The Show People Podcast With Andrew Keates

This episode was recorded in January 2020 - before Covid-19 changed everything. Andrew shares an explanation about where The Show People Podcast has been for most of 2020 and celebrates the podcast’s fourth anniversary.Andrew and Peter Polycarpou two discuss Peter’s childhood, his relationship with his sister Eve Polycarpou and their Greek heritage and representation within the industry. Peter explains his passion for teaching (including teaching Andrew when he was a teenager!) and playing his many roles in iconic productions including Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, Mike Bartlett’s Artefacts and his roles in film and television, including De Lovely, Evita and Birds of a Feather.Plus the two play Funny Five Minutes and Peter shares what he would need to survive if he was stranded on tour in Whitley Bay.

Trigger Warning: this episode includes discussions about mental health struggles, suicide and death. If you find yourself becoming upset during the episode, please contact the organisation or person you rely upon for support.Andrew Keates chats with journalist, broadcaster and presenter Matthew Wright about his controversial comments about using outside spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic, the last two years of coping with multiple bereavements and PTSD and what it’s like to be second to Nick Knowles in the world of fly fishing.

Andrew chats with Alex Dyer, who runs Theataccounts - a specialist accountancy firm looking after performers and theatremakers in the performing arts industry and advising them on tax and their accounts.In this special episode, Alex takes Andrew through all of the various financial measures and schemes created by the government open to theatremakers during these unprecedented times in a simple and understandable way, including the grants for self-employed people, universal credit, VAT and many other things you may not know you could be eligible for.Also, we hear from Harry Francis, Drew Colby and Charlie Keable.

Andrew chats with Owen Farrow aka Divina De Campo about life post RuPaul’s Drag Race, whether they admire Geri Halliwell and finds out how the drag scene has been affected by Coronavirus. He speaks transatlantically with Robi Hager, writer of Basic Witches, which was a musical due to open in Philadelphia and Robi is now using his drag musical to raise funds for his cast (who we also hear perform a song from the show at the end of the episode). And we open up the Show People Podcast answering machine to listen to messages from Mama G, Ross and Monica of the Montague Arms and Dolly Parton (Well, Kelly O’Brien).

We open up the Show People Podcast answering machine and we hear from and AJ O’Neill and Emily Clare about what they’re doing to use their craft to benefit the theatre industry. Andrew chats with West End leading man and teacher George Ure about what it’s like swapping the West End for Tesco Express and we hear a song by Flloyd Kennedy all about social distancing.

Andrew Keates explains how The Show People Podcast is responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Merry Christmas from The Show People Podcast! Listen to our Christmas special and last episode of 2019 with actor and author Pauline Mclynn. We make fun listening whilst stuffing a turkey, or of course, if you're having a nice cup of tea.Pauline is best known for playing Mrs. Doyle in the iconic sitcom Father Ted, not to mention roles in Shameless, EastEnders and the acclaimed film Gyypo, of which she was nominated as Best Actress in the Irish Film And Television Awards. She’s recently graced our stages playing Mephistofeles in Doctor Faustus at the Globe, Mother Courage at Leeds Playhouse and Trixie in Daisy Pulls It Off.Thanks to two bottles of Malbec and a lot of Christmas spirit, the two amble around our usual format and have a good natter about Pauline’s life, career and Christmas.Merry Christmas and have a very happy new year.

Director, Andrew Keates is joined by actor, singer, composer, writer and musician Kurt Kansley. Kurt was born in Cape Town, South Africa and due to apartheid fled to Australia with his family. He’s had a career that’s taken him all over the world playing roles in Ragtime, Show Boat, Evita, Naked Boys Singing and later would find himself becoming a British citizen when he joined the West End production of The Lion King and go on to other productions including Miss Saigon, Hair and Sweet Bird Of Youth (to name but a fewKurt shares with Andrew Keates the difficulties he’s faced thanks to his ethnicity, what an international life as a performer has been like as well as his journey in the performing arts and his cherished writing partnership with Oliver Lidert.Episode features:Dramatic News: Andrew covers the latest dramatic news and performing arts stories.The Platform: We hear a song written by Kansley and Lidert.And of course we have a little silliness along the way too.

Andrew is joined by Rosalind James just before she performs a showcase of her new musical Stigma – a piece about HIV/AIDS. In one of the most emotional episodes we’ve ever produced, Rosalind discusses some very difficult times in her life as well as her experiences training at Sylvia Young Theatre School and performing in shows such as Les Miserables (where she was the first black Eponine), Hair, Ragtime, Little Shop Of Horrors and more. Rosalind split one of her vocal chord whilst working on a show; an event she found totally disabling, both mentally and physically and she opens up about her fight to regain her reputation and quash the industry’s misconceptions about her.Trigger Warning: this episode includes discussions about abuse, mental health struggles, suicide and abortion. If you find yourself becoming upset during the episode, please contact the organisation or person you rely upon for support.Episode Features:Act Hacks: Andrew gives some great tips to save money this Christmas.The Platform: We hear a song written and performed by Rosalind from her new musical Stigma.

Andrew is joined by actor, writer, director and musician Daniel York Loh. The two discuss how their friendship was forged during a protest against The Print Room production of In The Depths of Dead Love and their shared passion for the fair representation of BAME artists in the performing arts, the boys discuss Daniel’s career that has taken him from fringe theatres to Hollywood movies, the RSC and the Royal Court and so much more.Act HacksIt’s national HIV testing week. Visit www.startswithme.org.uk to find out how you can get tested. Also, get your free tickets to see Gloves Off – West End at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Tuesday 19 November 2019. Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gloves-off-tickets-79748075641 The Platform: We hear a song called A Woman of A Certain Age from Stephen Cole and Jeffrey Saver’s musical Dodsworth, performed by Christine Ebersole.Plus the latest dramatic news and our infamous Show People Podcast challenges.

Happy Halloween from The Show People Podcast! Today’s guest may be best known for being the Marmite judge on the BBC reality series All Together Now – however there’s more to judge Paulus than meets the eye. We discover the truth about the man behind the mascara, including his upbringing in Kent, his 30 year career in cabaret and why Paul L. Martin is a very different person to who you may have watched on television. Act Hacks: Andrew delivers another ‘Act Hack’ to help you look after the pennies, so the pounds can look after themselves.The Platform: We hear a song called Tribe from Paul L. Martin and Jordan Clarke’s new musical in development, performed by Paul himself.

The Show People Podcast welcomes world renowned and Olivier Award winning choreographer Stephen Mear as our special guest between rehearsing for both the new West End production of Mary Poppins and an upcoming production of Funny Girl in Paris.Stephen shares his journey from being a West End dancer to one of the most respected names in the West End as a choreographer and director. Just some of the shows discussed include Acorn Antiques, Tonight’s The Night, The Witches Of Eastwick, The Little Mermaid, Stephen Ward, Betty Blue Eyes, She Loves Me, Anything Goes and of course, Gypsy.Stephen shares some extraordinary stories about working with some of the finest names in the entertainment industry, including Julia McKenzie, Sir Trevor Nunn, Bob Avian, Ria Jones, Imelda Staunton, Glenn Close and the late, great Victoria Wood.This really is a must listen to episode.The Platform: We hear a song called Goodbye Rachael, performed by Ben Lewis from Summer – a new musical written by Jamie St. Glynn.Plus all of our regular sections, including Dramatic News and our infamous Show People Podcast challenges.

We’re back for series three of The Show People Podcast! Andrew sits down with actor Danny-Boy Hatchard and the two discuss Danny-Boy’s working class upbringing and those that gave him opportunities and the obstacles he faced, his time in training at ArtsEd, appearing in Beautiful Thing at the Arts Theatre and working with his favourite director Nikolai Fosterh on that production and a number of other productions. They also discuss ow his life changed when he was cast in EastEnders working with Danny Dyer, Annette Badland and Timothy West and what life is really like on Albert Square.The Platform: We hear a song called Self Checkout, performed by Maria Leon from The Memory Robot, music and lyrics by Amir Shoenfeld, book by Matthew Greene, based on a story by Amir Shoenfeld, Matthew Greene and Rebeca McDonald.Plus all of our regular sections, including Dramatic News and our infamous Show People Podcast challenges.

It’s Christmaaaaas! And The Show People Podcast has teamed up with Alexa Morden and Katie Elin-Salt of The 98% Podcast to bring you a very special Christmas crossover episode. The 98% takes a comedic, brutally honest look at all things within the performing arts industry and lifts the curtain on the real life #actorslife whilst knee deep in the daily grind themselves.The three podcasters chat about podcasting, surviving the industry, the worst jobs they’ve ever done, give gifts and undertake The Show People Podcast’s infamous challenges and more.This episode is dedicated to the Hamleys’ Christmas elves.

Andrew is joined by Choreographer and former Head of Dance at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts – Sam Spencer-Lane.Just some of Sam’s credits include working on FLIGHT for the Scottish Opera (Theatre Royal, Glasgow), West Side Story and Kiss me Kate (Kilworth House Theatre), The UK Premiere of Death Takes a Holiday at The Charing Cross Theatre, Pageant with the writer and Director, Bill Russell for the Camden Festival.She created the choreography for the European premier of Dessa Rose at the Trafalgar Studios;  the choreography and movement for the Film Private Peaceful, and Sunday in the Park with George last August at The Other Palace For NYMT. Other credits include Barry Humphries ‘Back With A Vengeance  (Drury Lane, UK and Australian Tour); Little Britain Live Arena tour (Apollo Hammersmith and UK Tour);  Personals (Lyric Theatre);  Rat Pack Confidential (Whitehall Theatre); At The Menier Chocolate Factory – The Last Five Years, The Invisible Man, They’re Playing Our Song and the UK premiere of Maltby and Shire’s ’Take Flight’. Company (Southwark Playhouse), Jaques Brel is Alive and well and living in Paris (Charing Cross Theatre). I Love You,You’re Perfect ,Now Change (Arts Theatre) and many, many others.Sam and Andrew have worked together on a number of shows as well as being Andrew’s dance teacher when a student at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.Episode features include:Dramatic news: Andrew covers the latest dramatic news.The Platform: Today’s platform is given to Sleeping Beauty The Musical with book and lyrics by Ian Curran and music by Simon Hanson and Peter Vint. We hear a song called Take My Chances – performed by Maria Coyne.Show People Podcast Challenges: We challenged Sam to a dance quiz, discovered what she would need to survive if she was stranded on tour in Whitley Bay and ask her some hysterical and outrageous questions in our famous Funny Five Minutes game.

Theatre Director and host of The Show People Podcast, Andrew Keates interviews Producer Jamie Chapman Dixon all about his life and career, including being the in-house executive producer of the Barn Theatre, Cirencester and their productions of The Hound of the Baskervilles and Just So.Jamie is the proud owner of Rigmarole Productions, who focus on new writing, commercial theatre and their boutique agency.  His credits include; Madagascar (UK and International Tour), Spamalot (UK Tour, Dubai & South Korea), Lottys War (UK Tour), Pippin (Southwark Playhouse), Zanna Don’t (The Landor Theatre), Molly Wobbly (The Phoenix Artist Club), Geek! A New Musical (Tristan Bates Theatre),The Mikado (Battersea Barge and No 1 Leicester Square), Kray Kray (N16), Banana Crabtree Simon (Drayton Arms Theatre and Theatre 503),The Singers Soiree West End Concerts (St Giles In The Fields and Battersea Barge), Safe Sex/OnTidy Endings (Tristan Bates Theatre), SPB (Soho Theatre), The Fringe on The Fringe (London Theatre Workshop), Americana (Workshop), Setara (Workshop), Romeo and Juliet (London Theatre Workshop), Santaphrenia (Leicester Square Theatre), Pirates of Penzance (Brookside Theatre), ScreamFest (National Forest), HMS Pinafore (Battersea Barge/Kings Head), Tomorrow Maybe (Workshop, Union Theatre).Resident Producer credits include: London Theatre Workshop (London) and The Barn Theatre (Cirencester).Episode features include:Theatrical Tips: Andrew gets his theatrical tips out of things to see in December 2018, including Just So, How to Catch A Krampus and Snow White at the London Palladium.The Platform: Today’s platform is given to Wardrobe – A New Musical. Composed by Ian Stephenson, with a book by Tom Allsopp and lyrics by Adrian Kimberlin. We hear a song called ‘Home by Christmas’ sung Lucy Follows, George Stuart, Liam Sargeant & Aiden Cutler.Show People Podcast Challenges: We challenged Jamie to a Sherlock Holmes quiz, discovered what he would need to survive if he was stranded on tour in Whitley Bay and ask him some hysterical and outrageous questions in our famous Funny Five Minutes game.

In memory of Daniel ‘Dani’ Bolton (1990 – 2018)To donate to the Daniel Bolton Memorial Fund, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/raising-funds-for-dani-bolton.Thank you.

Our special guest has been top of our wish list since we started and we’ve finally managed to have him –  the one and only Simon Lipkin!Our intrepid host, Andrew Keates interviewed Simon just before he went into rehearsal for Nativity – The Musical at the Eventim Apollo – a show that is lead by improvisation and Simon revealed the challenges and freedoms that method of performing can present. They also discussed why Simon has been so committed to comedy and his views and inspirations for the genre since he was a ‘a little fat jew from Essex’.Simon trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and then at the Arts Educational. His theatre credits include: Rat in The Wind In The Willows (Palladium, West End), Sheriff in Whisper House (Other Palace), Jason Robert Brown’s Honeymoon In Las Vegas (concert at The Palladium), Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls (West End), Bill Sykes in Oliver! (Grange Park Opera), Lou Lubowitz in Miss Atomic Bomb (St James Theatre), The Lorax in The Lorax (Old Vic Theatre), The Proprietor in Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), Touchstone in As You Like It (Southwark Playhouse), Barlow in I Can’t Sing (London Palladium), Lonny in Rock Of Ages (Original West End Cast), Galahad in Spamalot (Original UK and International Tour), Nicky and Trekkie Monster in Avenue Q (Original West End Cast), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Arts Theatre, London), The Wedding Singer (Original UK Cast), Willard in Footloose (UK Tour), A Christmas Carol (West End), Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (West End), Alice In Wonderland (Nuffield Theatre), Austentatious (The Landor), News Revue (Canal Café) and Leopold in Never The Sinner at the Kenneth Moore Theatre.Film and TV include: Show Dogs, Muppets Most Wanted for Disney, The Harry Hill Movie, That Puppet Game Show and Nativity III. Harry Hill’s Alien Fun Capsule, Doctor Who, Harry Hill’s Tea Time, The Bill, Casualty, The Royal Variety Performance, Children in Need, Nativity Rocks! Simon also voices characters on the Cartoon Network’s show The Amazing World Of Gumball and Ricky Zoom.As we anticipated, Simon is an extremely funny guy, but also a real inspiration to anyone that is committed to comedy.Episode features include:Theatrical Tips: Andrew gets his theatrical tips out of things to see in October 2018, including Porgy and Bess at the London Coliseum, Don Quixote at the Garrick Theatre and The Height Of The Storm at the Wyndhams Theatre.The Platform: Today’s platform is given to Edward Court’s new musical adaptation Notre Dame and a song called I Lived, performed by Alexandra Doar, orchestrated and conducted by Adam Hoskins, recorded by Harry Hare, music and lyrics by Ed Court.Show People Podcast Challenges: We discover what Simon Lipkin would need to survive if he was stranded on tour in Whitley Bay and ask him hysterical and outrageous questions in our famous Funny Five Minutes game.

We’re one years old! That’s right The Show People Podcast celebrates one year of bringing you special theatre guests every fortnight and shining a spotlight on the UK performing arts and today’s guest is Scott Garnham.Scott is both a performer and an entrepreneur. He along with his business partner Simon Schofield formed Sisco Entertainment to supply elite, creative and original entertainment for the professional theatre industry and corporate market. Their shows take West End performers all around the world, enjoy West End residencies, International cruises and they are the creators of The Barricade Boys.Scott talks about growing up in Yorkshire, training at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and appearing in the original production of Stiles and Drewe’s Honk! at the Scarborough Theatre as well as his early theatre experiences and how both he uses both business strategies as well as his creativity to serve his career.Theatre credits include Tony in Billy Elliot (UK Tour & Germany), Baron Felix Von Gaigern in Grand Hotel (Southwark Playhouse), Edgar Beane in Titanic (Princess of Wales, Toronto), Buddy Cortina in Made in Dagenham (Adelphi, West End), Feuilly understudy Enjolras and Marius in Les Misérables (Queens, West End), I Can’t Sing (London Palladium, West End), J. Pierrepont Finch in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (City of London Festival), Jest End (Waterloo East), The 25th Anniversary of Les Misérables (O2 Arena), Jose Reize in Never Forget (UK Tour), Ronan Corr in Eurobeat (Novello, West End), Jason in Jason and the Argonauts (New Victory, New York), Hunter in [title of show] (UK Premiere, Landor Theatre), Mr Lindquist in A Little Night Music (Yvonne Arnaud) and many others.The boys discuss the problems with class, the lack of new British Musical Theatre, why Musical Theatre performers shouldn’t necessarily expect to be cast in TV and plays and how Scott seems to always close shows once he’s been cast in them!Episode features include:Dramatic News: Andrew covers latest dramatic news, including the Show People Podcast’s 1st Birthday, a new Artistic Director for The Lyric, Hammersmith and news about Arion’s upcoming masterclass with Julie Atherton.The Platform: Today’s platform is given to In Between – a new musical by Alanya Bridge and a song called Along Came The Light performed by Mikki Sodergren. Show People Podcast Challenges: We discover what Scott Garnham would need to survive if stranded in tour in Whitley Bay and ask him hysterical and outrageous questions in our famous Funny Five Minutes game.

Oliver Savile may be best recognised for playing Fiyero in the West End production of Wicked. He speaks with Director Andrew Keates all about his life and career, including growing up in Buxton and failing all of his GCSEs at school, his struggles with Dyslexia and how he discovered the performing arts and forged his career as a leading man.Ollie talks about his time at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, discovering his long-time agent Shane Collins, going straight into the UK tour of Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, seeing the world on the international tour of Mamma Mia!, playing Peter Tork in the UK tour of Monkee Business, his recurring appearances in the West End production of Les Miserables, working with Gillian Lynne in the UK tour of Cats, playing Raoul in The Phantom of The Opera, his delight playing Robert in Company in Aberdeen, his recent role playing Hugo in Knights Of The Rose and of course, discussing his incredible time playing Wicked’s famous prince.This is an episode full of laughs and even a special appearance from Toby Page – The Show People Podcast podcat.Episode features include:Theatrical Tips: Andrew shares his top theatrical tips of things to see this September 2018, including There is Nothin’ Like a Dame at Cadogan Hall, Distance at the Park Theatre, Sylvia at The Old Vic and Company at the Gielgud Theatre.The Platform: Today’s platform is given to Therapy  – The Musical with music by Jordan Li-Smith and book and lyrics by Ray Rackham. We hear a song from the show called So What performed by Belinda Wollaston.Show People Podcast Challenges: We challenge our special guest to remember his CV in 60 seconds, discover what he would need to survive if stranded in Whitley Bay and course ask hysterical and outrageous questions in our famous Funny Five Minutes section.