Amanda Henderson: Stage to Screen

Our 6th episode marks the start of our remote podcasting. Adam Robert Lewis sits down  (virtually) with actress, Amanda Henderson. Henderson began her acting career in 'Everybody Loves A Winner' at Royal Exchange Manchester directed by Neil Barett. From there, Henderson hit the West End playing Charlotte in Cameron Mackintosh's revival of Oliver at Drury Lane directed by Rupert Goold. In 2013, Henderson became a household name, landing a role in BBC's Casualty. The British medical drama is the longest running emergency medical drama series in the world. Henderson plays Robyn Miller, staff nurse at Holby City Hospital and over the course of her six years on set has become a series regular and a much loved character of the television series. Henderson has also experienced life on the Silver Screen appearing in the 2012 film Les Misérables.

Transcript

Adam Robert Lewis:   0:06
Hi, I'm Adam Robert Lewis, and you're listening to brewing actors podcast my chance to talkto actors to hear their storeys. What inspired their performances on what decisions or relationships influence their work on today's episode? Some

Amanda Henderson:   0:25
of the tutors that we had I mean, had one tutor who told me I was too fat and too one direct a ble to ever work in the industry. And I should just give up well again. I'd like proving people wrong.

Adam Robert Lewis:   0:37
My guest. Today's Aman Henderson Amanda began her acting career in Manchester. From there, Amanda hit the West End, playing Charlotte in Cameron Mackintosh is revival of Oliver Had Theatre Oil to Re Lane. In 2013 Amanda became a household name, landing a role in BBC's casualty. The British drama is the longest running emergency medical drama series in the world. Amanda plays Robin Miller, staff nurse, had told the City Hospital and over the course of her six years on set has become a series regular on a much loved character of the television series. I caught up with Amanda at home virtually so like any storey we have to start at the very beginning

Amanda Henderson:   1:55
s O I was born in, buried just outside of Manchester. Fairfield General Hospital, which is still on DH. Yeah, second born child from times. Love being the youngest on my mom and dad's where my mom worked at a doctor's surgery. I think at the time she was a woman of many jobs. My dad was working for the Royal Bank of Scotland in international banking. I think it was I can't remember because I was a tiny baby, but yeah, and they were. I think my mom went back to work pretty quickly after having May. So I spent a lot of my time with my grand parents. So

Adam Robert Lewis:   2:33
who introduced you to sort of drama? Was it was it your grand parents know my mom

Amanda Henderson:   2:37
and dad? My whole family kind of have dabbled a bit in amateur dramatics, really? But my mom and dad did a lot of it. My mom used to be a dancer on DH. All the amateur shows that we did, my mom would choreograph them on. My dad would direct them or they were in them. So from really I mean,

Adam Robert Lewis:   2:56
you were involved with amateur dramatics from a really young age.

Amanda Henderson:   2:59
Yeah, Oh, yeah. I mean, my mom used to take me to because she used to run like an adult damp school as well. So she used to take me to the classes with or like, should take me to rehearsals with, even as a baby. So I was kind of literally saturated in drama. Essentially, um and it was great. And it just became a natural progression that I will do it. Even my sister was doing at the time as well. So he was just literally everybody about me was doing amateur dramatics.

Adam Robert Lewis:   3:32
What? What type of shows did you do? Can you remember the shows that you did when you were younger?

Amanda Henderson:   3:36
And I think one of the first why did a lot of pantomimes So my dad would direct and my mom would choreograph the pantomimes. I think China think of the very 1st 1 I did. It might have been babes in the wood. Yeah, I think it might have been babes in the wood. And then I did. I think I did. Sinbad the sailor and I was just I was in the ensemble for that. And then we did Snow white and seven Dwarfs on. I auditioned for the first time when I was only about but six, maybe seven. My audition

Adam Robert Lewis:   4:06
for one of the

Amanda Henderson:   4:06
dwarves on I Got Dopey on DH. That's the first role I've ever played on stage. Like I still loved open to this brooding Do

Adam Robert Lewis:   4:16
you think? Amateur theatre? Mark Edges, Who's our direct resident at fandom? He was saying that Amateur Theatre is agreed. Training ground on DH. He learned so much from doing Amateur Theatre, and I think people sort of disregarded slightly. But for me, I started an amateur theatre, and you know that the amount of shows that you do in a year it gives you a great training ground.

Amanda Henderson:   4:40
I think that was a thing because it wasn't just involved in. So we had, like, the kids section that will do the panto every year but also had adults in a swell on DH. That was that was amazing. I was working with. I was working without dogs who were playing the dame or the body on. I grew up and got to do a variety of parts that now I would never be cast Avila's. So for all those parts, like like I mean, I wouldn't get Custer's dopey Right now, I'm far too intelligent, but even down to like any form of amateur dramatics I did as an adult. I just would never get cast as those parts now. So it was great for me to be ableto play those parts and also just tow. Have be surrounded by music and try and learn songs. Try and learn dance routines. Yes, I know you kind of rehearsed for longer, but it's still you're still using that technique.

Adam Robert Lewis:   5:38
It's like Repertory Theatre.

Amanda Henderson:   5:40
Yeah, yeah, definitely. And like I was involved in some money, so I had were the kids section Whitefield, Amateur operatic dramatic society, weii dot On we had press, which so it was paid us like I was, like, kind of involved in all of them. So my week revolved around. Okay, Monday night is why field Tuesday night is press, which Wednesday night is Brad Cliff like it was little. I never had time to do anything else.

Adam Robert Lewis:   6:06
Was that a rivalry between all the different am DRAM groups? Sort of baying for the shows or Oh, no,

Amanda Henderson:   6:12
I remember. I don't know. Maybe I was a bit naive to it, but I always tried to kind of stay out of the politics of it all. Um, I think that is the one thing that I never enjoyed about. I'm John is the politics that get involved in it. But I was never involved. I was that you their toe act, sing and dance and that was it. But I don't think there was. There's quite a lot of crossovers. So a lot of people that would do Whitefield would also be doomed Press, which cause they're literally 10 minutes down the road from each other. So and the only time I ever came to kind of difficulties was once a year would do, I think, all showcase and we would have liked but funding about 10 much of dramatic societies would all do like 50 minute sections, each off a show on it was all for charity. If you were doing multiple shows, if you if they put them back to back, you're knackered. You literally like having two quick change so quickly, like

Adam Robert Lewis:   7:10
quick. What am I doing

Amanda Henderson:   7:12
now? But yeah, So that I don't I don't remember that being like a rivalry. Maybe they're wass maybe I just Honestly, maybe I was just too naive and I didn't really notice it.

Adam Robert Lewis:   7:21
Did you do drama school?

Amanda Henderson:   7:23
Now? The drama, The drama at school was always a bit. It was always a bit of a dust section because whenever I also so I also did I went to, like a theatre school as well. This is literally how saturated my life has been with drama. I went to 1/3 school on a Saturday, And so because my mom was paying for me to go to that and I was doing all the how much shows on DH, I started working. I've got an agent through the theatre school, so I started working pretty young on DH because I was doing all of that for me, too. Then do drama school just felt kind

Adam Robert Lewis:   7:59
of almost

Amanda Henderson:   7:59
redundant. So I cut more sports and things like that at school, which you wouldn't catch me doing now.

Adam Robert Lewis:   8:06
So you went to the theatre school? What was that like a like a stage coach, Or was it something you are too? Addition to get in?

Amanda Henderson:   8:13
You didn't have to audition to get in your kind of placed into classes. More than anything else. So that was it is now called. It is now called Carol. God be steered to workshop. But when I went, it was called white Feel works up. That was kind of did a lot of that was like improvisation and like making up pieces and stuff. And I ended up Do my That was it was more active. But then I ended up doing like summer schools with them. So instead of spending my summer doing nice things and playing around this stuff, I was there when I was kind of at school. Still essentially but theatre school.

Adam Robert Lewis:   8:48
How did you manage to get an agent?

Amanda Henderson:   8:51
Well, Carol Copies who run it all. She had her own agency as well s so she kind of picks the kids that she wanted. So you could go to theatre school regardless of whether you were kind of good or not. But if you like it, if she kind of rated you, then she would say, right, we want to put you on the books. So I was put in the books. I was probably about seven. Well, young, but because because I looked so young because I was so short and tiny. I went up for a lot of things. There's a lot of things didn't get, but I went up for a lot and I was like, Wanted a lot because I could play so much younger. But I was old enough to be told what to do,

Adam Robert Lewis:   9:31
right? So what type of things were you going up for?

Amanda Henderson:   9:34
Yeah, I ended up doing some work on Coronation Street on some work on Children's Ward. That was a good day, Um,

Adam Robert Lewis:   9:44
was watching soaps or sort of re occurring. Drama is something that you grew up with. Was it sort of a family thing to sit down and watch Corrie or sit on a marquee standards? Or

Amanda Henderson:   9:54
my dad watches Coronation Street like religiously and always has done? Um, so I guess I did watch a bit of it, but on economically say, like, I very rarely watch TV. If I was, if I was in the house at any point, which we all like, the amount of stuff I was doing, I was hardly ever in the house. After school, I was literally straight from school straight into a rehearsal. Something illustrates the school or something like that on DH. If I was a home, I was usually up in my bedroom singing really? Sit and watch that much TV. And unless it was a Saturday morning when I could watch gummy bears.

Adam Robert Lewis:   10:33
So how did you go from sort of drama school or the theatre school on a Saturday to obviously went to secondary school? Yes. And you You didn't do drama a secondary school. He was still heavily involved with drama and theatre outside of school.

Amanda Henderson:   10:49
Yeah, I was just doing too much out to kind of do in school. And they weren't very good. My school. It was known for its, sir, before we got kind of abilities.

Adam Robert Lewis:   10:59
Right? How do you do this decided then that you wanted to pursue a career in acting.

Amanda Henderson:   11:07
Yeah, I think if you'd have asked me it 12. 13 I was said I wanted to be a pop star. I mean, obviously, look at me, how they around, pop star. But I think, yeah, eventually, I was like, No, this is what I want to do. But I didn't then start doing drama until I went to college and I went to six form and I did like having not done any of it in school. Where did it all out and then went Teo College and did performing arts on their studies and again, like, completely saturated myself in

Adam Robert Lewis:   11:41
it. So what was that? What did they cover in the in the college? What was it? Sort of dance classes? Accident

Amanda Henderson:   11:47
for me was performance was all three at sensing and dancing on theatre studies was just act him on. I loved it on a lot of the people that I was in theatre studies with were also in my performing arts class. So I kind of was with the same people all day long, essentially And then not only did I do that, then took on media studies as well, so I was kind of learning the behind the scenes kind of stuff of it all. And I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do. There was no there was not once. I mean, my mom said I had to do one academic subjects. I did do English as well, but there was nothing I wanted to do. I didn't There's no other jobs I wanted to do up until I started auditioning for drama Schools s

Adam Robert Lewis:   12:32
O. That was the sort of next step for you then. So you were really saturated in this sort of theatre Amateur theatre, doing a lot of shows. Were you? Were you one of the people who were getting the lead roles in the amateur theatre scene?

Amanda Henderson:   12:45
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, well, I had to work my way up to it. Um, on DH. Yeah. Eventually got to the point where basically, I kind of kept myself in the chorus for a long time because there were the set, people who got the roles all the time. And then we did. I can't think of the show is going out of my head. It's got teenager in loving it. Ah, the weird one. That's like Rocky Horror. But it's not Rocky horror.

Adam Robert Lewis:   13:17
Ah, from planet

Amanda Henderson:   13:19
to planet. Yeah, So we did that. I did some songs from a I think, another full thing on DH. Like I said, I think my audition for one of the solos on I sang for them and they were literally, like, Hang on a second. Like, Why have you been in the chorus was so long from then on. We did me and my girl and I got cast as Sally stormed it. From then on, I wouldn't Manchester Music Awards best actress do you do for me, my girl. They're pleased. So yeah, just kind of took off from there. And then I was like, Actually really will audition for Jonah scores here. This is something I can really take seriously.

Adam Robert Lewis:   14:03
It's interesting because I always he started out in Amateur Theatre on I literally got dragged kicking and screaming to do seven brides, even though I had agreed to do it. But I was slightly drunk at the time, so I wasn't really aware that I had said yes. So I turned up to the first day of rehearsals doing seven brides for seven brothers, and it was thie dancin on Mike. Remember going up to the director on? I said, I can't do this on, she said. There's no such thing as can't so get back there on I literally for that. The whole rehearsal period. I wanted to cry on Go. A part of me died when I had to go onto that stage for the first time, but then something I don't know I just loved it. And then I stayed and I was doing small roles. I wanted to play bigger roles, but parted. You know, you gotta pay your dues, pay your dues, pay your dues. But I in the back of my mind. I always thought I could do this. I think I couldn't. I'd like to do this is a career on people would go. Whoa, Now, if we if we were any good, we'd all be doing it professionally. That's

Amanda Henderson:   15:11
what a lot of people said to make. Kind of like my careers adviser at school. Is that what you want to pay? Said I want to be an actor. No, seriously. What you wanna be? No, I want to be an actor. Is that what? Do you have a backup plan? No, because that's what I'm gonna do. Like, but that's it. I think that's always been like a kind of recurring thing in my life that if somebody tells me I can't do something, I'm gonna go and do it.

Adam Robert Lewis:   15:36
Um, yeah, very similar to me.

Amanda Henderson:   15:39
Andi, I like a cone. I don't like people telling me that, like something is on our tail. Unobtainable are like like that I'm not going to achieve it because I will prove them wrong, and I would do

Adam Robert Lewis:   15:54
it. So how did you go about deciding what drama school to go to where you did You have a drama school in mind?

Amanda Henderson:   16:02
I wanted to go to Lipper because I didn't want to be far away from my family. I was very young, 18 year old, so I auditioned for Lipper and got caught in the first round on DH. Then I had another audition for Ah, mon Matt. Andi got past the first round pass a second rounder than got cooked on DH. I could not take the rejection. I was like, That's it. I'm not doing it. Um, I'm not gonna audition for anymore. I didn't want to audition for the London ones because I don't want to be so far away from home. Andi just said, that's it. I'm not doing it. So I went and got a job, um, on Gwen and started working in headdresses and started training to be a hairdresser. And that was that, my kind of back up. And I was like, You know what? I could train and do anything All I need to do is in some money on then I can go carry on with amateur dramatics and play most of the roles that I want to play.

Adam Robert Lewis:   17:06
So you thought you got two across, so it'll be you thought, Well, I could get a job. But, you know, you are a big fish, essentially, in a small pond. You can play the roles that you want to play, which will probably take, you know, which is much harder to obtain in a professional environment than it is an amateur environment. I would guess so. You just thought, That's it. That's what you're gonna do. You're gonna be here NASA and just do the amateur dramatics.

Amanda Henderson:   17:30
And then I hated her dressing. I lasted about eight months, and I really hated it. Um and so my mom at the time was then working in a nursery in a private nursery. And she's like, Well, why don't you can work with those that black? We've got job opening. Why don't you come work with us? Um, I'd already done. I think I worked there over the summer at some point, doing like kids kind of club. And so yes, So then went and worked there and like the same thing I just went Yep, I keep my head down work. I didn't hate that job like, kind of really enjoyed it. Kind of like I was the bomber storey time Because everyone was like, Oh, I'm under Khun. Really act the's just can't be done debating all the amateur work that I could ever do. And then I got to a point where different different companies, different amateur societies, were asking me to go on, do roles for them on it was great. I was like, Yeah, this is amazing. And then well,

Adam Robert Lewis:   18:27
why would I leave?

Amanda Henderson:   18:28
Yeah, exactly. Like I'm not gonna ever get castors these things in a professional capacity. So yeah, this is great. And then we were doing the showcase on DH. We would do in I don't know what we do Not Ricardo. Children of Eden, I think with the two sections I was in sa sang spark of creation for Children read in on DH. I sang braid the raven hair for hot because some woman came up to me afterwards and just said, Listen, we start in a new course at the ardent school of theatre. I never heard of it, fine, but it's an actor's musical theatre. Of course, I was like, because that's a problem. I think I got had only just gone up for straight acting for Lipper, Straight acting from I met and that's not it. Never really wass who I wass. What was

Adam Robert Lewis:   19:18
the feedback that liver gave you, though what would they say in was the reason why you didn't get in.

Amanda Henderson:   19:24
I didn't get any argument you back? No. Um ah. Lot of it because they kind of said at the start, like if you get caught after the first round, you won't get feedback, But they said like it might not necessarily be to do with your abilities, but we obviously have shows in mind that we know that we're going to do so. If you don't fit that for the next three years, then what? Then there's no point in you being here. So then you went and auditioned for the Adams School of Theatre on DH. Got in. I was absolutely made up. It was incredible. I honestly felt like I'd won. The lottery is like, Oh my goodness, I've gotten into a drama school. This is insane. I then kind of went into work and said, Mom, like, got in. I'm gonna have to leave work and I'm gonna have to go to a drama school because I have to do it is kind of something I've always wanted to do, So I'm gonna do it. So when you

Adam Robert Lewis:   20:19
said you are nude of ah, the drama School, was it because it was new or you just

Amanda Henderson:   20:24
I just wasn't aware of it at all. I kind of I hadn't really heard of it all. But from what I've gathered after she'd spoken to May, they were actors, like an acting school that then affiliated themselves with Manchester University on day, then brought up a new musical theatre course. Um, so we were the first year to do it. They said that it was an actor's musical theatre course. They then brought in a load of people who wanted to bay more actors, but with a couple more strings to the bow on, realise that none of us got dumped. Well, some people got a lot of us Good eso then got to a point of them. They had to kind of push the dance a lot heavy runners to get us up to a decent standard. I

Adam Robert Lewis:   21:22
don't think I ever achieved a decent standard. I don't even know how I got into drama school for a start, but anyway, that's different.

Amanda Henderson:   21:28
I'm going to dance because you're good. Um, I think I just got an unjust on Mary of turning up to an audition. I don't think they had that many people auditioned, to be honest, just like just come in.

Adam Robert Lewis:   21:41
Most people, I think, who end up going to a drama school may have done drama. It's at school, but it seems from a really young age, you'd sort of really gone through a long training process in the training ground of doing the amateurs different shows. Did you feel when you hit drama school that you were learning? Ah, a lot? Or did you feel that it was just sort of solidifying what you already knew instinctively,

Amanda Henderson:   22:10
I think when it was more than when it came to acting and I really didn't get on with my acting tutor. We clashed big time like I asked to be taken out of his class on, but they didn't let me. But we just really clash now. Just didn't agree. I was like, I'm not doing any act in here. You're not teaching me anything. You're asking me to come in like one of our like task was the we had to. Everybody had to come in and do what they would do when they get home from uni. So loads of people were basically we will would do the same thing you get in. You sit down. You make some dinner and you watch TV. And what else do you do? Um and I got told that that was too boring. I was like, Well, I don't You asking me to do that? I'm being truthful on being as truthful as you could ever ask me to be. And yet you're telling me is boring.

Adam Robert Lewis:   23:08
It's funny because we had exactly the same exercise at Mansfield, and I got told exactly the same thing. The scenario was that we were on a tubes in the tube on DH. It breaks down action. So I was on the tube on DA was I assume, as I got into the carriage, they just, you know, we made way had some chairs. I sat down. I put my headphones in, which is exactly what I would probably do if I was on the tube. The scene went by maybe 15 20 minutes had passed. Andi, they were like, Excuse

Amanda Henderson:   23:45
me, Adam

Adam Robert Lewis:   23:46
Way had to give feedback as a group, and some people were like, Oh, well, Adam wasn't engaged And I said, Well, look, you know, I was watching a few other people and they were doing this, sort of You know who when it takes a long time for somebody to tap you on the shoulder on the tube and say, By the way, what do you think's happening? Nobody talks to anybody these days. You just tap. So I just did what I assumed is what I would do. I wasn't looking to dramatise anything. I was just That's what we were asked to do is play the scene on. It's interesting how you are expected to as soon as they say action or go that you have to somehow act

Amanda Henderson:   24:28
Yeah, instead of just literally being. But I was kind of what I always got taught. You don't you don't necessarily act, you be you find the truth Well, if I'm finding the truth, you can tell me I'm wrong. And so I didn't. I went through kind of three years at drama school, and I really hated it. I really hated every day. I hated going in until it got to the third year when we did shows we weren't allowed to do shows. That was The other thing is that I got told that I wasn't allowed to do the how much shows anymore while I was at uni.

Adam Robert Lewis:   24:59
And why was that?

Amanda Henderson:   25:00
Because they said, you, you'll get bad habits from that I said, Well, not if you're teaching me the right habits, then I can take the right habits, Teo, and put it into practise S o. I nearly got kicked off the course because I didn't stop doing my amateur shows Rebel. I know rubble with calls. Um, bye at one dance teacher called Caress, and she's just she was amazing. She used to call me Little Red because they're bright red hair. At the time, she was just the most incredible person on. She was the best thing for me at drama school because she knew that I wasn't. She's like Look he'll read. You're never gonna be a dancer. We know that would get in your because I always used to just moan about it basically on she's like, But the annoying thing is is that you are actually quite good, So just apply yourself a bit better like you, Khun do pretty well And then she was the one who kind of gave me more advice. She was like, When it comes to the showcase, this was really lazy of me. But when it came to the showcase, she's like, Look, everyone's gonna invite agents. You don't really need to do it because as much as somebody's invited the agent there still gonna be watching you. So what? You need to head down focus from what you're doing. Um, so I think she kind of championed me a bit and she was brilliant. I always kind of I admired her enthusiasm for life on her enthusiasm for on she was also like some of the tutors that we had. I mean, I had one tutor who told me I was too fat and too one direct a ble to ever work in the industry, and I should just give up well again, I'd like proving people wrong. Um, so I did. And then even when I left drama school and I got, like, a God job and then I, like moved down to London, was in, Oliver had literally one of the tutors because some of the years younger than me was still there. One of the true said, Oh, she's she's not really in the West End. She's doing she's just doing and how much a show of it somewhere on saying that she's in the West End. So I sent them a signed photo copy of signed

Adam Robert Lewis:   27:12
programme.

Amanda Henderson:   27:13
Um, my my sent up to my friend on DH. He pinned it up on the wall as they've

Adam Robert Lewis:   27:18
been many people who have gone through the drama school that have sort of worked professionally.

Amanda Henderson:   27:23
No, from my from my era. I mean, there are people like I'm not the only person to work professionally. So

Adam Robert Lewis:   27:31
what was? Did you do it? Did you do a final show? Always Just a showcase.

Amanda Henderson:   27:37
No, we did 3 to 3 shows in third year. We did. Is there life after high school? Oh,

Adam Robert Lewis:   27:44
I love you too. That musical.

Amanda Henderson:   27:47
Oh yes. Terrible Oh, it's absolutely terrible. Barry Manilow sang the main song for Is There's a Kid Inside. Barry Manilow sang it, but that was like kind of a good It was good ensemble piece because everybody had something to do in it. But it was

Adam Robert Lewis:   28:03
a

Amanda Henderson:   28:03
terrible show, and they would need a little night music on. I got told I was very uncomfortable for that. So maybe I didn't even get put in the ensemble to be singing. I literally was like a maid. I came on Yeah, literally. Cape played Desert is made Moloch. I think she's called No Lines, No songs, no ensemble singing, nothing. How's that? But this is what they think of me. And that was when I when it did another round, much a show on that was when I needed got kicked out and I was like, Well, you're not let me do anything You're asking me to play like it's that whole thing going. There's no such thing is small, small act, small roles. There's only small actors. Well, no. So I did and I did end up making the role of it bigger for myself. I came on with my skirt tucked into my bloomers

Adam Robert Lewis:   28:56
because you did

Amanda Henderson:   28:57
on Got told that ruin the show. Well, actually, I made it funny. But then I will. Last show was chilled moviedom, and we didn't have enough boys in our year at all on DH. I ended up playing God and I sang it all up The active belt in my little hearts out did all right with I think. I mean, if I watched about now, I'd probably cringe, but a kind of nailed the role and got it done. So I guess like, they must have had some kind of faith in May. But that was when we started getting like the outside, like the third year shows was when we had the directors from outside the school come in. So they they didn't know any of my kind of history in the school of being better rebel.

Adam Robert Lewis:   29:43
That was the best few months for me. Outside directors would come in. You really got a sense of what it would be like working in the industry. I'm somebody, you know. It was the way it was, the direction I think that they were given. We worked with some terrific people. Michael Stress and Charlie Western drove both very, very different. Ali Spiro. So there was some really good ones, but I just felt I thought this is what I've wanted to do. This is, you know, get in a rehearsal room, explored a piece to try things out. You know, I just had a sense that in the classes you had to be you had to hit it first time that you had to be right. When you get into a rehearsal room, you've got, you know, it's a chance to get it wrong. And actually, you know, if you've failed you no, 50,000 times, you know, then you found out 50,000 ways not to do it. You know, I don't think it is It is it? So I think that for me, I thought was a really great process. So is that what led you to get an agent outside?

Amanda Henderson:   30:48
Well, yeah. I mean, I got it literally from from the showcase my

Adam Robert Lewis:   30:52
did you sign with

Amanda Henderson:   30:53
at the time it was Robert Kelly management. Then they became RK et on. Now they're called revolution talent, but I've been with the same agency. So Rob Kelly was my original agent, Um, he's now a casting director, but still kind of It's all within the same company. He basically rang me up and said, Listen, even if you don't sign with those, we we want to sign you. We want you to come in and like, have a chat with us on. We want to sign, sign you up on DH if you if you do something with those and even if you don't sign me those, we've got you an audition. So Wow, What for? Like Hairspray. Wow, right, Okay, is for the lead. It's for Tracy, and it's for the West End. I was like, Who? What? Right, OK, not ready for this, but okay, so I had a couple of other agents is interested. I just term Langston's like, What's the point? He's got me an audition straight away. So yeah, within my first kind of even still while rehearsing our last show, the Arjun and I was auditioning for hairspray and, like, got through like, fair amount of rounds with that. And then I auditioned for Les mis on. Then I auditioned for the World exchange there, too, in Manchester,

Adam Robert Lewis:   32:11
that was your foot professional job

Amanda Henderson:   32:13
That was my first job. I loved it. I had lecture the best time doing that.

Adam Robert Lewis:   32:18
So it was called Everybody Loves a Winner, right at the Oil exchange and Schuster.

Amanda Henderson:   32:24
Yeah, it was a play based on bingo. We basically turn the Royal Exchange Theatre into a bingo hall on day literally had to put like everybody had to play. Bingo. I played one of the runners in the bingo hall on There's Three of Us and we all sang like all the jingles and stuff that you get in between the games. So I was singing. I was dancing, I was acting on. I literally I left drama school on the Friday another Monday I started rehearsing for Everybody Loves a Winner on It was the best feeling knowing that I was leaving drama school with a job.

Adam Robert Lewis:   32:55
Absolutely. I'm working with people who are probably quite well known to people. All may be well known to you

Amanda Henderson:   33:02
like Sally Lindsay. Any important Davis like an insane amount of people who were so talented. Andi, especially with Sally Lindsay. She was incredible with me because she knew it was my first job, so she kind of took me under her wing and like, help me kind of figure everything out. And she was incredible and like I was literally I said, I've learned more doing this one show than I ever learned the entire time that I was at drama School and I just I had such that, like the best summer ever doing that job. It was incredible and made some made friends for life by my friend Emma, who did it with May like she's Clinton casualty with a couple of times on DH is great. I was like, I'm still in contact a lot of them

Adam Robert Lewis:   33:47
because I did read the review, which I thought was really funny, and it says of that show. It says a trio of minimum wage teenage assistance characterised excellently, excellently by Warren Sollers, Amanda Henderson and Emily Alexander. Buzz around the set, causing general mischief sums you up to a TV.

Amanda Henderson:   34:06
I've never played a role that I actually have to act. I've determined my life with this. I only play roles that very similar to myself. But yeah, it was incredible. It was so much fun.

Adam Robert Lewis:   34:17
So what was it like? You know, you have done your first professional job.

Amanda Henderson:   34:21
My first show in my home city, um, which meant everybody knew, could come and watch on DH. It was It was amazing, literally that, like, obviously my agent was pleased, but I was, I mean, so chuffed to literally like I always had was that three things I wanted to do wanted to do a brand new piece of theatre where I could help create the role. Essentially, that was my first job. I wanted to do the West End on DH. I wanted to do TV. They were my three kind

Adam Robert Lewis:   34:55
of three

Amanda Henderson:   34:57
three

Adam Robert Lewis:   34:57
when you left the play, Were there any plans for you to go anywhere else? Or was it just for a limited run in Manchester?

Amanda Henderson:   35:05
Was Weirdly there was talk about it going to Japan, although selling it to Japan or something. But obviously there was no weather like never came. I don't know whether it came to fruition or not. I was a bit confused as to how you've got 25 Northern actors who are super normal people playing in Northern Bingo Hall. I don't understand how that translates in. Yeah, but I don't know. I mean, nothing else happened with it. Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards. I think I got nominated for best newcomer in that for that place. So it was good. It was. I mean, it was an incredible job anyway, but it was a great step in stone for May. Mmm. But then to come out of that and go Oh, actually, this is the part of being an actor that I don't know what to do.

Adam Robert Lewis:   35:53
So what did you do in between? Jobs

Amanda Henderson:   35:55
worked in Selfridges selling perfume, which was really good fun not. Did

Adam Robert Lewis:   36:00
you decide after that that maybe you would need to move to London to try and lap up what the West End had to offer? Or were you quite happy? Still in Manchester auditioning?

Amanda Henderson:   36:11
I was super happy. I was living in my sisters. I was super happy. Like happy living in Manchester. Yeah, it was just it didn't I Kind of so many people I knew from the Arden had moved to London. They were all doing these big things going. That's it. I'm moving to London. Hang on, Sue. I was on a train. Nothing. So for every audition that I had to go to tell me what time you need to be there and I'll get the train two hours before it's by. Um

Adam Robert Lewis:   36:38
So what was the next job?

Amanda Henderson:   36:40
So while I was working at Selfridges, I got a call after I'd had a few around like, Oh, gosh, I think that about seven rounds auditioned on My agent called me while I was on my lunch break to say, you've got Oliver and you went I've got some bad weather. You actually started it with them. I got some bad news for you. I was like, I didn't get it today. He's like, No, you could have to move to London. I need to meet to London. Is like, you've got the job. Idiot. Listener Deena's. Oh, yeah, I get it now. Um, yeah. So he like, I've actually had them two weeks, two or three weeks to find somewhere to live in London and to make myself down there.

Adam Robert Lewis:   37:25
Did you join the original cast member? Did you take away from somebody

Amanda Henderson:   37:30
first? Kind of first

Adam Robert Lewis:   37:31
cast change

Amanda Henderson:   37:32
exchange. That's the word I wanted.

Adam Robert Lewis:   37:34
Did Did you want to do Oliver? You're obviously aware that the revival was happening in London?

Amanda Henderson:   37:41
I did it again as an amateur show. I did it and I played bet Audition for Nancy. Do you get it, Human? Um, but, like so many people had said to me, Oh, you must be going up for Nancy. I was like, I'm not like this is what I mean, like in how much of terms? Yes. Okay, I might be a Nancy, but I'm no, like, I'm I mean, I'm to show all the kids at all of that may. So, like I knew everyone. So you must be going up for Nancy said, No, I'm up for Charlotte Sauerbrey, The undertaker's daughter on that for me again was a great drink. If you'd have thrown me into the West End, having only done one of the job. And you have said right, ego, you playing the lead, I would have been able to do it. I don't think I have known how to do. I don't think I was prepared enough for it.

Adam Robert Lewis:   38:24
Right. So you were happy with the baby steps?

Amanda Henderson:   38:27
Yeah, very much. So. To be kind of a principal character. I mean, I got my own boss, so you know, it's got mean, Tio, Come in and play like a principal character, but nothing that's too big. I've got to do the act in again, played like basic play myself. But I also got to be with everybody else on samba wise, and I just loved it like I've really enjoyed pretty much every job I've ever done. But Oliver was so special because it was my first time doing West End. I made some friends for life who just can't shake and just can't get rid ofthe number. How hard I try. And it was incredible job.

Adam Robert Lewis:   39:10
Did you get cast by Rupert Gould? Or was it Was it Was he not around so much then?

Amanda Henderson:   39:15
No, he wasn't around. So it was Chris on DH Lawrence Lawrence on. But yeah, they were mainly on my very last home, a very last audition. They paired us up and they paired up me and Christy and who played no, Uh, it was the Avenue Q stage on DH, which, yes, I literally opened the door. Didn't realise those steps going down on that you fell on to the stage was like, Hello? Everyone on that was in front of camera, Macintosh nose like Oh, just reminding Dead. Oh, no. Mama was Well, at least there. Remember? Yeah. Synchronous Christie and straightaway had his head in between my breasts during the scene on DH. I was kind of all over me. I was like, Wow, this guy is that really going for it? Andi, I reckon. I still reckon he's the reason I got the job because he was like, he was incredible. And it was great to work with a pain in the bomb at times because your little prankster But he was It was it was great to work him again, learning that in an audition Don't be shy, like it doesn't matter, Just do it.

Adam Robert Lewis:   40:26
It seems you've got that in abundance because I do tell I I tend to clam up before an audition, and I tend to go in like a like a like a rock. I don't think I break a smile. Even I think my agent has said, Adam, you know, lighten up. You know, you just just be yourself. But I tend to as soon as it's an audition time on there, like right, you're next. They lead you onto the stage. This is if my personality on my just drifts away. I got nothing to offer at all. Apart from maybe a good sing on DH, that's about it. Thank you. Good bye. I mean, I'm probably thinking, God, he's dry.

Amanda Henderson:   41:08
And I think that's why I've always found TV auditions a lot easier because you're in a tiny little room, you know, on the stage, in a very small room on you're basically just sitting and reading to a camera, and I find that so much more like I'm not saying I don't get nervous for them. I've just learned to channel my nerves into being overly friendly with the people in the audition room, and that could be so annoying some people. But it's the only way I can channel my energy. Um, otherwise I'll just I will just like you. I just will climb up and not be able to do anything.

Adam Robert Lewis:   41:42
So what would you say is your sort of top three tips for somebody auditioning for Ah, I guess, for a television gig.

Amanda Henderson:   41:53
Mm. Try and learn the words as best you can. Don't rely on the script. Um, be yourself. You know, everyone says I'll be yourself, but when you're walking into that room, especially for a TV role like they want to see. They want to see that you can work with the people that they've got there, and they also want to see that you can act. But they want to know that you're a decent person to work with you as soon as you go in, break a smile, cheque the hand and just remember, I think it is that thing of going If you go in with a certain amount of confidence and keep thinking in your head, I know I'm right for this role. I know that they will want May no in like a really overly cocky kind of way. But it's the It's the only way I've ever dealt with ever to go in and go right. I'm perfect for this role. So it's basically just me showing them that I am perfect for it, as opposed to me going Oh, I don't know if I'm good enough for this or whatever mess it up. It doesn't matter if you mess it up for TV because his TV you can go again and um is, I think a TV so much easy. A medium to kind of get your head around. Really? Because you don't have just that one shot at doing it. You've got multiple shots. It's

Adam Robert Lewis:   43:20
interesting because I have done much television. But one what's interesting is I don't have a different view of it, and you might agree with this so you might not. But in theatre, sometimes I find you've got almost be. Maybe it's the same in television, but you've got to be a bit like a doctor. A doctor will say if if something goes wrong at the beginning of the procedure, I can't take that feeling into the rest of the procedure. Otherwise this person could die. I know that's quite drastic on Theatre isn't like that, But, I mean, you know, if something happens in the first scene that you know, happy with whatever it may be, whether the technical thing or a proper costume or ah, lyrical whatever vocal hiccup, you cannot allow that to go in to the next scene. But on the on, the on the upside of that, if the who show goes to pot, then I've always got Tuesday and I've always got Wednesday and I've always got Thursday and I've always got Friday. Yeah, I think I've I've tried to take the pressure off me if I'm on for a cover off the Phantom or whatever is to try and enjoy the process is best I can. But there are times where things may go slightly, all right? Yeah, And I just go. Well, you know what? There's always tomorrow.

Amanda Henderson:   44:47
Yeah, like nothing's nothing's ever going to be perfect. I I have been so many scenes who have gone. I really now that I've really got that. I was really pleased with what I did, and I've watched it back. And God, that was awful. So again. Then again, I've done some stuff we're after. Well, that's gonna be, like, terrible saying I'm gonna hate that. Watching it, I watched it and it was great. So you like with TV? You can't really tell because you can't tell how the edge it's gonna come out either. Um, so you just kind of a bit more out of your control, I guess with TV, in a way, um, but like, I consistently get asked, what do I prefer? TV or theatre? But they're two. They're two completely different entities. I can't. I can't ever compare them. Um, I miss the stage like, drastically Mr Stage. Um, but TV is just a different a completely different world. Just like comparing a butcher and a baker. You can't

Adam Robert Lewis:   46:01
True. So what After Oliver, um, you nobody used. Did you do it, Oliver?

Amanda Henderson:   46:09
Ah, just over one, I think. Yeah, I did that 2009. Like October? No. October 2009 to January 2011

Adam Robert Lewis:   46:26
right? OK, Yeah. You've obviously got two jobs, Andy. About now, too. Terrific jobs. Did you have a conversation? How is your relationship with your agent improve? You know, Are you in contact with the region? A lot more now,

Amanda Henderson:   46:43
my agent now has changed. So Meijin Adam has taken over the business. So I now don't deal with Rob Kelly anymore. And it was never like an offensive thing to rob. But me and Adam just gel like super. Well, there's been times where I could be on the phone to him for an hour. There's times when, like, it's just a quick that he will message me if I'm not been picking up my phone, he will miss you, making me, like, pick your phone up Your do my head in on it would do have a really close relationship. And but that don't No, I didn't. I didn't move on to Adam for quite a while. I was still dealing with Rob. This is what was

Adam Robert Lewis:   47:26
he wanted you to do next? Was he sort of saying do more theatre? Hey

Amanda Henderson:   47:31
was pushing committed in more theatre But he was also saying We are exploring the TV kind of world s o I auditioned for tradition for Les Mays Standard You can't be You can't be musical theatre If you're not audition from AMISOM Shell is a little like every actor on TV is due in casualty I'm sure every person in theatre has at some point audition for Les Mis badly. I might ask for that one. I did a really bad audition for that one. I took in a song I took in a song that was so bad at t two Maybe I like it this way from wild party love singing And I'd like a acing it Fine. But I forgot about the monologues, but in the middle

Adam Robert Lewis:   48:18
you do. Did you do it?

Amanda Henderson:   48:20
I've got to cut it. So I started doing it. And then halfway through one, I'm doing an American accent. I should be doing an American accent. Phased out the British A halfway through It was I don't do that cheque. Thank you. Music before you take in, You know, that was

Adam Robert Lewis:   48:37
gonna get it.

Amanda Henderson:   48:38
Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Yeah, that if you want to

Adam Robert Lewis:   48:41
do them, is

Amanda Henderson:   48:42
yeah. Yeah. I'm a madam to Nadia a through and through. Just got Babyface, so I'm gonna have to wait a while. That is like my dream role. Pretty much,

Adam Robert Lewis:   48:53
Madam Teo. Yeah. Yeah, I can see you do them.

Amanda Henderson:   48:57
You don't like, you know, on stage that often either.

Adam Robert Lewis:   49:00
I've seen it a few times, you know, on on some occasions the Madame Tardy and Kennedy, they can steal the show. They are, you know, they're such the comic relief. They can steal the show. And I think it is a great role. Would I would

Amanda Henderson:   49:16
really, really love to do it. But like, I auditioned for a maze and then didn't get that audition for Mount Pleasant, which was on TV, I think that was my first TV audition on DH. They

Adam Robert Lewis:   49:32
you adopted out. So what? Did you just wing it?

Amanda Henderson:   49:35
Yeah, well, I did wing it. To be fair, I think I'll bring everything in my life. But I did wing it. I'm just like, Oh, it's just a script of something's script. I learnt it. I went in, I did it, they rang wage. And they were like, right. We really like her. But she's really not right for this role. So they said So there's, like, a tiny that rolled in the first episode. We're really sorry that that's all we can offer. So I did. Just did that, that you walked in and went. I'd like a job, please. And that was it. That was holidayed on DH. So I did that about probably a couple of months after Oliver. Um, and I was working in that was I working after Oliver, I started working in giraffe. The restaurant or the restaurants are available. Then I did. Yeah, I had loads of little jobs. And then I started working in London dungeons just after I did Mount Pleasant and again, that was one of those jobs. Where was such a tough job? But I've made friends for life and it was incredible on Then I auditioned for the lame is movie Got it? And so my success rate in my auditions this point had been, like so much to do. Really? I didn't go up for a lot of things. You never put me up for anything that I wasn't right for

Adam Robert Lewis:   50:48
It was Cameron in your audition for the limb is film.

Amanda Henderson:   50:52
Yeah. No, no, I don't think he waas Yes, he waas Yes, he waas

Adam Robert Lewis:   50:57
So what did you have to do for the audition?

Amanda Henderson:   50:59
So they've got quite a lot was in on It was a lot of people I'd worked with Oliver. It's a lot of people who'd only miss before on God's altar Sing lovely ladies on DH at the end of the day on. Then they took us in, and then oh, then they called me back. I had to go in and sing lovely ladies by myself. But I was full of a cold, so it didn't sound great. So I was really surprised when I got it. And that was that was fun to do. It was hard work. And again, film is just another completely separate entity to TV because of how long it takes to do one shot.

Adam Robert Lewis:   51:32
The production values on some television Siri's at the minute are just his biggest movies definitely know, if not much bigger.

Amanda Henderson:   51:42
Yeah, and they've got the time to do it. Whereas you look at something that casualty we film. One episode takes two weeks to film. Where do you look at doctors on Coronation Street? And he stand Is they're filming? We're filming like 10 pages Day, roughly on casualty. They're filming like 25 to 40 pages a day. It's a ridiculous, like ridiculous amount, but where is the film will probably do two pages in a day. You'll be once in. They'll take him all day. So again, it is just a completely different entity, really? And it was. It was It was weird with me because we rehearsed it so much first, when we did right, we did about 45 weeks of like, every other day or two days in a week, and so I was still working at the London dungeons at the time,

Adam Robert Lewis:   52:33
and you would Yu Sung live in the film, right that nothing was pre recorded

Amanda Henderson:   52:36
way. Some live. We had these little a wigs in our ear like a little fun things Andi used to like. They used to play the opening of lovely ladies consistently and over and over again. So when you're waiting for the shot to be done on your waiting around, all you could hear was dip. Teo Teo did it. It did the consistent. I was going insane. So I kept taking out and I just took it down my top on. Then we'd go for a shot and I'd forget that I'd take me out. I was thinking, Oh, no, but I wasn't a main character in that. But yeah, that was all Song Live. And it was It was nice to be considered for that Onda again to be working with people who have been in India in the industry for such a long time and to learn off them onto literally watch in Russell Crowe watching and passed away watching Hugh Jackman watching how they work, how they deal with the crew, how they deal with the That is one of the strongest things I learned from Anne Hathaway. She was friends with everyone. She got to know everyone's names or the crew or the cast. Everyone and there was loads of us. And that that is one lesson there kind of took from that is just be nice to everyone because no job is less important than any other job.

Adam Robert Lewis:   53:59
No, Absolutely. So how did casualty come into play? Was it something I did, You know, the sort of extent of the character that you're auditioning for. Did you know it was

Amanda Henderson:   54:10
new? So there was four of us that all started the same time, So I knew it was for a student nurse going in. We weren't entirely sure what the contract length was at this point, and I went into and I'd read the character breakdown. I was like, This is Mei. This is literally like, no, even having to act. This is May, and that is literally how I approach that audition. I learned the words I went in. I didn't act it all. I was just myself having spoke to Nicky, who cast me, Nicky Wilson. She was in my audition with May. Andi spoke to a suit. She said, As soon as you walked in, we instantly knew that that was what we were looking for. So they brought me in for them for a screen test and they were really mean with what they gave match Li like so much dialogue and even Suzanne Parker, who played tests I did my screen test with her on DH. Even she was like, Guys, this is ridiculous. She should not be having to do this amount of dialogue, But I was so nervous. Um, one of the most nerves have been for any audition. I know. And it was a screen test. I was like, I actually even though I've done lame, isn't done Mount Pleasant. I don't know how a TV floor works on DH Johnson, who was directing this screen test. I remember him saying just gonna bring it right down at the minute. You're so big, you just need to bring it right down and make a lot more minimalistic. This is TV, This isn't theatre. And I was like, all right, And then what, like, went off, had a little cry and then came back and did it on. Apparently he'd said, I think he said that you didn't want me. I didn't think I could do it. But again, Nicky Wilson push for me and said no, She she's got like, she can do this on get Then I was still working in the dungeons at the time on DH. I've gone outside to get some signal. I found that my agent called me so called him back. He was like, You got it. So I cried. I cried a lot. How long

Adam Robert Lewis:   56:11
did you have to wait to find out?

Amanda Henderson:   56:14
Not that long. So I literally I did my first round on DH then had I went on holiday with my parents for a week while I was on holiday about called to say next week we want we want you in Cardiff for a screen test when I was like I've never been to guard if this will be nice Also had never stayed in a hotel by myself before at this point. And then what to do myself. So I jumped on the bed Islamic Dome, Effie and yeah, we just like during the screen test, was crazy, scary and even do my first. As soon as I found out I got it, that was it. Then I was moving to Cardiff and the date, I mean, they'd said to Mayo Way. Don't You were filming all the time. It'll probably 23 days a week. So my plan then was to move up to Manchester because my sister what? In fact, while I was filming, they miss my sister gave birth to my nephew on DH. I am going back. I was saying, right, I'm gonna move back up to Manchester Live in Manchester and commute down to Cardiff. Essentially, um, for the couple of days, because they were putting me up in the hotel. Well, that didn't work, because I was in 77 Monday to Friday, all the time, as soon as I started. So here I am. Still, however, many would like to

Adam Robert Lewis:   57:35
see how did it How did it go from? They were only going to do two or three days week tow. You literally been filming all the time. Did you

Amanda Henderson:   57:42
think it was just miscommunication? If I'm honest, Right. But also, they used my character quite heavily in this storey lines. Um, and even if I wasn't heavy in the storyline, I was there being a student nurse. So is consistently around. And then So I had signed for six months on DH. We knew that with the four of us starting, we knew that one character was only gonna be there for two episodes that left three of us. We knew that one character was only doing five months. Certainly two of us, Um, within two months of me being next. I was on a six month contract within two months and we'd be in there. They said We want to extend it for another six months and then so then that take me up to a year. And then from then on, I consistently had 12 month contracts, which has been incredible on DH. Did the moved like the kind of the move to Cardiff on the move to doing TV instead of theatre? I act like at the time, I just absolutely loved it. I wanted to get out of London, had had too much kind of had too much of Linda, I think because so much of it was spent out of work on really struggling to get an acting job but working in the dungeons at the same time. And I always say I was out of work for a long time between Oliver and Casualty, but I wasn't because I did three other jobs within that time. So it's kind of trying to like, I would say to myself, while I was out of work for ages and I wasn't, But it was nice to know then the like. I had a job for six months. I knew that had their when they extended me was a great I've got literally I've got another year, but I still get really nervous every time my contract renewal comes around that they're just gonna kill me off. But did you get a

Adam Robert Lewis:   59:43
sense early on the obviously joined casualty on DH? Then I guess this is a new character that they're introducing, ah, to the series. So they aren't sure whether this character will take off,

Amanda Henderson:   59:57
which is a six month contract instead of the

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:0:00
right, right? So did you get a sense once they renewed your contract for another six months that you were sort of cement in yourself because there's been some long runners in casualty that have been there over many, many years? Did you get a sense of your character would go the same way

Amanda Henderson:   1:0:15
and I didn't didn't I think when they extended me for my second year. I think that was when I started to go. Um, I think it was around then that somebody was leaving. Um, I've been Susan Packard when she left, actually on one of our producers came up and went because she had been here for 12 years. They were like, Oh, so Robin is gonna be the new test, is it? And I just I kind of thought himself was like, hang on. Yet that is the kind of matriarchal character that has been in the show for so long that then once she's gone, we've not got that figure. So I kind of thought, Oh, maybe, But they did. The character at the time was still a bit bumbling and a bit like, kept messing up and kept getting things wrong. So I still didn't really know how long it was gonna last until probably Yeah, the end of my second year, maybe like signing into my third year.

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:1:13
How was the character developed? How have they changed it to you? Do you get to discuss that, or is it just they give you the script?

Amanda Henderson:   1:1:23
We can discuss storyline. So like we have Storey that meetings. So, like I know, I know. Now what? What's coming up for Robin in the next kind of six months or so? So we do get those storeys I meetings we dislike. I mean, there's only so much discussion you can have about them once they know that that stolen they want can't I mean, a very go against a storey nine anyway, because I've had some incredible storey lines, But as soon as they told me that she was gonna get married Loser husband, he's gonna die. She's gonna give birth. I was like,

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:1:58
McGreevey are

Amanda Henderson:   1:1:59
locked in a graveyard three o'clock in the morning in the middle of November in the middle of Wales and it was freezing on. It snowed on it hailed when it rained. But again, I'd do that over and over and over again. I like that was when I was like, I I'm an actor now. I'm doing this on get was not to throw at me. And I was I was scared. I was like, I have never given birth. I don't know what to do. So I was like asking people like, what does he feel like all of this on. Obviously, everyone tells you something different. It's different for everybody. So approach in things like that I found daunted on, actually. But some of the scenes that did within that storyline I remember feeling really nervous for it. I really like I don't get nervous shooting TV because if you mess it up, you can go again. But I was literally shaking and I was like, I can't do this. I have faked my way through this industry. Silver. They're gonna find out I really can't act. I really can't do this. I mean, some people might say that's true, but I was proud. I was proud of those episodes. I was really proud of them, especially that given birth Mom, because we worked so hard on. We've both gotten both me and Jason Day got hypothermia because it was so cold and it was like the whole crew worked so hard on those episodes. I think it shows. I think it. I think they're really good episode.

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:3:34
I watched some snippets of the sort of best moments of Robbins time. Att casualty on DH. They are fantastic. Yeah, it's on YouTube. Little clips, little clip

Amanda Henderson:   1:3:46
of what is

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:3:48
a Yeah. What is this? A typical day for you like now in terms of shooting casually. Obviously not now that we're in quarantine, but I bean on a normal day. What is it like? What can you know for somebody who doesn't know what it's like Film in a serious like that? What? What is it like?

Amanda Henderson:   1:4:07
It does depend on how much your friends to say I'm doing the same in the middle of a heavy storey line

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:4:15
here.

Amanda Henderson:   1:4:16
My day is literally in makeup. Put seven willing costume at seven in make up, but court passed were on set by eight o'clock on the eight o'clock would go in. We read, We do line run. I'm of the first scene of the day. We then block it, rehearse it. Well, then show it to the rest of the crew. They then go into lighting and they will do all the light in and set everything up for the scene. While we can step off, grab a cup of tea or whatever. Come back on DH. We shoot the scene and we will do camera rehearsals and then we'll shoot scene. Now that then goes on pretty much all day until you finish that once seen, go into the next one, going to the next room and then that goes right through till seven o'clock in the evening. So is basically

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:5:04
a 12

Amanda Henderson:   1:5:05
day with a one hour lunch. But you do get a bit of time. Step off. But when you're in 77 you're in the middle of a heavy storey line, really hard work. It's tiring, really tiring. I mean, nothing like what real nurses do. I'm fully aware, but is yeah, it's shattering and especially the ones the scenes that you really have to concentrate on. I call that getting all the medical stuff right. It's so draining. Yes, it is tough. But then, ah, lot of the time I'm not in. Same tells every Monday to Friday because they have diplomacy. I'm not on, not on the camera all the time. I'm not in every scene. I'm not in every episode. So I do have weeks where Okay, Amani. And for two scenes a day well, one scene a day And there the weeks that I've started to and he suddenly now, like I'm 7.5 years into it, I'm only now going right. I need to really make this time work for me and joy when I'm at work but also make the time off work. I've been quite quiet over the past couple of months. Especially like I went off and did panto. I kind of haven't kind of relish in those times of being quiet because I know eventually I'm gonna have a storyline. There's going Bring me in 77 Monday to Friday, So I kind of have to kind of you almost have to build up your energy for that. So it's like going from theatre where you're doing a couple of hours work in an evening on DH. Ahs hard work. It is because, like, you're you're live your performance. But the hours just so contrasted. I've always been a night owl. I've always been, Iike an appeal in the morning, and I still seven off his later Ah, hate going up. So really, it's awful, but it is to like said that is two completely different worlds.

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:6:58
When you first joined Casualty, did you get best newcomer nomination?

Amanda Henderson:   1:7:04
Yeah, I did. Well, yeah, I got long listed. You didn't make the short list for was the anti ace national television Once I was up for best newcomer.

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:7:17
So what's what's next for you? What's life like living in quarantine? Well, I say quarantine sort of semi lock down.

Amanda Henderson:   1:7:24
Well, I'm here in Cardiff. I'm by myself. I'm kind of using this time I've been doing a lot of singing. I'm trying to get my singing backup toh where it used to be having not done it for so long on just trying to get some recordings down of me singing Not to be like, Oh, I'm going to release an album Mean Never say never That pop star dream might come true after all. Ah, but just so that I've got something and I can use I can use what I've got as opposed to me. Just being an actor is keeping my company up. Before quarantine, I had joined I could dance fitness class on DH just to try and get my dance ability back up again. Again. Never gonna be a dancer, but just to get that up again on because you don't know what is around the corner. I don't always know that when my contract's up, whether they're going to renew me or not. I mean, obviously I always hope that they do because you want to be employed. I also I'm fully aware that I do miss the stage on doing Panter was such like it was a nice it was almost feeling like coming back home in a way and it was so much fun to do. However, I don't want to play an ugly sister again. I didn't like being mean every day. I'm a very nice person. Most of the time, France. It was just a nice way for me to kind of still keep casual day and still keep the job I love, Yeah, but also getting to do something that is out of my comfort zone. And I was so nervous, nervous I had on opening night was unreal. I was really lucky that Alex Dunmore, who played my other ugly sister she was She's an absolute theatre. Paro. She knows exactly what she's doing. She was brilliant, but it was both of our first professional pantomimes on as much as I did Pantos from being so little, that was the thing from doing punters from being so tiny to then doing it as an adult on doing it professionally. I do feel like I kind of had that training, and that's going back to the how much a thing of, like I do think you learn from it and you learn how to work an audience, even if it's just down to things like that. You learn howto work an audience. You learn how to pause when somebody is laughing at your joke so that you don't crush over the lines of stuff. And I didn't like it definitely gave me a good footing for going back into doing panto again.

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:9:47
You ever go back to see some of the amateur dramatic stuff

Amanda Henderson:   1:9:52
I used to, But I think now now I want to go home. It's more family based because I wantto see when my sister has two little boys on DH. They are my world on DH. My mom and dad don't live in the same place, my sister, So I kind of have to either go up to Yorkshire, where my mom and dad live now, or go see my sister in Manchester so I don't My time is just taken up by them, really by the boys and I don't get home was often as I should do. And now I can't get home a tall cause. I can't go anyway,

Adam Robert Lewis:   1:10:28
thanks to my guest, Amanda Henderson. And thanks to you for listening, if you enjoyed the podcast, why not leave us a rating on your podcast app until next time? Stay safe and stay at home. I'm Adam Robert Lewis, and you've been listening to brewing actors podcast.