Michael Billington

Michael Billington reflects on almost 50 years and some 10,000 reviews as he steps down as the Guardian's chief theatre critic. Michael is introduced by Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre. A number of guests including actors Penelope Wilton, Simon Russell Beale, Aisling Loftus and Oliver Ford Davies read from some of Michael's favourite plays.

Michael Billington on Stage

Katy Rudd

Joel Horwood

Katy Rudd (The Almighty, Royal Exchange; Associate Artist, Elliott &amp; Harper Productions) and Joel Horwood (I Want My Hat Back, National Theatre; The Little Mermaid, Bristol Old Vic) discuss their new production of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Chaired by playwright and academic, Dan Rebellato.

Director Katy Rudd and Adapter Joel Horwood on The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Inua Ellams

Writer Inua Ellams and Director Nadia Fall discuss their new production of Three Sisters. Chaired by Louisa Uchum Egbunike, Lecturer in English at City, University of London, Curator of the Legacies of Biafra touring exhibition and Co-Convenor of the Annual Igbo Conference.

Writer Inua Ellams and Director Nadia Fall on Three Sisters

Neil Gaiman

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is the bestselling magical novel from the brilliant imagination of Neil Gaiman. Join Gaiman as he chats to Lenny Henry about writing this modern myth, where his inspiration came from, and what it's like to have his novel adapted for the stage.

Neil Gaiman on The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Lindsay Duncan

Alex Jennings

Lindsay Duncan and Alex Jennings reflect on the challenges and rewards of performing in Hansard. Chaired by David Benedict.

Actors Lindsay Duncan and Alex Jennings on Hansard

Rufus Norris

Helen Edmundson

Director Rufus Norris and Adapter Helen Edmundson reflect on their production of Small Island. Chaired by Brenda Emmanus.

Director Rufus Norris and Adapter Helen Edmundson on Small Island

Join legendary theatre-maker Peter Brook (‘our greatest living director’, Independent) as he speaks to Mark Lawson to discuss his new book Playing by Ear: Reflections on Music and Sound, which explores the role of music in the theatre and revisits some of the best-known productions from his long and distinguished career.

A Conversation with Peter Brook

Simon Godwin

Simon Woods

Director Simon Godwin (Antony &amp; Cleopatra, Man + Superman) and writer Simon Woods reflect on their new production of Hansard

Director Simon Godwin and Writer Simon Woods on Hansard

David Hare

Jonathan Kent

Peter Gynt

David Hare and Jonathan Kent (the partnership behind Young Chekhov) speak about the processes of making their new production. Hosted by Georgina Godwin

Creating and Performing Peter Gynt (Part Two): David Hare and Jonathan Kent

James McArdle

James McArdle (Platonov, Angels in America) reflects on the challenges and rewards of creating and playing Peter Gynt. Hosted by Georgina Godwin.

Creating and Performing Peter Gynt (Part One): James McArdle

Welcome to our collection of conversations recorded live from the National Theatre stages, including interviews with actors, directors and playwrights.

Absolutely every podcast episode is chock full of interesting dramaturgical information and has been a fantastic learning tool for discussing theatre critically. The sound quality can often times be very poor, which is frustrating when I want to hear every juicy tidbit. These episodes are often recorded on stage for a talk back with a live audience, so I’m not sure if that issue will ever be remedied.

Great content but occasionally poor sound quality

Thank you

NT Talks

Tony Kushner

The writer discusses his play, Angels in America. Chaired by Ola Animashawun.

Tony Kushner on Angels in America 

Denise Gough

The actors Andrew Garfield and Denise Gough discuss their experience of performing in Angels in America. Chaired by Kate Bassett.

Andrew Garfield and Denise Gough on Angels in America

Ivo van Hove

Patrick Marber

Hedda Gabler

Director Ivo van Hove and writer Patrick Marber discuss this new version of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler with Kirsty Wark.

Ivo van Hove and Patrick Marber on Hedda Gabler

Ruth Wilson

The actor reflects on the challenges and rewards of playing the title role in Hedda Gabler.

Ruth Wilson on Hedda Gabler

Judi Dench

Judi Dench joins Angus MacKechnie on the Lyttelton stage to discuss her career and share memorable moments from her performances at the National Theatre.

Judi Dench at the National Theatre

As her memoir, Touching Lives, is published, Sue Laurie reflects on thirty years of learning, training and teaching the Alexander Technique – an integral part of the inner workings of the National Theatre and RSC. She talks about the huge impact that Alexander Technique has on voice, body and mind for actors, directors and puppeteers, and her own indomitable passion for theatre with actor Michelle Terry (NT: Cleansed, London Assurance) and director Ian Rickson (NT: Evening at the Talk House, The Red Lion), who calls her work ‘invaluable during rehearsal… almost imperceptible yet with palpable results’.

As her memoir, Touching Lives, is published, Sue Laurie reflects on thirty years of learning, training and teaching the Alexander Technique – an integral part of the inner workings of the National Theatre and RSC. She talks about the huge impact that Alexander Technique has on voice, body and mind for actors, directors and puppeteers, and her own indomitable passion for theatre with actor Michelle Terry (NT: Cleansed, London Assurance) and director Ian Rickson (NT: Evening at the Talk House, The Red Lion), who calls her work ‘invaluable during rehearsal… almost imperceptible yet with palpable results’.

Alexander Technique in the Theatre 

The former Director of the National Theatre talks to Abigail Rokison-Woodall about his enormous contribution to the history of Shakespeare at the NT. In her forthcoming new book, Shakespeare in the Theatre: Nicholas Hytner, she looks at his career through his Shakespeare productions as a whole, including those of Henry V, Much Ado about Nothing, Timon of Athens and Othello at the National.

The former Director of the National Theatre talks to Abigail Rokison-Woodall about his enormous contribution to the history of Shakespeare at the NT. In her forthcoming new book, Shakespeare in the Theatre: Nicholas Hytner, she looks at his career through his Shakespeare productions as a whole, including those of Henry V, Much Ado about Nothing, Timon of Athens and Othello at the National.

Shakespeare: The 21st Century 

Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller's plays, The Crucible, All My Sons, A View from the Bridge and Death of a Salesman, have been embraced all around the world. His work embodies the public issues of his day, translating them into terms of the private conscience. In this audio podcast from 1984 Arthur Miller reads from his log of Death of a Salesman in Beijing to a live audience at the National Theatre. This has been taken from the National Theatre Archive.

Arthur Miller reads from his log of Death of a Salesman in Beijing

Russell Tovey

Nathan Lane

The actors reflect on the challenges and rewards of performing in Angels in America. Chaired by Matt Wolf.

Nathan Lane and Russell Tovey on Angels in America

The last of a series of discussions on the issues raised by the play, Another World.

Another World: Islamic State Discussion (part 3/3)

A conversation exploring recent influences and shifts in writing for musical theatre, and looking forward to the future of the genre. Speakers include Anthony Drewe, Victoria Saxton and Sevan Tavoukdijan, chaired by Adam Lenson.

The Future of Musical Theatre

James Shapiro

1606, while a very good year for Shakespeare (he wrote Macbeth, King Lear and Antony and Cleopatra), was a fraught one for England. The plague had returned. There was resistance to the new king's desire to turn England and Scotland into a united Britain. Fear and uncertainty across the land exposed deep divisions in the aftermath of a failed terrorist attack that came to be known as the Gunpowder Plot. Join James Shapiro to explore how Shakespeare’s plays responded to the tumultuous events of 1606. James Shapiro, who teaches English at Columbia University in New York, is author of several books, including 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare (winner of the BBC4 Samuel Johnson Prize in 2006), 1606: William Shakespeare and the Year of Lear, as well as Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? He also serves on the Board of the Royal Shakespeare Company. This talk will be chaired by Mark Lawson.

1606, while a very good year for Shakespeare (he wrote Macbeth, King Lear and Antony and Cleopatra), was a fraught one for England. The plague had returned. There was resistance to the new king's desire to turn England and Scotland into a united Britain. Fear and uncertainty across the land exposed deep divisions in the aftermath of a failed terrorist attack that came to be known as the Gunpowder Plot. Join James Shapiro to explore how Shakespeare’s plays responded to the tumultuous events of 1606. James Shapiro, who teaches English at Columbia University in New York, is author of several books, including 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare (winner of the BBC4 Samuel Johnson Prize in 2006), 1606: William Shakespeare and the Year of Lear, as well as Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? He also serves on the Board of the Royal Shakespeare Company. This talk will be chaired by Mark Lawson.

Shakespeare's England in 1606 with James Shapiro

Rory Kinnear

Rory Kinnear talks to Matt Wolf about his approach to playing the historic part of Hamlet in Nicholas Hytner's production and of the process behind creating his version of the role. This is a Platform event from January 2011.

Rory Kinnear - Talking Shakespeare

The timeless Shakespearean characters of Lear and Rosalind are given a voice through the different and unorthodox approach of their biographers, in two newly-published books. Michael Pennington, who played King Lear in New York and is currently touring the UK, takes us on a journey through the play from the point of view of Lear himself, commenting on its motives and themes in Lear’s own words, in King Lear in Brooklyn. Angela Thirlwell explores the fictitious life and the many after-lives of Shakespeare’s progressive heroine Rosalind, and her perennial influence on drama, fiction and art, using interviews with actors and directors in Rosalind: A Biography of Shakespeare’s Immortal Heroine.

The timeless Shakespearean characters of Lear and Rosalind are given a voice through the different and unorthodox approach of their biographers, in two newly-published books. Michael Pennington, who played King Lear in New York and is currently touring the UK, takes us on a journey through the play from the point of view of Lear himself, commenting on its motives and themes in Lear’s own words, in King Lear in Brooklyn. Angela Thirlwell explores the fictitious life and the many after-lives of Shakespeare’s progressive heroine Rosalind, and her perennial influence on drama, fiction and art, using interviews with actors and directors in Rosalind: A Biography of Shakespeare’s Immortal Heroine.

Lear and Rosalind

From the new series of the BBC's The Hollow Crown, director Dominic Cooke and writer Ben Power discuss their approach to filming Shakespeare's work for the screen.

Shakespeare: Writer for Today 

Ralph Fiennes

The actor talks about the challenges and rewards of playing Jack Tanner in Man and Superman. Chaired by Joan Bakewell.

The actor talks about the challenges and rewards of playing Jack Tanner in Man and Superman. Chaired by Joan Bakewell.

Ralph Fiennes on Man and Superman

Simon Russell Beale

Simon Russell Beale and Simon Lovestone look at how memory and ageing are explored in Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, and discuss how the situations experienced by the characters might be mirrored today. Part of the Shakespeare400 Partnership, coordinated by King’s College London.

Simon Russell Beale and Simon Lovestone look at how memory and ageing are explored in Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, and discuss how the situations experienced by the characters might be mirrored today. Part of the Shakespeare400 Partnership, coordinated by King’s College London.

Shakespeare and Old Age: Simon Russell Beale 

Marianne Elliott

The Director talks about her production of Angels in America, chaired by Susannah Clapp.

Marianne Elliott on Angels in America

The Best Multi-Part Documentaries, with documentaries on Obama, Federer vs Nadal, the making of Star Wars, Netflix vs Blockbuster and more. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Multi-Part Documentaries

What is this?
1 quote, 3 ideas & 1 question from a carefully curated podcast episode.
Every Monday & Wednesday.

Want a 3rd insight and episode every week? Email me at curation@owltail.com.