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by Kara Alberts-Turner, Liam Horrigan and The Sound Company Ltd
You’re On Tonight is a weekly podcast shining a spotlight on understudies, swings and covers in the theatre industry. Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner and Liam Horrigan, it shares extraordinary, behind-the-scenes stories from the people who ensure the show must go on.
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- 3 days ago1h 3m
I Created A West End Hit That Went Wrong Around The World | Mayhem, Mishaps, and Mischief Theatre - Jonathan Sayer
Jonathan Sayer knows better than most what happens when theatre goes wrong. As one third of the writing team behind Mischief Theatre, he helped create The Play That Goes Wrong, A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong and The Comedy About Spies - shows that have gone from humble beginnings to international success, playing everywhere from the West End and Broadway to stages in more than 50 countries.But when it comes to things going wrong, Jonathan has stories of his own. From spectacular set malfunctions to improvised lines he wishes he could take back, Jonathan has an extraordinary catalogue of backstage chaos. And for the first time, he shares what he considers the worst moment of his career: a story involving a harness, a toilet, and a ticking time bomb of a disaster.Alongside all this, we hear how understudies in his shows have saved the day time and again - including one of the most unbelievable understudy stories we've ever heard, complete with a transatlantic twist.We also explore the journey of Mischief Theatre, from its very early days to becoming a global theatrical phenomenon, and what Jonathan has learned about navigating success, and why he’s learning to spend more time appreciating what’s already in front of him. And despite having created a role played by hundreds of actors around the world, Jonathan is full of admiration for the understudies and swings who keep theatre running. He tells us why he finds what they do extraordinary, why he couldn't imagine doing it himself, and what makes their work so essential.Jonathan Sayer - You’re On Tonight.If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:Instagram @youreontonightTikTok @youreontonightYouTube @youreontonightGet in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.Show image by Louisa Sexton.Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.ukGet in touch:youreontonight@gmail.comwww.instagram.com/youreontonightwww.youtube.com/youreontonightwww.tiktok.com/youreontonight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 5 days ago14 min
Nicola Espallardo - Why Achieving Your Dream Can Be Terrifying
Nicola Espallardo is a trailblazer. Not only has she appeared in some of the biggest musicals in the world (Les Miserables, Hamilton), she was also the first Asian person to play Elphaba in the West End’s Wicked. All before the age of 30.In this encore, Nicola discusses achieving her dream – not only how empowering it felt, but why it can also lead to the scariest moment in any career: figuring out what comes next. We also hear an incredible story of what happens when Elphaba sings the wrong line – and why that moment is a part of theatre history forever.Link to the full episode: https://pod.link/1875555963/episode/NjlhNzQxYTNkYjk0MmU4NWNjOTNmMjFiIf you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:Instagram @youreontonightTikTok @youreontonightYouTube @youreontonightGet in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.Show image by Louisa Sexton.Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.ukGet in touch:youreontonight@gmail.comwww.instagram.com/youreontonightwww.youtube.com/youreontonightwww.tiktok.com/youreontonight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago49 min
I Had 18 Minutes To Become Meryl Streep | Last-Minute Leads & Life-Changing Moments - Steph Parry
Steph Parry’s most memorable understudy story sounds like something straight out of a musical. In 2016, while working as a standby in 42nd Street, Steph got a phone call telling her to run to a completely different theatre, where a different cast, performing a different show, desperately needed her to step in as Donna in Mamma Mia! With just 18 minutes to get on stage, she went from eating her dinner in the dressing room to playing one of musical theatre’s biggest leading roles - and the press attention that followed changed her life.In this episode, Steph takes us behind the scenes of the whirlwind that followed, from a week in the spotlight to the strange reality of returning to understudying once the moment had passed.Steph also opens up about a very different challenge: taking her newborn baby on an international tour. From the realities of balancing parenthood with performance to the support that working mums and dads actually need, she has plenty to say about how the theatre industry could do better for parents.And after a career full of last-minute call-ups, unexpected opportunities and extraordinary saves, Steph reflects on why she can no longer do understudying - and what happens when the job you’ve built your career around no longer fits.Steph Parry - You’re On Tonight.If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:Instagram @youreontonightTikTok @youreontonightYouTube @youreontonightGet in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.Show image by Louisa Sexton.Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.ukGet in touch:youreontonight@gmail.comwww.instagram.com/youreontonightwww.youtube.com/youreontonightwww.tiktok.com/youreontonight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago10 min
David Tarkenter - Experiencing a Real-Life Acting Nightmare
David Tarkenter is a rare thing – an actor who simply hasn’t stopped working. For decades he’s graced some of the country’s most iconic stages – The National, The Old Vic, The Globe – alongside theatrical heavyweights including Alan Cumming, Bertie Carvel, Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Gatiss and Johnny Flynn.And his stories left us speechless. In this Encore, David tells a truly unforgettable story about being flown around the world at a moment’s notice to cover in a production of Hamlet – only to have no idea who he was playing, which were his costumes, and who anyone else on stage was supposed to be.Link to the full episode: https://pod.link/1875555963/episode/Njk5ZTQwODQ0M2NlYjAxMDVkOTZlNDc4?view=apps&sort=popularity If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:Instagram @youreontonightTikTok @youreontonightYouTube @youreontonightGet in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.Show image by Louisa Sexton.Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.ukGet in touch:youreontonight@gmail.comwww.instagram.com/youreontonightwww.youtube.com/youreontonightwww.tiktok.com/youreontonight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago56 min
What Do Casting Directors REALLY Do? | Stories, Self-Tapes & The Secrets of the Audition Room – Lucy Jenkins & Sooki McShane
Lucy Jenkins and Sooki McShane have cast some of the biggest hits in British theatre, including The Play That Goes Wrong, the original cast of War Horse and A Comedy About Spies. But what does a casting director actually do?In this episode, they take us behind the scenes of the casting process, revealing how the industry works, what a casting director is really looking for, and how the job has changed dramatically over the course of their careers.From delivering scripts by hand to actors’ front doors (and their favourite Soho pubs) to the rise of self-tapes, Lucy and Sooki reflect on how technology has transformed the audition process – for better and for worse. They explore what we’ve gained, what we’ve lost, and what it means to find the right actor in an industry that looks very different from the one they started in.And, of course, they have the stories to prove it. From casting their first Bollywood film to taking matters into their own hands and puppeteering the horses in War Horse, their careers have taken them to some extraordinary places.But what does a casting director actually look for in an audition? How do they balance a director’s vision with the needs of an actor who might be nervous, inexperienced or having a particularly bad day? And what are the definite do’s and don’ts that every actor should know before walking into the room - or switching on their camera?Lucy and Sooki give us the real lowdown on life on the other side of the casting table, offering an insight into one of the theatre industry’s most misunderstood jobs. Whether you’re an actor preparing for your next audition or simply curious about how the people on stage end up there, this is an episode packed with industry secrets, hard-earned wisdom and a few surprises along the way.Lucy Jenkins & Sooki McShane - You’re On Tonight.If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:Instagram @youreontonightTikTok @youreontonightYouTube @youreontonightGet in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.Show image by Louisa Sexton.Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.ukGet in touch:youreontonight@gmail.comwww.instagram.com/youreontonightwww.youtube.com/youreontonightwww.tiktok.com/youreontonight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago12 min
Ellie Leach & Hannah Boyce - S*x Scenes and Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing winner and star of Coronation Street, Ellie Leach, had her stage debut as Miss Scarlett in 2024 in Cluedo 2. Hannah Boyce starred opposite her, directed the show while it was on the road, and also understudied Ellie. In this Encore, Ellie discusses the horrors that come with performing live, including wigs going haywire and styling out stumbles. Hannah talks about her time understudying on Broadway, and what it’s like as an understudy to rehearse sex scenes. Reflecting on their careers - this is the kind of honesty you only hear when the rehearsal room doors are closed.Link to the full episode: https://pod.link/1875555963/episode/Njk5NGQ5ZjMzYmEyNTc3MmZlZTY5ZmIx?view=apps&sort=popularityIf you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:Instagram @youreontonightTikTok @youreontonightYouTube @youreontonightGet in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.Show image by Louisa Sexton.Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.ukGet in touch:youreontonight@gmail.comwww.instagram.com/youreontonightwww.youtube.com/youreontonightwww.tiktok.com/youreontonight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 3 weeks ago1h 0m
I Understudied on the West End’s Biggest Play in a Generation | Hysteria, Hype and Hollywood Press Nights - Harry Bradley
When Margot Robbie produced one of the biggest plays to hit the West End in a generation, Hollywood came with her. Quentin Tarantino was at press night, A-listers were descending on the theatre - and Harry Bradley was standing in the middle of it all as an understudy on Ava Pickett’s 1536.Harry talks to us about what it’s like being part of a show surrounded by that level of hype, and the strange, difficult and sometimes terrifying experience of attending a huge press night when nobody knows who you are, or quite what you do.He also has some of the best stories we’ve ever heard about the sheer weirdness of being a cover - from playing the back of someone’s head to doing a fight call in front of 1,000 people without any trousers on.But Harry is also incredibly open about the harder side of understudying: the frustration, the lack of purpose, and the feeling that the job can somehow be seen as less valuable than being a principal. He gives us possibly the best analogy for understudying we’ve ever had on the show.From his first job in New Zealand to making his West End debut, Harry reflects on what a successful acting career actually looks like – and why progression isn’t always about the next big credit, but about what you learn about yourself, your craft and the people you work with.Harry Bradley - You’re On Tonight.Harry's graphic design business: https://www.harrypbradley.com/portfolioIf you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:Instagram @youreontonightTikTok @youreontonightYouTube @youreontonightGet in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.Show image by Louisa Sexton.Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.ukGet in touch:youreontonight@gmail.comwww.instagram.com/youreontonightwww.youtube.com/youreontonightwww.tiktok.com/youreontonight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 3 weeks ago13 min
Clive Marlowe - 15 Years Understudying the Same Roles and Becoming a World Record Holder
Clive Marlowe is a world-record holder: he has been covering the same roles on The Mousetrap for 15 years, making him the longest-serving understudy in history and understudy royalty.In this encore, Clive reveals incredible stories from his career, including show-stops, acting through COVID, and the terrifying moment when you’re finally told ‘you’re on tonight.’ He reflects not only on what it’s like to be thrown onstage unprepared, how the class system dictated the start of his career, and what it can feel like to be perpetually waiting in the wings.Link to the full episode: https://pods.link/b6jtgtbv8vd50If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:Instagram @youreontonightTikTok @youreontonightYouTube @youreontonightGet in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.Show image by Louisa Sexton.Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.ukGet in touch:youreontonight@gmail.comwww.instagram.com/youreontonightwww.youtube.com/youreontonightwww.tiktok.com/youreontonight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About You're On Tonight
You’re On Tonight is a weekly podcast shining a spotlight on understudies, swings and covers in the theatre industry. Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner and Liam Horrigan, it shares extraordinary, behind-the-scenes stories from the people who ensure the show must go on.
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