Musical theatre and film fans will be able to tune in to a major new radio station devoted to their favourite genre from lunchtime today (24 October).
Launched by commercial radio group UKRD, Encore Radio will operate a 24-hour, seven-day weekly diet of songs, features, reviews and interviews, all with a musical theatre or film flavour.
Presenters including ex-boyband star turned stage and screen actor Duncan James, former Classic FM regular Jamie Crick, and TV and radio journalist Liz Wickham, will preside over a range of shows offering music from past and present musicals, along with showbiz news and gossip.
With a playlist that will be changed monthly fans can expect to hear tracks from current hits like Aladdin and Hamilton, along with numbers from classic stage and screen blockbusters like Singin’ in the Rain and West Side Story. The schedule will also include broadcasts from opening nights, backstage gossip and interviews with West End stars.
Announcing the station’s launch, Crick, who will also serve as content director said: “Britain has the most successful theatre industry in the world. Now finally there is a radio station catering for the huge number of people who visit the theatre or love the music from shows and films.”
Making radio-waves – Jamie Crick and Duncan James
James, who is currently appearing in TV soap Hollyoaks, added: “I can’t wait to get to share three hours every Sunday morning on Encore Radio from 10am with other musical theatre fans across the country.
“I love musicals and have been lucky enough to have had leading roles in Chicago, Legally Blonde and Priscilla Queen of the Desert both in the West End and on tour. I’ll be playing my favourite tracks – Miss Saigon has to be my all-time favourite show, it was probably the first musical I saw live – and I’ll have lots of my showbiz friends dropping it to chat. It’s going to be great fun!”
The chairman of the Encore Radio board, Gregory Watson, said: “This station fills a real gap in the marketplace and, for lovers of musical theatre, it doesn’t get any better.”
UKRD Group CEO William Rogers added: “We are delighted to be working with some really excellent people on this project and we can’t wait to get this launched and underway so that anyone who likes and enjoys listening to songs from musical theatre can start tuning in.”
Encore Radio will be available through its free app for tablet, iPhone and android smartphones, online via encoreradio.co.uk and on DAB digital radio across London and the South East.
Angela Thomas
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