Aaron Bladen; Founder of Interlude MT Choir, MD, performer, & DJ! | Life In The Wings

Hosted By Charlotte Neale. This week we chat to Aaron Bladen, Co Founder of Interlude MT Choir. Aaron is also a performer as well as a DJ! Listen to find out more X

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:10

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Life in the Wings podcast. I am joined by my gorgeous friend Aaron Bladen. I always do a round of applause as if I have a studio audience, which I do, right? Hi everyone, welcome to Life in the Wings. Uh, how art thou, Romeo?

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Yeah, we're forgot though, Juliet. Wow, that's all we're doing. Good light, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

So we always start the podcast with quickfire questions. Okay. It's literally this or that.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

Are you ready? He's doing quickfire already. Um, one, two, three, go. Audition or self-teaching?

SPEAKER_03 0:46

Audition.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

Oh my god, he's taking it seriously. Storytelling or belt in my face?

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Belt in my face whilst telling the story.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

No, it's this or that, babe.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Storytelling.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

Yeah, fine. Original work or revival? You're getting stamped.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Uh revival.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Uh a revival.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

Ah, revival, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Revival for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

It's panicking.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

No, because some original work isn't is good and some isn't.

SPEAKER_02 1:20

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Depending on what it is. Revival.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

But you feel revival, you're like, I know what I'm getting.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

To an extent, yeah. When I go watch them, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Okay. Uh selling out Drawery Lane or intimate concert.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Ah, because I still think selling out Drury Lane could be intimate.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

So I just watched uh Jamie Moscato's um concert at Drury Lane, and he created those vibes as well. He was like, I know this is Drury Lane, I know this is big, but I want to pretend and like make it feel as if you are in my living room. So I do know what you mean.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Intimate concert. That's what I've done really.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

Uh but do you not get more nervous for intimate concerts? I think it's easier to perform to a bigger audience.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Yeah. Yeah, to yeah, yeah. You get more if I have a microphone in my hand, it doesn't matter. If I'm hosting, like easy.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

The concert we just did, I didn't have a mic and you could see everyone's faces.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

And what do you mean you didn't have a mic?

SPEAKER_01 2:19

We didn't use a PA system at our last concert, but we'll come on to that.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Yeah, intimate concert.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Okay. Uh first audition of the day or last?

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Last.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Yeah, I'm the same. Dance cool or movement cool?

SPEAKER_01 2:33

None. Movement. Well movement, yeah. None. None.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

And then last but not least, Instagram or TikTok?

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Instagram.

SPEAKER_02 2:40

Oh really?

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Do you Doom Scroll on Instagram or do you mean just for like feature? I do or for posting?

SPEAKER_01 2:47

I doom scroll on TikTok, but Instagram. It's more brandy. And like, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

The interlude.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Um, okay, cool. So let's start off from that beginning. Um, how did musical how did um how did musical theatre come into your life?

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Um I always sang as a kid.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

Where are you from, by the way?

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Merseyside, the northwest.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

Are you? Oh my gosh, sorry, this is really music.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

The whirl, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

I always know Merseyside from that program. Remember there was a programme about Merseyside and the girl that got abducted? Sorry, this has really took a turn.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

The lad? Jamie P. No.

SPEAKER_02 3:30

No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

That's wrong, that's quite confident.

SPEAKER_02 3:32

Um why are we talking about this? Anyway, there's a programme. There's a programme called Merseyside. I'm pretty sure Sharid Smith was in it. It was about a girl that was abducted, and any time someone's Little Boy Blue. Oh, is it? No, that's Liverpool.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

I don't know what you're on about.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

Right, well, anyway, Mavenon. Uh, talk to me. Merseyside, where did musical theatre come into your life?

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Uh always performed as a kid. Um musical theatre came into my life. I did I so I moved schools, I had quite a I had an awful time in school. Awful. Yeah, can't really remember it in all honesty.

SPEAKER_00 4:06

Locked it out.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Yeah, just go just traumatized, like bullied, like bad.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

Um I feel like a lot of musical theatre performers were bullied at school. Isn't that really sad?

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Yeah, and I was also like four foot two. So I was small. That's okay, I'm small. People thought it was gay, but there's difference about I don't know, being northern and and like where I was from.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

Oh, like the culture of it. Yeah. Oh, that's so interesting.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Um I'd say it fully came into my life when I moved school. Um, when I was in year seven at my first school, they did Moulin Rouge, and I didn't have a clue.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Your school did Moulin Rouge. That's a bit Wild, yeah. That's a bit much, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Yeah, and I had a I was I had a role of um the a joker. Um and it was and it it was so short. Um really good. No, yeah, I just had on the interval, was dressed up as a clown and went on the stage and stood there and told. I couldn't remember what it was, but then at the end, my brother was the was like uh one of the weird techies in school. Um and at the end, one of the weird ones, um but then at the end I that where I first felt like on stage was me was when Danny was packing away, my brother, and I stood on the stage, there's no one was in the school hall, and I'm not all about the moon and that, but something hit me like No way, yeah. I stood there and some felt something that's so interesting.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

So you had like a specific moment, yeah, because I've never I've always wanted like a moment.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

I mean I've always performed. Well, say that primary school is primary school, like always had it's always been a part of your life, yeah. Like I always sang, but I was awful, I was shit.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Surely not so bad. Sorry, but this guy is talented, surely not. No, no, but like as a kid in school to be fair, I was quite bad when I was younger.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

Oh no, but oh yeah, god yeah. I but I'm in that video clip.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

I'm joking. Yeah, I'll find it.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

There's I've got off we will rock you, off we will rock you. Oh, it's shy, it's so bad.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Oh, I'd love to see that. I'd love to see that.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Um yeah, then I moved school to Chester Classic High School. If I never went there, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today. No way, yeah. They did um I moved there in year eight, Easter of year eight, and they were doing Oliver.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

Um classic, classic school production, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:38

Auditioned, got played Dodger. If I never genuinely, if I never if I never moved, and honestly, it's the best thing I've ever done in my life.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Isn't it so weird how something like that everything's a butterfly effect, isn't it? Like if you hadn't ever moved schools, then you wouldn't have played the artful Dodger and it wouldn't have you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 6:55

Yeah, and um yeah, and the drama teacher who he he looked after me throughout the whole of school. I I would I would say he was like my second dad growing up. No way, got got a dad, had a stepdad, got a really nice family relationship, but but he really nurtured you and Dave Hussein, owe it to you.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

I hope you're watching the darling.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Yeah, he if if he wasn't in my life, um Did he really support your talent then and created that opportunities at school for you?

SPEAKER_02 7:25

Not more of a mentor.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Not mentor throughout the whole of school because I got bullied so bad and he I gen I th I owe everything to him.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

Oh that's so good. But are you still in contact?

SPEAKER_01 7:39

Not really. Oh you should yeah, have tried. Because like you know what, you know, like when when you graduate and you're like, hi, I'm in because he's northern. I'm like, I'm in I'm in Manchester. I was at Manchester Pride. Yeah. He's a gay man. I was like, well I see ya. Well I see ya. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 7:53

Yeah. Oh no, you should definitely try and contact him because that's really special.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

We follow each other, but we don't really You don't like keep in touch. Not not really. Fair enough.

SPEAKER_02 8:00

So did you did you train?

SPEAKER_01 8:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

Where did you train?

SPEAKER_01 8:05

So I did my BA at UClan, the University. Got a degree? Yeah. Wow. Bachelor's at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. Um is that your musical theatre? Yeah, music theatre.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

So you play instruments.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Yeah, but it was just devising. 70% of the course was devising, yeah. Wow. Um Do you song right? No, I hate it.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

I'm not familiar. I could put potential to it, but I just it's so much effort.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

I don't I don't even I can't do it. I've tried, I can't think of a tune. I think I I like poetry. I like writing poems.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

But even like writing, I just don't.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Does it resonate with you?

SPEAKER_01 8:44

No, I I don't really read.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

I wish I did. Just doesn't, it's not for me.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

I used to be that person with reading books, and I used to be like, oh, I would love to be that person that just like goes out of the park, reads a book. I honestly believe anyone could be a reader, you just have to find the right books.

SPEAKER_01 8:59

I know everyone says this, but then how many there's so many fucking books.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

No, but but you just have to find like uh well, yeah, or just find a genre that you like. I love psychological thrillers. Right. So and I know I love watching that on like TV, like series or films and stuff. So I found a book and it's completely changed while I've read it. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

I read the let them theory. I like How is that?

SPEAKER_02 9:20

I haven't read it. Um I saw it all over TikTok.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Yeah, uh yeah, it's I'm a type of person, if you told me to jump, I'd be like, how high. So to an extent, I'm very like, right, okay, I'll do that. Depending who it is and depending on who they are in my life and whatnot. But Mel Robbins, I was like, right, okay. And to be fair, when I first started reading it, I was like, yeah, insane.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

Because isn't the preface of the book about like what this is just what I'm assuming about letting people do what they need to do and not it affecting them.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

Yeah, it's like your own journey.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Like if someone wants to, if someone feels embarrassed for you, or if someone feels like, oh weirdo, let them feel that. That's what I that's what I get from it. Let them so do you recommend the book or not?

SPEAKER_01 10:02

Yeah. I yeah, I do. No, I do, I do. Okay. Um it it could have it could be one chapter.

unknown 10:10

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

It doesn't have to be so long. Oh, okay. It just explains different contexts of the theory.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

Got you.

SPEAKER_01 10:17

And it's it's all you have to say is let them.

SPEAKER_02 10:19

Guys, keep reading.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

Let them.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Um, so you let them. So you um you graduated. When did you move to London? Was it in 2019?

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Yeah, so the year after. So I did my BA in music theatre at UClan. Um, and then I went to Ram straight after. I I kind of did the traditional school, school six form uni.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

And then was Ram a three-year course or one year? One year, masters. Did you enjoy that?

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Yeah. It was just COVID.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

So I don't think we didn't get the full experience of it.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

No, not at all. We did we did one show. We did a Hellprint show, 30-piece orchestra, insane. March, obviously, COVID happened. Um, we did filmed agent showcase.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

Oh, that's such a shame. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

I already had an agent, luckily. Um, before you graduated? Yeah. How did you do that? Did you just recall COVID? Um is that illegal? No, I just kind of do drama schools. I f uh I don't know if I said um I fought I followed I followed him on Instagram. Okay. He followed me back. I liked a photo. He liked I think I kind of flirted with him a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

You were like, I'll reel him in.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:32

I was is this person still your agent now?

SPEAKER_01 11:35

No, I'm I'm on my fourth agent.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

Babe, but you have to find the right one. You have to find the right one.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Yeah, and then I think I think just social media flirted and then was like, Do you want to do it? And I was like, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

Guys, if you want to get an agent, just social media. No, we're not ignore, ignore, we're being seller. Um, so you graduated.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

Yeah, 24.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

What did you do? How was it, how did you find when you graduated going into the industry? Oh, it's COVID, so I completely completely so you you graduated and basically had to wait over a year probably to start auditioning, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:13

Yeah. I can't really remember, man.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

It was a weird time.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

Um because also a lot of the shows that was like.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

Oh yeah, it was a year, yeah, because I was with my second agent and yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

Because I'm thinking a lot of the shows that were there before COVID obviously went back. And and I remember for myself, it wasn't until maybe like 2020 the back end of 2021, like early on 2022, when things started to pick up for me anyway.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Yeah. Um yeah, I I know I had two auditions before COVID. I was lucky to that's when Ram was still going and stuff like that, and I got into the woods at the Old Vic for Jack, which was sick.

SPEAKER_02 12:56

I I would love to see it.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

The set is a joke. I watched it um on the LJ Awards, and I was you think you you think you're in the forest.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

No!

SPEAKER_01 13:08

You do? You think you're in the woods, yeah? Really?

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Yeah, it's in the Right, so Covid's happened.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

Uh you also are a founder of founder, director, MD, conductor of Interlude.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

Interlude, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

How did that come about? Because that's really cool. That's how I know you, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Um Interlude started.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Which is a choir, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

Musical theatre choir, best one in London, West End official.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

If he doesn't say so himself.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

No, we're pretty fucking good though, I think.

SPEAKER_02 13:36

Oh babe, you're so good. Yeah. Are you jogging?

SPEAKER_01 13:38

They're great, yeah. Um, so that came around because I've got the same spiel for it, but it's fine.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

No, it's fine. No, no one here's heard it. I haven't heard it. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

Um, interview came around. So when I was at Ram, I got a bit obsessed with how with the academy, like everywhere you go, there's music. It my ego when I was there, I was very humble, but my I was just you got Elton John, Jacob Collier, like all these people that had been there, and we we did Elton John's book release in the Duke's Hall, like as a thing, and because Ram is like pretty prestige, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:19

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

And I didn't realise until I was there.

SPEAKER_02 14:21

Oh really?

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Yeah, and like you walk in and it's just grand. Oh, it's just insane. So when I was trained, I was just making the most out of everything. I was the first there in the morning. Oh be there doing my own warm-ups and stuff, just just to in in because obviously my mum paid for it, so I was like, uh I'm getting everything that I can. Because we're not we're not wealthy, so um so yeah, interlude started. So I was I was just surrounded by music and people and names in the classical world that I didn't I didn't know who they were, but was just really inspired by. Um and then I got a weirdly obsessed with conducting. What I'd used to do what I would used to do is I started to when I got my iPads game changer, by the way, getting iPads.

SPEAKER_02 15:14

That's so weird that you're saying that. Get an iPads I've I'm in calling.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Depend depending on what it is you do, but if if you're playing, if I don't like it for scripts.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

Yeah, so don't like it for scripts. It's so interesting because I we're in rehearsal rooms, everyone's got iPads and everyone like annotates their iPad. Yeah. And I'm like, do I need to get an iPad? But I'm a very much paper and pen girly.

SPEAKER_01 15:38

You don't need to. I know I don't use it, I don't give my iPad to the pianist if I've noticed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

Oh, so when you when you go to audition, do you give penis paper? Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:48

Yeah, and I I I I'm not like shaking doing it, but I know, I know it's like I know it's just so much easier tapping. Tapping.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Yeah, but I would have a fear that I just can't trust technology.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

It's but it's also that what if your battery goes, what if it page skips and stuff like that?

SPEAKER_02 16:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just don't trust it.

SPEAKER_01 16:04

What was that about?

SPEAKER_02 16:05

Why you started interlude.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

Oh yeah, so when I got my iPad, I started collecting scores.

SPEAKER_02 16:09

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

For some reason, not because I was a big fat musical theatre fan. I just would type in I it was on um website name scribed. Do you remember that? Scribed Scribbed.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

I thought it was called Scribbid.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Scribbed. Scribbid Scribbed. I I had a membership on that, but the website lagged for a year. So I paid like £10 for the month and then had it for a year.

SPEAKER_02 16:33

Oh unreal.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

So then I'd type in, I don't know, in the heights score, and somebody had uploaded the PGF.

SPEAKER_02 16:38

Oh wow, so you had access to everything.

SPEAKER_01 16:40

I j not not ever not everything, but I've got like a good library, if you like. And I'd start collect to collect, collect, collect. And then I s when I started meeting different people at Ram, I'd get like the keys two part for Booker Mormon. I'm not trying to out anyone that I met, but like, or that was online or something. So like the keys to part, and it when I was on like the train back home Um to see my family, I'd put my headphones in, listen to the soundtrack, Booker Mormon especially, and just follow it. Just follow it and and and and just work listen to the vocal yeah and listen to the vocal line and yeah, god yeah, I've I did that.

SPEAKER_02 17:27

That's really cool though, I love that. Like passionate, grafting, doing it outside of like unintentionally grafting though.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

It was just like I was just like geek out on it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Cause like, yes, I play I stuck my first instrument was a saxophone when I was a kid.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

I love a saxophone. Is it a saxophonist?

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Saxophonist, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

A saxophonist.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

I love it. And I started playing that because I because Elisa Simpson Noah! Yeah, yeah. I was like, I want to play that. Do you still play it? No. Oh yeah, well, I just did You can not the best. Okay. I did a Christmas job. I did Christmas job just and I played piano and saxophone.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

Okay, so you can play it. You're looking at someone who cannot play it.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Yeah, I can, I but I and I need the dots, and if you've seen the backyard cinema, you would know exactly what I mean. Okay, fine. And if they were in my class, they'll know exactly. Like there was me and this other girl, and she saw it, you didn't. She was she was skibbity bop bop bop.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

Skibity bop bop bop.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

And I was I would yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

Um and you were given Twinkle Twinkle a little star.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Absolutely, yeah. Um yeah, so then when we'd get like rep coaches in, we would we'd be talking, and there was this one guy, Torquiel Monroe, that was his name, and he would dep in town on if if the MD or conductor couldn't go, he'd he was like the first port of call. And I got him on Facebook out of all places, and I he invited me down to sit in the pit with him. I I did it on Tina, Lion King.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

That's so cool, and another show.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

And then I'd I'd sit with the school.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

And follow it again.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

I'd and I was 21, this was like fucking five years ago, and I was there just like that, and I'd watch him, and I'd go like that and try him.

SPEAKER_02 19:16

I was like, how does that and I just got obsessed with I find it so interesting conducting.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

So I I got I got upset I've said obsessed with a lot of things, but like conducting was like that that was like a go on TikTok and watch conductors conduct. Do you?

SPEAKER_02 19:32

I find it really interesting.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Yeah, oh like the camera, like Ale like Alex puts on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, love, love that.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

I don't know what show it was the other day.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

It was um And the mic's there and they're like three bulls.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

Yeah, and and and and I like the ones where they caption it underneath and they say what's going on. So they're saying, right, we're just then or the click.

SPEAKER_00 19:49

Yes, yes, yes. What do they say?

SPEAKER_02 19:50

Were they like, right, we're vamping, waiting for the queue, the cue, and then they do this too somewhere. Oh, I love it! I love it! Stop. Yeah, yeah. I'm like, I wish I knew that. Yeah. Like it so I understand. It's wild. Yeah, I understand where your passion comes from and your interest.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Yeah, I was that's the word, interest. I was interested in conducting.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

Um, how did that turn into interlude?

SPEAKER_01 20:14

So then so over COVID, I the guy who I started interlude with Ben, Ben Levy, Levi Levy, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

I've heard I've heard his name. I don't know you started with someone else.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

Yeah, so well, it was my idea. I was with I was at my best friend's house, he was at his ex-girlfriend's, and we've smashed. And I don't know why I thought I put a tweet on when it was Twitter and said, Performers, there's nothing going on in the industry. If I started a choir, who'd be up for it?

SPEAKER_02 20:45

Didn't you get like 600 applications?

SPEAKER_01 20:47

534 self-tapes.

SPEAKER_02 20:49

That's it.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

40,000 When I was doing my research about you, it all came up, and I was like, wow, for 40,000 views, tweets, uh, refill or something like that. Um at the at the time for it was big on musical theatre Twitter. Yeah. If you like supported.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

Also, people hadn't performed, yeah, people just wanted an opportunity to send it.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

No one knew what was going on, so um yeah, I I I put it out. I didn't have a clue. I didn't have a absolute clue what to do with it. And I just said to Ben, I said, Do you do you want to do it? And he was like, Yeah, I did everything, did all the work. Oh, really? But the uh yeah, um 534 self-tapes sat through every single one of them. Yeah, but they auditioned for it. You don't audition now, you just turn up.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

Um I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

Um that just shows though, I love that you were like, I actually didn't have a clue what I was doing. Had a really good but you put it out there. But I wasn't an MD. Once you put it out there, it it's you've started.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

I wasn't an MD. I wasn't I couldn't really play. I I could I could play, don't get me wrong, but if I was more like cordy.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

Right, yeah. You could like bash it out.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

I yeah, I couldn't. I can read the notes and you'd get some form of rhythm, but I wasn't as like I I would like to say I'm a I'm a good pianist now.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

Um and now Insolute is four years old?

SPEAKER_01 22:12

Five.

SPEAKER_02 22:12

Five coming up for coming up for five, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:15

23rd of March, it was five five years in on the 23rd of March. And I didn't realise for No, you didn't I forgot where it's Scout's birthday as well. Is that right? I'll remember this now, yeah. My dog's there.

SPEAKER_02 22:25

So how do you feel now Insolute is five years old? How much you guys have grown? Like you've performed at the other palace, the underbelly, Ram.

SPEAKER_01 22:32

Yeah, um it was our tenth concert, you know, on Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

Crazy and also like the talent that is in that choir.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

Well, this is what I mean, like this is why I we don't audition, but the past two years when we have put in like the set list, and it I think it was yeah, past two last year we started to do like I would decide, because it wasn't big. About two years ago, it was you'd have 12, you'd have 15, then it'd get to 90, and I'd be like, We're on to something here, but then it'd drop down to 12 people in the concert.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

And now when you do a concert, people audition for like certain solos and do I like trios.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

Yeah, so I'll put a list together and say, if you're interested in doing this, upload this to a Dropbox and I will sit through and actually weird weirdly enjoy casting it.

SPEAKER_02 23:25

Because it also gives people an opportunity if they don't, if they just want to join a choir for fun, they don't have to work out.

SPEAKER_01 23:30

But there are people there are people. There's there's two or three people that there's a girl who's been in it for I think I think two years now.

SPEAKER_03 23:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:43

And I I said to her before, um I can't sit around. I said, I want you I want you to do a song next.

SPEAKER_02 23:49

Oh, because she's just there for fun. She's just there, she just loves the vibe.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

And she just loves the vibe, loves the people, loves the Honestly.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

I really do I recommend your choir to a lot of people, I can't even lie, because I just think it's such a lovely creative outlet, it's such a nice community that you go out for a drink after some time. Yeah, in what's it on Instagram, Interlude UK. Sorry, Interlude M T UK. We'll pop it in the description box below as well. But um, no, that's fantastic. You also DJ. Yeah, talk to me about that. A man of many talents.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

Yeah, um, I've been a DJ for 13 years.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Have you actually?

SPEAKER_01 24:23

Yeah, since I was 15. Wickle wicker wow. Yeah. Mr. Honor.

SPEAKER_02 24:27

That was my version of DJing. Um and you DJ are do you DJ just at Archer Street or many other venues?

SPEAKER_01 24:33

No, see. At the moment, yeah, because it's it's come it's nice, it's comfortable. You know, I'm with performing. I've been there for five years. Yeah, I'm with performers, I love Siobhan, the owner. Um I I would like to say I'm quite well respected there. I'm I'm they know I'm not shit at my job. Um I still get to sing. Um, yeah, I I yeah, 15 years, I I did DJ at different places, and don't get me wrong. And if if one comes up and I'm not working and it's good money, I'll I'll do it, you know.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

But it's also a nice job to have, whilst you're not in a show, yeah, to to have like I said, have a creative outlet and also not be poor in pants.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

Absolutely. I've never had a muggle job living in London.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

Are you joking?

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Never.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

Wow! You've never had it like you've never had to like work at a bar, work as a waiter.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Not in London, no. Never. Wow. I I made pizzas and dominoes pizza over COVID.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Over COVID, I was a Domino's delivery driver. Made the pizza. I loved it. Yeah. I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Um I made the pizzas and dominoes. When I was in at UClan, I worked in a place called Ships and Giggles. Ships and Giggles, correct name. Um yeah, and then dealt still DJing, but poured the pints there.

SPEAKER_02 25:56

Yeah, but since we've been to London, no, not everything's been that creative. That's insane.

SPEAKER_01 26:02

I oh yeah, no, I actually haven't had a muggle job in London. That's wild.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

You literally like just realise that, like it's just clicked.

SPEAKER_01 26:09

Yeah, I've never had a muggle job in London.

SPEAKER_02 26:11

Babe, I aspire to be you.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

That's insane, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Babe, that is insane.

SPEAKER_01 26:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:19

That is insane. Like, I can't.

SPEAKER_01 26:21

But teaching and well, no, yeah, that is not a muggle job.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

Well, in my opinion, that's not a muggle job.

SPEAKER_01 26:25

But like It's still involved in performing, isn't it? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Like, I have, I can't even tell you. Like, if you were to look on my like work CV, not my Spotlight CV, I've done so many things from like, yeah, working in like supermarkets, I worked in a-I've never done that. Worked as an oh, I wouldn't recommend it. Worked as a nanny, uh, worked as I guess this is creative, but uh children's princess parties. Um worked as a pub like worked as a pub. Worked in a pub. I was a pub. Worked in a pub, like I am the pub. No, but like I've done so many things where you're just like miserable in the job. Like front of house.

SPEAKER_01 27:05

Really? No, I've never done front of house.

SPEAKER_02 27:06

Yeah, anyway. Really? Moving on from front of house. Um swiftly. What so you still perform, right? What are you what was that face?

SPEAKER_01 27:20

No, I'm just not that bothered about it at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 27:22

So that was gonna be my next question. Is it something that you're still wanting to do, or is it an honest answer? Yeah, of course I do.

SPEAKER_01 27:31

I because I've always performed, yeah. I'm my agent now is insane, love her, love her. I'm on my fourth one, had nice time, had bad time, don't get me wrong.

SPEAKER_03 27:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

But I can just say, someone will come through, for example, and I'll be like, nah, I'm alright. And she's like, alright. I've never had that. So, and it's I'm not that busy with auditions at the moment or anything, and it's just that when it hasn't been busy, like my previous agent, there it's the one thing I can say about them was it was something every week, all the time. So I was like, Oh, right, okay, we're in, we're in, we're in. But because it's been quite dead, and this is nothing on my current agent, it's just how the industry is and how if you can get them, if you can't, yeah, absolutely fine. It gave me um more of a focus on other things on interlude. I'm doing a vocal balance course at the moment. Love it. I'm doing that, um, I'm doing the teacher, accredited teacher thing for the year. Love that, and it it gave me a a love of I know I want to teach like my end goal. I would in 10 years or whatever. I I need to do and I owe my I owe my mum and I need to do a big show. Uh she paid for drama school. I need to do like late myself or something. I'm not like I need to do something, and then once I've done that once I think once I've done that, once I've done it.

SPEAKER_02 28:53

Oh, as in like you want to be in it to be like, Mum, it was worth your money type thing.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

I yeah, I owe that to her, yeah. I owe that to my family, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

But that's actually really special.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

But it's something you also want to do.

SPEAKER_01 29:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. To an to an extent, I'm not in a rush to do it now, but whenever that happens, that happens, you know.

SPEAKER_02 29:12

Oh, I love that. So you don't have the pressure of like when is my next audition?

SPEAKER_01 29:15

I c I couldn't care less.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Oh my god, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 29:18

Yeah, it's it's just gave me when it was quiet, it really gave me interlude mainly, really gave me a focus on on that, and I was like, oh, I love this, yeah, and I'm really good at it. And it's the it's that self self-belief and re the the realization of oh I'm not shit at this.

SPEAKER_02 29:37

100%.

SPEAKER_01 29:38

Um you're not and that's where and I clocked, that's where I was getting my passion from. Yeah. Not I had an audition for um Chichester um ensemble, and I was like, right, okay. Big audition, big hassle director, I was fine, but my art was like that.

SPEAKER_02 29:56

I was gonna say, what are you like auditioning? Do you get quite nervous?

SPEAKER_01 29:58

It depends what it is. I had an audition last week for a cruise, just to get on the books, type of thing, depending on what it is, uh may take it, may not. Just to get on the books, I was not oh not at all.

SPEAKER_02 30:10

Just literally walked in. Walked in.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

I knew the pianist because I'd worked with him at Ram, sang a little song, and and left.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

And you were just like, Yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:20

Um but the chujas the one you were quite nervous. Do you reckon that's because did you feel like it was bigger in your mind? Was it more that you wanted it? Like what do you reckon that was?

SPEAKER_01 30:29

I wasn't really bothered. Yeah, I don't know. It was it was just big.

SPEAKER_02 30:33

Sometimes that just happens though, isn't it? Sometimes you just get in your head.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

It is Stuart Burt, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 30:37

I don't what I don't know what show you're auditioning for.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

My Fair Lady. Stuart Burt, is that the casting director?

SPEAKER_02 30:42

I don't he is a casting director. I don't know if he cast My Fair Lady.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

Yeah, yeah, no, that is him. Oh, okay, right, Stuart Burt.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

I've um yeah, I've done a workshop with him. Yeah. He seems very lovely, guys.

SPEAKER_01 30:50

Yeah, oh he's amazing. Yeah. Fab. But yeah, I'm I'm not really I'm not bothered about performing at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

Love that.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

But I because I so that was it, because I want to teach. I I want to do a big show, I want to do a tour to experience it. I want to do a big cruise ship to say I've done it. It's the dream.

SPEAKER_02 31:08

Um any um any certain um shows? No, no, no. Company?

SPEAKER_01 31:16

Cruise wise.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

Um I'd love to do royal.

SPEAKER_02 31:20

Virgin seems like pretty cool. I can't remember.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

Yeah, well, my best mate's just gone on Twitter, Syrian.

SPEAKER_02 31:24

Oh really? Are they enjoying it?

SPEAKER_01 31:26

Don't know.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:27

Don't know just yet.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Virgin seems really cool.

SPEAKER_01 31:29

Yeah, Virgin has popped up.

SPEAKER_02 31:31

That is actually a bit to me. Oh shit, like hasn't had a signal.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

He hasn't bought he hasn't bought the wifi package.

SPEAKER_02 31:36

They got the wifi package. That's so funny. This is gonna be my life for the next year. Haven't heard from Charlotte's not got Wi-Fi. Yeah, so true though, keeping it real, hey?

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Yeah, literally.

SPEAKER_02 31:49

Um so teaching's your passion, teaching's the goal.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Yeah, I'd love, I'd love to end goal, end goal, some point sell sell into loose, get a shitload of money.

SPEAKER_02 31:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

Probably not, like, but that's like at some point when I'm like, God knows how old.

SPEAKER_02 32:04

That's cool. That's not even something I would think of.

SPEAKER_01 32:06

We sell it, don't you? See what happens. There's no money at the moment, but yeah. There will be. There will be. There will be definitely. There will be. Um, and then I want to be head of musical theatre at a drama school.

SPEAKER_02 32:16

Oh, I can so see that for you.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

Or head of performing arts at a high school. Love it. That's me. Retire, see a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Oh my god. Honestly, if you are at like I'm the drama teacher, like oh, if you're my drama teacher at college or like school or anything, I'll be like, yeah, he's cool. Yeah, he's a bit of me. Oh, I love that. Oh, that's so cool. Okay, so we are gonna move into our next section, and it's called backstage drama. Basically, I want to know if you've got any embarrassing stories or like moments um in the industry that you're like, yeah, that happened, or just like funny mishaps, any unhinged moments, anything in your repertoire of funny stories.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

Does it have to be about musical theatre?

SPEAKER_02 33:01

No, why not? Let's go off script.

SPEAKER_01 33:04

I've done two films, so I Oh no, yeah, that's so the one it's called Gifted Pain, it's on Amazon Prime at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 33:11

Um check it out. Gifted Pain.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

Gifted Pain, yeah. Yeah, um, that was filmed over a matter of time. Um, but I had to say that's the window. Yeah. Say that's the win that's the window, that's how tall the window is. Yeah. I am obviously five foot five. So they had to get me a step to go on to be able to look over to look for the bad guy to see when he was running past.

SPEAKER_02 33:35

And they they they're not. They call it an apple box. Is it? It's called an apple box, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:40

And the step went. The apple box went. It fell, fell from the tree.

SPEAKER_02 33:44

Oh no, I thought the funny story was you having an apple box.

SPEAKER_01 33:46

Well, both, yeah. Yeah, because I'm tiny. And I still couldn't see out the book.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

Yeah, but I I worked on a film last year and I also had to go on a step as well. It fell. Yeah. In front of me, like slipped, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:56

Oh no, it wasn't apple, it was like a flight case lid. It was it was just slipped, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Um was this um while you were shooting?

SPEAKER_01 34:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:04

Oh no, because she caught on camera. Yeah. Oh yeah, I'm sorry, babe.

SPEAKER_00 34:08

Um what backstage mixtap?

SPEAKER_02 34:11

Um that's a good backstage mixhap. Yeah. Or it doesn't have to be backstage, it could just be anything. Basically, I always I I just always want my guests to like say something like really unhinged, like, shall I tell you mine?

SPEAKER_03 34:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:23

If you're into not that it's about me. I can't remember if I've said it on a podcast or not. I don't think I have. One time I was in for they mis and I got really good feedback, and then this is a very long story short, and then the year after I wasn't called in, and I was like, mmm, that's annoying because I got good feedback and I was like, you know, really pressed on getting they mis. Wait for the year after, I still didn't get called in. What did I do? Call Cameron Macintosh's office.

SPEAKER_00 34:48

Stop.

SPEAKER_02 34:49

I did that's fucking ridiculous. Three times. No idea. Charlotte. I did.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

That's incredible.

SPEAKER_02 34:58

Is that unhinged? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:02

I don't know if I do it now.

SPEAKER_01 35:05

That's a wild. I've never been in flamers.

SPEAKER_02 35:08

I just thought, um sorry my havy, was it? No, it's fine. I just thought it wasn't from it wasn't even from uh a place of you need to see me, but it was just like I was so wanting to be seen, and I wanted to show how keen I was, and I really believed that I could do it.

SPEAKER_01 35:30

And I was like You hear that though, don't you? Sorry to interrupt you about um like people emailing I haven't done it.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

Email casting directors.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

When you're like, yeah, I should say and I I I I probably should, sorry, Robin Tempest, um my agent, like like see me for this or this is this, and half the time they've got it's got them in the room.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

Yeah, I've got in the room twice doing that.

SPEAKER_01 35:52

Yeah, I've never done that.

SPEAKER_02 35:53

But but it's a weird one because I think obviously casting directors are open to it, but also that is the point of having an agent, so you don't have that tricky in the middle, like they are the middle man. Do you know what I mean? Because sometimes you're not getting in. Well, yeah, but also it's like some some casting directors like it, but then some casting directors they might be like, Oh, she's emailed me three times this year, like it might be annoying. I don't know what I mean. It's like finding that bad.

SPEAKER_00 36:20

It's hard, isn't it? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:21

Anyway, after that story, I still didn't get in the ring for La Miss. So don't bother calling. No, but I I called I called to speak to uh the casting director, and I just basically was like, look, I know this is a lot, I really want to be seen. I had really good feedback, and I just I knew people were like going into recalls and stuff, and I just felt the opportunity slip in, and I just thought, what have I got to lose? Because I'm not being seen anyway.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

I know it's pretty bold, but I didn't know I I think this industry is just nothing's right and nothing's wrong to an extent. If you book the job, you're obviously right, but everybody has an opinion. Everybody I could do a monologue to you, to Josh, yeah. It'd be different to him. You'd prefer certain things, yeah. If nothing is right, so this Yeah, it's the same monologue. Oh my, it's the same, it's the same text, no, it's it's different interpretation, yeah. So, like, some people could be like, Yeah, fuck it, you don't need an agent, you don't need this. Be bold, do that, like stand out, but then some people would be like, Well, that's why you've got your agent, that's why you're paying them 15%. Yeah, well, fuck off. Are you in the room? Are you not? Like, ah brutal. No, it does just meet I'd in.

SPEAKER_02 37:33

No, I know there's a lot of politics, isn't it? And that's why that's why sometimes I'm just like, you just gotta be you, and sometimes you just have to do bold moves. It's not sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't.

SPEAKER_01 37:45

There's some people I was thinking this the other day, actually, go on on a on a don't mean to go off on a tangent, but the there was someone, a lead in a show, didn't have any social media, didn't have I can't remember who it was or what it was, but I think this was the other year, didn't have any social media, or may have had an Instagram, but it was private. Yeah. 300 followers, no TikTok, no whatever, just a spotlight profile and talent. And they were there on a stage. Well, I can't I I it might I can't remember who it is, but but love that, right? But it's that though we can't remember who it is because you don't see them everywhere. Yeah, so there's something so nice about it.

SPEAKER_02 38:19

I wish I could be that person. I'd love to delete social media, I would just not have it. No, isn't it the dream?

SPEAKER_01 38:24

It's so well the dream, I do love it.

SPEAKER_02 38:27

Me too, but I also have to at the same time. No, I do I do I do I do love it, like um, if you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01 38:35

Ooh, in what context? Anything.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

Yeah, it can be anything. Like if there's one thing that you were like, oh, I wish this could happen, or I don't know, anything that you can think of. Um like a perception that people might have of something, if you could change like an idea that someone has.

SPEAKER_01 38:55

Um I don't know if you get any grads listening to it or anything. Um change it, I would say it's like advice, maybe. Um not advice. Like get out the in if you're in drama school, get out the bubble of it. It doesn't matter. Um I say this to the to when I teach students as well. Um just because you the just because you can hit a top A and you sing Santa Fe doesn't mean you're gonna walk into Lamas and get married.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

So true.

SPEAKER_01 39:25

Like get out the bubble of drama school, yeah. Realize who the fuck you're working with. Because I didn't, I I didn't hone that enough. Um realise who the fuck you're working with. Because I also think right now it's not what you know, it's who you know. Yeah, more than ever, actually. Yeah. Um and I think just because you went to a good drama school. No, this is actually what I you can't kind of change about it, but like you go out to freedom on a Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 40:01

What's the first question that we just saw each other at freedom last Saturday?

SPEAKER_01 40:05

Um what what's the first question that someone asks you? Like what show you in? Where did you train? Oh yeah. I and to to be fair, I understand, like it I and I am that person, I have been that person.

SPEAKER_02 40:18

On Saturday night I was mean on riche. I was they said, What show you in? I'm in mean on rich.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

And on Saturday night I was absolutely fucked. So um yeah, like I am that person to see if we have anybody in common, like any mutuals and stuff like that. I get it, but uh, I had a point to go, I was going somewhere.

SPEAKER_02 40:36

You're gonna say there's a perception of like everyone has to be doing something.

SPEAKER_01 40:40

Yeah, like it's just Oh, I don't know. I'm going on a more advice route here.

SPEAKER_02 40:44

No, you can do that though, that's fine.

SPEAKER_01 40:46

Treat this industry as the side hustle. Don't look for a side hustle.

SPEAKER_02 40:51

Okay, so maybe one thing you would change about this industry is the perception Don't make it your life.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

Yeah. Don't make it your punk. Don't make it oh fuck off. Sorry. I hate that. I hate it. But people make it. Then it's more to oh my god, Charlie fucking goes through me. Sorry, put that out of the news. Yeah, oh no, I wouldn't say it is. No, not at all.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

People make it the personality and like do a podcast about it, like get life.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

No, but then it is my it's my life. It's my business.

SPEAKER_02 41:31

It's hard because it's all we've ever done, but I do think I do think it's really important to actually have a life outside of the industry.

SPEAKER_01 41:40

And I say that to students that I teach at drama schools, like you this isn't a conflict, so you're so funny.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

I'm just literally gonna walk away, I'm gonna call my therapist.

SPEAKER_01 41:48

Um this video is sponsored by BetterHelp. Life in the Wings 20. Um, yeah, it it's I say treat treat the musical theatre industry, uh MT specifically, treat this industry as your side hustle. Do your thing, live your life, do what you want to do.

SPEAKER_03 42:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:07

And then when a job comes up, that's when you're gonna make your money and be the most passionate. Got you.

SPEAKER_02 42:13

Like, if you live your life waiting for or you can't, because I think I was saying before this podcast, two percent of us being in this industry is working, the re 98% is not. So you have to absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 42:30

Let's say Sunday in the park with George at Sunday. They weren't the words, but um like with with what Jonathan Bailey, like great, unreal iconic. Yeah, it's like, but that's on for however many weeks. You're waiting round for for that audition. Let's say it was like it's not right, but it's 10 weeks. Let's say it's that. You're waiting round for that because you loved Wicked, because you love them, and iconic, it's gonna be great, but like you're waiting round for that, and then if you don't get that call or that email to be like, you've got an audition for this, your life's over. Oh, yeah, so true.

SPEAKER_02 43:09

You you have to really yeah, it's about changing the mindset. I've sent him on a tangent.

SPEAKER_01 43:14

Oh no, but I could I could speak, I could have a podcast about it.

SPEAKER_02 43:17

Maybe that's the maybe that's your niche. Maybe that's your niche.

SPEAKER_01 43:21

It's I I I'm I'm but I'm quite passionate about it. Yeah, I really am. It's it's I'm I'm not saying like I'm nothing. Like I I know I I'm doing bits in our industry on the other side on the other side of things, like the concerts, interludes and stuff like that. I'm not a Jordan Luke Gage. I'm like, but in some way, some people might see it where like what I'm doing for the industry is is not what I mean. It's it's in a different way.

SPEAKER_02 43:49

Talking about being on the other side of the industry, just for fun, if you had to cast a show, what show would it be?

SPEAKER_01 43:56

Oh, what do you mean? Say that again.

SPEAKER_02 43:58

If you had to cast a show. If I said to you, you're the casting director, what show would you want to put on and perform? Put on and like cast it. Like what show are you like? Oh, I love this show.

SPEAKER_00 44:11

Oliver Miss Saigon.

SPEAKER_02 44:13

Oh my gosh! They're like basically one of my top two favourite musical theatre shows. Oliver, my top one.

SPEAKER_00 44:19

Is it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oliver Miss Saigon.

SPEAKER_02 44:21

I love it. Who would you cast as Nancy?

unknown 44:24

Me.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

I was gonna say you oh duck!

SPEAKER_02 44:28

I was joking.

SPEAKER_01 44:29

I wasn't.

SPEAKER_02 44:31

Stop. Moving on! Moving on! Um we're going into the five-minute call.

SPEAKER_00 44:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 44:40

Do you know what that means? No. I'm gonna tell you what it means. I forgot. Um tell me, I know you said earlier um about your you have a uh a dream, what you want to accomplish with interview, maybe like go and sell it one day, but I don't want to sell it.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

It's just like you see about like businesses making money.

SPEAKER_02 44:57

Basically you just want to.

SPEAKER_01 44:58

It's like sell it for 25 million, like fuck it up.

SPEAKER_02 45:00

25 pounds, I'll take it.

SPEAKER_01 45:02

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 45:02

Little Nando's trip. Um what do you want to achieve? And this doesn't have to be industry related, this can be in life. What is some of your goals at the moment at the moment, some of your aspirations, achievements?

SPEAKER_01 45:18

Ask me that again, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

What do you want to do? Um what are your goals at the minute? What are your dreams? What are your biggest achievements?

SPEAKER_01 45:26

The biggest achievement so far no, so my biggest achievement would be Interlude.

SPEAKER_02 45:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:35

The fact we uh we did a concert on Saturday at my old drama school.

SPEAKER_02 45:41

What a four cycle moment.

SPEAKER_01 45:42

Yeah, huge huge if for for my life that that's that's I it was in bits afterwards. It it was for me as as Aaron Blade, that's the biggest thing I've ever done. Interlude is interlude, and it's great and it's doing whatever it is. It it it I was I'm always like I don't want it to be a passion project because I sing and I host it and I I do everything for it, but I don't think it is that now. We've got 36 people in like a passion project. This is I everything. Yeah, but the biggest thing that's my as my personal life is it the si we we sold 160 tickets and it seats 210.

SPEAKER_02 46:23

So that's what 50 260 and 310, that's 50.

SPEAKER_01 46:28

No, 210 and 160.

SPEAKER_02 46:31

50.

SPEAKER_01 46:32

50%? No, it's not.

SPEAKER_02 46:34

Oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 46:35

Sorry. There's fifty you're right there, 50 tickets left. 50 tickets left 210, 510.

SPEAKER_02 46:41

Oh my god, not the math 50. Ivan passed my math, so 62 Are you asking me what the percentage that was? I don't know. 75% other than Harry Clement's 82.5%.

SPEAKER_01 46:55

Yeah, I don't know. 80% of tickets.

SPEAKER_02 46:57

I love that you had the confidence that I was gonna have.

SPEAKER_01 47:00

Some people do. I don't freaking know. Um That's hilarious. Yeah, my biggest achievement for me is is selling that many tickets at my old drama school. Oh it's huge, it's iconic.

SPEAKER_02 47:12

Where can it go next? What what could be bigger than that for you?

SPEAKER_01 47:15

Um, well, I d I was gonna say we'd we've done ten concerts and sold out eight of them.

SPEAKER_02 47:20

Insane.

SPEAKER_01 47:22

Well, yeah, eight. Seven. I will six, five, five. I was going around Freedom on Saturday going, they were like, what have you done tonight? I mean, I've just sold out the Royal Academy of Music. Um I've got a carpet sheet just hit one of the membership um yeah, um yeah, I like we did the underbelly, that's on the West End. We sold that out. We did Craig Cock sold out.

SPEAKER_02 47:49

I went to the underbelly the other day for the first time. Pretty cool venue. Yeah, it's a venue.

SPEAKER_01 47:52

Venuel, venule. Um it's nice, it's niche. Um I it's hard now because what's next? But we've got the year planned out, and I know what we want to do in Jan. But because there's so many people, and I hope you all stay, and I'm pretty sure they will, and it'll get bigger. But I have a cut-off for how many people? Yeah, just for I mean I I couldn't because then we'd we'd be able to put bigger things on, but um certain places like because there's so many now, theatres in town can't so when you were in it, yeah. I was emailing NyMAX Theatres trying to ATG trying to get us um uh wherever Benjamin Button was, we were gonna do one there. Yeah, I wanted to do Soho Place and uh NYMAX I wanted to do where Hades Town is the lyric lyric? Yeah, lyric. Um but theatres aren't big enough, like the stages are, but backstage space and and where to put them and stuff. So it's now like Ram was great because it's fucking huge, and we had dressing rooms and the stage is big. Our next concert in the summer we're doing at the St John's Church opposite next to opposite the IMAX.

SPEAKER_00 49:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:03

Um, and like that's a big space. So it's being able to fit 36 people and then I don't know, friends, family, like stuff like that. And because like casts in town now aren't 36 people, they're like 10 to 15.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

One swing covering 12 rocks.

SPEAKER_01 49:22

It's wild, it's like you don't have 36 people it's that's like a school classroom. Like it's there's so many people.

SPEAKER_02 49:30

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't see it anymore. That's not even something I thought about as well. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:35

And I didn't until Until you're ready. I mean, you could make them fit. We make them we make them fit in the Southern Playhouse in it where the same one that you came to. You make them fit, but then if we want a bigger rehearsal space, it's so fucking expensive.

SPEAKER_02 49:51

Oh yeah, I can't even imagine. But listen, you're doing bits.

SPEAKER_01 49:54

Yeah, I'd say I'd say uh uh I'd love to do the palladium.

SPEAKER_02 49:59

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 50:00

Put that on paper, but then it's money, yeah. It's funding. We don't have any funding, we don't have any we Saturday.

SPEAKER_02 50:08

There's a really rich person watching this who wants to. Very good.

SPEAKER_01 50:13

Um, but it's yeah, we we on Saturday we took donations for the first ever time.

SPEAKER_02 50:17

Oh really?

SPEAKER_01 50:18

And I don't know why I've never done it before.

SPEAKER_02 50:19

Yeah, I didn't even think about it.

SPEAKER_01 50:20

We and we got a nice amount of money put towards um Love that. Yeah, yeah. Um Palladium. Palladium, you heard it at first.

SPEAKER_02 50:29

You edit it at first, that means it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 50:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:31

Um going into our final question.

SPEAKER_01 50:34

Really? That's flew by. I could talk me though.

SPEAKER_02 50:38

Oh babe, this is why this is why I needed to do a podcast because I'm also the same. I could just sit and chat for hours. Um this is from one of our listeners, and the question is Um, is having an agent a necessity in this industry? I'm currently unrepresented and reaching out, but I am having no luck. What are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 50:59

It depends what you want to do. It depends what type of jobs you want. It depends what relationships you have already in the industry. Um I'd say yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:14

It is a necessity.

SPEAKER_01 51:16

Oh, necessity. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:18

They're asking, is it a necessity?

SPEAKER_01 51:21

Oh god. I to get started probably to build those relationships and stuff like that. Well look at Oscar Conland Murray. He doesn't have an agent.

SPEAKER_02 51:30

I think I think it's one of those things that of course it helps, but I think it's a big thing. Depends what you do. If it's black and white, I I I don't think it's a necessity because there are people that have not gone down the traditional road of getting an agent and have made it.

SPEAKER_01 51:44

But that that's what I mean by you are so right as well. I I I think that's what I mean by depends what relationships you have, depends what jobs you've done. Going off that Oscar thing, like, no, actually not him. But like, if you've done a job for Cam Mac, word on the fucking street is Jessica Voss word on the street, uh you get looked after. And obviously his shows aren't small. Yeah. So you probably, whatever it is in your contract, could leave your agent and then be. You could you could I did a workshop with Earl Carpenter, don't know if you know him. He's done he's phenomenal. He's God to me. Like he's the most incredible man I've ever met in my life. But he's played the bishop for and every other role for Cam Mac. 27 years he's been worked for Cam Mac, but like he he's amazing. So like you get looked after. I don't think it's no no I don't I don't think it's a necessity, but it depends what you want to do and who you know.

SPEAKER_02 52:45

But also as well, you can um you can sub yourself on Spotlight if you're unrepresented. Yeah. And also there's a lot of opportunities now for unrepresented performers.

SPEAKER_01 52:55

So much.

SPEAKER_02 52:56

Like, um, there's been like open calls and stuff. I don't know if it was for Beetlejuice or something. It might not have been Beetlejuice, but it was for something, and you could only go if you were unrepresented.

SPEAKER_01 53:04

Jonathan Larson project, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:06

Maybe so there are there are opportunities for people that are unrepresented.

SPEAKER_01 53:11

There's so there's so much more now than there was 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_02 53:15

But I would just say keep emailing, um, send your spotlight, send your send your tapes.

SPEAKER_01 53:21

It also it depends how much you love it and want it.

SPEAKER_02 53:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:25

I couldn't be unrepresented because if I was on I could, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't be at Spotlight every single day looking for my next performing job. That is it. I could not be bothered. Yeah. I'm but also because I'm not that bothered about performing at the moment, but I I'm not a diehard. Oh my god. I'm okay.

SPEAKER_02 53:46

I'm all good, that's I'm alright.

SPEAKER_01 53:47

Just take me direct debit a month and I'll pose a membership. But yeah, I think it it's a no, it's not a necessity.

SPEAKER_02 53:55

That's the answer.

SPEAKER_01 53:57

No.

SPEAKER_02 53:57

No. Thank you so much for watching. Thanks so much.

SPEAKER_00 54:01

I've I could carry on talking.

SPEAKER_02 54:03

It's good, isn't it? Yeah. Guys, this is gonna turn into a three-hour episode. On the Patreon. No, it's um no, it's been unreal at Life in the Wings here. Uh thank you so much for giving me your time for coming on. It's been fun, it's been informative, a lot of passion here today. Yeah. And we've carried away then. We love you to bits at I say we. Who's we? Who's we? Us here at the Palladium. No, thank you. I'm gonna stuck to the luckin'. Uh thank you guys for listening. Please like, comment, subscribe, whatever you are watching slash listening to your podcast, and I will see you next week.