This episode I talk to Jethro Compton and Darren Clark, the writers of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' and track the creation of a this new British musical adapted from the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. We discuss topics including adaptation, time, collaboration and kindness. Read Darren's blog about musical theatre here and see the show's Southwark Playhouse page here Find Dischord on twitter here Find Adam Lenson Productions' website here and Twitter page here.

Dischord : Figuring Out Musical Theatre

Dischord #20 - Time and Tide (Jethro Compton and Darren Clark)

Part two of a conversation with Guardian journalist Stuart Heritage and Actor/Writer Alex Young. Following a January 2018 article where Stuart Heritage said he hated musicals, we debate whether you can really hate a whole artform and discuss how speaking to those who disagree with you can teach everyone something new. (Stuart's original article is at bit.ly/2rwRuiV and Alex's twitter thread in response is at bit.ly/2Bo1QRY)

Dischord #19 All Musicals Stink, Part 2 (Stuart Heritage And Alex Young)

Kicking off series two, this week is the first part of a conversation with Guardian journalist Stuart Heritage and Actor/Writer Alex Young. Following a January 2018 article where Stuart Heritage said he hated musicals, we debate whether you can really hate a whole artform and discuss how speaking to those who disagree with you can teach everyone something new. (Stuart's original article is at http://bit.ly/2rwRuiV and Alex's twitter thread in response is at http://bit.ly/2Bo1QRY)

Dischord #18 - All Musicals Stink, Part 1 (Stuart Heritage and Alex Young)

On this episode we investigate the word cheese, ask some people what it means and wonder about why it is so regularly applied to musical theatre.

Dischord - Soapbox #3 (Cheese)

This week I talk to director Andy Whyment about resistance, politics, active engagement and labels. Andy is the artistic director of Squint and we met in 2016 when we both won Kevin Spacey Foundation awards. But his was for theatre and mine musical theatre. In this episode we ask what divides our work and what unites it.

Dischord #17 - Breaking the Mold (Andrew Whyment)

We speak to Tony and Grammy award winning composer-lyricist Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening, American Psycho, Whisper House) about putting pop and rock music onstage, the boundary between scenes and songs, seeing the world through headphones and constructing a theatrical reality.

Dischord #16 - Awakening (Duncan Sheik)

This week I talk about why pop songs and musical theatre songs feel different. I devise a scale of how to describe the informational content of songs and hopefully begin to draw some conclusions about the gap between music and musicals.

Soapbox #2 (Danger, High Voltage)

We speak to the relentlessly busy british musical theatre writer Dougal Irvine about just how difficult it can be to sustain a career in new musical theatre. We also cover innovation, loving what you do and why giving up isn't an option.

Dischord #15 - Money Money Money (Dougal Irvine)

This week I'm trying something new. Instead of an interview, I chat about something that has been on my mind. With the help of some extracts from other podcasts, I suggest that comic books and musicals have a lot in common.

Soapbox #1 (Comic Books And Musicals)

This week I speak to playwright, actor and musical theatre writer Sevan Greene about his unconventional background, working on both sides of the atlantic and how there may not be a formula for writing musicals but there are tiny equations.

Dischord #14 - Say Something (Sevan Greene)

In this episode, I talk to acclaimed composer and songwriter Michael Bruce about the many facets of his background and learning. He has spent the past few years writing music for plays and we discuss what this has taught him about musical theatre.

Dischord #13 - Omnivore (Michael Bruce)

In this episode we zoom out to look at the map and the territory of the British musical theatre scene. We talk with James Hadley, head of the Musical Theatre Network to ask where we are, where we've been and where we might be headed.

Dischord #12 - The Map And The Territory (James Hadley)

This week I discuss the piece Greater Belfast with its writer Matt Regan. He doesn't think the piece is a musical, but I think it might be. Our conversation covers, moving from scenes into songs, combining music and text, gig theatre and hating musicals.

Dischord #11 - It Isn't A Musical (Matt Regan)

We speak to Adriaan Van Aken, the artistic director of Belgian company Het Nieuwstedelijk who give text and music equal emphasis in their work. We discuss their most recent show 'Last Call; which is currently playing at the Edinburgh Fringe. We discuss content and form, debate the Wooster group and Laurie Anderson, wonder how to merge distinct disciplines and try to figure out how to make musical theatre not feel fake.

Dischord #10 - Text And Music (Adriaan Van Aken)

In this episode we talk to singer and actor Molly Lynch about the way music can be looked down upon in musical theatre and how to make sure it can be treated properly and what that can teach us.

Dischord #9 - Sing More, Act More (Molly Lynch)

A podcast about the intersection between music and theatre. A way of figuring out what musical theatre could be. Hosted by Adam Lenson. Recorded in London.

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Dischord : Figuring Out Musical Theatre

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