Share

Theatre Audience Podcast
Exploring The Effect: A View From The Bridge's Catherine, Rachelle Diedericks Shares Insights
Step into the captivating world of The Effect at the National Theatre, where hearts race, and minds are entangled in a web of emotions. This critically acclaimed play, penned by Lucy Prebble of Succession fame, returns to the National Theatre in a bold new production directed by the renowned Jamie Lloyd, known for his work on Cyrano de Bergerac. At the heart of the story are Connie and Tristan, two young volunteers participating in a clinical drug trial. Their sudden and intoxicating chemistry seems to defy explanation. However, a pressing question looms: is their passionate connection real, or is it merely a side effect of a new antidepressant? As they navigate this rollercoaster of emotions, their illicit romance presents startling dilemmas for the supervising doctors, blurring the lines between science and love.
Paapa Essiedu, known for his outstanding performance in I May Destroy You, takes the stage as one of the central characters, bringing his undeniable talent and charisma to the production. Essiedu's portrayal adds depth and authenticity to the character, making the audience question the nature of human connection. Joining Essiedu is Taylor Russell, acclaimed for her work in Bones and All who starred screen icon Timothee Chalamet. Russell's presence on stage is magnetic, and her chemistry with Essiedu is palpable. Together, they create a captivating and intimate examination of love, ethics, and the complexities of the human heart.
The Effect is not just a play; it's a thought-provoking journey into the depths of human emotions and the ethical dilemmas that arise when science and romance collide. This production promises to be an unforgettable theatrical experience, leaving audiences with lingering questions about the nature of love and the impact of pharmaceuticals on our lives. Under the direction of Jamie Lloyd, The Effect continues to push the boundaries of storytelling and is a must-see for theatre enthusiasts and anyone fascinated by the intricacies of human relationships.
Next, we have an exclusive interview with cast member Rachelle Diedericks, who takes us behind the scenes of A View From The Bridge. She shares insights into her character, her preparation process, and the unique challenges faced by young actors in a post-COVID world. This Arthur Miller classic, set on the Brooklyn waterfront, delves into love, passion, and the complexities of family bonds. Notably, Nancy Crane makes history by becoming the first woman to portray Alfieri in this powerful drama.
The production of A View From The Bridge unfolds in the intimate setting of the Octagon Theatre before embarking on a short tour, hitting Chichester from October 6th to 28th and concluding at the Rose Theatre in Kingston on November 11th, 2023. Don't miss the opportunity to witness Miller's timeless masterpiece in these unique and compelling interpretations.
Tune in to this week's podcast for a captivating journey through the world of theatre, where powerful emotions, thought-provoking dilemmas, and historic performances come to life on stage.
More episodes
View all episodes

8. Memory, Music & The Weight of What We Carry
38:31||Season 6, Ep. 8This week Darren and Natalie explore three powerful productions that examine legacy, longing and the stories we pass down - through history - Here there are Blueberries, through song - Ballad Lines, and through quiet acts of courage - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.Here There Are BlueberriesA haunting and urgent new play inspired by a real-life photo album discovered in an archive - images taken by Nazi officers at Auschwitz. As archivists begin to piece together the lives behind the photographs, difficult questions emerge: what do we do with inherited history? Who gets to tell these stories? And how do we confront the ordinary faces of extraordinary evil? A deeply unsettling, necessary piece of theatre that lingers long after the lights go down.Ballad LinesA lyrical, folk-infused new musical that threads together generations of women through music and memory. Rich in harmony and storytelling, Ballad Lines blends Celtic influences with contemporary musical theatre to create an intimate exploration of identity, love and resilience. Atmospheric, heartfelt and musically stunning.The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold FryBased on the beloved novel by Rachel Joyce, this moving musical charts Harold’s spontaneous walk across England to save an old friend. With an evocative score and deeply human performances, it’s a story of redemption, grief and the extraordinary power of simply putting one foot in front of the other.
7. Sixteen Postcodes. One Story. Backstage with Jessica Regan
47:43||Season 6, Ep. 7This week we’re joined by comedian, writer and performer Jessica Regan, a regular voice on The Guilty Feminist Podcast, to talk about her bold and brilliantly personal one-woman show 16 Postcodes.Following sell-out, critically acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Pleasance Theatre, 16 Postcodes makes its London premiere at King's Head Theatre. The show chronicles Jessica’s real-life journey through London’s crumbling private rental market - and in a twist that makes every performance unique, the audience decides which stories are told each night.With the UK’s Renter’s Rights Bill coming into effect later this year, this conversation feels especially timely. Jessica offers a lived, sharp and darkly funny perspective on the realities behind the headlines - exploring instability, autonomy, power, and what it really means to try to build a life when “home” never quite sticks.We talk about turning housing trauma into theatre, why comedy is sometimes the only survival tool available, how audiences respond when given control, and whether legislation can truly repair the emotional toll of renting in London.It’s funny. It’s honest. And it’s painfully relatable.
6. Love, Legacy & What We Hold On To
37:25||Season 6, Ep. 6This week Darren and Natalie cover a packed episode spanning major casting announcements, explosive physical theatre, and an intimate world premiere that cuts straight to the heart.We were at the Thomas Hopkins Productions press launch announcing three exciting productions:Maureen Lipman starring in AllegraWendi Peters leading GloriousAnd The Jonathan Larson Project, celebrating the visionary composer behind Rent and Tick, Tick… Boom! A glimpse at what promises to be an exciting season ahead.Frantic Assembly’s Lost Atoms Jess and Robbie’s love story begins with a chance meeting and unfolds into something extraordinary - or so they remember. Written by Anna Jordan (Succession, Yen, The Unreturning) and staged with Frantic Assembly’s signature physical intensity, Lost Atoms dives into the soaring highs and devastating lows of a relationship shaped as much by memory as reality. Funny, raw and emotionally charged, it asks: when love ends, whose version survives?Guess How Much I Love You?A pregnant couple wait for their 20-week scan - and the life they imagined begins to shift. This devastating and beautifully observed new play by Bruntwood Prize-winner Luke Norris, directed by Olivier Award-winner Jeremy Herrin, explores parenthood, impossible decisions and enduring love. A powerhouse cast including Rosie Sheehy, Robert Aramayo, and Lena Kaur deliver deeply affecting performances in this world premiere that lingers long after the curtain falls.
5. Courage, Legacy & the Stories We Tell Ourselves
38:13||Season 6, Ep. 5This week Darren and Natalie explore three powerful productions that wrestle with truth, legacy and the cost of standing by your convictions - from the Wild West with High Noon to the White House with Mrs. President and the glittering wreckage of the Jazz Age with Beautiful Little Fool.High NoonA searing stage adaptation of the legendary Western that once served as an allegory for Hollywood’s blacklist, High Noon feels chillingly relevant today. Set in real time and running without an interval, the story follows Marshal Will Kane (Billy Crudup) as he faces an impossible choice: protect his town from a returning outlaw or protect his new wife, Amy Fowler (Denise Gough). With songs by Bruce Springsteen, The Chicks and Ry Cooder, this tense, 100-minute thriller is part love story, part political warning - and entirely gripping.Mrs President Keala Settle takes on the role of Mary Lincoln in this newly reimagined version of John Ransom Phillips’ gripping drama. Haunted by grief, vilified by society and desperate to reclaim her narrative, Mary turns to photographer Mathew Brady (Hal Fowler) to help restore her image - only for their collaboration to spiral into a fierce battle over truth, authorship and control. Directed by Bronagh Lagan, this bold reinvention reveals Mary Lincoln as a woman fighting to define herself in a world determined to define her.Beautiful Little FoolTold through the eyes of their daughter Scottie, this new musical charts the turbulent, brilliant and tragic relationship between Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Directed by Tony Award nominee Michael Greif, with music and lyrics by Hannah Corneau and a book by Mona Mansour, the UK premiere stars Lauren Ward as Scottie, David Hunter as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hannah Corneau as Zelda. A sweeping, lyrical exploration of art, fame and family long after the Roaring Twenties have faded.
4. Courage, Parenthood, Childhood & Survival
39:57||Season 6, Ep. 4This week Darren and Natalie take on a powerful and wide-ranging episode, exploring Safe Haven, Mother.Dad, A Grain of Sand, and The Olive Boy - four very different plays that confront survival, morality, parenthood and resilience, from global humanitarian crises to deeply personal stories of growing up and finding your way.Safe HavenSet in the aftermath of the First Gulf War, Safe Haven charts the brutal suppression of the Kurdish uprising in northern Iraq and the desperate flight of two million people into the mountains. As the world watches in horror, two British diplomats - aided by a Kurdish refugee - battle bureaucracy in Whitehall to force intervention before it’s too late. Written by Chris Bowers, former British diplomat in Iraqi Kurdistan, this sweeping and urgent play brings to life the moral conviction and political courage that led to Operation Safe Haven, an unprecedented humanitarian mission that prevented genocide.Mother.DadA woman checks IDs in a pub doorway. A man sits at his kitchen table with his children. Both are waiting for the same call. From hit company Chronic Insanity, Mother.Dad is a raw, raucous and deeply human new play about love, class, parenthood and the sheer madness of raising a family in the 21st century. Written by rising star Doug Deans, this world premiere was selected from over 800 scripts for Lyric Hammersmith’s open submission and shortlisted by the Bush Theatre, Royal Court and Graeae.A Grain of SandThis intimate and devastating one-woman show follows Renad, a young Gazan girl searching for her family while carrying her grandmother’s stories and the myth of the ‘Anqaa’ - the Palestinian Phoenix. Blending folklore with real testimonies from children in Gaza, A Grain of Sand explores war through a child’s eyes, centring resilience, imagination and the right of children to be children. The production is accompanied by Each Child a Light, a powerful collaborative quilt exhibition commemorating children killed in Gaza.The Olive BoyBased on Ollie Maddigan’s real-life story, The Olive Boy is a hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age comedy about being uprooted, trying to fit in, and pursuing love against the odds. After sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, a national tour and early acclaim at Camden Fringe, this deeply personal and unexpectedly moving show lands at Southwark Playhouse in its latest chapter.
3. There’s Nothing Left to Prove: Inside Already Perfect
43:07||Season 6, Ep. 3In this episode, Darren and Natalie dive into the UK premiere of Already Perfect, the new folk-rock musical now playing at King’s Head Theatre.Written by Tony Award-winner Levi Kreis, Already Perfect is an intimate, soul-infused piece that unfolds in a Broadway dressing room on the brink of collapse - where past and present collide in a raw, often funny reckoning with identity, addiction, faith and self-worth.Natalie sits down with the show’s creator and star Levi Kreis, alongside producer Larry Lelli and director Dave Solomon, to talk about the deeply personal origins of the piece, translating lived experience into musical theatre, and why this story of self-acceptance feels more urgent than ever. They discuss the show’s gospel-tinged score, its emotional honesty, and the challenge of balancing intimacy with theatrical scale.Alongside the interview, Darren and Natalie share their critical response to the production, from the standout performances and striking design to the conversations the show is provoking with audiences.
2. Woman in Mind. In Conversation with Rebecca Trehearn and Frances McNamee
38:13||Season 6, Ep. 2In this episode, Darren and Natalie unpack the latest West End revival of Woman in Mind, Alan Ayckbourn’s 1985 psychological comedy now marking its 40th anniversary. Starring Sheridan Smith and directed by Michael Longhurst, the production revisits a story of fractured reality, imagination and domestic dissatisfaction - but does it still resonate today? Natalie and Darren share their thoughts on the play’s dated themes, standout design elements, and whether star power alone is enough to justify its return to the London stage.The conversation then shifts backstage as Darren Zooms with Rebecca Trehearn and Frances McNamee, stars of the new folk musical Ballad Lines. In this behind-the-scenes chat, they discuss bringing traditional ballads to life, performing new writing, and the joy - and challenge - of telling intimate stories through music.
1. A Ghost in Your Ear
39:08||Season 6, Ep. 1In our first episode of 2026, Darren and Natalie dive into one of the most innovative and nerve-shredding productions currently on the London stage - A Ghost in Your Ear at Hampstead Theatre.Written and directed by Jamie Armitage (An Interrogation, SIX) and created in collaboration with acclaimed sound designers Ben and Max Ringham, this two-hander places the audience inside a haunting using binaural 3D sound technology. Wearing headphones, spectators are immersed in a chilling ghost story that unfolds both inside a recording studio and deep within the imagination. Darren reviews how the production uses sound, performance and atmosphere to deliver genuine jump-scares, skin-crawling tension and an emotional story about family, grief and buried secrets - all while pushing the boundaries of what theatre can do.Natalie also brings us a backstage chat with Jonathan Livingstone, who plays Sid, the studio technician opposite George Blagden’s increasingly unravelling actor. Jonathan talks about performing in a show where every line triggers a sound cue, how comedy becomes a lifeline inside horror, and what it’s like to scare an audience who are wearing headphones and completely locked into the world of the play.From comparisons to The Woman in Black to the current wave of theatrical horror sweeping the West End, this episode explores why A Ghost in Your Ear is fast becoming one of the most talked-about and fear-inducing shows in London - and why it proves that sometimes the scariest place of all is your own imagination.
52. Curtain Call: Our Theatre Highlights of 2025
39:43||Season 5, Ep. 52In the final episode of Season 5, Darren and Natalie look back on an extraordinary year in theatre, sharing the productions that moved them, thrilled them, and stayed with them long after the curtain fell. From bold new writing and immersive experiences to reimagined classics and unforgettable performances, this episode is a love letter to the shows that defined 2025.They revisit standout moments from Retrograde, Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet, Grease Immersive Movie Musical, KENREX, This Bitter Earth, Daniel’s Husband, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Till The Stars Come Down, Evita, and The Midnight Bell -celebrating the artists, stories, and risks that made this theatrical year unforgettable.A fitting farewell to 2025 - and the perfect curtain call to Season 5. 🎭