April 2010 Archives

A a young playwright, Jonathan Harvey’s works including Beautiful Thing, Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club and Boom Bang a Bang established him as one of the foremost voices in gay theatre.

His more recent work has been in television, with sitcoms Gimme Gimme Gimme and Beautiful People sitting alongside work on ITV performing arts drama Britannia High and as part of the scriptwriting team on Coronation Street.

Now he is about to return to the stage with his new, generation-spanning play Canary, which starts previews at the Liverpool Playhouse on April 24.

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)

Alternatively, you can listen to a lower quality, streamed MP3 version below.

Born in 1970 with a rare genetic condition, Warwick Davis is, at 3’6”, what he describes as “ever so slightly below average height”.

His short stature has put him in the frame for several high profile character roles in big Hollywood films, making his debut as Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi before roles in Willow, Leprechaun, the film version of Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Ray and as Professor Flitwick in all eight of the Harry Potter films. On television, he played Reepicheep the Mouse and Glimfeather the Owl in the BBC’s Narnia adaptations and appeared as himself in the Ricky Gervais series Extras.

Off screen, he and his father-in-law Peter Burroughs run Willow Personal Management, which represents over a hundred small actors.

Now he’s written his autobiography, Size Matters Not, which is published on April 22 by Aurum Press. It’s available from our bookselling partner, Amazon.co.uk:

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)

Alternatively, you can listen to a lower quality, streamed MP3 version below.

As the musical Hairspray starts its national tour, Michael Ball talks to Scott Matthewman about reprising his role as Edna Turnblad, and joining Stage Entertainment as a producer for the tour.

In a wide-ranging interview he also talks about the state of backstage facilities around the UK, his passion for Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd, the different challenges faced by male and female musical actors, and casting of theatre roles by television.

For dates and venues of the Hairspray UK tour, see The Stage Listings.

The official website: www.hairspraythetour.com.

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)

Alternatively, you can listen to a lower quality, streamed MP3 version below.