You're On Tonight

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Allie Dart’s days never seem to go to plan. From tiny fringe theatre to massive West End shows, Allie’s career has never shied away from backstage chaos.And she has the stories to prove it. In one of the most extraordinary understudy stories we’ve heard, Allie talks about what happened when her performance went properly viral. In 2025, Allie was asked in The Comedy About Spies to step into a male role she didn’t cover, had never rehearsed, and had never even looked at - with just a few hours’ notice. She tells us what it takes to step into the unknown, trust your instincts, and make the most of an opportunity you never saw coming.From multi-rolling comedies to brand new musicals, Allie has built a career around being adaptable. In this episode, she talks about why new work is always a challenge, how she deals with last-minute re-writes, and why the process of creating a piece of theatre doesn’t stop once press night is over. Live theatre is constantly evolving - and nobody feels this more than the understudy.But this episode also looks at some of the less glamorous realities of acting. Allie opens up about the challenges of touring, why cast and company members don’t always feel safe on the road, and why it’s time to have a conversation about the culture surrounding digs.More than anything, this is an episode about attitude. About staying positive when things don’t go to plan, believing in yourself when you’re thrown into the unknown, and how you become the person who always has a solution ready.Allie Dart - 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.

Dawn Buckland has been performing for over 40 years, starting her professional career on Starlight Express when she was just 17. Since then, she’s worked non-stop on stage and screen from Billy Elliot and Fame, to Mamma Mia 2 and Wonka.Dawn has the best collection of stories that you’ve never heard the likes of – until now. In this encore, Dawn talks chaos and crashes on Starlight Express, causing a power outage mid-show, and what happened when she had to play Danny Dyer’s mother.Link to the full episode: https://pods.link/sgn44ppwn6bnsIf 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.

Emma Lucia has spent the last year doing one of the hardest jobs in musical theatre: being ready to step on at a moment’s notice and make one of the Musical Theatre’s most recognisable roles her own. All while stepping into a role normally played by one of the most iconic names in the industry.As the cover for Jenna in the 10th anniversary tour of Waitress - a role normally played by Carrie Hope Fletcher - Emma knows what it feels like to walk onstage as an understudy in front of an audience who have arrived expecting somebody else. In this episode, she takes us inside that experience - the pressure, the nerves, the expectations and the challenge of trusting that you are enough when the spotlight suddenly lands on you.But Emma’s story goes much further.She opens up about one of the biggest decisions of her career: stepping away from acting altogether. She talks about why she left the industry, what eventually brought her back, how much she missed the people and community she had left behind, and why she’s now approaching her career with one very different priority - having fun.Emma shares some of the most extraordinary stories we’ve heard yet, including one spectacular piece of backstage chaos involving a moment where - in her own words - her life flashed before her eyes.We also talk about the power nerves can have over you, what it’s like performing when every instinct in your body is telling you to run, and Emma gives perhaps the most honest answer we’ve ever heard to one very simple question: Why do you do it?Emma Lucia - You’re On Tonight.