It’s Christmaaaaaaaaaas! And we’ve released a festive edition of the Snow People… We mean the Show People Podcast with our host and director, Andrew Keates and special guest… West End Producer (or WEP)! – The anonymous man of Theatreland. First becoming known for writing about theatre, he then ran two social media contests to find and support the talent of the future – Search For a Twitter Star and Search For a Composer Star. Both culminating in a live final in London’s West End. WEP is a weekly contributor to the entertainment industry’s leading paper – The Stage. He is the author of the hugely popular book ‘Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Acting, But Were Afraid to Ask, dear’, and his latest release, ‘Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Going To The Theatre, But Were Too Sloshed to Ask, Dear’, published by Nick Hern Books. His acerbic wit and naughty comments have earned him national press attention – and rumour has been rife that he could in fact be Lloyd Webber or Cameron Mackintosh. He can always be found attending theatrical opening nights, supporting new work, and getting savagely sloshed on as much Dom Perignon as possible.

Episode features include:

The Soapbox: Andrew and WEP discuss some of the challenges that face performers’ mental health and relevant issues surrounding social media, rejection and their own struggles as well as advice, support and strategies to help maintain a healthy lifestyle when working in the performing arts. Dramatic News: Andrew’s covers the latest dramatic news, including stories about West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Royal Court Theatre and Kander & Ebb’s Chicago.

The Platform: Today’s Show People platform is given to Meredith Braun. She performs the title-song from her latest solo album, ‘When Love Is Gone’. The title for the release comes from the Paul Williams song Meredith performed in the iconic film ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Meredith’s new 2017 recording of ‘When Love Is Gone’ marks the first time she has performed the song since recording the original version for the 1992 film soundtrack. Meredith is accompanied on the cello by her son, 13 year-old Tiger Braun-White, a student at the Royal Academy of Music and holder of both the Leverhulme and ABRSM scholarships.

Give-Away: We are giving away a signed copy of West End Producer’s latest book, ‘Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Going To The Theatre, But Were Too Sloshed to Ask, Dear’, published by Nick Hern Books, To enter for a chance to win just visit the Show People Twitter account and RT the pinned tweet at the top of our feed about West End Producer and make sure you’re following @ShowPeopleUK and @westendproducer. The winner will be announced on Christmas Day! Plus Show People challenges, tangents and much, much more.

He’s 6’7” and one of the best bass-baritones in the business. Pete Gallagher discusses growing up and playing Jesus numerous times in school assembly, his time at the Carona Stage Academy, being a children’s comedian at Butlins and his early touring work to many of the roles he’s played in major West End and national productions, including Moonlight and Magnolias, Buddy, working with Lionel Bart in Quasimodo, the many stage and film versions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, bringing the first musical as contestant to Britain’s Got Talent and his many other achievements and roles. In a deeply personal episode of the Show People Podcast, Pete talks frankly and honestly about the tragic loss of his daughter Alice, his grieving process and the projects he would go on to create in her memory as well as the battle he still faces to achieve justice in the face of her avoidable death. Throughout this episode we showcase Pete and Rob Dowton’s new musical Fanny Hill with three songs from the show as well as discuss its development. Episode features include:

The Soapbox: Andrew and Pete discuss why some actors only ever talk about work, the importance of pursuing other things outside of performing arts, whether it’s important for an actor to have experienced loss and pain to be a good artist and whether it’s a social faux pas to ask someone, ‘and what do you do?’.

Theatrical Tips: Andrew’s tips for December 2017, include The Christmasaurus, Bananaman – The Musical and A Christmas Carol by The Fitrovia Radio Hour.

The Platform: Throughout this entire episode, we play a selection of demos from Pete Gallagher and Rob Dowton’s new musical in development called Fanny Hill. Featured songs include: In a Hat Shop performed by Helen Power, Sitting on a Virgin Whore performed by Lucyelle Cliffe and There Like an Angel performed by Emily Davis.

Andrew charts the history of HIV & AIDS, discusses how he discovered he was HIV+ and who gave it to him, creating both the Finborough and West End productions of William M. Hoffman’s first AIDS play, As Is, how he told his friends and the response from the theatre industry after coming out as HIV+ during West End Eurovision and the many issues he faces living with HIV today. Music: All music except the Show People theme-tune is composed by Matthew Strachan for both the Finborough Theatre and West End productions of As Is by William M. Hoffman.

Kumiko Mendl has worked as an actor, teacher, storyteller and director and is Artistic Director of Yellow Earth, the award winning British East Asian theatre company. She led on the companies education and outreach programme before becoming Artistic Director in 2011 and set up the first BEA acting summer school; Yellow Earth Academy in 2010 to encourage more BEA’s into the industry. She is also co-founder and co AD of A Thousand Cranes and artistic associate at Artsdepot. Andrew and Kumiko discuss her career from growing up in Watford, discovering her passion for mime and subsequently training at Jacques LaCoq. The two amble through the various important acting, directing and other jobs that she would go on to do including appearing at the National Theatre, Carol Churchill’s Top Girls, appearing as a life-model and how she and others founded Yellow Earth Theatre – a company dedicated to creating work for British East Asian artists, her involvement with A Thousand Cranes, setting up the UK’s first BEA summer school and the many different challenges that she and other British East Asians face in today’s industry.

Episode features include:

The Soapbox: Andrew and Kumiko discuss the many unfair challenges that face being an East Asian performer in the performing arts industry and surrounding issues such the use of yellow-face, white-washing, colour-blind and colour-conscious casting and dispel the myth that there aren’t enough East Asian performers in the UK.

Dramatic News: Andrew covers the latest news headlines including stories relating to Kevin Spacey, The King & I and Evita.

The Platform: Our featured composer is Joe Purdue with a song called Still So Close performed by Lewis Greenslade and Sarah Joyce from his Tolkien inspired musical Unfolding Tales.

oin host Andrew Keates as he and Anna Jane Casey cover her extraordinary career from leaving Lancashire to joining the West End production of Cats at the age of sixteen to being the world’s greatest showbiz mum and her recent appearances as Mrs Wilkinson in the UK tour of Billy Elliott, Mavis in the West End production of Stepping Out plus her many other iconic roles and breathtaking appearances. AJ didn’t go to drama school and instead learnt her craft in countless stage productions including playing in Starlight Express, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Grease and West Side Story, where she met her husband Graham McDuff. Anna discusses her many other credits including Wild, Wild, Women, Velma in Chicago, Edith Piaf in Piaf, Dot in Sunday in the Park with George (and why she didn’t go onto do the later West End and Broadway productions), Lady of the Lake in Spamalot, frequently singing at the Royal Albert Hall (including with Family Guy creator Seth Macfarlene), Forbidden Broadway and is even brought to tears recollecting her involvement in Daniel Evan’s recent new British musical, Flowers For Mrs. Harris with Clare Burt.

Episode features include:

The Soapbox: Andrew and AJ discuss ageism including frustrations with casting actors who are too young for leading roles – is it because younger performers are cheaper? Why do great actors seem to be forgotten about once they reach their 40s? The importance of understanding company etiquette and how to lead a company when you are a leading lady and the advice she gave Ruthie Henshall before she took over her role in Billy Elliott and some of the little things Amanda Holden did for her during her time in Stepping Out.

Theatrical Tips including the 50th Anniversary production of Hair at the Vaults Theatre, the brand new West End production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre and Privates on Parade starring Simon Green and Sam Curry at the Union Theatre.

The Platform: Our featured composer is Ed Zanders and a song from his London Underground inspired musical performed by Eleanor Walsh and a concert orchestra.

Rob Houchen joins the Show People Podcast just days before the launch of his brand new EP, ‘Within Reach’ an album of his own writing influenced by artists such as Luther Vandross & Stevie Wonder to Adele & Sam Smith.

This episode features two of his songs including Safe and Sound and the studio version of Warning Signs. Rob is best known for playing the role of Marius in Les Miserables at the Palace Theatre for just under three years, as well as Tony in the BBC documentary about West Side Story. Rob discusses his passion for art, growing up in Norwich, goes into great detail about his time training in Musical Theatre at the Guildford School of Acting as well as his experiences of appearing in the world’s longest running musical.

Episode features include: The Soapbox: Andrew and Rob discuss the trail and tribulations of Twitter. Do artists need to be on Twitter? Do we need to watch what we tweet? Dramatic News: Andrew shares the latest dramatic news, including the recent award nomination from the Community Theatre Awards for favourite radio show/podcast.

The Platform: Today’s episode is a special episode that focuses on the original work of our special guest Rob Houchen and his new Album, ‘Within Reach’.

Kim Ismay joins The Show People Podcast almost immediately after stepping off a plane and getting back to the UK after appearing all over the world as Madam Morrible in the international tour of the musical Wicked. This episode is both hysterical and inspiring as Andrew probes Kim all about her many credits, including appearing in Mamma Mia as Tanya for many years, plus iconic productions such as Acorn Antiques, The Rocky Horror Show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Lautrec, About Bill and even an episode of Strange But True! She’ll also go into great detail about being a ‘character actress’, typecasting and even a story involving a #ghostcat…

The Soapbox: Andrew and Kim discuss theatre etiquette, including their worst experiences of audience behaviour, the trials and tribulations of the stage door, the worst kinds of food to bring to the theatre and their views on how audiences should behave during a performance.

Theatrical Tips: Andrew shares some theatrical tips of things to pop into your diary this October 2017.

The Platform: We feature a song by composer Alexander Bermange (Radio 4, BBC World Service) from his new album Wit and Whimsy called, ‘I Wish That My Life Were Like a Musical’ performed by Gina Beck, who is currently appearing as Miss Honey in Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre.

Andrew is joined by actor, comedian, voice-over artist and cabaret artist - Steve Furst. Just some of his credits include the famous Orange cinema ads, Little Britain, Made in Dagenham, Matilda, The Lenny Beige Show, Toast, Friday Night Dinner and many more.

Andrew and Steve discuss West End ticket prices and how they impact audiences, fringe theatre and whether profits could reach performers in productions.

This episode features the latest dramatic news and features composer Matthew Strachan, and his song Foolish from his musical About Bill, performed by West End leading lady Kim Ismay. Plus much, much more.