Thespians: Mischief Theatre’s New Musical Lands at the New Theatre Cardiff
As Mischief Theatre — the team behind The Play That Goes Wrong — launches its first ever musical, Thespians, two of its cast members sat down to talk villains, Greek puns, Broadway nerves and returning to the stage where it all began. The show opens at the New Theatre Cardiff this week.
I spoke with Reece Taylor, who plays the gloriously wicked Tyrant, and Claire‑Marie Hall, who plays Polly, for a lively conversation full of laughter, backstage camaraderie and a surprising number of cat jokes.
A Disney‑Coded Villain With an Iron Fist
Reece Taylor wastes no time introducing the role everyone secretly wants to play:
“My name’s Reece Taylor, and I play the Tyrant… or Tyrant Pestilostratos, which I’m still getting to grips with.”
The character is a delicious blend of theatrical villainy:
“A little bit Ursula, a little bit Yzma, a lot of the Queen of Hearts… she rules over Greece and Athens with an iron fist.”
It’s exactly the kind of part that lets an actor lean into camp, chaos and charisma — and Taylor is clearly relishing it.
A Brand-New Story About Theatre Itself
Claire‑Marie Hall explains the world of Thespians, which no audience has seen before:
“It’s a brand‑new production… the whole show is about a small community of five people who live on an island called Icaria.”
The plot? A deadly prayer competition, a 30‑day drought, and a tyrant demanding each region invent a prayer to bring rain — with fatal consequences for the losers.
But amid the chaos, something remarkable happens:
“Thespis… creates acting. It’s a love letter to theatre — about community, friendship and journeys of self‑discovery.”
Hall plays Polly, Thespis’ bookish, clever but unconfident sister:
“She finds her voice throughout the show.”
Returning Home — or Returning Home Home
For Taylor, performing in Cardiff is a homecoming:
“It’s always lovely to perform close to home… especially in a theatre where you saw so many shows growing up.”
For Hall, it’s even more personal:
“The New Theatre was the first theatre I ever performed at… I played one of the kid roles in South Pacific. It was my first ever professional acting credit.”
She laughs at the idea of it being a “long‑awaited return,” but the sentiment is real — stepping back onto that stage feels like closing a circle.
From Newport Competitions to Broadway
Hall’s path into performing began unexpectedly:
“I won a competition for the South Wales Argus… my mum made me a mermaid costume and I sang Part of Your World.”
That led to scholarships, part‑time training at Sylvia Young, and eventually a full‑time move to London. Most recently, she spent a year on Broadway.
Coming into Thespians after six years in the same show was daunting:
“I was scared about being with a new group of people… but we’ve all gelled together so, so well.”
Touring Life, Found Family and Greek Puns
Both actors light up when talking about the company dynamic.
Taylor:
“When you’re doing something brand new, you’re all creating together… it gets people close really quickly.”
Hall agrees:
“The dynamic between everyone — cast, crew, creatives — has been an absolute dream.”
And the script?
“So many Greek puns… it’s incredibly clever.”
Hall teases a joke about Cats that audiences should listen out for. Taylor, meanwhile, can’t stop laughing at Mark Pickering’s character Adonis:
“He’s trying to work out how to read stage directions rather than his lines… I fall about laughing in the wings every time.”
Where and When to See Thespians
The cast sum it up simply:
“Thespians — the first ever musical written by Mischief Theatre… it’s going to be at the New Theatre in Cardiff all next week.”
You can find tickets and details at the New Theatre Cardiff via Trafalgar Tickets: Thespians Tickets
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