Posts with the label in conversation with
Showing posts with label in conversation with. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in conversation with. Show all posts

Sunday 1 July 2018

A Stagey Guide To Singing... Dayle Hodge and Michael Watson | Jersey Boys (UK Tour) | Stagey Sunday

Happy July stagey people and welcome to the first instalment of this month's Stagey Sunday. This month, instead of focussing on a specific show, we're looking at vocal tips and advice from theatre professionals. As a classical singer in training, I find hearing about other people's vocal journeys and advice super interesting, so I hope others who are hoping to get into performing or just general theatre fans will find it interesting and fun too!

This week's advice is brought to you by the two Frankie Valli's of the current UK Tour of Jersey Boys: Michael Watson and Dayle Hodge...




What has your vocal journey been like?

Michael Watson: I always loved singing, I found my voice as a child and kind of carried on from there. As I progressed into shows, I met various teachers along the way who taught me their different ways. 

Dayle Hodge: I’ve always sung from a very early age. In fact I was probably singing before I could speak and always had Disney sing-a-long videos on at home and singing was always something that I just kind of did. I was part of the school choirs and things like that but I never went to a choir in a way of “I’m going to go to a choir, I want to be a singer”, I just sang. I started performing at a very early age, I went to theatre school when I was 2 and did my first professional job when I was 4 so I’ve always been performing.



I did have singing lessons as I got older but not really proper ones until I went to Arts Ed sixth form when I was 16. Obviously being a boy you go through your voice breaking; my voice broke when I was 13 and it took a while to get it where it needs to be and back into a place where I was comfortable singing again but in terms of the journey I just always sang. 


What/who got you into music? 
Michael: It was probably Michael Jackson and my mum really! She used to play a lot of music in the car and I loved that 

Dayle: Growing up I always watched so much Disney and I’m still a big Disney fan now (not many people aren’t!) so Disney put me in that direction. The first show that I loved and always was singing at home was Oliver. When I was a kid I wanted to be in it so that’s probably what made me want to get into performing. I’m also a huge fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury and his voice is one of, if not the best, male voices ever so he’s a real inspiration to me. 


You’ve had a pretty diverse career vocally. How do you adapt to various styles/genres and when did you find your Frankie voice? 
Michael: I kind of had the falsetto there already for Frankie and my singing teacher, Mark Meylan helped me hone it to be able to do it everyday and to strengthen it. I think if you can keep your you voice supple enough and do enough exercises, you can sing any style really. 

It’s about maintaining the voice. You always want to bring your voice back to zero after you’ve sung anything so I would do a warm up and a cool down. As long as you can keep your voice around that level you’ll be good! 

Dayle: It’s interesting because someone came in to do a talk with us at college and basically said “we don’t think people can be that different… If you’re in Phantom we’re not gonna see you for Mamma Mia” and I completely disagree with that, as you can see from my CV. I think you can adapt and you can change and it’s all just about knowing your voice and how to use it. Everybody’s voice is different, obviously you can be taught technique and skills but only you know what your voice can do, so you have to find your way of doing it and making it work. 

The singing teacher can help you do that safely and technically correct. The best singing teachers that I’ve worked with, use exercises that they have created and developed themselves rather than using somebody else’s technique which for me is brilliant. It’s them saying, "I was struggling with this so I developed this to help with that" and I can take their advice and ideas to put that to use myself. There are some parts that I love to use and some bits that don’t work for my voice. So it’s just about knowing your voice and how you use it. Obviously some people are very much suited to one style and can’t necessarily sing others or they have a smaller range so in regards to doing different styles I think using your voice and practising different things, not just what you find easy is the best way to develop. 


How do you maintain good vocal health? Do you have a tips of tricks for when you’re feeling down? 
Michael: I have a few things! I think the best thing any singer can do is stretch their whole body through yoga or something like that because you’ll find that tension in your voice can come from weird places in your body. You could have a bit of tension in you hip and it can affect your jaw. Or your alinement could be off so your jaw is poking forward and you didn’t realise so you’ll get fatigued quicker, so stretching is vital. 

In terms of illness, I like to use day nurse. Don’t steam too much. I use a thing called accent method if I’ve got a cold which is connecting to the breathing. Don’t warm up too quickly or push the voice and also don’t try to ignore it; you want to feel as free both physically and mentally as possible. If you have something else on your mind it can distract from focussing on your voice so it’s important to be free and relaxed. 

Dayle: Loads of water. Drink as much water as you can, even if it means you’re on the toilet every 5 minutes, just drink loads because it’s so good for you. If I feel my voice is getting tired I steam which puts high intensity water onto the vocal cords at a temperature that’s very hot and clears any rubbish that’s on your cords. And rest is a key thing, that’s what your voice thrives on really; the more rest it can get, the better it will be. I look after myself a lot, I don’t drink really or go out partying in loud places very often because you have to shout over the loud music and that will affect your voice. 

In terms of if you’re struggling and feeling under the weather, again those things with water and steaming will help, if you do it all the time. I don’t really take anything other than before a show I take gaviscon to stop any acid reflux, but I don’t like to reply on taking pills or anything like that because to me you’re then just covering up anything that’s damaged and then you could damage it more. 


What is your pre-show warm up like? 
Michael: So I come in, if I’m feeling a bit stiff I’ll have stretch then I’ll chill out for a bit. If I’m feeling tired I’ll do a bit of accent method which gets the breathing connected. Then I start with slow humming, some lips trills and a lot of tongue loosing exercises particularly for this role, and then some jaw loosening exercises. Then going higher into my falsetto with a lip trill, a bit more falsetto and I should be done at that point. The warm up only really takes about 10 minutes but with the stretching and stuff it’s about half an hour. 

Dayle: I have a singing teacher that I see every couple of weeks and have a lot of exercises that she gives me. With singing the Frankie Valli stuff it makes your tongue very tight so I do a lot of tongue loosening exercises which get your tongue out of the way of where you sing. The more space you can create in your mouth, the easier it is to sing. The top of your mouth is a dome so if you get your tongue out of the way of that, the sound can just swell in there. I do those exercises on my own and then we do a full company warm up which is more scales and stuff which get me to the notes which I’m going to need for the show. On my own it’s more of a mechanical warm up to make sure that the mechanics of my voice are ready and then with the full company I use that to get the notes in my voice warm and ready for the show. 


Who would your dream duet partner be? 
Michael: Well besides my fiancé, I think I’ll go for Celine Dion. Her voice is unreal. Or if I wanted to look like I couldn’t sing, I’d go with David Phelps who would school me, he’s got an amazing voice! 

Dayle: Oh that’s a good question! I’d definitely go with Freddie Mercury! 


What’s your top piece of advice for aspiring performers in terms of finding and maintaining your voice? 
Michael: My best advice is to find the right teachers. If you’ve got a voice that seems to do what you want it to do then just keep going and don’t think about it too much. With the voice it’s all about bringing it from a place of joy and fun; don’t think that you have to try so hard and that it’s a rough journey. Find it fun. Your voice is meant to be strong naturally- a baby never loses it’s voice when it cries! So you’re just getting rid of habits you’ve formed as you’ve grown up so just enjoy the journey because your voice wants to go to the right place. You have to study it though; a book I like is called Finding Your Voice by Barbra Houseman, I worked with Barbara and she’s fantastic so I’d recommend her book to anyone. 

Dayle: If you want to do it, you’ve got to be very serious about doing it. It’s a very overpopulated industry and there’s always going to be somebody that’s better than you so you have to work hard to get what you want and to where you want to be. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it though, if you really want it bad enough, go for it and don’t give up. 

Give yourself the best opportunity you can, don’t go to an audition after being out the night before cause you’re not going to be giving it your best and if you’re not the best then you’re not giving yourself the greatest opportunity to get the job. All the things I said about looking after your voice, do that and keep on top of things. Keep your voice active and moving but don’t overwork and make sure you rest!


A huge thank you to Dayle and Michael for chatting to me. Both can be seen as Frankie Valli in various Jersey Boys tour stops around the UK. More information can be found here.

Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell


See you next Sunday for a BATTY Stagey Sunday ;)


Photo credit: Brinkhoff & Mögenburg

A Stagey Guide To Singing... Dayle Hodge and Michael Watson | Jersey Boys (UK Tour) | Stagey Sunday

Sunday 1 July 2018

Sunday 24 June 2018

In Conversation With... Xena Gusthart | Bat Out of Hell | Interview | Stagey Sunday


Welcome to the fourth and final week of Bat Out of Hell Stagey Sunday (boo!) To close up we have TWO new posts. 

Firstly we have this interview with Bat's resident choreographer, Xena Gusthart. Xena told us all about the choreography, the cast and even showed us some of the amazing costumes in the show! 

Our second post is an interview with a whole load of cast members  with questions by all the amazing Bat fans, so be sure to check that out here.


To finish with a bang, we have a giveaway for you to win 2 tickets to Bat Out of Hell* To enter, RT this tweet and send us your best Bat look whether it be a makeover, an Andrew Polec impression, your own Bat choreography... the more creative the better!




*T&C’s:
1) This entitles the prize winner to two tickets to Bat Out of Hell the Musical at the Dominion Theatre.
2) Prize to be redeemed by Thursday 23rd August 2018.
3) Valid on Monday to Thursday performances only
4) Tickets are subject to availability.
5) No cash alternative.
6) Travel to and from the theatre and any additional expenses incurred are not included within this prize.

In Conversation With... Xena Gusthart | Bat Out of Hell | Interview | Stagey Sunday

Sunday 24 June 2018

In Conversation With... The Cast of Bat Out of Hell | Interview | Stagey Sunday


Welcome to the last week of Bat Out of Hell, Stagey Sunday! We're going out with a bang with TWO new posts. The first is an interview and look at some of the costumes with resident choreographer, Xena Gusthart which you can see here. This post is an interview with a selection of cast members with questions asked by you! Some answers are still coming in so you may just get a bonus Bat post later this week so keep an eye out!


What do you think makes the show appeal you both old and new fans of Jim Steinman/Meatloaf? 
Rob Copeland (BatFish): The beauty of Jim Steinman’s music is that it hits you on the first listen and then has you hooked. So whether you are new to the music, or an old fan, you are almost guaranteed to leave musically satisfied. His music is so diverse and rich that it’s verging on a rock opera, hence him regularly being dubbed the Wagner of rock. For those who love the albums, it’s the beauty of seeing these story heavy songs brought to life on stage that you have been picturing all these years and, let’s face it, we are incredibly lucky to get to do it on an totally epic scale of set and general production. We regularly get spontaneous applause in the middle of the song Bat Out Of Hell and we are only half way through! 

Rob Fowler (Falco): Our show appeals to all generations because there are misunderstood teenagers and dysfunctional marriages in all walks of life therefore I feel that the audiences of our show really identify with our characters. 

Wayne Robinson (Jagwire): The variety in talent, the cast bring so much diversity to the show and there's something for everyone who loves a live show. 

Sharon Sexton (Sloane): People have a huge connection with this music. Jim captures emotions musically like no one else I know. His songs are like rollercoasters that bring you on an epic journey. Just when you think a number is ending there is another twist and a new feeling. Also his lyrics are poetry and often deal with the idea of eternal youth and growing old and trying to hang on to what keeps us human. I think this type of storytelling brings older people back to their youth, giving them that taste of nostalgia and I think it equally appeals to young people who are just starting to get a sense of their own life. Wow. That’s deep. But that’s what makes his music special and makes this show appeal to so many generations. 


What’s your favourite song to sing and what’s your favourite song that you don’t sing? 
Danielle Steers (Zahara): Favourite song to sing aside from the obvious Two Out Of Three, my fave song is actually Rock and Roll Dreams! I get goosebumps every night singing that final chorus out front and seeing the audience, it’s such an incredible feeling! 

Favourite song I don’t sing, would have to be It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, I love the harmonies and sing along backstage all the time! It’s so powerful! 


Can you sum up having Giovanni as a partner every night in 5 words? 
Charlotte Anne Steen (Liebeswooosh): I’d sum Gio up as a dance partner/love interest in 5 words as... reliable, consistent, fun, passionate and caring. We have a lot of fun on stage and I’m very lucky to have him as my partner. 


You’ve recently opened an online store selling your art, do you have any other hidden talents? 
Danielle Steers: Hidden talents? Hmmm, I bake, I play the piano, I sew, I’m good at cleaning.... I’m the perfect housewife really! 


In Batchat you mentioned putting salt in Rob’s mouth on April Fools… can you expand on that story…? 
Sharon Sexton: Um, no. ;-) 

Basically there was a part in Who Needs the Young where I used to place my hand across Rob’s mouth when he sung a big note, and then I’d say my line before taking my hand away. Sometimes if he was feeling cheeky he’d lick my hand while it was there. So on April fools day, in the wings there happened to be some vaseline & some salt sachets ...and well - he got his commupance. But he gave as good as he got. I think in Paradise I ended up with a mouthful of chocolate... 


If you could change one thing about Falco, what would it be? 
Rob Fowler: If I could change one thing about Falco, it would be that the incident with Tink does not occur. 


How is your Jagwire similar/different to others? 
Wayne Robinson: I’ve never seen or heard the previous Jagwires so I can't comment on the finer details of similarity or difference. However we are similar when it comes to the book and score and completely different when it comes to costume who I thank John the designer for.  He's done such an awesome job. 


Do any of you have ideas about the backstory of your characters?
Rob Copeland: Well we sell a beer front of house that The Lost have made to fund their life style. My character (BatFish) is first seen in the on stage Dive Bar so I like the idea that he runs that operation. Essentially he is a party animal who brews his own beer and sells it to support The Lost. 

Rob Fowler: My ideas of the backstory for Falco is as simple as he was once part of The Lost and he had to grow up when his wife fell pregnant with their daughter Raven. 

Wayne Robinson: I'm quite similar to Jag in reality when it comes to his passions and even the way he conducts himself, I pretty much just play a younger version of myself each night, if I had any ideas to share it would be aspects and events from my own past but I won't share those yet. 

Sharon Sexton: I think Sloane has hardened in her ageing and with life. She’s lost a lot of her sparkle when we meet her. In my mind she was a wild free spirited feisty rebel, and we see glimpses of it. I see her having a very tested relationship with her parents, particularly her father which is why seeing Falco and Raven struggle upsets her so much. And is what eventually brings her back home. 


What’s the average number of costume changes per person? 
Rob Copeland: I have seven costume changes in the show, and actually appear in one song twice as two different characters... (I will let the shows super fans work out which one that is), so actually it’s not too bad a show for costume changes for me. I know my mates doing Les Mis round the corner from us have a lot more than that in act 1 alone, so I can’t complain really! Plus we have an amazing team of dressers, wardrobe and wigs who make it all painless and easy. We would be lost without them (no pun intended). 

Rob Fowler: I’m confident in saying I probably have the most challenging costume changes during the show. In total 12. 

Sharon Sexton: Oh gosh no idea. For me 9. 


The show is constantly evolving, how often do you have rehearsals for changes? 
Rob Fowler: Normally changes with the new show will be rehearsed before the opening and during the previews. 

Sharon Sexton: The show has kind of settled now. Usually we don’t ever change anything for the sake of change. Something has to be not working for a long time and discussed and edited and tested before we will even attempt to put anything different in so I think we won’t see any changes for a while. Though we are constantly in rehearsing covers, promos and events. 

Wayne Robinson: There's always some tweaking going on every so often. 


What’s your favourite costume you wear? 
Sharon Sexton: Pencil skirt and red silk blouse and belt. In it she feels strong but still womanly and I adore those power shoes. 


What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you on stage? 
Charlotte Anne Steen: I got hit straight in the stomach by the dolls head that Rob Fowler bats across the stage in Land of the Pig- I turned around and saw everyone trying not to laugh at me as I was lying there pretending to be injured! 


What’s the hardest part of the show for you? 
Sharon Sexton: Vocals. Particularly, All Coming Back to Me Now. Myself and Christina Bennington had to find a key to suit us both that meant the song wasn’t too low for her but not too high for me, so it’s in a key that tests both of us and it’s now higher than the original key - so it’s right at the top of my belt and an extremely long note which myself and rob has to work very hard to sustain matching time, breath, support and emotion. 


If you could swap costumes with anyone, who would you choose? 
Charlotte Anne Steen: I’d swap costumes with Mordema played by Emily Benjamin, I like the silver futuristic look of her costume. 


What’s your funniest stage door experience been? 
Rob Copeland: Well… there are two cast members called Rob... myself and the wonderful actor who plays Falco, Rob Fowler. I understudy Rob and we have similar facial hair/colour etc so I can see why this happened…A few weeks ago I left stage door, turned right immediately and walked briskly as usual to get home (I have a one year old daughter who has me up early so tend to try to get home as quickly as possible after the show ends). 

A woman chased after me shouting: “Rob! Rob! Please will you sign my programme, I have seen the show lots of times now and I never manage to grab you and I think you are brilliant!” 

I blush with a smile agreeing to sign her programme whilst pretending not to love that someone has finally clocked how ruddy brilliant I am as BatFish! It’s a miracle (considering I have no solo lines in the show..) 

She opens it up and points towards Rob Fowler’s photo in the programme. 

I then awkwardly have to explain that my name is Rob but I am not THAT Rob and she then very half-heartedly asked me to sign my biog clearly to make me feel less bad about myself...even though she wasn’t that bothered and was looking over her shoulder for the real Rob Fowler throughout... Excellent! Haha. 

Rob Fowler: Coolest experience at the stage door all the fans singing happy birthday to me! 

Sharon Sexton: Um probably when I’m not recognised at all and I offer to take photos of the others 


What are some of the good and bad traits of your character? 
Rob Fowler: Good and bad traits of my character, would be on one side he’s overprotective and on the other side everything he does is due to the amount of love he has for his family. 

Wayne Robinson: Jag has no bad traits he's pure love 

Sharon Sexton: Good- She has a heart of gold underneath the frosty. She sees the good in everyone. She doesn’t hold a grudge. And she’s a peacemaker. 

Bad - she’s too soft sometimes. She is a little spoilt. She’s a bit vain and material things matter too much to her. 


How do you maintain your vocal health singing the intense Steinman music every night? 
Rob Copeland: Well we have a 15 minute vocal warm up every day which I make sure I do thoroughly and it’s other than that it’s just stamina that we have built up over time. When we first started rehearsals my voice was very tired every evening, but I have a pretty solid vocal technique now so have yet to experience any vocal problems. I also drink what feels like about 400 litres of water during every show and have cut down on alcohol intake as that can dry your voice out. I try and eat fairly well also. If you have a healthy diet it will only have a positive effect on your voice. We also have regular vocal sessions with our shows vocal coach Fiona McDougal and she really is excellent. 

Rob Fowler: To be able to sing Jim Steinman songs in the original key eight shows a week half of the challenge is being born with the ability, the second half of the challenge is taking care, this being as cliche and boring as it comes, steam, drink water, sleep, eat healthy and exercise. The show may only last three hours but the work starts before we get to the theatre 

Wayne Robinson: Careful warm up and not talking just to be talking. 

Sharon Sexton: Warm up is key for me. I can tell everything when I warm up, exactly how I need to pace myself and what I need to do mouth shape wise to get through if I’m tired. Also I drink water and start getting ready at least two hours before the show. Tongue muscle massage and steam only when necessary. Other than its muscle memory. 


Can you sum up your fans in one word? 
Rob Copeland: I have never been in a show with such passionate fans. It’s really amazing to see. There is something about this show that people really feel is personal to them, and I love being part of that. 

Rob Fowler: To sum up the fans in one word we have to be ... outstanding... but aren’t we all :-) 

Wayne Robinson: I'd say the fans are loyal 

Sharon Sexton: Inspiring 

A huge thank you to the cast, crew and everyone at Bat for being part of this episode and the whole series. I hope you've enjoyed Bat Out of Hell Stagey Sunday!

To finish with a bang, we have a giveaway for you to win 2 tickets to Bat Out of Hell* To enter, RT this tweet and send us your best Bat look whether it be a makeover, an Andrew Polec impression, your own Bat choreography... the more creative the better!

Bat Out of Hell is currently at the Dominion Theatre until 27th October 2018

Post by Editor, Olivia Mitchell

Photo credit: Specular

*T&C’s:
1) This entitles the prize winner to two tickets to Bat Out of Hell the Musical at the Dominion Theatre.
2) Prize to be redeemed by Thursday 23rd August 2018.
3) Valid on Monday to Thursday performances only
4) Tickets are subject to availability.
5) No cash alternative.
6) Travel to and from the theatre and any additional expenses incurred are not included within this prize.

In Conversation With... The Cast of Bat Out of Hell | Interview | Stagey Sunday

Sunday 10 June 2018

In Conversation with... Andrew Polec and Christina Bennington | Bat Out of Hell | Interview | Stagey Sunday


Hi! Welcome back to Stagey Sunday, where we are focussing on Bat Out of Hell for the entire month of June. This week we have an exclusive interview with Andrew Polec and Christina Bennington about their lives whilst starring in Bat Out of Hell....


For anyone that hasn't seen the show, can you explain a little about the story line and how your characters fit into it?
Andrew: I play Strat, he is the leader of this Lost gang who are all 18 and never age. We're set in this post-apocalyptic world; the island of Manhattan, due to some cataclysmic event has broken off from the rest of the country and floated out to sea. On this island there's a dictator named Falco who Strat is rebelling against and doing his best to liberate the people of Obsidian, give them equality, make them all feel special and give them value in their lives. As he is rebelling against Falco and this violent revolution, he suddenly realises that Falco has a beautiful daughter who's name is Raven...

Christina: We find Raven on the eve of her 18th birthday. She has been watching Strat and the gang of The Lost for basically as long as she can remember. They have all the freedom and liberation that she's always wanted so she eventually manages to escape and meet Strat. From there it's all about love for the two.


Andrew, you were involved in the show from the workshop stage, so what was that like and how was it for you Christina, joining a little later. Did you both know how big the show would end up?
C: Absolutely not! I did I guess an average audition process, I say average in that I got the call from my agent and I went to various rounds, but that was probably where the average ended. There were lots of very interesting movement workshops that we did, I got paired with different people to read the Strat and Raven scenes. We also had stamina tests to see if we could sing the songs multiple days in a row. So I would come in and sing All Coming Back to Me Now, four of five times getting higher and higher and higher, and then come back the next day and do it all again to see if I could sustain it. I thought it was a fantastic challenge- great fun! 

I don't think I ever thought it would be this big and I don't think I ever thought that it would be such a wonderful experience for me, personally and professionally, to grow in the way I perform. It's been really wonderful. It was great also, working with Andrew because he already had the job so wasn't part of the audition process. It was really interesting reading against all the potential alternate Strats but never reading with the actual Strat so it's serendipity that it's all worked out so well.


Do you have any pre-show rituals?
A: I have two posters in my dressing room where I've put all the rock and roll idols that I think inspire the show; there's Jim Morrison, there's Chuck Barry, there's Jimi Hendrix, Meatloaf, Jim Steinman and Iggy Pop. I basically ask that they come and help us on this journey because the show takes a lot of energy, you've got a lot of bodies up there that are burning 10,000 calories a minute!

C: My pre-show ritual is also  really rock and roll... I listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks everyday, every single day. From after warm up until just before the half to kind of calm my brain down. Cause it's something I'm so familiar with it kind of clears my head of everything that's an outside influence. Then once it hits the quarter I play different music everyday that I think Raven would listen to, so then it does become slightly more rock and roll! So from me to Raven really


Have you had any onstage mishaps?
C: Oh yeah! 
A: Tonnes!
C: One the other day was really good. Andrew fell off the tower when he jumped down...
A: Cool, lets just talk about the one where I hurt myself!
C: No but it's brilliant because in this show a mishap often becomes something incredible because Jay (Scheib) has encouraged us to be really free and flexible. In rehearsals he often asked up to include falls on purpose to force ourselves to be really in the moment. If you see the show, you'll notice that I fall over on-purpose-accidentally a lot... it's a real trope for Raven.

A: I think probably the biggest mishap was our first preview ever in Manchester. I had it in my mind that I would run down to the bottom of the stage and bring Christina along with me and I just slipped and we just started flying towards the end of the stage. In Manchester there was just an 8 metre drop  and I knew that if we fell we'd probably not have legs like we have now! Fortunately, Christina grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and kept me from falling.

C: So fans of Andrew Polec, you're welcome!


Bat Out of Hell is so full on, how do you relax and calm down after a show?
C: It is difficult to go to sleep afterwards because it's so exciting. At the end of the show every night there's a massive buzz from the audience, they're on their feet, screaming and you feel like a rockstar with everyone coming together to celebrate this amazing music. I guess I like to eat after the show, watch something good and try and chill out.

A: Yeah, food is nice!


You have a five minute break in rehearsals, what are you doing?
C: I don't wanna say eating again! We're probably chatting about something that's happened in rehearsals. We do tend to talk a lot about constantly looking for ways to do things differently and improve so you'll probably just catch us discussing.

A: Mostly we're walking up the stairs!!


What's your favourite part of each others track?
C: One of my favourite bits ever is after I leave Revved, I stand  at the side, and I watch from the stage left wing and the screen of Hope Rock,  Andrew and the main Lost gang singing the end of Revved. I think it's absolutely incredible and I love it. I think Andrew is a force of nature and I love watching it, it's so exciting and there's so much visceral energy. Raven doesn't ever see that Strat which I think is so wonderful  because she sees a completely other side of him. So it's really interesting for me to see that force.

A: I really, really admire Raven's whole scene in her  bedroom during Heaven Can Wait. If I  have enough time after the interval preparations and can get down to the video screen then I watch the perspective of the camera as she sings the whole song and it's really cool.  She blows it out of the water every night, she remarkable!


Are you like your characters at all?
C: I'd love to say yeah, I'm really cool like Raven  but I guess I can be tempestuous sometimes like she can. The thing about Raven is that she's all about life or death, that first  love that is absolutely everything. In that way I guess we share  something that we both think love is probably the most important thing in life. But the intensity with which she feels it is more like 17 year old me than it is current me.

A: I guess Strat and I are both hopeful. I think what surprises people when they meet me is that I'm more soft spoken than Strat. Considering he just shouts on stage all night, I think when they meet me they're like "where's your high-octane energy?". 

They're certainly characters and they continue to grow and develop everyday that we work on them. They're good friends to have around.


Other than yourselves, who would you like to see play your roles?
A: I think I'd love to Jim Morrison to play this part, I think that would be a lot of fun. Or someone like Elvis would be really fun.

C: Ellen Foley was involved in the first stages of the show playing the Wendy/Raven character so it'd be really cool to see  what she would do with Raven as she is now.

A: You're absolutely right, I mean Jim Steinman hands down should be playing Strat- he's even on the t-shirt.

C: If it had to be someone from the cast I think one of the super swings should have a go. I'd pay good money to see someone like Jono play Raven!


Finally, can you tell me your best piece of advice for anyone wanting to get into performing?
C: I would say, be very sure of yourself and your  strengths and weaknesses. Believe in yourself and your ability because no one else can do that bit for you.

A: Love what you do, no matter what you end up doing. As long as you take joy in your work then you've found the secret of life and you'll be happy.

C: and be nice!

Watch the full interview plus some fun games here:


Thank you Holly for organising all of this, Andrew and Christina for filming with us, Sophia for being camera woman extraordinaire and all the lovely staff at the Dominion Theatre.

Join us next week to see Emily Benjamin become her character, Mordema!

Bat Out of Hell is currently at the Dominion Theatre until 27th October 2018

Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell

photo credit: Specular

In Conversation with... Andrew Polec and Christina Bennington | Bat Out of Hell | Interview | Stagey Sunday

Sunday 10 June 2018

Friday 25 May 2018

In Conversation With... Anna Crichlow | Confidence | Southwark Playhouse



Confidence opens tonight (May 25th) at the Southwark Playhouse. It features a small cast, some of whom are making their theatrical debuts. Anna Crichlow, who has previously appeared in Pride and Prejudice for Regents Park Open Air and Common at the National Theatre, plays Ruby, who works at the cafe on the pier in the show. Anna took the time to talk to us about Confidence, the 90s and what the audience can expect from the show...




Can you explain a little about Confidence and how your character Ruby fits into it?
Confidence follows four young people who live in a seaside town in the 90s. The world is shaken up by the introduction of Ella, played by Tanya Burr, who’s dreaming and scheming attitude gets some of them into a pickle. Ruby runs the cafe on the promenade and has a more down to earth approach. She’s sweet and seems less ambitious than the other characters but she is a grafter. 


The show has a small cast and is playing at the intimate Southwark Playhouse, you must all have had to grow close quickly. What was the initial meeting and rehearsal process like for you?
It was lovely and really chill. We all met initially trying on loads of hilarious 90s clothes on in a vintage shop so I think that definitely broke the ice. It being some of the cast’s first theatre job made it even more exciting because everyone was so ready to get stuck in. The rehearsal space was always really open and Rob made us all feel comfortable to play with each other and the piece. 


You get to live out your 90s dreams in this show, what's your favourite song from the 90s?
That’s a really hard question, there are so many bangers from the 90s. I think right now it’s Jade-Don’t Walk Away. 


Ruby works in the cafe over summer, have you had any random summer jobs?
Don’t know how random it is but I used to works as an usher at Regents Park Open Air Theatre over summer. It was lush and I got to go back to act there three years later. 


Why should people come and see Confidence? What will audiences be saying as they leave the theatre?
Confidence is an explosion of 90s fun but it also explores what it means to work and all the different ways people, especially young people, achieve their dreams. 

I think they’ll leave thinking “I didn’t see that coming” and hopefully having laughed.


If you had a magic wand which show would you do next?
Gosh that’d be nice but genuinely I want to do the next show that is meant for me. If I had to say it would be amazing to get stuck into some Shakespeare. 


What's your best piece of advice for aspiring performers?
Don’t give up and be your most authentic self. 

Thank you so much Anna for taking the time to do this interview. Confidence runs at The Southwark Playhouse until 16th June.

Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell

photo credit: Clare Park and Helen Murray

In Conversation With... Anna Crichlow | Confidence | Southwark Playhouse

Friday 25 May 2018

Friday 27 April 2018

In Conversation With... Lizzie Winkler | Quiz | Interview

Quiz is one of the hottest plays on in the West End right now. Transferred from Chichester Festival Theatre, it is an immersive experience which examines the conviction of 'the coughing Major', Charles Ingram, following his appearance on Who Wants to be a Milionaire? Lizzie Winkler plays a variety of roles in the show and sat down to talk about that experience as well as who'd she's share a million pounds with...


Hi! You've had a varied career so far. What have some of your highlights been?
This! 


Can you tell me a little about Quiz and your role in it?
I play the most characters, ranging from real people Claudia Rosencrantz (Head of light entertainment for ITV), Ruth Settle (Head of Marketing for the show) Alyn Morris (cough doctor) to characters whose names I've been allowed to make up, police officer (PC Jill Salmon) attractive assistants (Denise Body and Kirsty Sparkle) Pregnant Juror (Alison De Winter) Court Stenographer (Linda Bland) I really enjoy creating characters' back stories and histories even if they don't have lines. 


What do you think people will be saying as they leave the theatre after experiencing Quiz?
"What did you vote?". "Do you think they are innocent?" and hopefully "that was amazing "


Can you sum up the play in five words?
Entertaining, interactive, thought-provoking, political, human.


What has your favourite immersive/interactive theatrical experience been?
All the Punchdrunk shows. 


If you won Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? who would you share your money with?
Whoever asked the nicest. 


If you had a magic wand, which show would you do next?
I write television comedy, with Emma Jerrold I would get one of our shows commissioned and be in it. 


Finally, what's your number one piece of advice for aspiring performers? 
Be yourself and work hard!

Thank you so much Lizzie for taking the time to do this interview. Quiz runs at the Noel Coward Theatre until 16th June.

Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell

In Conversation With... Lizzie Winkler | Quiz | Interview

Friday 27 April 2018