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Zoe Ball Meets Elaine Paige

In celebration of Elaine's 60 years in showbusiness, she joins Zoe Ball for a glittering interview about her unparalleled and varied career.

In celebration of Elaine’s 60 years in showbusiness, she joins Zoe Ball for a glittering interview about her unparalleled and varied career.

In a funny, light-hearted and self-effacing conversation interspersed with the sensational show tunes she’s made famous, Elaine shares anecdotes and insights from major West End and Broadway productions she’s starred in, including ‘Hair’, ‘Evita’, ‘Cats’, ‘Chess’, ‘Piaf’, ‘Anything Goes’, ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and ‘Follies’.

There are stories about meeting royalty, working with Queen and Stephen Sondheim, the challenge of remembering the lyrics of her signature song ‘Memory’, and of coping with the instant fame that winning the much-coveted role of Eva Peron brought her.

Elaine has shone a spotlight on thousands of different musicals on Radio 2 for over two decades, but now the tables are turned as she chats to Zoe about what it’s really like to be ‘The First Lady of British Musical Theatre’.

26 days left to listen

1 hour, 57 minutes

On radio

Saturday 01:00
BBC Radio 2

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Music Played

  • Elaine Paige

    With One Look

    • Centre Stage The Very Best Of Elaine Paige.
    • Warner Music.
    • 6.

  • Elaine Paige

    Hymne a L'amour (If You Love Me)

    • Piaf.
    • Rhino.
    • 1.

  • Elaine Paige

    Memory (From the Original Cast recording of Cats)

    • The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
    • Polydor.

  • Elaine Paige

    As If We Never Said Goodbye

    • Memory.
    • Warner Music.
    • 2.

  • Elaine Paige

    Nobody's Side

    • Chess (The Original Recording / Remastered / Deluxe Edition).
    • Polar Music.
    • 5.

  • Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson

    I Know Him So Well

    • Memories - The Best Of Elaine Paige.
    • Telstar.

  • Elaine Paige

    Buenos Aires

    • Evita (Original London Cast Recording).
    • MCA Records.
    • 4.

  • Elaine Paige & Gay Soper

    Any Minute Now

    • Billy - Original London Cast Recording.
    • CBS.
    • 12.

  • Rita Moreno, George Chakiris & The Sharks & Girls

    America

    • West Side Story: The Original Motion Picture Sound Track Recording.
    • Columbia.
    • 6.

  • Roger Allam & Susannah Fellows

    The Tennis Song

    • City of Angels: Original London Cast Recording.
    • Exallshow Ltd.
    • 8.

  • Original London Cast of Hair

    Good Morning Starshine

    • Hair: Original London Cast.
    • Polydor.
    • 28.

  • Evita Original London Cast

    Requiem For Evita

    • Evita (Original London Cast Recording).
    • MCA Records.
    • 1.

  • Elaine Paige

    Rainbow High

    • Evita: Original London Cast.
    • MCA Records.
    • 11.

  • Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth, Julian Lloyd Webber, David Cullen & Jon Hiseman

    Buenos Aires

    • Julian Lloyd Webber plays Andrew Lloyd Webber.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 10.

  • Elaine Paige

    Don't Cry For Me Argentina

    • Songs Of The Century (Disc 2).
    • Global Records & Tapes.

  • The Original Company of Cats

    Prologue / Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats

    • Highlights From Cats.
    • Really Useful / Polydor.
    • 1.

  • London Symphony Orchestra

    Anthem (Instrumental)

    • Chess (The Original Recording / Remastered / Deluxe Edition).
    • Polar Music International AB.
    • 11.

  • Classic Concert Orchestra

    Radio Gaga

    • Best of Classic Concert Orchestra.
    • Classic Concert Orchestra.
    • 5.

  • Anything Goes New Broadway Company Orchestra

    Overture

    • Anything Goes (New Broadway Cast Recording).
    • Ghostlight Records.
    • 1.

  • Elaine Paige

    Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

    • On Reflection The Very Best Of Elaine Paige.
    • Warner Music UK Limited.
    • 5.

  • Frank Chacksfield Orchestra

    La Vie En Rose

    • French Flavour.
    • Chacksfield.
    • 6.

  • The Orchestra

    Entr'acte from Sunset Boulevard

    • Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard: American Premiere Recording.
    • Decca Broadway.
    • 1.

  • Stage Stars

    Broadway Baby (Bed)

    • Sondheim Solos: Female Selections.
    • Stage Stars Records.
    • 19.

  • Elaine Paige

    I'm Still Here

    • Follies (New Broadway Cast Recording).
    • PS Classics.
    • 18.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 27 Apr 2025 13:00
    BBC Radio 2
  • Saturday 01:00
    BBC Radio 2