Up Close with Carlos Tseng

Carlos Tseng
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  • PERFORMING ARTS
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A series of interviews led by Carlos Tseng with some of the most prominent figures in the world of theatre, arts & entertainment. The series offers an up close insight into the lives and work of our esteemed guests, often leading to surprising, poignant and humorous answers. Find out more by listening along!

  1. Isis Hainsworth: The Making of a Superstar

    2D AGO

    Isis Hainsworth: The Making of a Superstar

    Send us a text After earning an Ian Charleson Award nomination for her Hermia in the Bridge Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Isis Hainsworth has continued to take on some of Shakespeare's best loved roles and is now preparing to take on the role of Isabella in Measure For Measure for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Here Isis will be making her RSC debut where she's set to star alongside a stellar cast that includes the likes of Tom Mothersdale, Oli Higginson and Emily Benjamin. The production will also see rising star director Emily Burns return to the RSC following her five-star rated Love's Labour's Lost last year also at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. As a lesser-performed Shakespeare play, this is set to be a must-see show of the season with the RSC continuing it's latest season of shows.  In this new interview, Isis Hainsworth opens up about her humble beginnings as an actress to being named a Screen International Star of Tomorrow in 2022. As she continues rehearsals for Measure For Measure, we hear her talk about her love for acting and the joy of returning to the theatre following her recent widely acclaimed performances in Romeo and Juliet and The House of Bernada Alba, both directed by Rebecca Frecknall. Indeed, we hear Isis speak affectionately about the directors she's gotten to work with and she highlights her admiration for Emily Burns for taking a bold approach to Measure For Measure, stripping parts of the text back whilst remaining faithful to the story. It's an endearing conversation throughout and it seems Isis is unlikely stop anytime soon as she continues to charm audiences and peers alike. Measure For Measure runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 13 September - 25 October with tickets on sale now! Support the show

    25 min
  2. Samuel Barnett: Debating Differences in Drama

    AUG 25

    Samuel Barnett: Debating Differences in Drama

    Send us a text For over 20 years, Samuel Barnett has established himself as one of the most compelling actors on the UK stage. His latest role sees him multi-roling over 15 characters in Caroline Bird's 'The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse'. The role sees him making his Nottingham Playhouse debut where he will act opposite Maxine Peake in the title role. The new play reintroduces Mary Whitehouse to audiences, exploring her campaign to uphold British conservatism as well as the root of her controversial beliefs. In this new interview, Samuel Barnett talks about his real life memories of Mary Whitehouse and why he felt this play felt particularly relevant today. Over the course of our conversation, he looks back on some of his most memorable performances including playing 2 of Shakespeare’s women as well as of course originating the role of Posner in ‘The History Boys’. We hear him talk about his love for acting as he shares with us his excitement at making his Nottingham Playhouse debut, insights into his relationship with Artistic Director Adam Penford and more! The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse runs at Nottingham Playhouse from 5 September - 27 September. Support the show

    28 min
  3. Josie Benson: Celebrating New Musicals

    AUG 18

    Josie Benson: Celebrating New Musicals

    Send us a text After finishing a run of 'Stalled' earlier this year at the King's Head Theatre, Josie Benson is now about to appear another UK musical theatre premiere: 'The Harder They Come' at Theatre Royal Stratford East. The show is an adaptation of the cult classic film of the same name and brings together a top tier creative team including director Matthew Xia and writer Suzan-Lori Parks. The production also marks a welcome return to Stratford East for Josie Benson who first worked at the audience-favourite theatre 25 years ago in 'Make Some Noise'. Since then, she's performed in some of the West End's biggest shows including 'Phantom of the Opera' and 'Mamma Mia!'. The show will also reunite Josie with Jason Pennycook with whom she worked with on 'Porgy and Bess' in the West End. In this new interview, Josie Benson sat down with us to talk about this eagerly anticipated new musical which promises to transport audiences to Kingston, Jamaica. The film is famously credited for bringing Reggae to the music and Josie tells us how the music that features in this new production will dazzle audiences looking for a great night out. With tickets selling fast, Josie urges our listeners to book quickly before the run sells out. Over the course of the conversation, we also reflect on how the theatre industry has evolved to become more diverse and inclusive of professionals from different backgrounds. It seems like the perfect time to be revisiting the story of 'The Harder They Come' and it looks like audiences will be treated to an excellent evening of theatre when they see the show. The Harder They Come runs at Theatre Royal Stratford East from 13 September - 25 October with tickets on sale now! Support the show

    20 min
  4. Jasper Talbot: An Actor's First Year

    AUG 3

    Jasper Talbot: An Actor's First Year

    Send us a text When Jasper Talbot graduated from RADA last year, he was quickly whisked off to Chichester to play Mick Jagger in Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Redlands. Now, he is starring opposite Rosamund Pike in the five-star rated  production of Inter Alia at the National Theatre. In the show, he plays Henry, Judge Phillips' awkward yet relatable teenage son. The show has been described as a companion piece to Suzie Miller's Prima Facie which won Oliviers for Best Play and Best Actress for Jodie Comer. Inter Alia can be seen as an evolution of Suzie Miller's writing with the introduction of more characters and the reunites much of the team from Prima Facie. In this brand new interview, Jasper Talbot reflects on the last year and opens up about the challenges of being an emerging young actor. He talks to us about graduating RADA where he made lifelong friends with many of his cohort and entering an industry that is often full of uncertainty. He shares with us some key memories along the way that has kept excited about his career ahead as Inter Alia continues performances at the Lyttleton Theatre, something he describes as a big tick for him too. Throughout our conversation, Jasper remains candid about his experiences as a young actor still finding his way, learning from actors in rehearsals and in workshops. It'll be interesting to see what he does next as he cements his status as rising star to watch on stage. Inter Alia is playing at the Lyttleton Theatre, National Theatre until 13th September. The play will also be broadcast to UK cinemas on NT Live from 4 September and worldwide from 25th September Support the show

    27 min
  5. Cavan Clarke: A Musical Theatre Debut

    JUL 28

    Cavan Clarke: A Musical Theatre Debut

    Send us a text Whilst Brigadoon continued rehearsals, Cavan Clarke sat down with us to discuss the eagerly anticipated revival of Lerner & Leowe's beloved musical. The production also marks an exciting return for Cavan to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre following his acclaimed performance as Mercutio in Kimberley Syke's production of Romeo & Juliet in 2021. Brigadoon has often been described as one of the greatest musicals to come out of the Golden Age of Musicals, and has been much missed in London after experiencing a 20 year absence from the UK stage. In Drew McOnie's production, Cavan Clarke plays Jeff Douglas, a pleasure seeker and companion to Tommy Albright who arrive at the Scottish Highlands in the middle of World War II. The show's been adapted by Rona Munro and we hear Cavan talk about her updates to this classic show and what audiences can perhaps expect from this new production In our interview, Cavan Clarke talks to us about making his professional musical theatre debut having long been a fan of musicals himself. During our conversation, we looked back on some of his career highlights including playing Mercutio at Regent's Park, and his work on the landmark production of Small Island at the National Theatre. We hear him talk about the challenges of being a jobbing actor too and the sacrifices one sometimes has to make in order to make ends meet. We also talk to Cavan about his relationship with rising star Jack Wolfe, and how he hopes to work together on a project in the future. It seems like an exciting time for Cavan Clarke and we hope this won't be the last time he features in a musical too. Brigadoon runs at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre from 2 August - 20 September 2025 with tickets available now. Support the show

    25 min
  6. Michael Lin: The Ensemble and 'Evita'

    JUN 30

    Michael Lin: The Ensemble and 'Evita'

    Send us a text Michael Lin has been in the ensemble of some of the biggest shows in recent years including 'Anything Goes' at the Barbican, 'Hello, Dolly' at the London Palladium and is now back at the iconic venue for Jamie Lloyd's 'Evita'. Having previously collaborated on the hugely acclaimed 'Sunset Boulevard' at the Savoy Theatre, Michael Lin tells us about the joy of getting back into rehearsals with Jamie Lloyd and with Fabian Aloise, the choreographer for 'Evita' and how dance plays an integral part to this latest production. He reveals how he was previously cast for Jamie Lloyd's transfer of 'Evita' at the Barbican, after the show received rave reviews from critics at Regent's Park, so joining the company has felt particularly wholesome for him. Having started his career in Asia, performing in cities like Hong Kong, Michael Lin talks to us about his journey going from Asia to London's glittering West End. We hear him talk about his hopes for playing more principal roles as well in the future having previously played the title role in 'Pippin' and covered lead roles in 'Oklahoma' and 'Anything Goes'. As he continues performances for 'Evita' however, he tells us about the joy of getting to work with this particular company and how he's been able to learn from his peers, including Rachel Zegler who he films on camera for this production. 'Evita' runs at the London Palladium until 6th September 2025. Support the show

    27 min
  7. Dickie Beau: SHOWMANISM

    JUN 8

    Dickie Beau: SHOWMANISM

    Send us a text After premiering in the Ustiniv Studio at Theatre Royal Bath in 2022, SHOWMANISM is making its London premiere at Hampstead Theatre. The show has been described as  a kaleidoscopic journey through theatre and its history, and will also mark Dickie Beau's fourth venture into Hampstead Theatre, a place which he describes fondly as his latest show prepares to open. Indeed, it was only earlier this year when he was starring opposite Simon Russell Beale in an acclaimed revival of 'The Invention of Love'. In this way, it seems that there will likely be an ongoing partnership between him and the theatre, with Hampstead's audiences continuing to be blown away by his performances. In this brand new interview with Dickie Beau, he tells us about the origins of SHOWMANISM and how he began by thinking of theatres as sacred, communal spaces. We talked about his unique process of using technology in his shows as he transforms himself into various esteemed actors including Sir Ian McKellen and Fiona Shaw. Over the course of our conversation, Dickie opens up about his love for actors and for live theatre before discussing his hopes for how audiences will come away from the show having had a fundamentally human experience. SHOWMANISM opens at Hampstead Theatre on 18 June and runs till 12 July 2025. Support the show

    27 min
  8. Ashley Day: 20 Years in Musical Theatre

    MAY 27

    Ashley Day: 20 Years in Musical Theatre

    Send us a text After a few years living in the US, Ashley Day is preparing to make a highly anticipated return to the UK stage at Manchester Opera House in Come Fall in Love - the Musical, an adaptation of DDLJ. The exciting new musical boasts a top tier creative including book & lyrics by Olivier Award winner Nell Benjamin, music by legendary composers Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani and choreography by Olivier, Tony and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford. The show will see Ashley taking on the role of Roger (Rog), a party-going, laid back guy opposite Jena Pandya's more serious Simran. Come Fall in Love is based on a record-breaking phenomenon that has taken India and the Middle East by storm, and this new adaptation is expected to have a similar effect when it arrives on the Manchester stage. In this brand new interview, Ashley Day sits down with us to tell us why this felt like the perfect project to reintroduce himself to musical theatre audiences. Having started his career 20 years ago in Matthew Bourne's The Nutcracker and as part of the original company of Mary Poppins, Ashley Day is known in the musical theatre community as one of a few true triple threats. Over the last 2 decades, he's taken on leading roles in shows like The Book of Mormon, An American in Paris and 42nd Street. In more recent years, Ashley was also a series regular in Dynasty and in our interview he opens up about his love life and how his recent marriage to fellow actor Adam Kaplan has changed him for the better. We also get to hear Ashley reflect on his remarkable career leading up to this point and discuss how the industry has transformed over his time working as one of the West End's most charming leading men. It's a fascinating conversation and we hope it won't be too long until we see Ashley Day treading the boards on UK shores in another hit show. Come Fall in Love opens at Manchester Opera House on 29th May and runs till 21 June 2025. Support the show

    27 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A series of interviews led by Carlos Tseng with some of the most prominent figures in the world of theatre, arts & entertainment. The series offers an up close insight into the lives and work of our esteemed guests, often leading to surprising, poignant and humorous answers. Find out more by listening along!

Information

  • Creator
    Carlos Tseng
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Up Close with Carlos Tseng
  • Show Website
    Up Close with Carlos Tseng

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