eleven

He’s the Tony and Olivier-recognised writer that’s penned some of the most impactful pieces of work of the last 20+years.

From Glorious! to End of the Rainbow and now Allegra - alongside many, many others – his work has brought soaring female-led stories to the forefront of our industry, often with an added live music element, too.

To mark the final performances of his new hit Allegra – led by Dame Maureen Lipman - we dive into life back in the West End and why there’s a power in writing for comedic joy, being reunited with Maureen after their legendary work on Glorious! and how personal loss in his life was the unexpected real-world inspiration for his new show.

We also talk all things End of the Rainbow, having leading stars like Tracie Bennett and most recently Jinkx Monsoon play the leading role, and why the show is more of a comedy than people expect - even through the tears and struggles - and, he reveals how, in one rather peak period in his life, he actually wrote both Glorious! And End of the Rainbow within the same 6-months period.

Plus, he lets us into his mind on everything from inspiration and ideas to story and construction on the page, how he continues to write two or three plays each and every year, and why sometimes not having a plan is “good” for the writing journey.

Host: William J Connolly

Produced by: William J Connolly/Darren Bell

allegraplay.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tina Sinatra isn’t sure if the pride will land first, or the tears. At the point of which we connect, it’s the latter.

Sat in her hotel room just hours before the West End premiere of a musical that honours the life of her parents - promising to “sustain him and honour him” when talk turns to her rather famous father, Frank - there’s a cocktail of emotions and pressure starting to build.

With a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro and directed and choreographed by Olivier Award-winner and three-time Tony Award-winner, Kathleen Marshall, the daughter of one of the most famous men in music history knows the story of her family and how much they mean to music lovers throughout the generations - and is ready to introduce them to a new offering; Sinatra: The Musical, a show about the music, the man and showing the world just how strong her mum really was.

Having its premiere now in London, a city that she reveals was Frank’s second favourite to play of anywhere across the globe - we all know where the first is! – Tina explains why this is a chapter she wants fans to throw their arms around, saying that she is “so happy” with the results of the musical.

Guaranteeing that it shows Frank’s life in both the good and the ugly, the emotion of seeing her parents lives play out on stage with real humans and the added punch of the songs evokes “cheers they (her parents) hear in heaven” from those lucky enough to sit in the audience and go on this wild ride together.

And the task of becoming Frank? That’s the job of Joel Harper-Jackson, a leading man that she calls as “phenomenal” as her father - tears returning once again to her eyes.

So what’s it like to have the life of your family brought to the stage in a BIG and roaring West End musical? Well… emotional pride might be the best way to describe it all, as Tina Sinatra does here in this rather special episode of eleven.

Host: William J Connolly

Produced by: William J Connolly/Darren Bell

Photography by: Gareth Cattermole

sinatramusical.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He’s the stage and screen actor that’s earned himself a wealth of fans from across both mediums thanks to his varied and detailed work, with projects like Bridgerton 2, Benediction, Black Beauty, Mrs Wilson, Derry Girls, What It Feels Like For A Girl, Ghosts, Lord of the Rings, Archie, Sweetpea and Wife, to name but a few.

And now, he’s stepping into his first principal stage role to star in Tom Wright’s new play Please Please Me, which plays at the Kiln Theatre until 29th May. 

So here, in an exclusive conversation recorded just as the show began its life at the Kiln Theatre, we dive into the magic of bringing a story like Please Please Me to the stage, including exploring the “complicated” life of Brian Epstein - the unsung, gay legend and ‘Fifth Beatle’.

We also explore the safety of not having an audience all the way to the thrill of a sold-out one, the power of literature and research in building an understanding of the past and how music helps bring people together.

Plus, how he loves jumping between stage and screen to apply his craft to both, becoming a student to leading industry peers and why he wanted to push himself out of his safety zone and honour the legacy of this remarkable music pioneer.Host: William J Connolly

Produced by: William J Connolly/Darren Bell

kilntheatre.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s the newly-crowed Olivier winner and certified West End leading star that’s currently delivering the performance of a lifetime as Millicent Clyde in the original London cast of Paddington: The Musical at the Savoy Theatre.

From her time rising through the ranks to starring roles in Hadestown, Cinderella, Death of a Salesman, Murder Ballad and many, many others, she’s earned herself a career on the stage like no other. 

In this exclusive conversation direct from her home, we reflect on stepping into the darkness to spend her days hunting down the most famous bear of all of London as Millicent Clyde in Paddington: The Musical, and why there’s joy in those Pretty Little Dead Things.

Plus, we celebrate the unmatched response to the show, how it’s “tough” to be mean to Paddington on stage when he’s looking directly into your eyes - somebody she describes as “the most perfect specimen” - and why there are cheers and tears every night when the little guy makes his first entrance. 

We also explore the joyful complexities of being a working mum in her 40s in the arts, the “wonder” of singing Anais Mitchell in Hadestown and why Paddington stands for “everything that’s right in the world”.

Note: This episode was recorded before Victoria was crowned with her recent Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

Host: William J Connolly

Produced by: William J Connolly/Darren Bell

paddingtonthemusical.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He’s the Tony-recognised director and king of LOL that’s helped bring to life some of the funniest pieces of theatre and film - from Shrek: The Musical to Pitch Perfect, all the way to Sisters, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and his Tony-winning smash-hit show Avenue Q- which now celebrates 20+ years since its first off-Broadway opening back in 2003.Now the famous singing puppets return to London with a special 20th-anniversary West End production, brought together by the original Broadway creative team.In this exclusive conversation direct from London, Avenue Q’s original director reflects on the power of singing puppets, tackling topics that seem off-limits until you’ve a furry friend by your side, and what the first reactions were like to the show back in 2003 - including the puppets getting down and dirty in You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love).Plus, the rare task of revisiting a show 20+ years later, updating his material for a new 2026 audience and how Lucy, The Slut’s now infamous performance of Special for the then Prince Charles came about. 

We also dive into key moments from his career including mounting Shrek: The Musical for Broadway (farting ogres and all), working with Reese Witherspoon on the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series Elle, and why he shares our collective excitement at the new Murder She Wrote adaptation starring Jamie Lee Curtis as iconic mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, which he is set to also direct.

Anybody for a bit of puppet love?

Host: William J Connolly

Produced by: William J Connolly/Darren Bell

avenueqmusical.co.uk
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices