He’s the Tony and Olivier-recognised writer that’s penned some of the most impactful pieces of work of the last 20+years.

From Glorious! to End of the Rainbow and now Allegra - alongside many, many others – his work has brought soaring female-led stories to the forefront of our industry, often with an added live music element, too.

To mark the final performances of his new hit Allegra – led by Dame Maureen Lipman - we dive into life back in the West End and why there’s a power in writing for comedic joy, being reunited with Maureen after their legendary work on Glorious! and how personal loss in his life was the unexpected real-world inspiration for his new show.

We also talk all things End of the Rainbow, having leading stars like Tracie Bennett and most recently Jinkx Monsoon play the leading role, and why the show is more of a comedy than people expect - even through the tears and struggles - and, he reveals how, in one rather peak period in his life, he actually wrote both Glorious! And End of the Rainbow within the same 6-months period.

Plus, he lets us into his mind on everything from inspiration and ideas to story and construction on the page, how he continues to write two or three plays each and every year, and why sometimes not having a plan is “good” for the writing journey.

Host: William J Connolly

Produced by: William J Connolly/Darren Bell

allegraplay.com