In Episode 3 of The Stage Podcast we're back in Brighton and talking to Matt Adams (Blast Theory) and Jem Wall (Hydrocracker) about making Operation Black Antler, the controversial immersive theatre piece in which audience members 'became' undercover police for the duration.

Also, Tim Crouch speaks to Orla Flanagan about reviving Adler and Gibb in Edinburgh later this year and his plans for the future.

Plus Tracey Sinclair and Tom Wicker join Tim Bano on the critics' sofa, where highlights include The Marlowe Papers ("a conspiracy theorist's dream"), And the Rope Still Tugging Her Feet ("for a piece about dead babies, it was actually quite funny") and Corrections ("found humour in the minutiae of exploring how far you can get by pushing one person and watching someone else at the end of the line fall over").

The Stage Podcast – Brighton festivals, part three

The Stage Podcast is back for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016. Tim Bano hosts a series of six shows interviewing theatremakers and critics at the world's biggest trade show for theatre.

In this episode, Tim talks to Kill the Beast about its new show, Don't Wake the Damp, which Stewart Pringle has called the company's best work in his review for The Stage. Stewart also joins Tim on the critic's sofa for a rundown of the brightest prospects at this year's festivals.

The Stage Podcast, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016, part 1

New Zealander Tim Carlsen talks about his Edinburgh show, One Day Moko, and about the challenges of bringing a piece of theatre from the other side of the world to a new city for the first time. The answer? Three large suitcases, Skyping the director, government grants and crowdfunding, apparently.

Plus Tim Bano and Stewart Pringle talk about which shows they're looking forward to in Edinburgh, both at the International and Fringe festivals, and how to choose what to see and when.

The Stage Podcast, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016, part 2

As we hit the mid-point of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Glasgow-based theatremaker Kieran Hurley talks about storytelling, sound design and the apocalypse.

Plus Stewart Pringle takes to the critics' sofa to discuss his picks of the fringe. Daniel Kitson, Breach Theatre and Forest Fringe are all on his radar.

Tim Bano presents.

The Stage Podcast, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016, part 3

In episode four of The Stage Podcast's Edinburgh 2016 series, we catch up with Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen, aka RashDash. The company has returned to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time in four years with Two Man Show. In this podcast, they discuss gender, feminism, men and masculinity, plus the practical benefits of getting naked on stage.

Tim Bano and Paul Vale are perched on the critics' sofa this week. Their recommendations include Foiled, a site-specific play set in a hairdresser, and On the Conditions and Possibilities of Hillary Clinton Taking Me As Her Young Lover.

There's also discussion of musicals that are ripe for improvement, and why composers and lyricists should treat the fringe as an opportunity to window shop for writing partners.

Next week: Mark Thomas talks about his Traverse show, The Red Shed.

The Stage Podcast, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016, part 4

In our fifth Edinburgh-specific podcast episode, Mark Thomas talks about his show The Red Shed at the Traverse Theatre, and how his work has increasingly moved from stand-up towards theatre in a bid to reflect the truth. He also talks about performance, journalism, audience participation and why he nearly voted Leave in the EU referendum.

Meanwhile, our critics pick some of their top shows. This week things take an immersive turn as Tim Bano and Paul Vale discuss the relative merits of an immersive musical, an immersive dance piece and one of Edinburgh's most talked-about immersive theatre shows, Counting Sheep.

The Stage Podcast, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016, part 5

In our sixth Edinburgh episode, we catch up with Sarah-Louise Young, who is juggling three shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. How does she do it? "My day is boringly military." The cabaret performer – who is appearing in Cabaret Whore Presents... La Poule Plombee, Roulston and Young: Songs for Lovers (and Other Idiots) and Royal Vauxhall, as well as guest spots throughout the month – also discusses tips to preserve your voice and talks about the difference between Edinburgh and London audiences.

Meanwhile, on the critics' sofa, Tim Bano has caught up with Henry Naylor's Angel, while Paul Vale has been to see Buzz, a new musical about vibrators...

The Stage Podcast, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016, part 6

As he collects The Stage Special Award, part of The Stage Edinburgh Awards 2016, Mark Thomas talks to Thom Dibdin about discovering Brecht, the difference between comedy and theatre, how he deals with phones in the auditorium and his show at the Traverse Theatre, The Red Shed.

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The Stage Podcast: Mark Thomas, interviewed by Thom Dibdin

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