Desmond Askew Interview

Sian talks to John CairdJohn Caird is one half of the dynamite directing team along with Trevor NUNN of the original London production of Les Mis at the Barbican and the Palace and then all over the world in 1985. He is a Stage Director and Writer of plays musicals and operas and an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. His stunning endless energy and ideas in all these areas makes him one of the most exciting Directors and he with Trevor made the most wonderful musical of our time. He is long time principle Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre Stockholm and author of Theatre Craft, his most recent production is a stage adaption of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away in Tokyo and on tour in the West End at The Coliseum. Other recent work includes a new musical Estella Scrooge in New York and Knights Tale in Japan. He continues to excite, educate and entertain us all over the world.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Alex BremerAlex was the best looking young stage hand in the west end, he worked at The Palace and stayed with Les Mis for 13 years at The Palace before heading for LA, then ditching theatre life, falling in love and becoming the director of an energetic and boisterous media agency 3B Digital.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Kate Flatt OBEKate did the original musical staging of the show and world wide she has had and still has a forty year career in Opera, Dance and Theatre most notably her Choreography of Turandot has seen more than 22 revivals, it is on DVD and has been screened in cinemas worldwide, it returned to the Royal Opera in 2023 and toured Japan in 2024. She has led the way for realistic emotional interpretation of characters within performance and still is leading the way teaching and has recently visited Turandot again in Athens this year.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Clive CarterClive was the original Grantaire and Bamatabois and then went on to to be cast as Javert, he was an orignal RSC member when they asked him to be in Les Mis, he has not stepped off the west end stage since and has been nominated twice for Olivier awards, he was most recently revered for his role Claude Elliot in Come from Away and Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge, Clive continues to dazzle and to perform all over the UK and on our West End Stage.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Dave WillettsDave was the original Brujon in Thernadiers gang and covered Colm Wilkinson as Jean ValJean. He went on to be cast as Jean ValJean and also is noted for playing the first Phantom after Micheal Crawford. Dave has sung all over the world with huge American stars and is known for his incredible portrayal of these roles, he continues to work on The West End stage, he is also an Olivier award nominee and also has a remarkable group called Singing for The Brain for Alzheimer’s, he was recently invited to meet our King at Windsor because of this amazing group.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Desmond AskewDesmond was one or the Gavroches, he went on to be a big star in Grange Hill as a child actor and then left for LA where he starred in movies such as Go, Repli-Kate, The Hills have Eyes and Turistas, he does a lot of voice over work in LA and continues to act.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Aline MowatAline was naembel main whore with Jilly Martin, she went on to have a massive voice over career and still acts and sings. She is best known for being the narrator in the movie Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. She was also in Babel, Looking after Jo Jo and Beautiful People. She has performed in numerous plays and musicals on the West End stage since.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Beverley KleinBeverley is a 2025 Olivier award nominee for Yente in Fiddler on the Roof which she is touring with right now, she was the original Crone and ensemble and has been performing all over the world since in plays, Opera and Musicals including Candide, Romeo and Juliet, Ivanov Plataonv (National), Caroline or Change! Into the Woods, Arms and the Cow, Indecent (menier chocolate factory), The Threepenny Opera (Donmar) and much much more. She recently was revered for playing Fraulein Schneider in Caberet in Londons West End.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Paul LeonardPaul was the original Foreman and Combeferre and went onto be cast to play Javert. He has gone onto be in multiple productions for the RSC and West End. He was recently Lord Fuller in Bridgerton for Netflix and in HBO's House of Dragon, he was in The real Charlie Chaplin, The Witches, Red Dwarf and more and continues to entertain us throughout our theatres in the West End and UK.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]

Sian talks to Nick Allott OBENick is a non executive vice chairman of Cameron Mackintosh Ltd, he was there at the beginning of Les Mis in casting, developing, listening and has followed its journey to the present day. He has served on boards of the English National Ballet and Lyric Hammersmith and Tricycle Theatre. He was the original exec producer of Cats, Song and Dance, Les Mis, Phantom, Follies, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre,Carousel, Mary Poppins, Hamilton and many more, he is an encyclopaedia of Musical Theatre from the late 70's upwards.If you enjoyed the podcast maybe you would enjoy my book 40 “miserable” years later available at Amazon or SIANREEVES.co.uk all proceeds to go to The Sian Reeves Musical Theatre Award.Thanks for listening to our stories Sian xProducer - SIÂN REEVESSound Design - Joshua-Jed David BuckCover Art - Jeremy CampbellResearcher - Clement [email protected]