All stories by Phil Willmott on BroadwayStars

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Tories announce a £100 million bailout… for zoos! by Phil Willmott

No news of government help for theatre as Tories announce a £100 million bailout… for zoos! Yes, that’s right. You couldn’t make it up!

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Do you know the 5 types of opening numbers used in musicals? by Phil Willmott

Analysing the opening moments of any musical tells you a lot about the writer's intentions for the evening to come.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 08:30AM
Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Phil Willmott: Theatre must stamp out ageism – and #MeToo shows us how by Phil Willmott

Having seen the results of brilliant people bringing about social change with swift, direct action for the #MeToo campaign, there are surely

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Could a workshop open doors to a hit musical or play? by Phil Willmott

Writer, actor or producer – getting involved at the start of a production can be advantageous for all theatremakers – you never

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Top tips on choosing the right fringe venue for you by Phil Willmott

With myriads of fringe theatres to choose from, picking the right venue for your show can be a daunting prospect. As the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Phil Willmott: Don’t pretend that fringe shows make enough to pay everyone by Phil Willmott

Anything on social media suggesting producers on the fringe could convert profit-share to paid work, if nudged, gets us all clicking “like”.

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, December 5, 2017

How to turn your musical into the next big hit by Phil Willmott

There used to be little support to develop musical theatre shows in the UK, but many new schemes have appeared. Phil Willmott

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:00AM
Monday, September 18, 2017

How to take notes well and avoid falling out – a guide for actors and directors by Phil Willmott

You’re all in it together but the message often gets lost between director and actor when building a performance and production. Director

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:00AM
Friday, July 21, 2017

Phil Willmott: Is ‘cronyism’ always such a bad thing?  by Phil Willmott

The recent report Workforce Review of the UK Offstage Theatre and Performing Arts Sector made for fascinating reading and it raises many

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:50AM
Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Phil Willmott: Here’s what a casting director wants from a graduate actor by Phil Willmott

What does the perfect acting course look like? Here’s my wish list based on first-hand experience of drama school and working with

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Phil Willmott: So, your teenager wants to go into the entertainment industry? by Phil Willmott

My brother’s wedding. As often on these occasions – it probably happens to you too – I’m introduced to a mum whose

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Phil Willmott: It’s time to consider a world without critics by Phil Willmott

Like anxious courtiers of the ailing Henry VIII, it may be judicious for us to anticipate future regimes. You see, a day

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Phil Willmott: 6 reasons to be cheerful about new British musicals by Phil Willmott

Last year’s round-up of new UK musicals in The Stage made depressing reading for anyone hoping for good news about British composers,

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM
Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Phil Willmott: Actors, this is what casting looks like from the other side of the table by Phil Willmott

I thought it might be interesting for actors to know a little bit about how a cast is selected. Or at least

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Phil Willmott: How to be an assistant director on a small-scale show by Phil Willmott

I don’t think I’d ever undertake either a production or major project without an assistant director. It may be controversial to say

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Phil Willmott: Great writing is the foundation for character building by Phil Willmott

This isn’t something that’s troubled me for a while. I believe if you and your cast collaboratively identify the motivation behind each

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Thursday, December 1, 2016

Phil Willmott: My advice for getting through the pantomime season by Phil Willmott

It’s that time of the year again when a huge percentage of the profession is locked into long days in the darkness

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Thursday, September 29, 2016

Phil Willmott: 10 things I look for in an actor by Phil Willmott

For the past few weeks I’ve been performing in Crime and Punishment at the Scoop in the evenings and rehearsing a revival

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Thursday, September 15, 2016

Phil Willmott: What do you do when your lead actor breaks both ankles? by Phil Willmott

Last week our leading man, Alec Porter, broke both his ankles. That posed a challenge for everyone down at the Scoop, the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Phil Willmott: Should playwrights produce, direct or act in their own work? by Phil Willmott

I get asked this a lot by playwrights at the moment, particularly because I’ve been known to do various combinations of all

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Monday, July 18, 2016

Phil Willmott: A technical rehearsal through the eyes of a director by Phil Willmott

So here we are in deepest, darkest technical rehearsals. Like ghostly waifs, we dream of sunlight, a distant memory. Actually, we’re not

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Phil Willmott: To make great theatre, you need to befriend those you disagree with by Phil Willmott

Over the past few months, we’ve all been shocked by a series of humanitarian, political and ethical horror stories illuminating the mindset

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Phil Willmott: This is what’s wrong with your showreel by Phil Willmott

This morning I looked through 468 submissions for a theatre piece I’ll be directing in a few months. I can audition about

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Phil Willmott: 10 things every musical theatre composer should know by Phil Willmott

 For the past decade or so, a significant percentage of my income has come from writing musicals. This may surprise you: it

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Phil Willmott: Audition advice for casting directors, agents and actors by Phil Willmott

Here’s my guide for auditions, no matter where you fit into this essential, if not universally loved, part of the production process.

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Thursday, April 7, 2016

Phil Willmott: Is it okay to challenge a bad review? by Phil Willmott

I’m surprised to be posing this question, as until this week a more prescient one seemed to be ‘how do the next

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Monday, March 28, 2016

Phil Willmott: Plotting the course of a new musical’s journey to first night by Phil Willmott

Around 1820 an aristocratic couple took a homeless girl under their wing having been convinced by a Spanish sailor and her unusual

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Phil Willmott: Why directing Sondheim is just as rewarding as directing Brecht by Phil Willmott

My production of Stephen Sondheim’s Road Show has just finished its run at the Union Theatre. I’ll confess it began as a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Friday, January 15, 2016

Phil Willmott: Let’s be proud of fringe theatre again by Phil Willmott

I’ve been thinking it’s time we became proud of the words ‘fringe theatre’ again. It’s a sad fact that there are a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Phil Willmott: These are the things you should do before you start rehearsing by Phil Willmott

Today was the first day of rehearsals for my production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Road Show. I always feel nervous the night

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Phil Willmott: Is Brecht still relevant? by Phil Willmott

My first introduction to the theatre of German expressionist playwright Bertolt Brecht was as a kid when we did his The Caucasian

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards