DAN WALFORD - representation, additional skills and performing Starlight Express in front of Arlene!

This week we're joined by the incredible triple threat performer - Dan Walford! Fresh from a year long stint in Starlight Express Germany, Dan tells us about the 5 month long skate school, some epic falls and writing a musical!!

Dan insta: https://www.instagram.com/danielswalford/?hl=en

Dan Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dan.walford

Singing New York: https://www.tiktok.com/@dan.walford/video/7552966713462000918

Turning on skates: https://www.tiktok.com/@dan.walford/video/7483257063154404630

Thankyou for listening!

Find all the songs mentioned in our spotify playlists!

https://open.spotify.com/user/31t7e7ibcbntq6ziwbonzbra7ape?si=L0XQuZlnTYq8_ybkvlliaQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancetothispodcast/?hl=en

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dancetothispod

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hi everyone, welcome back to Dance This Podcast with me, Zoe Francesca and me, Jessica Faye, the podcast where you can find great songs to dance to.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

This week we have got, we're still in London, we're still in the warm. It's still London. It's still warm. And we have the amazing Dan Wolford, triple threat. Triple threat dance dancing, singing, acting. Actually, maybe we can say like, what's after quadruple? Like 10 times threat, roller skating, puppeteering, all of the above. And then skills.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Top dancer.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

The list is endless, guys. Wait till you hear this chat. Straight from Starlight Express. And we mean straight from Starlight Rolding. He's rolled in from Starlight Express in Germany. Cannot wait for you to hear all about his life. West End waffle first, though, Jess. That's our question today. I don't know if you remember it.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

I knew what it was, but I was like, I probably just need to actually say it has been written it. A musical theatre role you'd love to play.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Ooh, right. This one, something came straight to my head. Um, shall I tell you? Go on. Uh Meat from We Were Rock You. Haven't you even seen me? No, I haven't seen it. Oh, it's incredible. She's got such good songs. She's I mean, this is if I'd like to play if I could sing.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

I was gonna say, I mean, I have like three, but they're all like if I was actually capable.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

They're all in good rooms. Yeah, exactly. So Meat has like rocky voice, proper belter, like gets the Avani and all best songs, like coolest outfit. Just that role to me is just like, ha, I would love that. It's like a cool, rocky role. And if I had the Belta voice, you best believe I would be auditioning for that.

SPEAKER_02 1:45

Yeah amazing.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Right, go on, tell us your three. Tell me three. Okay, so obviously Glinda.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

Knew it. Obviously Glinda. I think I'd be a great Glinda if I could do it. Just if I do say so myself, I think I would be a great Glinda. Many practice. Yeah, I mean, obviously, like you know, you've been at karaoke with me before. I do put on a show. So we're definitely gonna put that on the socials. Let's not do that. Let's not do that. I think it's already on mine. Just in case anybody's watching. Um and then another one. This is all like like just um what's like the way they do it sometimes, don't they, where it's like, oh um oh, I can't remember what it's like called. Where like it's basically, I'm not you I'm not even explaining it, so I don't know how you meant to know what I'm trying to say. But it's like basically like roles people would play, like regardless of like gender, race, or anything, like that kind of like thing. Um Angelica from Hamilton, because satisfied is one of the best songs ever written, and I can spit bars. No, I song that karaoke as well. You know, that was good. That was really good as well. I did that karaoke my birthday too. Um and then my last one, um, this is obviously regardless of gender. Although I was really annoyed when it came out on the West End a few years ago and there were girls playing them, and I was like, if I'd known, I would have been practicing my jumps and my leaps and everything, but I would just love to be a part of the ensemble of newsies. Yeah, I knew you would say that as well. That's what I thought you were gonna say. But I didn't think it was an option, and then when it came to the West End, there were no.

SPEAKER_01 3:13

You can realise your dreams now. No, but don't like flip and leap and there's still time, Jess. Come on, there's still time. Let down C V inspire you to add some skills. Yeah. Let's catch Jess in gymnastics. Catch me doing my backed up.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Double backed up.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Aw you guys, how fun. Let us know in the comments what role would you love to play on the West End. Uh, let's jump into the episode with Dan now. Welcome Dan to the podcast.

SPEAKER_04 3:45

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Okay, tell everyone what you do in the industry now.

SPEAKER_04 3:48

Yeah, sure. I've just got back from a contract at Starlight Express in Germany. So roller skating is now added to the list of things I do apparently.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Amazing, get it on the CV straight away.

SPEAKER_04 3:58

Maybe I'll do an advert, who knows? Um, yeah, but mainly I do musical theatre, I want to do some screen acting too, and I write as well. So it makes sense. Yeah, do lots of creative stuff, really.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

Love it, full creative, I love it. Let's go from take it from the top, that's all the way back to the beginning. What was your first memory of dancing?

SPEAKER_04 4:17

Yeah, so the song I chose for this was Proud Mary. Um, and this one, I used to do these summer schools where I think it was linked to stagecoach, and basically any student of stagecoach between the ages of like eight and eighteen around the world could audition for this like summer school that was three weeks long. Um, and at the end of it you put on a show together. And I think that was like my first sort of experience of like how to be professional in this like environment. Um, and we had like two amazing dance teachers for my first few years doing it, um, called Tony Aitken and Daniel Todd, and then this song was like Dan's like special warm-up. So when this song came on, like the morale in the room was crazy, and we were all like didn't matter how tired we were or like what point in the week it was when this song came on, it was like everyone came together and was ready to do like the proud Mary warm-up. And we did like the whole, like, you know, all of this around in a circle.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

Yeah, this is just like a universal thing, to be fair, even just at parties, like when that song comes on, it's like everyone's like people clear the floor and it's like.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

Yeah, that's so true. Everyone, yeah, get on the floor and do it. I know, and then we do um Dance with the Beyonce tribute. She pays tribute to Tina Turner, so we do proud Mary and that. But I'm like, everyone, this is the leg bit when you know when we're at a party, I'm like, no, it goes like this. But yeah, it's so iconic. Do we need to play it really? But gets going and then oh yeah, get it in a bit.

SPEAKER_04 5:42

Oh, so good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

What a good warm-up song. I've never thought of it. It's like a warm-up song before.

SPEAKER_04 5:47

I use it now. Like I I do when I've like dance captain and stuff on things I've done every now and then I do like my version of what dance warm-up used to be to that song. Yeah, it's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

Oh, it's so good. So, how old were you when you were doing that when you actually started dancing?

SPEAKER_04 6:03

Um when I first did one of those summer schools, I think I was eight when I got into my first one. Um, and then yeah, I did them every year until I was 17. So Yeah, crazy.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Um did you have any inspirations for starting, or did you just it was something to do in the holidays?

SPEAKER_04 6:20

So I um I got put into like a stage. I was very lucky I got to go to Stagecoach from like three because I think I used to be quite loud singing around the house. And so my mum was like, what do we do with that? Um and then once you've been there a certain amount of years, like the opportunity came, like the head office of Stagecoach would message all of the um like franchises again around the globe. It wasn't just England. I met so many friends from elsewhere doing it, which was really cool. And I'm still in touch with loads of them now. Oh but yeah, when I got to eight, I was like, that was the earliest you could audition for them. And then I got in and then never stopped going. Yeah, they were like my favorite, like my favourite time of the year was always doing, like, if I got in, obviously, um, was doing this like three-week intensive, let's do a musical. And it is where I learnt the foundations of my discipline that I still use now, like how to behave in a rehearsal room. Because it was quite intense when it first started. It sort of um it got less intense as the years went on. Um, but when when I first went, it was like people were disciplined and like you were told what you should be doing, but like in the in the best way possible, I think it was good as a kid to be s shown what was actually expected of you if you were to do it professionally, and I am very thankful to the team for that now.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

So yeah, good foundations of then keeping it going through your through your career, that's amazing. Um, did you have a preference at that age of singing, acting, dancing?

SPEAKER_04 7:50

Um I I don't think I consciously knew that I was doing all three, to be honest with you. I um there was one year where I ended up like as like a dance heavy track. We did West Side Story one year. Um and I was I think I was like 13 and I'd never really thought about like dance in its own right, or like I'd never gone, oh I'm like a dancer, like I wasn't someone who did competitions or anything like that. I did like on and off classes, but it wasn't something I was consistently doing. It was mainly like my access to dance was through musical theatre and doing like Am Dram and stuff. Um and stagecoach. But yeah, there was one year I was cast as like one of the dancers in the Jets for West Side Story, and that was like a real I think every day I was scared I was gonna be taken out of a number. So that was like uh okay, I've really got to like step up and like get ready to dance. Yeah, so I think I probably started as like an actor singer, and I'd probably say I'm an actor singer now, but I can dance. Yeah, like that for sure was like a turning point in no, this is like a a discipline you should be thinking about in its own right. Um, because that show is so well it's everything, it's a triple threat show, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Yes, triple threat, definitely, 100%. The turning point. So when did you think I'm gonna make this a career and really go for it?

SPEAKER_04 9:13

Yeah, the um this one for me was this song particular. This was my third year show at Mount View. Um and this was when I realised what I was passionate about within the industry in terms of like uh people being represented authentically. I feel like I felt so lucky to be doing this show in particular, my third year show and playing like one of the leads in it. Because one thing I struggle with in musical theatre is I still feel I feel like we're still quite behind in what types of people are represented. Um and there is now queer representation, but a lot of it is all the same like archetypal kind of person, and it's great that there is representation, but I think the diversity of it isn't really there still. And this show is like a random gem that isn't done that often. Um where as a queer person I think the queer people are written well, and they're not the ones that are just more commercially obscene. Um so yeah, this this this song is because I got to do a show where I felt like, oh, I'm telling stories that like I relate to, and obviously as an actor as well and a dancer, you're always storytelling like different people's stories, and you have to be able to find relatability with every character that you play. But it was maybe one of the first times I was like, oh, like this is like actually really close to me, and I can there's a lot more I can add to this from my own life.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Did you have any say in what show you were going to do, or was it just given to you and you're like, oh yeah, no, it was just lucky.

SPEAKER_04 10:48

I mean, I guess Mount View saw it in me for me to do the story too. Um, but yeah, we found out like the end of second year, I think it was like the last day of our second year, they tell us what the shows are gonna be, and then we don't know which ones we're gonna be in.

SPEAKER_03 11:00

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:01

And we find out like you find out as each show is going on. So like we did at Mount View, there were six shows in our third year, um, and you were in three of them. So you'd find out the first terms ones just before we started, and then during the first one, you'd find out what the next one is.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

So you spent your whole summer like, please give me that one.

SPEAKER_04 11:19

Yeah, honestly, when I found out that was one of the shows, I was listening to the soundtrack, like, yeah, like because I I knew the song, like this one of the songs was a song I almost used to audition with for drama scores and stuff from this show. So I loved this show, but oh, we haven't actually said what the show is. Yeah, it's bear, yeah, bear.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

I heard of that one, no, yeah. Well, this is the thing, it's not done that often.

SPEAKER_04 11:38

Um, they did a concert version of it recently at London Palladium. I say recently, I think it was like 2023 or four, but I've been in Germany, so um, but yeah, it's not it's not done all that often, and I I don't know if it's ever had a West End run or anything.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Let's play a bit of it. So Once Upon a Time from Bear. Hi there we go. Oh, nice melodies.

SPEAKER_03 12:01

Seeking some last answer.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Did you sing this one? Oh, beautiful. That sounds a bit like you actually. I can imagine you singing that. Um, so then after finishing at Mountview, did you go straight into a career? Were you lucky enough to do it that way? Yeah, to have to work for a bit.

SPEAKER_04 12:23

It's not been like I think I'm still I'm still learning this now because I've I think this is I'm going into my third year of being not in drama school, and I'm still learning a lot of things about the industry, and like it's not so linear and it's different for everyone, and I think it's very easy to compare yourself to like the 1% that are doing like the path that you expected to come after drama school. But yeah, I was lucky to work straight away, just not necessarily the direct. I thought like before I went to drama school, I was like, Yeah, I'll do drama school and then I'll just be in the West End of the street.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

Be a lead on the West End straight away.

SPEAKER_04 12:54

Yeah, but you know, the industry is so complex, there's so many people that want to do it and that are able to do it, and yeah, um it it's not always the path that you expect it to be. I never thought I'd end up in Germany as like during Starlight Express. That was not on the on the bingo card for sure.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

But yeah, I'll take it. That's amazing. Tell us about that. How did you get that role?

SPEAKER_04 13:18

Yeah, um, I auditioned for it in I was doing I made my West End debut in a show that did a transfer from like Wilton's Music Hall, and we did like two performances at Arts Theatre, it's called Frank's Closet. I was the dance captain for that, and it was in drag as well, which was also not something I expected to do. Um but yeah, I got to learn to dance in heels and um be a bit more fair on stage. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

Look at all these skills you've added to your TV.

SPEAKER_04 13:45

I know, and it started with us being elves together. Yes, yes, we double elves together in that man.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

All the different shoes, heels, skates, elf shoes. That wasn't the snow. I know, so I don't remember.

SPEAKER_04 13:58

So I've done all of like the animation and stuff. Yeah, love it, love it. Before Starlight, I did a panto um with Wolverhampton Grand. It was like their first year like doing their own writing, I think. And they threw absolutely everything at it. And in that panto, I had to learn to puppeteer, to roller blades, like obviously not to the same degree as Starlight, uh, but still, like we met Robin Cousins, who's from Dancing Rice, an Olympian, like, yeah, and he like taught us the principles of rollerblading, which was crazy. And then I am not necessarily a tapper, um, but for this show there was a tap number and it was like a proper tap number. And I remember being like with all of the casts and being like, ah, these people are like, they are dancers through the through and they can tap, they can tap for their life. And I was like, okay, I'm gonna have to really put my big girl pants on and learn how to tap for their CM.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

Um Wow all the skills. Yeah, love it. I can't remember what the original show starlight, how did that come about?

SPEAKER_04 14:56

Yeah, um, so I was, yeah, I was um in rehearsals for like the um second part of Frank's closet. We were preparing to like make sure we remembered how everything went because there was a bit of a gap between us doing it at Wilton's Music Hall and then it transferring for the couple of performances at Arts Theatre. And um, someone in the cast on the of Frank's closet on the first day of rehearsals had been like, Oh, since I saw you, like I've booked Starlight, and I was like, Oh my god, no way, that's amazing. Um, and I hadn't auditioned for it or anything, and then it just so happened that during that rehearsal period, another breakdown came out and they were still looking for some people. Um, and so by the end of that like two weeks of rehearsals and doing the shows at the arts, I also had a contract for Starlight Express. I think I auditioned on a Thursday, found out on the Friday.

SPEAKER_03 15:40

No way, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:41

It was really quick turnaround. Yeah. Um, and you know, I got to sing for Arlene Phillips in the audition room, which is really cool. And dance for her, which was you know a bit of pusher because there's a dance round.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

Um that is a tickler off the book at this moment.

SPEAKER_04 15:54

Right. And actually, when I was doing Starlight Express, um I was lucky I was on for Electra, which was one of the roles I covered, and she was watching that show when I was Electra. So yeah, it's cool to say that I've done Starlight for Arlene as well.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

Amazing.

SPEAKER_04 16:08

Yeah, but it came about really quickly. It was like I was like, you know, doing a show in London, and then all of a sudden it was like, oh, and you're gonna move to Germany in like three months. And I was like, okay, guess that's me then. Um but yeah, it was quite sudden it coming about.

SPEAKER_01 16:22

Oh, and then the training for that, so you had a little bit of rollerblading training, but then did you have heard it's full on skate school?

SPEAKER_04 16:29

It's like five months of skate school, yeah. Five months? Wow. I mean, it's needed because the show is so demanding, and I like I don't know if you've seen the set in Germany, but like there are like three levels of stage, they're like moving parts that are like ramps that are like moving parts as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

They don't be nice about it, do they? Like you want some charge.

SPEAKER_04 16:47

I mean, it's been there since the 80s, so like it's the like oh as close to the OG show as you can get. And um, like for example, Electra's entrance that I had to do, you come onto a bridge that's on the top level and then it rotates downwards until it's on the bottom level and you're tilted like this, and then you come down and you start the show. And that's your first thing that you do in the show is Electra.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

So if you mess that up, then you're like Well, if you mess that up, it's bad news.

SPEAKER_04 17:09

You really have to like buckle up for that one, yeah. And you've got like a massive like mohawk on your head, which honestly weighs like the weight of a newborn child, so you're there like pulled up and ready to go on your wheels. Um, yeah, but five months of skate school, um, and it it's very intense. It's intense, yeah. It's it's um it's not for everyone. Uh it was very hard. It's probably one of the hardest things I'm ever gonna have to do. Um, and it's weird because with learning a new skill, it wasn't like I could relax from my training that I'd had so far. Like I essentially had to train again and then add that to what I already know as like a performer. Um, so it's just like a whole other thing. Even like having to sing whilst you're like skating, because I think I might be wrong, but I think we can get pretty fast. I think we get up to like 30, 40 miles an hour on our wheels if like if we're pelting it. Yeah. Wow. And yeah, having to then find the space to breathe and to like then belt really high notes because the score's pretty high. Yeah. And then you're like going really fast around the stage. And then we also have to dance with wheels on our feet. Um, and you also learn how to use like your toe stops at the front to like balance all your weight. Let me tell you, Drew, when you're when you first learn the choreography, your feet are like butchered from the shoes. Like everyone's like learning how to like tape their toes up and everything because you have to break the boots in. And it's a rule during our skate schools, um, like for the day, once you put your skates on, you're not allowed to take them off. So you put them on when you get there, and you have to do the entire day in them because that's how we one learn how to move around the building and two how we break them in.

SPEAKER_02 18:46

So, like rolling to lunch.

SPEAKER_04 18:48

Yeah, it's hard and fast. It's like, right, you're gonna have to be able to during a show go up and down the stairs, go like to the toilet if you need like you're gonna need to be able to be on your wheels at all times and know how to do it around the building. So once you put them on and you arrive, that's you're done. You obviously we've got our like pads on, but like oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

I just think about like taking your heels off at the end of like a night out as well. Like the fact that you would have to wear that for like eight hours plus.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

Yeah, that's what I was just about to say. When you take them off, you're like, ah, yeah, straight back on the next day.

SPEAKER_04 19:15

Yeah, yeah. Honestly, yeah. The brutal thing is the next morning, especially during choreography, because um, when you're learning the choreography, obviously you're repeating it more than you will in the show, and like a lot of the stuff that you do on your toe stops is just like the sides of your feet rubbing against your boot because you're essentially like it's similar to like being on point, yeah. I guess. I mean, I've never done point, but it's similar, you're putting all of your weight on your toes and then like a padded like block, basically, and then you're like jumping, and like that does make your feet a bit red raw. So yeah, the next day you're like, and then when you're like you find out that you're doing like a number that requires that, you're like, okay, okay, and then you plaster up and get ready to go.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Wow, or the determination to get through that and the like I'm in this show, I'm gonna do it. That must have been hard.

SPEAKER_04 19:59

There were times I was honestly like, I I don't know if I'm like, I couldn't see the end. I was like, I actually don't know if I'm gonna be able to do that. Like a long time. Yeah. Yeah, and then after that, like um the five months is learning to skate, and then you open the show. Um, but for like swings, and also I was like a cover of um two of the lead roles. Um, like we then have swing rehearsals that go on during the day whilst we're doing the show at night. So like you I still didn't know if I was gonna be able to do my covers because I still had to learn all of their paths and like check I could sing and skate at the same time. Like the the learning's not done after the five months. I don't think the learning really ever ends on that job. I think I didn't feel comfortable on my skates until maybe February of this year. So that was like a year after being there, and obviously I was doing the show, but it yeah, it's still you just constantly learn new ways to like move round that stage and like be in your wheels.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

What an achievement though. You've done that now, and you'll just have to achieve all that. Yeah. Next section. I like to move it, move it. What is your favourite dance style?

SPEAKER_04 21:05

This is like dancing in your room and singing along. That's what I've gone for. Yeah. Because I feel like it's so easy in the industry to forget why you love to like do it and like enjoy moving, enjoy singing as well. I'm the same. Like with all of the disciplines, I'm always like, okay, but remember why you love it because that's what gets you through the tough times. If you can't remember why you're doing it, then the tough times are like, what's the goal here? Like, um, so this is like a bop that I will like dance and sling around to in my room.

SPEAKER_01 21:35

Great. Tell me by Spencer Sutherland.

SPEAKER_04 21:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:45

Look at your smile.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

Oh, so good. Check it out on the playlist, guys. It's a good one. Did the skate training? Sorry, going back to the skates, I'm just obsessed. Did that change the way you dance now?

SPEAKER_04 21:57

Um, yeah, I haven't had like many opportunities. Because I've literally been back three weeks, but I've done a couple of auditions.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

I didn't realise it was that soon.

SPEAKER_04 22:04

No, I've literally just got back. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So when I was like, yeah, I just got back from Germany. I was like, no, no, like I just got back.

SPEAKER_03 22:10

I was starting to realize it was that.

SPEAKER_04 22:13

But I did some auditions whilst I was there. Um I've definitely noticed like a difference in like core strength for sure. But it's interesting, you also lose some things doing that job just because it's a different, it's a completely different way of moving. Like I need to work my spotting back in because the best way to turn um out there to go to get faster and more turns in is not to spot you, like look at your hands. Oh dear. So like obviously completely different from doing a pirowear. Um but I've definitely noticed that like my legs and my like core support me so much more than they did before because I think because even standing still in your skates, it's because the stage isn't completely flat either. There's like lumps and bumps everywhere because it it's a piece of set that's used so much. Um like I didn't even realise some of the time like how much of my body I was using to like stabilize. So um yeah, I've definitely more grounded than I was before when dancing, and also it's exciting to dance again because like obviously we do dance in the show, but it's the same material, and also like dancing on wheels is just completely different. Uh, and you build a trust for like staying balanced on your wheels, but it's nice to go back to being on your feet and being like, oh yes, this is my body, and I'm lovely, and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Oh, were there any moves which you thought weren't possible on skates that you actually managed to do? Like a leap popped in my head. I don't think anyone would leap on skates. I might be wrong, but something like maybe not my choice. Worm. But any moves that you thought I'm never gonna be able to do that, and then you cracked it and you actually did it.

SPEAKER_04 23:52

I mean, turning on skates is really hard.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

Like we've tried. We've tried we did a workshop. Um it was impossible. It was so impossible.

SPEAKER_04 24:00

It is really difficult, and like, but also for some people it does just come straight away. I was not one of those people. Um that's okay. But like, yeah, like I remember, I think it I've got like a TikTok of it somewhere, like in my seventh, it's got like all the progression of my turns, and in the seventh week I was just like, oh my god, I I can do it now. Like it just like clicked, it wasn't consistent, but I was like, oh my god, like I've I've proven that that is like possible. And also, like it's crazy because the stage doesn't actually look as big as it is like in from the audience, even like from close up until you're like on it. But like the bowl is over six foot, so it's taller than a lot of the people, like the basic one that we dropped over. The drip the drop down is six foot wide, so like even like as a lecturer, that's a video that you might have seen. But in the mega mix, like you just go over the bowl at the end and then do a jump backstop, and then you're singing and all of that. But like it took me ten weeks to get over that bowl because I was just so scared of the possibilities of hurting myself. Um, and I remember at one point like crying in one of the director's arms, like, I'm I'm so scared, I don't know if I'm ever gonna be able to do this. And then he was like, You're fine, you're fine, you're gonna be fine. And then the next week I did get over the top bit of the bowl, and I was like, okay, right, it is possible to do it. Yeah, so dropping in was terrifying, and turning was really hard. And I did once do a cartwheel, but I didn't want to keep repeating that because I wanted to preserve my body, but I did one and I'm happy with that.

SPEAKER_01 25:21

If you did cartwheel in skates, you can have that to CV as well. I love that. Um, let's go on to talking more about your writing. I know in a different direction, but what kind of things are you writing? What's your favourite thing to do with that?

SPEAKER_04 25:32

Yeah, um, so I've got a writing partner at the moment called Ben, um, Ben Ward, and we started writing a musical together I think it was in 2023. My years are so scrambled. No, 2024, we started writing it together. Um, and we had a couple of our songs performed at the other palace just before I went to do Starlight at the beginning of 2025. Um yeah, it's um it's based on a um a book that's already written, and we spoke with the author and asked if we could have permission to start adapting it. So yeah, working on that, we we haven't been able to do as much whilst I've been away in Germany, but now that I've come back, we're gonna get back onto it.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

That's really exciting. Do you imagine the dance while you're writing it, or are you more song focused? What's your like emphasis with that?

SPEAKER_04 26:18

I always leave with like story, so like the feelings of people, and I think that informs the movement and stuff, but you do sometimes get ideas when you like Ben will sometimes play something and I can like hear what I see on the stage and like how I imagine like the like ensemble of people like moving. Like, for example, there's um one of the songs that we've written goes through like um this character's first time experiencing like a tube in London and stuff, and like all of the bustling people at a tube station, and I'm like in my head I can see like the passion of being like caught up in this world, and you know how like you can use like bodies or little bits of set to like change like we're in a tube now, and then it's like no, this is an open street, like how you can use all of those people to build like surroundings and stuff. So, yeah, it does like I do think it all comes in waves and sometimes at once, and sometimes you're like, Oh, that idea is what informs like what I'm gonna write next, or yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:14

Yeah, so that was so exciting doing that. Um do you remember when we were in Lapland? Did you or did you not write a full nativity play for us? Do you remember that? Did I write the whole thing? I'm sure you and Alex wrote it together. Did we?

SPEAKER_04 27:28

I don't know, I didn't remember writing it.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

Did you not? I could be wrong though. I don't know. We definitely performed it. We did a full nativity. It was so brilliant. As in we were in like these accommodation, we had like the angels had sheets on their head, like bed sheets, everyone made costumes out of like what they had, and we did a full nativity just for us.

SPEAKER_04 27:47

Just just for fun, just for fun. I've got a video of it. I've videoed the whole thing. Was there even anyone watching it? Because weren't we all kind of in it?

SPEAKER_01 27:53

It was just everyone was in it. No one was watching it, no, no one didn't. It wasn't for anyone, it was just for us.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

It was just what we did on Christmas.

unknown 28:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Actually, I think it was Christmas, was it Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? I think it was Christmas. I can't remember because we were we were away, obviously, so everyone was like, Well, it's Christmas Day. I think it was Christmas Day. We had the big meal together, and then we all dressed up in our outfits and just performed a nativity. Yeah, there was like a spare room, wasn't there? Oh no, it was so it was so funeral, it was massive. So we just did a nativity in there, all of us. It was so good, but I'm pretty Alex definitely wrote, but I'm pretty sure it was you and Alex.

SPEAKER_04 28:23

Maybe I did. I d I think I've just forgotten that. But I remember the doing the nativity.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

Yeah, and so you can already add that to you, CB. You've already written it.

SPEAKER_04 28:32

I used to write songs as a kid as well, to be fair. And um, one of them did end up being like uh adopted by a charity in like 2013. I don't know if it's still being used by them um as their like anthem um or antibullium. So yeah, like writing has been something I've done for a while, but I'm excited to get back into it now as like an adult and like with the perspective I have on things.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

So very exciting! Next section is a quick fire round. Okay. So it's this or that.

SPEAKER_04 29:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

We haven't prepped done on this, guys. This or that questions. Right. Ready. Yeah, go for it. Working abroad or on home turf.

SPEAKER_04 29:11

On home turf.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

Choreo on or off skates.

SPEAKER_02 29:16

Off skates. Taking part in an existing show or creating your own work?

SPEAKER_04 29:21

Creating your own work.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

Dancing to singing or acting.

SPEAKER_04 29:26

Gonna say acting.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

Rusty or Electra?

SPEAKER_04 29:30

Rusty.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Straight in. Yeah. Um jukebox or Fosse style musical.

SPEAKER_04 29:34

Fossey.

SPEAKER_01 29:35

Ooh, and then one more question. If your life was a dance movie, what would the title be? You can have a think.

SPEAKER_04 29:42

Making it work.

SPEAKER_01 29:43

Making it work. That was the quickest one we've had so far. I like it. Makes it work. That's amazing. So he might have already written it. He's already written a dance one about his life. I love that. Um, let's go through them. Pull them again. I've forgotten what they were. Um amazing. You were quick on these. You were great.

SPEAKER_04 30:02

I didn't prepare as well.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

No, we we only just wrote them. Um, home turf, you said. Is it nice being back?

SPEAKER_04 30:09

Yeah, I yeah, I really want to do work in London. That's like the role. I think sometimes it's easy as a performer. I mean, some people also want it, but to like say yes to everything and like there is like you can end up anywhere doing this job because you want to follow the career and do the job. But I think I'm at a point where I would quite like to like be in London and have my friends around me. Obviously, if an amazing opportunity comes, I'm not gonna be like, no, absolutely not. But I would like some time to enjoy like life outside whilst doing what I love doing in London.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

And having a bit of both for a while. Yeah, I can imagine it was all-encompassing being away. So you're just there and in a different country, crazy. Um off skates, did you say off skates? Yeah, you're like I've done it yeah. How long were you in it for? A year.

SPEAKER_04 30:49

Um a year, but like the whole contract is 16 months because the skate school comes before. Yeah. You do a year from then on.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

So your feet need a break.

SPEAKER_04 30:57

Yeah, also, like there, there, I'm sure there is more to explore on roller skates and what you can do dance-wise, but there aren't shows that are currently doing that. So I would like to do off skates so I could do some more shows. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

Definitely, that makes sense. Um, creating your own work. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:15

And also, like I said about representation, like I think musical theatre still has a long way to catch up. So if I can be someone who's like pioneering what I'd like to see, then that's a way to go.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

Go for it.

SPEAKER_04 31:27

Sorry, I'm so cringy. No, it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:29

Um, yeah. Uh acting. Yes, that was hard.

SPEAKER_04 31:33

Yeah, I was like, because I love I love all three and I really love singing, but like I feel like for me, if something doesn't have a story, then I'm not really bothered. I'm not interested. It's the same, like, I'm not the best sighted, I wear contact lenses, and like if I'm not sat like near the front and I can't see their faces, I don't really care. And it's not because they're not doing amazing work, but I want to see like what everyone's going through. Yeah. Yeah. So like I think acting, it has to be acting because for me, like the other two exist with acting.

SPEAKER_01 32:01

Goes through goes through them all. I get that. Uh you were quick on Rusty or Electra. Yes. Any specific reason?

SPEAKER_04 32:09

I just I loved being Rusty. I loved getting to cover Rusty. Um, and also Rusty for me had more of a storyline than the other characters. I mean, it does sort of focus around Rusty a lot of the time anyway. Um, and yeah, I just I loved telling that story and getting to work with I as a cover, I got to do I got to work with almost every single Pearl cover as well. So it was lovely getting to tell that story with different people. And my last my last performance as Rusty was also my housemate and really good friend's last performance as Pearl, and it was the first time we'd done it together. So we got to like do that last show together, and it was uh it was really, really nice.

SPEAKER_01 32:48

Good moment, nice memory from that. Um, and then you said Fossi Style musical. I had to be like, Jess, what's Fossi style? She was like choreographed like Fossi Style, and I was like, Yeah, I don't know why I asked that. It was late last night, but I'd heard of Jukebot musical. I'm not like the biggest musical. I'm not fan, that's wrong. I like I like I just haven't seen as many. It's not okay. I just I love them, I just haven't seen as many. So I was like, Fosse style, what? But uh yeah, you went Fossi style.

SPEAKER_04 33:12

Yeah, because I I don't always love a jukebox musical. I hit or miss. Yeah, like some of them are great, but I think you have to almost work doubly hard to make material that's written in its own right fit a storyline, and some people do that really successfully, and some productions do it less successfully. And I think with Fossi it's normally written for purpose. So and also Fossi's amazing to watch. I don't know if I'd ever be in a Fossi, like I'd love to be, but like I think I would need to train a lot more to be at a point where I could do that. But there it's beautiful when you watch people all in sync doing these like odd abstract movements. Yeah, it's so my style. It's so fluid as well. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:48

Yeah, I love that style, but I also do love the steps musical. That's incredible. She she did love that. I was loving it, it was incredible. Ah, amazing! Next section is my favourite section. Don't be moody, shake your booty. So we do a little bit of a blooper reel and a bit of a little bit of a highlight reel. So we'll just do the bloop one and get that over first. Um get that over and done first. Do you have any fantastic falls that you had on skating?

SPEAKER_04 34:15

Oh my god, yeah, yeah. Um, I've got a really funny, I can also send you the video if you want to do that.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

Perfect, great for the socials.

SPEAKER_04 34:22

I can send you one of them. There's another one from like the show I'm not allowed to send you. But um, there was one, there was one not during the show. So during open time, we have this thing called open time where you can go and practice like things for the show or learn new tricks or whatever. Um and when when I was still learning Rusty and Electrum rehearsals, um, I was going to open time to learn their pathways to make sure that I'd be comfortable for when I then rehearsed it with the directors. Um and there's like so you can go up the bowl from like the bits that are in the audience, you can go around the audience, come like through there's this thing that we call the wide legs, um, and there's like there's three basically dips in the stage that audience sit in, and then there's tracks all around them. Um and yeah, you can go up the bowl from there, and I struggled to get up the bowl as well as getting down the bowl hilariously because I don't actually have much bend, which they realised once I'd got there, and that's like quite a problem. Like, I've got really short Achilles if I'm in parallel, and I have to be in parallel to skate, and so like I had to like really work at bending and getting down in the ground. But yeah, there was one time I was going towards the bowl really, really fast. I would have flown up it, it would have been amazing. But I clipped my wheel on the way, and there's a video of me like splatting against the bowl, and I got up and turned around, and everyone was like because from their perspective, it looked like I just like smashed my face against the ball. But thankfully, my shoulder took the brunt and survived the experience. But it lit no, honestly, like it's a six-second clip. You absolutely can put it in, but it's literally me. Like, I look like a fly just like swatting once, and then I just knocked it down. Yeah, and it's so far, it's so quick. Yeah, honestly, I can show I can show you now at some point before I go. On stage, the worst the worst one from me was as a lecturer. Um, there's this bit where I've got like a train of like I think four or five people behind me. Um and uh I come on, and everyone else is on stage, by the way, they're already on stage in like in the bottom part of the bowl. Um, and I come and I do a side bowl. So there's like bits of the stage that are dipped to the sides, and you can do them in the train. And I I don't really know how it happened, but I like overturned out of the side bowl and started falling, and then I ended up being on my toe stops, like hopping round with a whole train behind me. So I was trying to move out of the way of this train. I'm on my like toe stops, skipping backwards, and then I go down like the small hill of the bowl, fall on my ass, and my mohawk has electric fell off. And I was singing whilst this was happening. And I remember one moment, like looking at my hands with my name label in my helmet, being like, this should be on my head. Um and I uh and I was still singing, and I was like, okay, well, if I've fallen like this, I have to sing as well as I've ever sang in my life. So I was then like belting as as best as I could. I went off stage and put my um Mohawk back on and then came back like nothing had happened to the end. And I was like, yeah, that was that's that's pretty so destroying everyone who's definitely seen.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

Well they carried on going like a domino.

SPEAKER_04 37:29

I took quite a heavy fall because I was like, I cannot bring down because sometimes it does happen. Like sometimes entire trains go down. It's not often, but it does happen. I saw some hefty pile-ups whilst I was there, but I was like, I can't take them all down. This isn't their fault. I've got to get out of the way.

SPEAKER_01 37:44

So like yeah, I ended up doing a lot, and you didn't und in the audience either. No, no, that's good. I love how you call it a train, and it literally is you are being a train. Yeah, yeah. How to be a train, like as in like how to connect and stuff. I love this. Amazing. So let's go on to the peak of your career so far.

SPEAKER_04 38:03

Yeah, this so this is like not necessarily like job related. It was whilst I was doing Starlight. Um, but this is um New York from Two Strangers Kerry Kross New York, which I saw um when it was on in the West End originally and absolutely loved. Like Dougle would be a dream roll for me. I don't know if you've seen the show, but No, I haven't. It's amazing. It's like a rom com on stage, but like with so much heart. And yeah, it was I just loved it. And I hadn't seen any advertisements for it when I went to go see it or anything, so I didn't know what to expect. I was just like, this is amazing. Um and it's doing really well in America now, which I'm like super happy about because it's also it's British writing, so like it's great to see that doing so well. Um, but yeah, I um I do TikToks kind of now, like mainly singing videos. I don't massively want to be a content creator, I kind of want to keep it as like as close to like what I do in the industry as possible, just because I think there's so much pressure that comes with being a content creator, and uh I think you've got to really love it to be able to do it like as committed, like you have to be so committed to be a content creator. Um and I have so much respect for it, but I think my passion lies with like doing the industry. But I um I wanted to sort of get my name out there and stuff, and I was like, I'm just gonna post videos of me singing, like um, and this this song was something I posted on my TikTok that did quite well. Um, and it was like without using any like trending audio or any hashtags or anything, which I think is a lot of like the how you get seen on social media, but this just like did pretty well, and I like I had lots of people that I didn't know, like seeing it, and lots of amazing, lovely comments, and I feel like it reached a lot of people, and it was um it was nice to see because I'd started posting these singing videos whilst I was in Germany because I was like, I need to reconnect with the things I love outside of the job as well, because like I said, it's so important to remember why you love it. Um, and I was like, oh yeah, I'm just gonna start like singing songs and telling stories that aren't just Starlight Express and to receive such like a outpouring of love from it and like um it reaching people from like America as well, and like um yeah, I I don't know, I was like really pleased and proud and happy that people got to see it. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Amazing, let's play a bit. You and your beautiful voice. You can already hear the like acting through it, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 40:22

Yeah, Sam Tati's great.

SPEAKER_01 40:26

Oh, we'll have to we'll have to link it below so people can go and watch it of it, definitely. Right, the masterclass minute, Dan. This is where you give us 60 seconds of advice for the next generation.

SPEAKER_04 40:41

60 seconds.

SPEAKER_01 40:43

One minute masterclass minute, and we we've got a timer as well. Um anything you like to inspire the next generation, to follow dreams, go into the industry, whatever you want. Be inspirational.

SPEAKER_04 40:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 40:54

No pressure. Ready, Dan's masterclass minute. Here we go.

SPEAKER_04 40:57

Okay, I think I've already said some of it, but like remembering why you love it and finding like your joy in it is so important. So, like, even if you're on a job or a contract that you don't necessarily love, like finding the parts of the industry that you that made you love it in the first place, or like, you know, go and sing for fun, go and dance in your room and put on a song that you love, uh, do a play reading with friends, you know, things like that. Um, I think is so important because it's really easy to like give in to all of the noise of the industry and like come get so tunnel vision on like specific goals that you don't remember like what the bigger picture is, and there isn't as much of a rush as you sometimes think there is to like achieve what you want to achieve. Um, and another thing would be like working out what it is that you want to see so that you know how to bring that to work that you do. Like, I think it's so important whenever you're telling a story through movement, through song, to bring a piece of you because the thing that we don't share the thing that we don't share is like our own lived experiences, and I think what makes something so compelling to watch is people bringing their version of their life to every character that they do.

SPEAKER_01 42:08

Yeah! Oh, that was really inspirational. Perfect, perfect note to end on. Um when you said do a play read through, I was like, we need to do that for your birthday. I'd love to do that.

SPEAKER_04 42:20

Yeah, honestly, I'm gonna do that. Yeah, I um I've I haven't done one before, but I the house I'm about to move into, they do this thing. I realize I've sworn on this. Am I allowed to swear?

SPEAKER_01 42:30

It's fine, I'll chill the piss.

SPEAKER_04 42:32

They do this thing called the like sits, but make it a swear word. Um and um they basically put on a musical in the house and like everyone has a role and you sit and we do a musical together and just sing. Just for fun.

SPEAKER_02 42:43

Sorry, what was it? Was this someone on TikTok? No, this is the house he's moving into. Oh, okay. I was gonna say because there's like a group on TikTok. Have you seen it? They're like called Go Go Juice musicals, or Go-Go Juice Productions or something. Okay. And it's just like four housemates, and they just basically get drunk and then put on a full production. I think they're musical for the students. Okay, nice. I love it, though, is it essentially so fun.

SPEAKER_04 43:02

Yeah, we're doing wicked in a couple of weeks, so that'll be really good.

SPEAKER_01 43:05

So is there a no, I was gonna say, is there a room spare because she'd be there. I'm moving in. I'm moving in.

SPEAKER_00 43:13

Oh my gosh, that's so fun just for fun.

SPEAKER_04 43:15

Yeah, literally just to like have a little sing and a giggle. They did um I'm on the group chat now because I'm moving into the house and I saw like videos of their last one and they did Into the Woods, and it's just amazing. Like people really going for it, and I'm like, yeah, love that.

SPEAKER_01 43:28

Yeah, I'm there. Oh my gosh, I'm gonna do that. Who were you um playing and wicked?

SPEAKER_04 43:30

I don't know yet. The comments are in an hour.

SPEAKER_01 43:34

I want to keep my fingers crossed for you. So Pierre. Elder van, obviously. No, come on. That's amazing. The question is, whoever is doing that role, are they gonna paint themselves green? That I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 43:53

I don't know. I I kind of hope so. The the Into the Woods video is people have like nodded to their characters, but maybe it's time maybe it's time to plant. Step it up, Jim.

SPEAKER_01 44:03

You're there and you're gonna step it up. Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 44:06

I'm saying we need a wind fan, we need the broom, someone can lift them up.

SPEAKER_01 44:10

You know, got a tip, vapes. If you don't have a smoke machine, just get a few people on the vapes. Oh, there's a lot of things. We did that with my minute karaoke that happened. Jess is thinking wicked, of course. She does pretty much the whole soundtrack, and everyone's there with the vapes just making some atmospheric smoke in a karaoke booth. Oh, well, thank you so much, Dan, for coming. Where can we find you? What are your socials?

SPEAKER_04 44:32

Yeah, on Instagram I'm at Daniel S. Wolford, and on TikTok, I think I'm Dan.wolford.

SPEAKER_01 44:40

We will link it below so people can find you, but thank you, Dan.

SPEAKER_04 44:42

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

Thank you so much for listening, everyone. Uh, Dan is so great, very inspirational, very like, I'm gonna go do some more skills. Maybe I'll come to Juno. Add some more things. I have wanted to do it for a while, I didn't know Jenger, but yeah, let's add some more things to our CV. Hope it's inspired you guys to go and try something new. Yeah, try something new because you might be able to crack it and end up on the West End doing it. Or in Germany. Or in Germany, there we go. Anywhere. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll see you in the next one. Bye.