It’s the hottest day of the year when this podcast is recorded – and we’ve got a leading man to match! Actor Alistair Brammer joins host and director Andrew Keates for this episode of the Show People Podcast, after playing Chris in both the Broadway and West End productions of Miss Saigon.
Andrew and Alistair chat about biscuits, the differences between Broadway and the West End as well as exploring his whole life and career, including growing up in Exmouth, not going to drama school, working for his local council – counting cars sat in a deck-chair, his experiences participating in the BBC’s Any Dream Will Do competition – which took him to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s castle, going on to appear in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, playing various roles both on stage and for the film version of Les Miserables, appearing in his first immersive production of Taboo as Billy at the Brixton Club House, getting his kit off in Hair, his auditions and experiences in War Horse, working with Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi in the TV show Vicious and so much more. He also does a very good impression of Fra Fee.
Episode features include
The Soapbox:
Andrew and Alistair talk about pigeonholing/typecasting in the industry. Alistair asks for the opportunity to be seen for roles that might not necessarily be an obvious casting option for him. He shares his frustrations with just getting into the room and the way auditions are very different in America compared to the UK. Andrew chats about his frustrations about why certain roles must have certain physical dimensions and the two of them discuss the horror stories they’ve heard about actors being cast on beauty alone, rather than talent and the subsequent pressures on actors to look a certain way. They also discuss the challenges that face BAME artists and the controversy of casting a black actor to play Javert in Les Miserables.
Dramatic News:
Andrew covers the latest dramatic news including stories about Gemma Hamilton’s controversial comments about BAME artists, the new cast of Les Miserables and The Other Palace/Mercury Musical Developments upcoming Musical Bites.
The Platform:
This episode’s platform is given to composer Ashley MA Walsh and his new musical called The Jury, which will soon play at the Brindley Theatre and we hear a song called So It Comes To This performed by Leanne Talbot from that show.
Social Media:
Andrew Keates: @AndrewKeates, Alistair Brammer: @alistairbrammer, Ashely MA Walsh: @AshleyMAWalsh, The Jury: @TheJuryUK, The Show People Podcast: @ShowPeopleUK, Arion Productions: @ArionProds, Theataccounts: @Theataccounts and use #ShowPeoplePodcast.
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Links:
Show People Photography by Scott Rylander: www.scottrylander.com
Arion Productions Donate Link: www.arion-productions.com/donate
Andrew Keates’ Website: www.andrewkeates.co.uk
Theataccounts Accountants: www.theataccounts.co.uk
Ashley MA Walsh’s Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ashley-m-a-walsh/
The Jury at the Brindley Theatre: http://thebrindley.org.uk
The Show People Podcast Shop: www.arion-productions.com/shop
Contact:
Do you want to get in touch with the Show People Podcast? You can contact us at info@arion-productions.com
Support:
All profits from the Show People Podcast go toward supporting Arion Productions Ltd to create opportunities and resources for theatre-makers. If you enjoy the podcast and can support this independent theatre company, please make a donation by visiting www.arion-productions.com/donate
Shop:
Head on over to our new shop to purchase your very own Show People Podcast merchandise, including mugs and pens. All profits go toward Arion Productions Ltd and covering the costs of the Show People Podcast. http://www.arion-productions.com/shop
Sponsor:
Theataccounts are a friendly team of accountants who work with clients specifically in the entertainment industry. It’s their mission to make tax simple and take away the stress for you, whilst ensuring you don’t pay too much tax or any unnecessary fines. They offer a no jargon approach with no hidden fees.
Theataccounts are proud to sponsor The Show People Podcast and offer a discount to listeners. Get in touch if you would like a free, no-obligation chat about how they can help you. Quote ‘The Show People Podcast’ to get £50 off your first year’s fee.
Visit: www.theataccounts.co.uk and follow them on Twitter: @Theataccounts
Next Episode:
The Show People Podcast is a biweekly podcast. The next episode will be released Monday 21st May 2018 and will be with special guest Paul Taylor Mills – Producer, Director and Artistic Director of The Other Palace. Please hit subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes or whichever platform you listen to us on. Thank you.
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Andrew was the theatre manager and artistic consultant of the Landor Theatre for over three years. He is the current artistic director of Arion Productions, through which he launched the Show People Podcast in 2017. The free bi-weekly podcast shines a spotlight on the UK performing arts industry and to those dedicated to their craft within it. It's on Twitter at @ShowPeopleUK. In addition, Andrew tweets at @andrewkeates and his personal website is www.andrewkeates.co.uk.
