You're On Tonight

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.

Somehow… we’ve reached the end of season one.To every single person who’s sent us a message, an email, a DM, or shared their own experience with us - we genuinely cannot tell you how grateful we are.And of course… this isn’t the end. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming announcements from us soon! If you want to get in touch with the show, share your story, or just say hi, you can reach us at youreontonight@gmail.com  or over on socials below.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.

Princess Donnough is an icon. After making her West End debut as an understudy in I’m Sorry, Prime Minister, she was quickly “bumped up” to leading the show night after night – a whirlwind experience that would test any performer’s nerve.But if that sounds intense, it’s nothing compared to her time with Sh*tfaced Shakespeare.In this episode, Princess takes us inside one of the most gloriously chaotic shows in theatre – where one performer is absolutely smashed and the rest of the cast have to somehow keep a Shakespeare play on track. From audience members being dragged onstage to impromptu dance breaks and theatre mayhem, she shares what it’s really like to perform in a show where anything can (and does) happen.Princess also introduces us to her unforgettable stage persona Levi, explains why she keeps coming back to the madness, and offers a survival guide to dealing with the world’s worst hanxiety.Alongside the chaos, we hear about her meteoric rise in the West End, and Princess reflects on her journey into an industry she didn’t grow up around, what kept her going through those early years of graft, and why she’s so passionate about making sure everyone gets their shot.This is an episode about resilience, risk, and the joy of letting go – and a reminder of exactly what makes the West End so special.Princess Donnough – You’re On TonightIf 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.

James Haxby is an understudying legend. He’s worked on some of the biggest shows in the world - from 9 to 5 to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where he covered the iconic role of Willy Wonka. But when James understudies - he goes all in. He tells us how he covered fourteen roles in a single production, and is currently understudying Beetlejuice on its Australian and international tour, stepping into the shoes of the role’s creator, Eddie Perfect.In this episode, James shares what it’s really like to cover such legendary parts, and how connecting with other covers across the world became a lifeline in some of the most high-pressure moments of his career.Along the way, he takes us inside his time performing with the Pop-Up Globe in Australia and New Zealand – from ‘original practice’ Shakespeare to sweating it out in full armour in 40-degree heat. He also tells the story of being pushed onstage on opening night of his first understudying job - handed a script, a shot of whiskey, and told simply to get onstage.We also dive into the surprising differences between working in the UK and Australia - and why it’s not just about the weather.But more than anything, this is an episode about resilience. From struggling to find work in Australia, to moving across the world to go to drama school, to nearly giving up on acting altogether - before one final audition changed everything.James Haxby - 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.

Sam Denia is quite simply one of the loveliest people we’ve ever had in the studio - and one with the most strings to his bow (pun intended).In 2025, Sam understudied in Stereophonic - the most Tony Award-nominated play in history. In this episode, he gives us a fascinating insight into what it’s like to work on a show of that scale, covering performances from an extraordinary cast including actors who have won Tony Awards for the very roles he covered, as well as Olivier Award nominees such as Zachary Hart (nominated for Stereophonic and The Seagull).But Sam’s role went far beyond covering actors. In a show built around a live band, we hear how Sam also had to be ready to step in with instruments - a completely different kind of pressure that demands precision, musicality, and total calm under fire.Alongside this, Sam talks about taking on the iconic role of Frank Spencer in a stage adaptation of Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, and what it was like bringing such a beloved, well-known character to life again.More than anything, this is an episode about what happens when people truly support one another, and about the quiet encouragement and generosity that stays with you long after you’ve finished a job.Sam Denia - 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.

Laura White is an inspiration. Not only has she been in everything in the last decade from The Play That Goes Wrong to BBC’s Doctors, she’s also been one of the leading voices shaping the culture of British theatre.Laura has incredible stories from her time understudying – from being called back to play a role she’d not performed for over three years, to what it’s like when The Play That Goes Wrong… goes wrong.But this episode is also about something much more. In 2020, Laura set up the Page One Project – a mentorship programme supporting emerging artists from the global majority. At the same time, she began working with Applause For Thought, providing mental health support for actors and artists in the creative community. Laura tells us why she works so passionately to support others in the industry, why it’s important to ask for help, and how her experience understudying in the West End made her realise she could be the change she needed to see. Laura White - You’re on TonightIf 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.