In The Frame: Theatre Interviews from West End Frame

Daniel Krikler is starring as Richard in the world premiere of Redcliffe at the Southwark Playhouse.Written by Jordan Luke Gage, this new musical is based on the true story of William Critchard and Richard Arnold in 18th-century Bristol. It follows the dangerous, forbidden passion between a man of humble beginnings and a visiting sailor as they navigate a world of intense persecution.Daniel's early credits include Charlie in Loserville (Garrick Theatre & West Yorkshire Playhouse), Rory in Bare: A Pop Opera (Union Theatre), Eddie in Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre) and Jersey Boys (UK Tour). He then returned to drama school to do an MA at Central School of Speech and Drama, and forged a hugely diverse career with his credits including: Arthur in Pink Mist (Bristol Old Vic/UK Tour), Dan in Homos, Or Everyone In America (Finborough Theatre), Keith Douglas in Unicorns, Almost (Bristol Old Vic), Understudy: Joe, Roland & Fred in Present Laughter (The Old Vic), Malcolm/Witch in Macbeth (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Understudy: Leo in 4000 Miles (The Old Vic), Charlemagne in Pippin (Charing Cross Theatre), Ensemble in The Normal Heart (National Theatre), Martin McGough in Fighting Irish (Belgrade Theatre), Caliban in The Tempest (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Mr Lacy in The Secret Life of Bees (Almeida Theatre), Max Vandenberg in The Book Thief (Leicester Curve) and Dillon Evans in The Motive and The Cue (National Theatre Productions).Daniel's most recent work includes: Fedya Dolokhov in Natatsha, Pierre & The Great Comet (Donmar Warehouse), Martin in Austenland (Savoy Theatre), Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof (Regents Park Open Air / Barbican), Peter Pan in Wendy and Peter Pan (Barbican / RSC) and Man in All Is But Fantasy (RSC).Redcliffe runs at the Southwark Playhouse Borough 22nd May – 4th July. Visit www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk for info and tickets. This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Harrison is playing Mrs Lyons in the touring production of Blood Brothers.Laura is also the alternate Mrs Johnstone and has history with the show, having previously played Donna Marie and Miss Jones whilst understudying Mrs Lyons. Written by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers surpassed 10,000 performances in the West End and has toured extensively.Laura was Standby Elphaba in the West End production of Wicked, having previously been in the show’s ensemble whilst understudying Elphaba. Laura was in Jamie Lloyd's West End revival of Sunset Boulevard, understudying for Norma Desmond. Her theatre credits also include: Magenta in Rocky Horror, Vivienne in Legally Blonde, Lucille in Parade and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. In this episode Laura discusses her return to Blood Brothers and what it’s like to be covering one of her dream roles, Mrs Johnstone. She also takes a deep dive into her Elphaba journey and some of the remarkable moments from her time in Oz. Laura also reflects on Sunset Boulevard and how she's navigating her the industry after some major career highs... and lots more pops up along the way.Blood Brothers tours the UK. Visit www.kenwright.com for info and tickets.This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is Jon Robyns who is starring as Miss Trunchbull in the West End production of Matilda.Having premiered in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2010, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s musical has been seen by 11 million people across 100 cities worldwide. Written by Dennis Kelly, Matilda has music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and direction by Matthew Warchus. Jon took over as Miss Trunchbull last year, immediately after his run as Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby at the London Coliseum.Jon's West End credits include The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (having previously played Enjolras and Marius), King George in Hamilton, alternate Huey in Memphis, Scrooge & others in Dickens Abridged, Galahad in Spamalot and Princeton & Rod in Avenue Q.Jon’s other theatre credits include: Adam Nehemiah in Dessa Rose (Trafalgar Studios 2), Robbie in The Wedding Singer (UK & Ireland Tour), Emmet in Legally Blonde (Leicester Curve), Eddie in Sister Act (UK & Ireland Tour), Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Jamie in The Last Five Years (Greenwich Theatre), Hollis in Road Show (Menier Chocolate Factory), Mark in Rent (Frankfurt) and alternate Chris in Miss Saigon (UK & Ireland Tour). Jon performs in concerts all around the world and, alongside his performing work, is also a writer. Jon and his writing partner Christopher J Orton’s musical Then, Now & Next premiered at the Southwark Playhouse in the summer of 2023, and they continue to collaborate on new writing projects.In this episode Jon discusses his time in The Great Gatsby, the process of taking over as Miss Trunchbull and his next writing project, plus lots more.Matilda runs at the Cambridge Theatre. Visit www.uk.matildathemusical.com for info and tickets.This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

KoKo Alexandra is starring as Katherine Jackson and Kate in the West End production of MJ The Musical. KoKo is from Alabama and has been on an incredible journey so far in her career. After spending many years performing at sea on cruise ships and appearing on The Voice US, KoKo moved to London. She received huge acclaim for her performance as Lady Liv in Play On on tour and at the Lyric Hammersmith and later played Spirit of the Ring in Aladdin at the Palace Theatre in Newark. For the last year KoKo has been making her West End debut as Katherine Jackson and Kate in MJ and the show is now coming to the end of its London run. Since moving to the UK, KoKo has performed at The UK Theatre Awards, The Black British Theatre Awards, West End Live and Magic at the Musicals at the Royal Albert Hall.In this episode KoKo discusses why she moved to the UK and how she established herself on the theatre scene over here. She talks about her performance in Play On, her first experience of British pantomime and delves into all-things MJ.Follow KoKo on Instagram: @forever_kori You can see KoKo as Katherine Jackson in MJ The Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre until 28th February 2026. Visit www.london.mjthemusical.com for info and tickets.This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Glen recently completed his run in The Book of Mormon. Sam's theatre credits include: Flute in Midsummer Mechanicals (Shakespeare’s Globe), Nigel in Ticket Time: 100 Word Plays (Oldham Coliseum Theatre), Billy in The Kitchen Sink (Oldham Coliseum Theatre), Charlie in The Visitors Book (Hope Mill Theatre), Billy Jenkins in A Letter to Boddah (Hope Mill Theatre), Curan in King Lear (Manchester Royal Exchange/Talawa Theatre Company), Curan in King Lear (Birmingham Rep/Talawa Theatre Company) and Marc (Mercutio) in Star Cross’d (Oldham Coliseum Theatre).He has worked extensively on screen, with his credits including Brassic, Doc Martin, Coronation Street, World’s End, Doctors, Greater Love Hath No Man, Shameless, The Street, Three Day Millionaire, King Lear: The Film and Two Wrongs.Sam was a contestant on the BBC1 reality show Let It Shine which was a casting search for the Take That musical. Sam made his musical theatre debut in the West End production of The Book of Mormon as the Standby for Elder Cunningham. He went on to take over the role full-time for the musical’s most recent UK & International tour.In this episode Sam discusses his musical theatre era and his journey with The Book of Mormon. He also delves into his path into the industry and how he’s navigated his career so far. Follow Sam on Instagram: @samglenuk This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Yammanee is playing Ariel in Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch.The show has played Edinburgh Fringe and toured, but now it's returning for another London run at The Other Palace in a newly reworked version, which is described as being "shorter, sharper, ruder, with a brand-new design and updated material". Julie is joining the cast for the first time. Unfortunate has book and lyrics by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx with music by Tim Gilvin.Julie just finished starring as Inga in Young Frankenstein at The Hope Mill and Liverpool Playhouse. Her theatre credits also include: Tom Watson & Thekla in Nerds (Edinburgh Fringe), Jerry’s Girls (Menier Chocolate Factory), Miss Geist in the world premiere of Clueless (Churchill Theatre Bromley), Emma Parker in Bonnie & Clyde (Garrick Theatre), I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical (Wilton’s Music Hall & Edinburgh Festival), Marie & Fairy Godmother in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Hope Mill Theatre), Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel (Kilworth House Theatre), Emma Parker in Bonnie and Clyde in Concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Myrtle Wilson in Gatsby (Southwark Playhouse), Spamilton(Menier Chocolate Factory), Ivo van Hove’s Lazarus (King’s Cross Theatre), Julie Dimitri in And The Winner Is (Vaults), Aladdin (Hackney Empire), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK & International Tour), Here Lies Love directed by Alex Timbers (National Theatre) and Christmas Eve in Avenue Q (UK Tour).On screen Julie has appeared in Matilda (Netflix / Working Title) and A Christmas Story Christmas (Legendary / Warner Brothers HBO MAX). In this episode Julie discusses all-things Unfortunate as well as the path of her career, moving from Australia to the UK, learning to say yes and no, how she approached her role in Young Frankenstein and lots more.Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch runs at The Other Palace until 5th April 2026. Visit www.unfortunatemusical.com for info and tickets. This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamie Chatterton is playing Warner in Legally Blonde.Nikolai Foster is directing an all-new production, starring Amber Davies as Elle Woods, which opens at Leicester Curve in February ahead of a UK and Ireland tour.Jamie graduated from ArtsEd and went on to originate the role of Alan Osmond in the world premiere of The Osmonds musical (UK Tour). He then originated the role of Tom Fraser in The Little Big Things (Soho Place), which was also filmed for digital release and recorded a cast album. Most recently Jamie played Herr Zeller in Nikolai Foster's revival of The Sound of Music (Leicester Curve), and also understudied the role of Captain von Trapp.Recorded during a break from rehearsals, in this episode Jamie discusses why playing Warner is a full-circle moment and how rehearsals have been so far. He also talks all-things The Osmonds, The Little Big Things and The Sound of Music. Legally Blonde runs at Leicester Curve 7th – 21st February and then tours for the rest of the year. Visit www.legallyblondeshow.com for info and tickets.This podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the final episode of the series, and Aisha Jawando is In The Frame!Aisha is a legendary star of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. She was in the original West End cast playing Aline and understudying Tina. She went on to become the alternate Tina before taking over the role full-time to huge acclaim. Aisha left the show in 2022, but has returned many times to standby or play Tina for one-off shows in the West End and on the UK tour. Aisha starred as Angelica Schuyler in the original UK & Ireland tour cast of Hamilton. Some of her other theatre credits include: Fela (National Theatre), The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre), Ikette in Soul Sister (Savoy Theatre), understudy Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre), Beautiful: The Carole King Theatre (Aldwych Theatre), Martha Reeve in Motown The Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre), Carmen in The Life (Southwark Playhouse) and Pilar in Legally Blonde (Leicester Curve). In addition to being in the Wicked movie, Aisha has worked on screen with Netflix, Apple TV and BritBox. She also runs a vintage jewellery business. In this episode, Aisha discusses her Tina journey and last minute returns, as well as the path of her career, touring with Hamilton, her new career outlook, lockdown performances and lots more. Follow Aisha on Instagram: @aishajawandoThis podcast is hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening to In The Frame in 2025! It's time for a break, but we'll be back with new episodes in 2026. Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.