Sondheim, Lloyd Webber & Sierz birthdays; new podcast episode: Henry Goodman & Jonathan Munby on The Price; actors' mental health report; Chalamet again; EIF 2026
News, reviews, features and podcast on theatre across the UK
The British Theatre Guide Newsletter
No 1256: 22 March 2026
Editorial
Today is when, famously, two of the biggest names in musical theatre of recent times, Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber, share a birthday. They also share it with theatre critic and academic Aleks Sierz, who popularised the term “in yer face theatre” relating to a particular group of plays and playwrights working in British theatre in the 1990s, especially at London’s Royal Court Theatre.
Last week, we brought to you a new podcast episode about a piece of political theatre, I, Daniel Blake, based on the film directed by Ken Loach. This week on the podcast, we have looked at a revival of a play by a very different political playwright, Arthur Miller, whose The Price has just gone into rehearsal and can be seen from next month at London’s Marylebone Theatre.
I spoke first of all to the actor Henry Goodman, who is playing 89-year-old Gregory Solomon, about the play and the important role his character plays in a story about two estranged brothers selling off their late father’s possessions. I mentioned to him that I’d seen him play Sigmund Freud in Terry Johnson’s Hysteria about thirty years ago, and he spoke about how big an influence Freud has been on him as a result of studying him for that production.
I also spoke to the director of the play, Jonathan Munby, about why he wanted to direct this play now, the family and political stories of the play and how he will begin rehearsals (they actually began on Monday, but I was speaking to him the week before). I also asked him about his time as Director of Performance (Drama) at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and whether working with drama students has had an influence on his work as a director.
I mentioned last week about actor Timothée Chalamet’s dismissive comments about ballet and opera, also referring to our podcast episode featuring English Touring Opera’s Artistic Director Robin Norton-Hale (the production of Pagliacci she talked about was reviewed for us this weekend by Velda Harris) in which she promoted the idea of opera being for everybody.
Chalamet has been condemned by many in the industry, most of whom will not have listened to the whole of the hour-long conversation with Matthew McConnaughy, but Andrew Cowie has taken apart his words and tried to find the positive and the pertinent in what he actually said.
Philip Fisher has examined a report commissioned by the Actors’ Trust into the mental health of actors and stage managers, the conclusions of which are rather worrying.
In our third feature of this week, Keith Mckenna has reported from the London launch of the Edinburgh International Festival, examining the programme for the upcoming festival and raising once again the controversy over one of its sponsors, which has been a major funder of arts and culture in Scotland for years but whose commercial investments have drawn criticism.
Next week’s newsletter may be earlier as it will be the start of British Summer Time. If you’re in the UK, don’t forget to put your clocks on an hour—the ones that don’t alter themselves.
Jenny Ryan, otherwise known as The Vixen from ITV quiz show The Chase, will lead the cast of Leicester De Montfort Hall’s 2026 panto as the Enchantress.
Comedian Russell Kane is to undertake his first stage role in a reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet which portrays the star-crossed lovers in their 40s.
Jenny Ryan, otherwise known as The Vixen from ITV quiz show The Chase, will lead the cast of Leicester De Montfort Hall’s 2026 panto as the Enchantress.
Bog Witch (Avalon & Tellus Studio) - HOME Manchester, Manchester, –
Only Human (Vaudeville Productions, Michael Vine, Andrew O’Connor, Paul Sandler and Derren Brown for Only Human Productions Ltd) - Liverpool Empire, Liverpool, –
Hamlet (Royal Shakespeare Company) - Blackpool Grand Theatre, Blackpool, –
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (Stage Entertainment, Joop van den Ende and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner) - Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds, –
Living (Sheffield Theatres) - The Crucible / Lyceum Theatre / Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield, –
