Five questions with Kevin McHale of 'The Frogs'

The Glee star will journey into the underworld as he joins the cast of The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse.

From his early years as a boyband star to his breakthrough screen role as Artie Abrams, Kevin McHale has had a varied career in the spotlight. He talks to London Theatre Magazine about his latest venture on the London stage.

What is The Frogs about, and who do you play?

The Frogs is very loosely inspired by the ancient Greek play of the same name. It’s a timeless story about the state of society, art, and, therefore, humanity! I play Xanthias, Dionysus’s sidekick, as we journey into the underworld to bring someone back to the world of the living—someone we believe can restore the quality of humanity’s art.

How do you feel about making your UK stage debut?

I feel nervous and excited, but mostly excited. Georgie, our director, is incredible, and she has assured me of the hilarity and queerness of it all—so I can’t wait! I love British humour, British theatre, and just being in London, so all of these things combined are going to make for an incredible experience. I’m also looking forward to performing in Southwark Playhouse —it’s so intimate, we will literally be in the audience's laps!

Looking back on your Glee experience, what is one memory that sticks with you today?

Forgive me for sounding cliché, but the memories that jump out to me are the offscreen bonding moments. We all became best friends very quickly and spent every waking moment together, even when we weren’t at work. Jenna Ushkowitz (who played Tina Cohen-Chang) and I lived together for a couple of years, so we would always have people over—Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez) did as well. Our game nights really stick with me. I think you could see on screen just how real our chemistry and friendships were—and still are.

From the boyband NLT to podcasts, TV series, panel shows, and even The Celebrity X Factor, you’ve embarked on a variety of projects. What has brought you the most creative joy?

As you just pointed out, nothing I do makes any sense! Each of those projects has had its own unique set of challenges, and what brings me the most creative joy is coming out on the other side of those challenges. I tend to run toward things that really scare me—like hosting a panel show, which was terrifying but ended up being one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had. Glee probably made use of the most of my abilities in one job, if I had to pick just one!

What would you love to do next?

Live theatre was something I always ran away from because it was so utterly terrifying, and now The Frogs will be my second show within a year—so I think I’d like to do more, if anyone will have me!

Check back for The Frogs tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Kevin McHale. (Photo courtesy of production)

This article first appeared in the April 2025 issue of London Theatre Magazine.