes (recommended)

A lower quality MP3 version can be played below: