Musicals are the heart of am dram for a lot of us. This page gathers every musical guide on Theatre and Chardonnay in one place, whether you’re cast in a show, choosing your society’s next one, or just want to understand the musicals you love a bit better.
Each show guide covers the plot, the songs, the characters and what to think about if you’re staging it as an amateur society, with notes on UK amateur licensing where it matters.
Show guides
| Show | What the guide covers |
|---|---|
| Calendar Girls | Plot, songs, cast and an am dram guide |
| Carousel | The complete guide to the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic |
| Guys and Dolls | Plot, characters, songs and a complete musical guide |
| Jesus Christ Superstar | Everything you need to know about the rock opera |
| Next to Normal | Plot, songs and what UK societies need to know |
| Oklahoma! | The complete guide to the musical |
| South Pacific | Plot, songs, characters and an am dram guide |
Seasonal
- Christmas musicals for amateur theatre: the best festive shows for UK societies.
Writers and composers
- Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals: the complete list of their shows, with a guide to each.
Types of musical
If you’ve ever wondered why some shows feel so different from others, these guides explain the main types and how to spot them.
- What are the 5 types of musical?: the big picture, for performers and audiences.
- What is a book musical?: the most common structure, where songs grow out of the story.
- What is a concept musical?: shows built around an idea rather than a straight plot.
- What is a jukebox musical?: shows built from existing pop songs.
- Jukebox musicals: the performer’s dream?: what makes jukebox shows such fun to perform.
- Is Six a jukebox musical? and Is Grease a jukebox musical?: my verdicts on two shows people argue about.
Theatre talk
- Joshua Henry finally has his Tony.
- It’s coming home: football in theatre.
- The hardest musicals to perform, and why societies still choose them.
Keep exploring
Choosing your society’s next show? Head to Choosing a Show. New to all this? Start with the Am Dram Guide. And if you’re preparing to sing, the free singing lessons series is the place to begin.