Shows
Play Ground27 - True West by Sam ShepardSend us a textWe recorded this 3 years ago and then forgot to make more podcasts. It holds up!!! Declaring this the end of season 1, we'll be back with certified fresh content in 2 weeks time.Sam Shepard's True West is about two things: truth and the wild west. Oh, and two brothers. Oh, and Picasso. And coyotes. It's pretty famous.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on variousChat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram (and go find @rootlingtheatre for...
2025-09-2540 minPlay Ground26 - Mr Burns by Anne WashburnSend us a textStep 1) Nuclear MeltdownStep 2) Gang Warfare Over Simpsons QuotesStep 3) ????Step 4) The Greatest Story Ever ToldIf you're not familiar with the play of post-apocalyptic pop-culture mythology, prepare to have your mind blown, as we discuss Anne Washburn's play all about The Simpsons and the fusion of high/low art.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam @Samwebbercool
2022-05-1257 minPlay Ground25 - Orpheus Descending by Tennessee WilliamsSend us a textDespite the characters explicitly talking about the cold all the time, prepare to hear about some very hot and sweaty goings on in this William's classic. When a young hot guy walks into a Southern town that's afraid of hot people, there's prejudice and hatred to deal with on top of all the wild animal metaphors that Tennessee loves so much.We discuss why the town is so afraid of hot people, what it might be like to be a bird with no legs, and themes of isolation in one's own b...
2022-04-1444 minPlay Ground24 - Spring Awakening by Frank WedekindSend us a textUp front:1) TW, this episode contains quite frank discussions of a variety of grisly topics, including sexual assault and suicide.2) This podcast is about the original play, NOT the musical version (though we do of course mention the musical as how could you not!? In particular the recent Almeida production which, spoiler alert, we love)Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam @Samwebbercool
2022-03-3157 minPlay Ground23 - Cymbeline by William ShakespeareSend us a textIt was inevitable that at some point we'd bump into the bard on our ever winding theatrical-textual journey, and we do so what in our un-researched opinion is 'one of the more obscure ones.' Cymbeline is a play about a young couple who vow their love to each other but then hate each other but then don't really and also this horrible man named Cloten who is an idiot and a criminal and also some brothers who are gay for their sister but don't worry it all works out in the finish...
2022-03-2150 minPlay Ground22 - You Stupid Darkness! by Sam SteinerSend us a textYou Stupid Darkness! takes us into the world of Brightline, a call centre for those who need to talk to someone about their problems, and the 4 volunteers who answer those calls late at night. Meet Frances, Angie, Jon, and Joey the work experience boy, as they navigate life and each other.Oh, and also the apocalypse is in full swing.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam...
2022-03-0344 minPlay Ground21 - The Flick by Annie BakerSend us a textThe Flick is a 2013 play set in a cinema, in which you the audience sit where the screen is and watch as three employees get into some serious sweeping. This often silent and uneventful play is brim full of sad heartfelt characters, musings on what it means to be a grown up, and terrible opinions about films.Also discussed:- The power of celluloid film- MonkeysHave some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to...
2022-02-1753 minPlay Ground20 - The Hothouse by Harold PinterSend us a textThe Hothouse (so called because the house is...hot?) is a 1980 play by Harold Pinter which was actually written in 1958, but still has his signature style of heightened language, biting edge and yes, lots of famous pauses. It's been a while since we did one of these, so there's lots of catching up to do on theatre and genre-based theatre, as well as a deep dive into the characters and unspecified horror that this play provides.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official...
2021-11-0451 minPlay Ground19 - Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi PirandelloSend us a textSix Characters is a modern classic. Or maybe just a classic. It's hard to know where the age boundaries for those things are. Either way in this play Pirandello brings an early example of going full meta in theatre, introducing a rehearsal room full of actors (and maybe the real director, stage manager and technician) to a group of fictional characters that have come to life and need help in finishing their dramatic arc.We talk play structure, Mussolini and Byker Grove.Have some feedback? A play you'd like...
2021-07-2348 minPlay Ground18 - The Woods by Robert Alan EvansSend us a textThe Woods is poetry on the stage. Okay, so all plays are poetry on the stage, but this one even more so. Inhabiting an American woodland and also a British kitchen, our protagonist 'The Woman' is continually haunted by 'The Wolf,' an evil figure who may be her son that was, or an abusive partner, or her inner psyche, or the outside world, or probably all of these rolled into one.It's really good.As promised in the episode, you can find Nancy's dubbed over cameo in a Phoebe...
2021-07-0843 minPlay Ground17 - The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraneySend us a textThis is the second in McCraney's 'Brother Sister Plays' trilogy, though is the first one he wrote. Drawing on Yoruba cosmology transposed into present day Louisiana, The Brothers Size is a poetic yet brutally grounded story of two brothers trying to reconnect after one returns from a stint in prison. Emotions abound.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam @Samwebbercool
2021-05-2735 minPlay Ground16 - The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater ProjectSend us a textThis 2000 play is a landmark text in verbatim theatre. Documenting the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Laramie, Wyoming resident Matthew Shepard, The Laramie Project is a collation of almost 2 years of interviews with Laramie residents. All at once it is a portrait of a town, a stark warning, an examination of everyday human hypocrisy, an advocation for gay rights, an exploration of loss, and a meta-investigation into make sure verbatim theatre is 'done right.'Find more information on the Matthew Shepard Foundation here:https://www.matthewshepard.org/
2021-05-1345 minPlay Ground15 - The Children's Hour by Lillian HellmanSend us a textThis 1930s play is about two single women who run a girls' school together, and how their lives are brought crashing down when a student accuses them of lesbianism. We discuss the play's treatment of queer issues, its place (or not) on today's stage, and the eerily accurate depiction of lockdown life in Act 3.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam @Samwebbercool
2021-04-2948 min
The Maybe You Like It PodcastThe Wicker Man (1973)This week we're joined by fellow podcasters Nancy Netherwood and Sam Webber from the Play Ground Theatre Podcast to discuss staging The Wicker Man (1973). Things get weird as we take on this folk-horror-musical-cult-classic that stars Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland. The film follows puritan Police Sergeant Howie from mainland Scotland as he arrives on a strange island to investigate the disappearance, and possible murder, of a young girl. It's May Day on this pagan isle and Sergeant Howie's case heats up as he faces down The Wicker Man. We talk the possibility of this show as an...
2021-04-271h 00Play Ground14 - Oresteia by Robert IckeSend us a textPart 2 of an Oresteia double bill, this time we take a look at Robert Icke's totally new adaptation of last episode's classic. We talk altering plot points, phycological complexity, and the time period-fluid setting of Icke's plays.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam @Samwebbercool
2021-04-1543 minPlay Ground13 - The Oresteia by AeschylusSend us a textFirst part of an Oresteia double bill, this time we take a look at a straight translation of the original. We talk gender representation, off-stage gore, and the complexities of justice (which is funner than it sounds)Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam in person if you happen to recognise him
2021-04-0154 minPlay Ground12 - Wild Swimming by Marek HornSend us a textCrazy stage directions? Form-breaking? Super long and in depth but somehow still entertaining discussions on female empowerment and the male role in society? YES PLEASE! Discussion includes: Scripts that don't tell you everything, gender-reversed acting, and the benefits of snacks on stage.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam in person if you happen to recognise him
2021-03-1844 minPlay Ground11 - Hansel and Gretel by Carl Grose + Kneehigh TheatreSend us a textIt's time for some children's theatre! In this delightful, dark, funny, fantastic, terrifying tale for all ages, Kneehigh theatre does what they do best with collaborative and innovative re-telling of a classic story. Discussion includes collaboration in art, the power of children's theatre, and the joy of little chicken puppets.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam in person if you happen to recognise him
2021-03-0441 minPlay Ground10 - Yen by Anna JordanSend us a textThis episode Nancy & Sam discuss the shocking and powerful play drama Yen by Anna Jordan. The audio of the first half got mangled by the internet, so this one jumps in partway through - in this epic half-discussion, however, is covered themes of nature vs. nurture, the harsh choices around family life, and the depiction of intimate acts on the stage. It's certainly a cheery one!Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N...
2021-02-1832 minPlay Ground9 - Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (with guest Molly Farley!)Send us a textThis episode Nancy & Sam are joined by co-director of Coast to Coast Theatre Company and producer from the Norwich Fringe, Molly Farley, to discuss the intense and thought-provoking drama Gloria by Branden Jacob's Jenkins. Not only is it an absolute belter of a play, but Molly is fantastic as our first guest. Topics include: Workplace trauma, selfish journalists, and the absolute tenacity of playwrights who give impossible stage directions.Molly can be found @mollysamfarleyCoast to Coast Theatre can be found @ctctheatrecompHave some feedback? A play...
2021-02-0448 minPlay Ground8 - Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. by Alice BirchSend us a textNancy and Sam smash the patriarchy (or at least try to understand just how massive and far-reaching it is) with a look at this form-smashing play. Okay, so we don't smash the patriarchy, and 50 minutes is no time at all to cover everything, but we think this play is fantastic and had a blast diving deep into all the intense and challenging themes it presents.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood
2021-01-2148 minPlay Ground7 - Lights Over Tesco Car Park by Jack Bradfield & Poltergeist TheatreSend us a textIn a first for the podcast, we look at a play that involves some heavy audience interaction and can change wildly from night to night depending on what the audience does. How do you script something like this? We're about to find out.(Also, this is sadly probably our last sci-fi themed play for a while as we've exhausted those we know so early on in our run!)Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat...
2021-01-0746 minPlay Ground6 - Crazyhorse by Parv BancilSend us a textAnother episode of the eternal journey to read and analyse every play ever (or at least a few good ones, as our time on this earth is limited). This time we take a look at something neither of us have read before - a strangely structured magical realist play from 1997, Crazyhorse packs a real punch (even if we still can't fully understand the title...)Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood...
2020-12-3038 minPlay GroundSPECIAL: Worst 10 Theatre GiftsSend us a textOh go on then, have a little Christmas treat on us! Nancy & Sam drop their usual policy of finding the best in things for this bonus festive episode - they bring to you their top 10 list of the worst theatre-related things one could receive this Christmas.Want to see the horrendous items for yourself? Have something you think is worse?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam in person if you happen to recognise him (but it's the...
2020-12-1728 minPlay Ground5 - The Wild Duck by Henrik IbsenSend us a textAnother episode of the eternal journey to read and analyse every play ever (or at least a few good ones, as our time on this earth is limited). This time we take a dive into our first of the great Naturalistic plays of the 1800s - featuring sordid affairs, pretend inventions and, of course, one very wild duck. Ibsen proves to us this episode that just because something is a classic loved by millions, it doesn't have to be bad.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?
2020-12-1047 minPlay Ground4 - Blue Heart by Caryl ChurchillSend us a textWelcome back for another episode of Play Ground! This week we discuss the experimental diptych of short plays 'Heart's Desire' and 'Blue Kettle' by Caryl Churchill.Formally stranger but with a solid emotional core, Churchill proves again (despite Sam's initial hesitance) why she is our greatest living playwright.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam in person if you happen to recognise him
2020-11-2648 minPlay Ground3 - The Twilight Zone as adapted by Anne WashburnSend us a textWelcome back, listeners! For our first episode post-launch, we revisit the sci-fi genre (it won't all be sci-fi, we promise) with Anne Washburn's fantastic adaptation of The Twilight Zone. For a change both Nancy AND Sam have seen this play. For not a change, they both love it.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam in person if you happen to recognise him.
2020-11-1257 minPlay Ground1 - X by Alistair McDowallSend us a textWelcome, listeners! For out first episode, we take a look at the incredible sci-fi mind-bending mother-daughter-relationship play X by Alistair McDowall. Whether you've read the play or not, this should give you an insight into how we'll be running things around here, and we reckon you'll have a pretty good time.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam... uh... if you happen to see him on the streets...
2020-10-2947 minPlay Ground2 - Edward II by Christopher MarloweSend us a textWelcome back, listeners! For part 2 of our double launch, we dive deep into the play Edward II by Christopher Marlowe - Nancy has seen the play, Sam has not, but - spoiler alert - they both love it.Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?Visit the official podcast twitter @playgroundpoddyChat to host Nancy @N_NetherwoodChat to host Sam in person if you happen to recognise him.
2020-10-2946 min