MickeyJoTheatre: Our Theatre Resolutions for 2026 | What We Want to See, Do, and Create This Year...

Episode Date: January 25, 2026

Overview

In this lively, thoughtful episode, Mickey Jo (renowned theatre critic and creator of the largest dedicated theatre criticism channel on YouTube) and his fiancé Aaron James reflect on their theatre-related goals from the past year and set fresh resolutions for 2026. The conversation covers everything from booking strategy to exploring new art forms, supporting new work, creative ambitions, and personal content goals. Their tone is warm, humorous, and genuinely passionate about theatre-going and its ever-evolving landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: What’s This About?

• Mickey Jo and Aaron revisit last year's theatre resolutions, assessing progress and setting new intentions, while encouraging listeners to share their own theatre goals.
• Resolutions can be:
  • Stick: Keep as-is
  • Switch: Replace with a new goal
  • Shift: Adapt or evolve the resolution
• "Theatre-going resolutions: stick, switch or shift?" – Mickey Jo [04:49]

2. Reviewing 2025’s Resolutions

A. Booking Ahead and ‘The Last Show’

• Old Goal: Book “last night” tickets for beloved limited-run shows, not just first previews.
• Reality: Not always possible or necessary, so focus shifts to “plan ahead” for must-sees.
• Lesson learned from missing out on closing night tickets and “overpaying” for Paddington on resale.
• "Let's not rely too much on fate that we get to see it." – Aaron James [07:38]

B. Utilizing Mezzanine App & Theatre Documentation

• Aaron’s 2025 goal to use the Mezzanine app for tracking shows was successful.
• New twist: Document and make content (Instagram/TikTok carousels) from every show attended, prioritizing consistent output over perfection.
• "My bare minimum is there's content of the shows and I use it and don't wait for the perfect thing." – Aaron James [08:57]

C. Broadway Theatre ‘Tick List’

• Goal: Visit/tick off new Broadway theatres.
• Update: Visited the Majestic (pre-planned), only five remain unseen, so it’s not a priority-specific challenge going forward.
• Switch: Not a dedicated 2026 goal—will happen naturally.

D. See More Opera & Explore New Art Forms

• Joint new goal: Delve into opera (potential crossover with musical theatre), as well as ballet/contemporary dance.
• Desire for accessible entry points for musical fans exploring opera.
• "Opera is the next within reach. ...I want to segue into it and document that journey." – Mickey Jo [11:09]

E. Supporting and Visiting Key UK Institutions

• Progress: Much more time spent at RSC and National Theatre, but want to boost visits to Donmar Warehouse, Royal Court, and new writing-focused venues.
• Noted regional imbalance; aim for geographically broader theatre-going.

F. Expand UK & International Theatre Visits

• Achieved 2025: Visited at least three new UK theatres (Royal Exchange, Arcola, Storyhouse, etc.).
• 2026 Goal: Up to five new UK theatres, prioritizing underserved regions, especially more of Scotland and Wales.
• "I think five is a great number to aspire to... bit more of Scotland and a bit of Wales." – Mickey Jo [17:03]

G. 'Do the Homework' for Shows

• Make a conscious effort to read/watch the source material adaptations when possible, boosting personal knowledge and enriching the critic’s experience.
• "So many of the problems of society right now... stem from the fact that we aren't reading enough books." – Mickey Jo [19:16]

H. Award Show Press Rooms & Professional Growth

• Goal accomplished: Covered multiple award show press rooms—now looking to publish writing in a new, ambitious outlet.
• Hesitant about the press room for the Oliviers—prefers the atmosphere in the room to backstage interfacing.

I. Consistent Content Creation & Collaboration

• Aaron marks personal growth in content creation/documenting, shifting towards more shared/collaborative vlogs, increased behind-the-scenes involvement, and letting go of rigid boundaries.
• "This year I just kind of go, let's see, let's play, let's do and let's create." – Aaron James [24:20]

3. New Theatre Resolutions & Dreams for 2026

A. Theatre in a New Country/Continent

• Both have seen shows in numerous countries but want to challenge themselves with new continents—Australia (not yet visited) and South Korea are top of mind.
• Emphasis on connecting with different theatre cultures, not just collecting passport stamps.

B. Support New British Musicals

• Continue to champion new works via BEAM workshops and public spotlight, particularly helping build “the brand” of new shows (not just reviews).
• "Developing the material is one thing, building the brand early is another... it's never too early." – Mickey Jo [33:01]

C. Use Platform for Advocacy

• Reaffirming the importance of speaking out on industry issues, balancing candor with professionalism as their profile grows.
• "There are things that happened this year and I thought, I'm gonna wait for the journalists to do their journalism... Without putting myself at risk legally, I want to make sure that I'm still talking about the things that I think are important." – Mickey Jo [34:18]

D. US State Theatre-Ticking

• Visited new US states for theatre: San Diego (CA), Chicago (IL), Boston (MA), and are now familiar with major US regional theatres.
• Goal achieved; emphasis placed on learning the “DNA” of these theatre districts.
• "I enjoyed going to ART and Chicago Shakes... these are the places where American musicals are created regionally." – Aaron James [36:27]

E. Tony/Olivier Musical Winner ‘Canon’

• Aaron wants to see or revisit more Tony/Olivier-winning musicals to deepen knowledge, understand their historical context, and educate himself as a critic.
• "If there's predictions of a show that won the Tony for Best New Musical or the Olivier... see as many of those as I can to then learn why did they win it." – Aaron James [37:34]

F. See More Plays

• Both dramatically increased play attendance in 2025; aim to continue naturally without new quotas.
• "We've both kind of just actively been like, this is exciting or this is happening and trying to see more of the seasons." – Aaron James [43:52]
• Noted that being well-versed in classic plays/playwrights is particularly important in British theatre culture.

G. Personal Content Goals: More Photos, More Presence

• Mickey Jo: Wants more photos documenting theatre outings and stylish theatre outfits ("More Me").
• Aaron: Wishes to appear in more videos and build personal confidence and presence in vlogging/talking about theatre.
  • "Create more content where I'm talking about maybe the things I'm feeling about or find a way to share it more..." – Aaron James [47:17]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "Let's not rely too much on fate that we get to see it." – Aaron James [07:38]
• "Opera is the next within reach... I want to segue into it and document that journey and talk about how musical theatre people can get into opera." – Mickey Jo [11:09]
• "So many of the problems of society right now... stem from the fact that we aren't reading enough books." – Mickey Jo [19:16]
• "Developing the material is one thing, building the brand early is another." – Mickey Jo [33:01]
• "I think five is a great number to aspire to... bit more of Scotland and a bit of Wales." – Mickey Jo [17:03]
• "It's never too early to start building the brand of that show." – Mickey Jo [33:08]
• "This year I just kind of go, let's see, let's play, let's do and let's create." – Aaron James [24:20]
• "We both did [see more plays] very well... already done it very well this year." – Aaron James [39:53]
• "I want more photos as well. Nice clothes." – Mickey Jo [47:41]

Key Timestamps

• 02:41 – Mickey Jo and Aaron James introduction
• 03:45 – Setting the structure for resolutions: stick, switch, shift
• 05:26 – Review of “Book the last show”/Plan ahead strategy
• 08:19 – Using Mezzanine app/Content documentation
• 09:15 – Broadway theatre “tick list”
• 11:09 – New Opera goal for 2026
• 12:54 – Supporting trips to RSC, National, Royal Court, Donmar, regional and fringe venues
• 15:11 – Visiting new UK theatres & regional ambitions
• 18:03 – Doing the homework (reading/watching source material)
• 19:51 – Coverage of award show press rooms/professional writing ambitions
• 24:19 – Content growth and collaboration, vlogging as a couple
• 28:19 – Theatre in a new country/continent (Australia, South Korea)
• 32:20 – Supporting new British musicals/building their “brand”
• 34:18 – Maintaining advocacy and critical voice
• 35:29 – Visiting new U.S. states for theatre
• 37:34 – Aaron's Tony/Olivier winners project
• 39:53 – Goal review: seeing (and appreciating) more plays
• 44:10 – Observations on play/musical balance
• 45:23 – More personal documentation (photos/videos)

Conclusion

This episode offered an insightful and relatable look into how two true theatre lovers structure their year, blending personal growth, content creation, artistic curiosity, and a desire to support the broader field. Both Mickey Jo and Aaron are honest about setbacks and aspirations, challenging themselves and their listeners to strive for more thoughtful, adventurous, and inclusive theatre-going in 2026.

Listener Call to Action:
Mickey Jo and Aaron encourage listeners to share their own theatre resolutions, discuss what excites them for the year ahead, and engage across their various online platforms.

“Resolutions are for life, not just for January. As always, hope that you enjoyed, make sure to subscribe. And I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have as a stagey day.” – Mickey Jo [49:38]