Episode 921: From Mosh Pit to Orchestra Pit (Feat. SVALBARD's Serena Cherry)

What happens when a screamo guitarist and singer falls down the musical theatre rabbit hole? Nick Hutson is joined by Serena Cherry, whose musical journey has taken her from the intensity of the mosh pit to the drama of the orchestra pit. Serena explains how discovering The Phantom of the Opera at the age of 17 first opened the door to musical theatre, before life — and loud guitars — briefly pulled her away again. Now, much to the surprise of many in her rock band circle, she has rediscovered musicals and embraced them with enthusiasm. Along the way, Nick and Serena discuss a wide range of shows, from The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry to Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) , and even ponder the perceived missteps of Moulin Rouge! The Musical . They also tackle a classic debate among theatre fans: do the songs in a musical need to be "hummable" for the show to be considered good? Plus, Nick introduces Serena to the deliciously dark world of Stephen Sondheim and Sweeney Todd . Join us for a lively conversation about rediscovering musicals, crossing genre boundaries, and why great theatre can resonate just as powerfully with rock fans as it does with traditional theatre lovers.

You can listen to Episode 921: From Mosh Pit to Orchestra Pit (Feat. SVALBARD's Serena Cherry) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 921: From Mosh Pit to Orchestra Pit (Feat. SVALBARD's Serena Cherry) is an episode from MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast by MusicalTalk - The UK's Independent Musical Theatre Podcast.

This episode is 42:11 long.

This episode was published on Mar 9, 2026.

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