Inside the Actor's Mind: How Flexibility and Quick Thinking Shape Your Career | Actor Allison Weir

[00:00:00] Imagine if someone asked you to suddenly just go in there and pretend to play a pregnant lady.

[00:00:04] You know, you watch something on screen and go, actually, that's really convincing.

[00:00:07] It's good to have that life experience and understand, if I have to be that character, how would I do it?

[00:00:11] Or how to be an astronaut? Or how do I be a mermaid? You know, things like that.

[00:00:16] You've really just got to think on your feet and just be willing to come out of your comfort zone, I think.

[00:00:20] I just think improvisation outside of an audition is just an important skill to have in everyday life.

[00:00:25] So, you know, you've got to be able to think on your feet in many situations, haven't you?

[00:00:28] I think you've always got to go into the audition with flexibility and room to negotiate.

[00:00:32] I mean, at the end of the day, it's a business process, isn't it?

[00:00:34] It's like an interview for a job and you want to get that role.

[00:00:36] So you're going to throw everything you can at it.

[00:00:38] You have to have that mentality where you know you can take the rough with the smooth.

[00:00:42] And I think it's just built into my brain now that you can't win them all.

[00:00:47] I mean, I think if you get some direction or some sort of feedback where they say,

[00:00:51] we'll keep your name on file in the future, you're not what we're looking for.

[00:00:54] It's not that you did a bad job, it's just you don't fit the mold.

[00:00:56] And I think you have to understand that when people are casting, you're not always going to be the best fit for that.

[00:01:01] And I think really, I think I always try and ask for feedback, you know, that gives me some self-belief that I can achieve anything.

[00:01:08] But it's just down to luck at the end of the day.

[00:01:10] But I think you can waste a lot of time worrying about why you were not picked for it

[00:01:13] and miss out on the next opportunity where you could be picked for something.

[00:01:16] So I think for me now, I really understand that.

[00:01:18] Move on, you know, there's another one out there.

[00:01:20] And just keep going and going and going, you know, don't get help back on that one thing that you didn't get.

[00:01:30] So, hey everyone, I am Ajay Tambay, the host and producer of Creature Audio's starting podcast.

[00:01:34] And today I have with me a guest, a cast from our recent series, The Tark Alley.

[00:01:41] She is an actress from UK. Her name is Alison Weir.

[00:01:44] Important thing is she has done a lot of theater plays, loads of loads of theater plays.

[00:01:48] I've seen her bio, seen the part that she's played and she's working in a lot of productions, even playing two characters in one single production.

[00:01:56] And that's kind of, you know, a bit new for me.

[00:01:59] And it's kind of a talented artist, what a talented artist can do in one single production.

[00:02:05] It's kind of a way of showing that she is an experienced theater artist.

[00:02:09] She's doing films, short films, a lot of stuff.

[00:02:11] But we got connected via our recent series, The Tark Alley, where she was guest reading the part of, what's her name? I forgot.

[00:02:22] Clara James.

[00:02:24] Clara James in The Tark Alley.

[00:02:26] And she was in one of the episodes of seven episode series.

[00:02:29] And then I came to know about her and it is wonderful to know about how beautifully she has crafted her way as an artist and the way she performing today in 2024.

[00:02:39] We are going to discuss all about how she became what she became and how his journey of Alison Weir is going on now in 2024.

[00:02:47] Welcome, welcome to the show, Alison.

[00:02:50] Hi, how are you doing, AJ? Great to see you.

[00:02:52] I'm good. I'm good. What's up? What's up with you?

[00:02:55] Oh, I'm just waiting for September to get going now. We're into colder season, but all good and very busy.

[00:03:01] Okay. All right. So, Alison, you've done a lot of plays.

[00:03:05] Okay. When I was going through your bio, when I was going through all the stuff that, you know, it's filled with a lot of things.

[00:03:13] Okay. It's filled with a lot of production that you did.

[00:03:15] So tell me one thing here is, what's your day look like as an artist in 2024?

[00:03:22] Oh, completely different every single day. No day is ever the same.

[00:03:27] Yeah.

[00:03:28] Which is nice because I love variety. So you wake up in the morning and you go and check obviously all your emails and you see what's coming in.

[00:03:35] And it's just really nice because like I say, every day is just so different.

[00:03:38] You can't predict what's going to happen. And I always just have a bit of fun with it, you know?

[00:03:42] Yeah.

[00:03:43] Yeah. And is it filled with like, how is your schedule filled related to acting auditions plays drama?

[00:03:50] Is it related like to do exercises or any, you know, any prep for auditions or is there some pattern that you follow every week?

[00:03:58] Yeah. I mean, well, some weeks would change, but for the majority, I do have a bit of prep, you know, and a routine to follow.

[00:04:03] So I do a little bit of yoga. I like to get out for a long walk just to clear my head.

[00:04:07] So if I've had a busy rehearsal, I like to just try and, you know, get away and have some fresh air.

[00:04:12] Or maybe if I'm preparing for a self tape, I just basically go into hibernation for a little bit.

[00:04:16] So it changes quite frequently.

[00:04:18] Got it. Got it. Got it. And that's good that you do all these exercises, you know, to keep yourself warmed up all the time.

[00:04:25] So you're ready for whatever comes to you on that day.

[00:04:28] Exactly.

[00:04:30] Yep. Yep. So is there any productions going on for you at this moment in this year?

[00:04:35] Yeah. So I'm currently working on a piece at the Birmingham Black Box Theatre, which is La Roche, which depicts the story of the only black passenger who boarded the Titanic.

[00:04:43] So it follows his journey as an engineer from Haiti and he's moved over to France where he makes a living before he boards the Titanic.

[00:04:50] So I play a landlady in this play and it's quite a gripping role.

[00:04:58] Yeah. When is it coming out in the month?

[00:05:01] Literally in a month. So we've got three shows performing middle of October from the 10th to the 12th of October.

[00:05:06] So three shows for it, Friday and Saturday. Yeah.

[00:05:10] It's really, really, really good because we've not really ventured into this area before, you know, with the Titanic.

[00:05:15] So it's a completely different piece and celebrating Black History Month as well. So it's all good.

[00:05:19] Yeah, that's good. That's good.

[00:05:21] Okay. Alison, help me with the part of you now performing in plays.

[00:05:25] A lot of things are going on with you. You know, you are professional now, but take me back to this moment, you know, the time where you first got interacted with acting.

[00:05:36] You know, I don't know how old were you, but I guess that part where you fall in love, you know, I want to do this and you're crazy and mad about this part of becoming an actor and, you know, performing in a play theater.

[00:05:48] We just love to be the part of that whole room, you know, filled with actors, writers, directors.

[00:05:53] So tell me that particular moment, jumping back to your childhood.

[00:05:58] I think it started for me at secondary school. I really enjoy drama, but I auditioned for a play called Gargling with Jelly, literally got the role of the mom.

[00:06:07] So it was a main role and I sort of got the craving there.

[00:06:09] I then auditioned for a second play, which I had to give up, unfortunately, much to the annoyance of my drama teacher, because I was following my language career at the time.

[00:06:17] You know, my French and German, obviously my academics came into play.

[00:06:22] And so I think my parents would have killed me if I hadn't carried on drama.

[00:06:26] And that's why I've come back to it later in life.

[00:06:28] And I've really got the bug for it again in the last few years.

[00:06:31] I just genuinely think, you know, I can't I can't go without it now.

[00:06:35] It's like a craving and addiction, you know, so for me, it's just I have to be performing.

[00:06:39] That's just natural to me now. And that's what I have to do.

[00:06:42] Okay, okay. Jumping back to the part how your childhood looked like as in as between zero to 12, we can say, how your childhood looked like at that period?

[00:06:54] What were the things you were doing in school? You know, how was your day filled with?

[00:07:00] Can you recall anything of your childhood memories?

[00:07:03] Yeah, totally. I mean, I would have done quite a lot of dance as well as a youngster.

[00:07:07] So I was quite expressive in my movements.

[00:07:10] You went to modeling, right?

[00:07:12] I did a little bit of modeling.

[00:07:13] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:07:14] But not at a very young age. I started that later on.

[00:07:17] But it was mostly dance and performing arts and school.

[00:07:20] I really had a good rapport with my drama teacher, Miss Sandal.

[00:07:24] I remember everything about her.

[00:07:26] And I kept a diary as well of how I was performing, you know,

[00:07:29] and trying to build myself up as a character in Gargling with Jelly and then other productions as well.

[00:07:34] So I tried to get involved in the theater space basically when I was about 11 or 12.

[00:07:39] So that's when I first started really.

[00:07:40] And I just got on with lots of different people.

[00:07:43] I really enjoyed it and I was very immersed in the moment, you know?

[00:07:47] Yeah, perfectly, perfectly get it.

[00:07:49] It was the Chalu that led you, you know, it started with dance and then you jumped into acting.

[00:07:54] I guess it's a process of, you know, falling in love with one thing and then it leads to another.

[00:08:00] Exactly.

[00:08:00] Another art form and you kind of get into it like, okay, I love this and I'd like to continue with this.

[00:08:06] Sounds great.

[00:08:08] Can you recall that play where, you know, not in the school now we are talking about,

[00:08:13] but recall that particular moment where you thought that, hey, I really want to make a career in this field.

[00:08:21] And I think I can do much more damage in this field and I can make a good living out of this or I believe this is me.

[00:08:30] What play was that?

[00:08:31] What moment was that?

[00:08:32] Was that an audition or was that a stage moment or was that with your friends in college?

[00:08:37] What was that that really took you know, I think I can lead into this?

[00:08:42] It was actually a sort of short film.

[00:08:44] So it was in 2022, only a few years ago, just shortly after lockdown.

[00:08:49] I sort of got involved with some theater friends and they put me onto a short film, which was called Leech.

[00:08:56] And it was sort of confirming really my real passion for acting because I played a character called Sarah,

[00:09:00] who was living with an abusive boyfriend called Robert and her son Jack.

[00:09:03] I really gelled with the cast and particularly the actor who played Robert, who is now my screenwriting partner.

[00:09:08] And I found it was a true test of my acting because it was quite a gritty storyline.

[00:09:12] And there's lots of moments of conflict between the characters, not to mention type filming spaces.

[00:09:17] So it was quite a challenge for the crew as well as the cast.

[00:09:19] So that's why it stands out so much.

[00:09:21] But it went on and did quite well in local festivals.

[00:09:24] And I thought this is the moment, you know, I really have enjoyed this and I want to give it a go for real, you know?

[00:09:30] Got it, got it, got it.

[00:09:31] I guess that that really made it like, hey, I want to get it.

[00:09:35] But now tell me, how did it play a part with you earning, you making money on your own and you, you know,

[00:09:43] filling that financial part of yourself at the same time taking this call?

[00:09:47] So how was that period for you?

[00:09:50] I think really it made me realize, you know, I've done this short film, but I want to keep getting experience and building and just looking at all the opportunities and following those open doors, really.

[00:10:01] I basically love to be challenged and I'm open to any sort of, you know, sort of challenge, really.

[00:10:07] I think you've got to be ready to get out of your comfort zone as well.

[00:10:09] And I think once I've done that short film and worked with such a different crew and cast, it made me think actually I can do anything.

[00:10:16] And you've got to have that self-belief. That's really important.

[00:10:19] Yeah. I guess what you're saying is take that calculative risk, take that big call and take it at the time that you believe that I think this is a risk, but it's properly calculated.

[00:10:32] I think I can make it. It's like that big car jump in, what we say, fast and furious from one building to another.

[00:10:39] Wow.

[00:10:40] And only those guys can say, hey, I think we're going to make to that next building.

[00:10:44] And I guess it's that call where you think the driver can only think like he's going to make it.

[00:10:51] Otherwise, it's completely different if you look from the point of view of someone else.

[00:10:56] Great. Cool.

[00:10:57] Yeah.

[00:10:58] So now you did the short film, you gained the confidence.

[00:11:02] You feel like, hey, this is it and I'm going to make it.

[00:11:05] So were you graduated? Were you in college? What was that period with you?

[00:11:12] I mean, I'd literally just done a course like a human resources course, you know, I finished uni.

[00:11:18] I just thought.

[00:11:19] Finished uni. That's important.

[00:11:20] Yeah. This is after university.

[00:11:21] I felt really that I just wanted to break out of the academic mold and do something really creative.

[00:11:26] So that's when it really started. And I wanted to follow that creative path, to be quite honest.

[00:11:31] Yeah.

[00:11:31] Got it. Got it.

[00:11:32] I guess the part important here is you completed uni.

[00:11:36] You know, there is a part where actors really jump out after six months, seven months, eight months.

[00:11:40] I've been interviewing. That's why I'm calculating where did she take the call?

[00:11:44] Because it's after uni where you thought, no, now I think you can, you know, you really want to make that big call.

[00:11:50] So once you left uni, we are now going to jump on the part like, how was life after you got in?

[00:11:57] Was there auditions you were approaching? Were you approaching stage play, amateur plays, you know, amateur theatre?

[00:12:03] It's going, it goes good in UK, you know.

[00:12:05] So what were you approaching once you decided were you going to read plays, you know, watch movies or do auditions?

[00:12:12] What was the next step for you?

[00:12:15] After university. So I actually took a job on where I did some commentating for a sporting company.

[00:12:22] So I did a little bit of, I suppose, behind the scenes as opposed to being on stage.

[00:12:26] And I did a lot of sort of audio work, which I really enjoyed.

[00:12:30] And that sort of helped me build up my confidence in my voice, you know, and basically enjoy commentary and script writing.

[00:12:37] So I think a bit of the script writing came in then as well.

[00:12:39] So I didn't go straight to stage. I sort of had a bit of a back burner from that.

[00:12:43] But I really enjoyed the radio side of things as well.

[00:12:46] So I got involved with friends and we did radio shows and we did lots of fun things, you know, behind the scenes, really.

[00:12:53] That was the next step after university was doing that sort of stuff.

[00:12:57] Yeah.

[00:12:57] I guess you were looking to, you know, get the Reiki of how this thing goes, you know, kind of work in the background.

[00:13:04] And I guess a lot of artists start that way, like working in the background behind the scenes, you know, the props and, you know, just being a part of that whole thing.

[00:13:11] Importantly, you were part of radio plays, radio dramas.

[00:13:14] And that's different thing, completely different from what it does in front of camera.

[00:13:18] You know, it's completely audio work. It's different settings.

[00:13:21] Once you change the whole field, you know, it's kind of settings change.

[00:13:25] Like you have to check of this background noise, you know, the setting that you guys have, small settings related to audio and all.

[00:13:31] It's filled with different.

[00:13:32] But I guess you gain a lot of confidence once you did that, once you're part of, okay, how the professional media works.

[00:13:38] I guess that's it for you.

[00:13:40] Now, tell me, when did you started approaching for films and, you know, short films or stage plays like auditions and all?

[00:13:49] It would have been just purely a few years ago.

[00:13:52] So when I did that first short film, Leech, it would have been around that time that I sort of got the craving to get back on stage.

[00:13:58] I think having been immersed, you know, with a cast as opposed to being behind the scenes, it then gave me a flavor of actually I have missed this and I want to get back into it.

[00:14:07] I started reaching out to local groups in Belfast.

[00:14:10] I did my first pantomime, which was Mother Goose about three years ago, which was great fun.

[00:14:15] And then that, of course, being on stage experience meant you didn't have a small cast like you do on a short film.

[00:14:20] You obviously dancers.

[00:14:22] You were with lots of different groups of people.

[00:14:24] Yeah, the pantomime mix is huge.

[00:14:25] It's larger than life.

[00:14:26] It's kind of best for people in the UK.

[00:14:28] Yeah, it's a big thing, Panto, for us.

[00:14:30] And you obviously work with a lot more people and you do a lot more networking.

[00:14:33] So that's just wisely important as well to obviously open further doors for you as well as opportunities in stage.

[00:14:39] Yeah.

[00:14:40] So it was great fun.

[00:14:42] Great. Great to know that.

[00:14:43] Now we talk about you started it at the point where you started auditioning.

[00:14:49] You became a part of pantomime and then plays and, you know, you're working it.

[00:14:52] Now, tell me how you prepare now in 2024 for any audition.

[00:14:57] Like what's the difference that you see between you then and you now?

[00:15:01] And what's the prep for you now in 2024 when a script comes in front of you and they say, hey, this is the character.

[00:15:07] This is these are the lines and you got 15 minutes and show up.

[00:15:11] What do you do?

[00:15:12] I treat it as an educational process, to be quite honest.

[00:15:15] You've really got to work with everything that you've got.

[00:15:17] So when they say, you know, there are the notes, you have to go and dissect them.

[00:15:22] You don't just read them once.

[00:15:23] You have to read them, understand what's being asked of you.

[00:15:26] And obviously, when you do your self-tape, you've got to understand the environment.

[00:15:29] You know, what is the character that you're going to be portraying?

[00:15:31] You've really got to take it seriously because at first I was thinking, hey, I'll just read it.

[00:15:35] And then just, you know, but as I've gone on, I've built up a prep routine.

[00:15:39] You know, I read it.

[00:15:40] I maybe come back to it maybe a few a few hours later and then decide, actually, I didn't understand that.

[00:15:45] I'm going to go and take another approach to it.

[00:15:47] You know, when you're doing an audition, I think you just got to have a positive attitude and be happy.

[00:15:52] Eat yourself.

[00:15:53] Go in there and basically maintain focus.

[00:15:56] And in that one moment that you get, and that's your only shot, you have to make that your priority.

[00:15:59] So just put everything else out of the window for that time being and focus on it purely.

[00:16:05] Got it.

[00:16:05] And is there any like, you know, what are the steps that you do to prepare for an audition?

[00:16:11] Can you tell us more on that?

[00:16:14] Yeah, sure.

[00:16:15] I think it's good to eat healthily.

[00:16:18] I try and do some exercises before I go in.

[00:16:21] So I mentally prep myself.

[00:16:22] And physically, I like to make sure I've got plenty of time to get to the audition if it's in person.

[00:16:27] If it's remote, you know, make sure that you're in a quiet space and you're basically mentally tuned in.

[00:16:33] And I think it's just really important to spend time on that prep.

[00:16:36] And obviously, everyone has a very different routine.

[00:16:38] But I always find timing and a bit of exercise and some good food beforehand.

[00:16:43] Make sure that you're feeling awake and happy and fresh.

[00:16:46] Yeah.

[00:16:46] Because you've got to be prepared for it.

[00:16:49] It's as simple as that.

[00:16:49] Good, good, good.

[00:16:50] And now, Ali, tell me one thing here is, you talk a lot about, I heard two to three times,

[00:16:56] you were talking about good food, good meal, have a good meal.

[00:16:59] Tell me, how are you preparing?

[00:17:02] Like, what's your thing with having good food?

[00:17:04] Is there anything that you plan for eating up throughout the week?

[00:17:08] Or because I guess you are really, you know, focused on what you're eating.

[00:17:13] And that really matters for you to what you're going to perform.

[00:17:16] So tell me about your thing with food now.

[00:17:19] Okay, I do take my food very seriously.

[00:17:21] Three meals a day.

[00:17:23] I start with big breakfast because that's your first point of energy.

[00:17:27] I never go to an early audition without eating food.

[00:17:30] Bananas, just real good smoothies, you know, a peppermint tea.

[00:17:35] I like a lot of ginger tea.

[00:17:36] So I always try and prep with my drinks as well.

[00:17:40] I'm a big fan of superfoods.

[00:17:42] So I love broccoli and kale.

[00:17:44] And I always try and incorporate lots of fruit and veg into my daily diet.

[00:17:48] I eat a little bit of meat as well, but I try not to be sluggish.

[00:17:51] So I try not to overeat.

[00:17:52] I try and get that happy medium of food as well.

[00:17:55] With a treat every now and again, of course.

[00:17:57] But yeah, it's kind of calculated for you.

[00:18:02] Yeah.

[00:18:02] When it comes to food, you should have this much calories.

[00:18:05] And I guess that helps you a lot to perform better.

[00:18:07] Yeah.

[00:18:08] It's kind of good note to take everyone, any artist who's listening here is it really matters what you eat and then how it helps you to perform better, you know, with your health, the breathing and all.

[00:18:18] It really matters, I guess.

[00:18:19] And that's, that's a good thing that you talk two times, like you said, two times the food, the food.

[00:18:24] I thought like, hey, I guess there's something here for us.

[00:18:27] Okay.

[00:18:27] Thank you for sharing that.

[00:18:28] Okay.

[00:18:29] I guess we got the part about you on auditions.

[00:18:33] Now, help us with the part of, once you're performing on that particular series, you know, you go for audition and they give a part and they say, hey, this is the line.

[00:18:43] And you perform it and you are now good.

[00:18:45] Okay.

[00:18:45] You're doing good.

[00:18:46] But now suddenly the director or the casting director sees like, hey, can you do this?

[00:18:51] And can you improve a bit in this?

[00:18:54] And, you know, can come up with some lines, not specifically in a film, but also, you know, the plays that you're doing, the theater plays.

[00:19:02] So how do you approach for improvisation, you know, during auditions or during plays on set, or when the things are happening in front of public?

[00:19:12] What's your thing with improvisation?

[00:19:14] Oh, I love improvisation.

[00:19:16] So I'm really glad you've asked me this question.

[00:19:17] It's one of my favorite things to do.

[00:19:19] It does depend on the circumstances in which you're walking into the audition.

[00:19:22] So for example, if you're just doing a cold read, there's not much you can really do, but immerse yourself in what you're reading and how you're reading it.

[00:19:29] I just think improvisation outside of an audition is just an important skill to have in everyday life.

[00:19:33] So, you know, you've got to be able to think on your feet in many situations, haven't you?

[00:19:37] I think you've always got to go into the audition with flexibility and room to negotiate.

[00:19:40] I mean, at the end of the day, it's a business process, isn't it?

[00:19:43] It's like an interview for a job and you want to get that role.

[00:19:45] So you're going to throw everything you can at it.

[00:19:47] I think it's good to go away and maybe do a little bit of scenario thinking, you know, so imagine if someone asked you to suddenly just go in there and pretend to play a pregnant lady.

[00:19:55] You know, you watch something on screen and go, actually, that's really convincing.

[00:19:58] It's good to have that life experience and understand if I have to be that character, how would I do it?

[00:20:03] Or how to be an astronaut or how do I be a mermaid?

[00:20:06] You know, things like that.

[00:20:07] You've really just got to think on your feet and just be willing to come out of your comfort zone.

[00:20:11] I think really that that's my best approach on it.

[00:20:13] And I really find it fun.

[00:20:15] Yeah.

[00:20:15] And I guess being a theater artist is what it helps you, you know, performing a lot of plays and being in that in zone of, you know, that you got to improvise.

[00:20:26] You got to be on your toes.

[00:20:27] You got to prepare yourself for whatever is going to happen because, you know, any actor can do anything or you can say anything or just forget at that moment.

[00:20:35] But it is happening and it is life.

[00:20:37] And you have to get that done.

[00:20:39] And I guess improvisation is kind of a tool that you have, what we can say now.

[00:20:44] It's something that you can just take it out and use it whenever you want.

[00:20:48] And I guess that is what is helping you out.

[00:20:50] And I guess it will help you out in the films that you're going to do in coming time.

[00:20:54] And it also helps a lot of supporting artists of yours because they'll get a lot of help from that too.

[00:21:01] Yeah, I think on stage you've always got to be ready for something like that, because if someone forgets their lines, it's your, you've got to try and move on from that and not get flustered or stuck.

[00:21:09] So it's very important that you have a plan B and you can move that process on, you know, definitely important.

[00:21:17] Yeah. So now help me out with the part where, first of all, to everyone who's going to listen to this, she has done a lot of plays and dramas.

[00:21:26] So we're going to start talk on specific plays and the versions and the part.

[00:21:31] So Ali, just help me with, first of all, we are going to talk more on the pantomime, but to listeners, because I came to know about this once I met you, you know, and I read your bio and then I researched about what a pantomime is.

[00:21:45] Okay. So for all the new listeners and for all who are going to listen and watch this, first of all, help us with what a pantomime is.

[00:21:53] So pantomime is basically depicting a story. It could be a fable or some kind of folklore story, a fairy tale, perhaps, and it's bringing it to life in a very visual way.

[00:22:03] So, for example, some like childhood classics of mine would have been Jack and the Beanstalk, even Disney stories like Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, you know, these kinds of stories.

[00:22:12] So very traditional stories that have just been transformed into a visual sort of art.

[00:22:17] And you've got, you've always got the goodies, the baddies, you've got the jesters, the someone who can, you know, cause a lot of mayhem and jokes.

[00:22:24] And it's all about bringing the audience into it. It's a very immersive experience.

[00:22:29] Got it, got it. And now tell me about you. Are you still doing the tour like at the end of the year or it's done for this year?

[00:22:38] Yeah. So I will be doing a Christmas pantomime. It's going to be performing in January, but my summer pantomime tour has come to a close.

[00:22:45] And that was a very big, interesting one this year. Yeah. Lots of fun with that one.

[00:22:50] So, yeah, that's, that's what we are going to talk about as the pantomime tour that you did, the summer pantomime.

[00:22:56] And you played a lot of different roles. Okay. So how was that experience? You know, especially, you know, this, this, this zone, this zone, what we can say is, it's completely of larger than life.

[00:23:07] You know, it is loud. First of all, it's, it's kind of loud with expression, the way you're showing it up and audience is different.

[00:23:14] You know, it's, it's like every audience one, what we count is three to what do we go for 70 or 75.

[00:23:20] You know, everyone can understand that because it's, it's kind of expressing pantomime is all about expressing the whole emotion and expressing the situation with the dance,

[00:23:30] with the emotion, with using your body and, you know, using the emotions on the high level.

[00:23:36] So once you were on it, you know, doing those tours, how did you prepare yourself for preparing such diverse roles?

[00:23:44] Like you played different roles. Just give me one second. I'm going to check that.

[00:23:47] It's, it, it says you played a head teacher to a T-Rex and you played different characters.

[00:23:55] So tell me, how was it for you to, you know, go through all this?

[00:23:59] Because even to play one, one particular character, you have to prepare a lot just for playing one because it is like expressing, you know, expressing at 100 or 120.

[00:24:09] So how was your experience? What was your prep?

[00:24:12] Okay. So first of all, I really just would go back to this in a heartbeat. I loved it so much.

[00:24:16] You really have to know the script off by heart for a panto from start to finish.

[00:24:20] So some of the characters I play would start in the very first act and some would continue and some would maybe just crop up in the latter part.

[00:24:27] So you need to know the beginning, middle and end very well.

[00:24:30] You need to know all the other characters and understand your timing and coming in and out of the different scenes because they're very different roles.

[00:24:36] It made me distinguish them quite easily.

[00:24:39] So, for example, if you're playing a T-Rex, you've got to have good spatial awareness because I was in this big suit and have to have good time with the other actors and be able to make some very particular sound effects.

[00:24:50] As well as react to other sound effects, obviously, that are being performed by the sound team.

[00:24:55] For the head teacher, this was mostly audience participation.

[00:24:58] I performed a strong opening for the pantomime.

[00:25:00] So this is to test, are your audience listening?

[00:25:03] So it's very different to playing a T-Rex.

[00:25:05] I also played a cave lady.

[00:25:07] So this was very much a rapport with the main actor and every role was very different.

[00:25:12] But I think really the challenge within all of the roles that I played, which was six in total, was basically costume changes and timing.

[00:25:19] The line learning was the easy part for me.

[00:25:22] Tell me about how much do you get line and how much is the performance like comparing to percentage wise?

[00:25:29] I guess 20% line and 80% of the whole costume drama?

[00:25:33] 60% of movement and costume, 40% lines.

[00:25:36] I did have some singing roles as well.

[00:25:39] So that had to be incorporated into it.

[00:25:40] But mostly the costume changes is the thing to be careful of because obviously your timing, you're coming in and out of scenes.

[00:25:47] So it really tested your preparation and your confidence really.

[00:25:50] You had to just be saying, I'm going to get into that next scene in literally 30 seconds and I will be ready in that character.

[00:25:56] I'm going to go for it.

[00:25:57] So no time for nerves at all.

[00:25:59] Oh yeah.

[00:26:00] I mean, that's kind of, you know, something that you have to manage.

[00:26:03] You have to be pro at this because once you're changing the costumes.

[00:26:06] So help me with the part where were you changing costumes, makeup in one single play that was happening?

[00:26:12] Yeah.

[00:26:12] So how was that process?

[00:26:14] Like, you know, quick going in, going out 30, 35 seconds, how much seconds you got and changing makeup.

[00:26:19] So how do you guys manage?

[00:26:20] Was there any guy helping you out?

[00:26:22] There was someone backstage who was helping out.

[00:26:24] So I basically had a full costume change.

[00:26:26] I was going from a cave woman into a singer.

[00:26:29] So I played one of the cartoons who sing the hero song and I had a full on wig, dungarees, had to get a musical instrument and basically just change my whole look from top to toe.

[00:26:40] So it literally had about two minutes, I think, maximum to do that and be back on stage and sing a song.

[00:26:45] So yeah, you don't have any time.

[00:26:48] You have to just go for it.

[00:26:49] Was there any mess up with your makeup?

[00:26:52] Any point like in any play?

[00:26:54] Were you that calculative about that?

[00:26:56] Like in the prep, you calculated that?

[00:26:58] Like, I don't want this to happen?

[00:27:00] I'll say one thing.

[00:27:01] It wasn't makeup, but there was a wardrobe malfunction.

[00:27:04] So I panicked slightly.

[00:27:06] Just one minute of slight panic where the T-Rex costume didn't inflate because the battery on the side of the fan ran out or something had got stuck.

[00:27:15] So I called the producer.

[00:27:17] She was literally nearby.

[00:27:18] And I said, look, the battery's going here.

[00:27:20] So she managed to get some backup batteries and they put me in a different dinosaur suit for that one performance, which was great.

[00:27:26] And then obviously the timing was a little bit off, but the actor on stage realized there was something going on behind the scenes.

[00:27:32] But you just have to play it cool and go out there and just sort of, you know, improvise.

[00:27:35] That's where the improvisation comes in.

[00:27:37] And I guess it helps you out in the toughest situations where you thought, oh, my God, what is happening?

[00:27:46] I guess it's done.

[00:27:47] I can't do this now.

[00:27:49] And I guess that's the skill that you got.

[00:27:51] And I think, OK, this experience is going to prepare you for something different that you will think like, oh, this thing, this thing's prepared me for this, I guess, incoming time in big place.

[00:28:03] And I guess this format is completely different.

[00:28:05] It's kind of a fest enjoyment.

[00:28:08] It's not of something serious happening.

[00:28:10] It's kind of fun to watch.

[00:28:12] It's kind of enjoyment.

[00:28:13] You know, it's kind of a relaxing thing that's happening.

[00:28:15] So people love watching it happen.

[00:28:18] I think for Panto as well, it's natural to make some silly errors and make that as if it were part of the script.

[00:28:24] So you don't know any different.

[00:28:25] And it's more of a, ah, that was meant to happen.

[00:28:27] Ha ha ha.

[00:28:28] You know, you can make it like real fun.

[00:28:30] And the audience are always enjoying themselves.

[00:28:32] So, yeah.

[00:28:33] I got it.

[00:28:34] It's kind of liberty that you guys take, you know, on stage where you think, hey, that was part of the plan.

[00:28:41] Yeah, precisely.

[00:28:42] And then you go ahead with that.

[00:28:44] But I guess throughout those plays, I guess this is the part you enjoy the most.

[00:28:50] What do you say?

[00:28:51] Being in the store.

[00:28:52] What do you say?

[00:28:53] What's your thing with Pantomime?

[00:28:54] How do you rate it when it comes to enjoying the work?

[00:28:57] Oh, I don't think I've ever been in a Pantomime that I haven't enjoyed.

[00:29:01] You know, they always they just are a bundle of fun.

[00:29:05] Even the people that you're working with, they're always very different.

[00:29:08] But everyone who does a Panto has just a bit more energy, I think, you know, and you just gel nice with the cast.

[00:29:14] And it's just fun.

[00:29:15] And then when you're not doing it, you feel sad.

[00:29:17] You do get that sort of post-show blues.

[00:29:19] So everyone, I don't know anyone who's done Panto and not enjoyed it, really.

[00:29:23] You just throw yourself in there and you muck in and you just have a lot of fun with it.

[00:29:27] So I can't complain about any Panto I've ever done.

[00:29:30] It's always been 100% pure fun.

[00:29:33] Good, good.

[00:29:34] So you played Winston in 1984, a complex character, you know, with layers of inner turmoil.

[00:29:41] So how was your prep process for something which is really intense, depth filled with the inner struggles, inner turmoil, you know, the darker part of a character.

[00:29:52] So it's kind of a dark and, you know, filled with a lot of darkness inside that whole life of whatever he lived.

[00:30:00] Winston in 1984, I guess, that was the name of the play.

[00:30:05] So tell me how you prepare once you get such characters, because it's completely different from pantomime.

[00:30:12] It's completely different from the humor and happiness and the joy that it gives to people.

[00:30:16] And it also expresses and keeps you in the lighter mode, okay, throughout that whole thing.

[00:30:21] But something like this, which is completely dark, what's your prep process for this?

[00:30:26] What do you do to prepare for such characters?

[00:30:28] And how do you come up with that?

[00:30:30] And what's your way of getting out of it?

[00:30:33] I mean, I've always enjoyed George Orwell, his works, 1984.

[00:30:38] So I think to have an interest in it, first and foremost, really.

[00:30:41] So in short, first of all, before we begin, just help me help everyone so they can understand a bit about in short about that play.

[00:30:48] So that will help us.

[00:30:50] Okay, so yeah, 1984 is basically George Orwell wrote this book post-war.

[00:30:56] So in 1940s, predicting how the future would look in a dystopian reality.

[00:31:00] It follows the story of Winston, who's working for a government party.

[00:31:06] He basically is in a very mundane job and he works six days a week.

[00:31:10] And he doesn't really fit in with everybody else in society.

[00:31:13] He wants to do things his way.

[00:31:15] He has different thoughts and feelings and obviously doesn't want to be oppressed by a government who tell people what to do.

[00:31:21] And he meets someone called Julia, who's of the same mindset.

[00:31:24] And they try and break away from this very communist sort of outlook on life and want to fall in love, which is against the system and against the rules.

[00:31:32] So it follows their relationship and how they feel about how they're being suppressed by the government and how they're eventually caught and punished for it.

[00:31:40] So that's basically the synopsis of the story.

[00:31:43] Now you go on ahead with your part.

[00:31:46] Yeah.

[00:31:46] Yeah. So I watched the film for preparation.

[00:31:50] I watched the 1984 film, which was made in 1984.

[00:31:54] And I did a little prep work from watching the film and having read the book and then the script version.

[00:32:00] So there's very different versions of it really floating around.

[00:32:02] We were performing the 2021 version, which is a flashback.

[00:32:05] So it's it's Winston telling the story of what he did, you know, and obviously before he's sent to prison.

[00:32:11] So it's it's basically I'm playing a different version of Winston.

[00:32:14] So it's Winston storytelling what he did.

[00:32:17] And I'm basically acting out how how he did what he did with Julia.

[00:32:21] It was a tough role to play.

[00:32:22] We had lots of terminology to use.

[00:32:24] So you had double speak, unspeak, new speak, dictionary, the two minute hate, the thought police.

[00:32:28] You had to understand a lot of that and dissect it before you could really understand what was happening in the context of lines.

[00:32:35] And I think because I had a lot of monologues, it was very important to read through these on my own and also with Julia to understand the chemistry.

[00:32:43] And obviously, you know, when he was frightened, he would speak with passion and allow Julia to listen to him.

[00:32:48] He would shriek when he saw a rat.

[00:32:50] He was never afraid to convey his emotions.

[00:32:51] So I had to embody a lot of that.

[00:32:53] I think the stage that we used was quite good for this as well.

[00:32:56] So in 1984, there's many boundaries and conditions under which Julia and Winston both physically and mentally live.

[00:33:01] So space is restrictive.

[00:33:02] They basically live in a tiny flat.

[00:33:05] They can't really go anywhere without being seen by telescreens, which is obviously the government watching everybody and telling them how to behave.

[00:33:11] There's microphones in the trees when they're going away.

[00:33:13] You know, are they being watched?

[00:33:14] Are they being listened to?

[00:33:16] So he's always living in fear.

[00:33:18] And I think all the conflict that was done was what he thought was secret through his words, his memories.

[00:33:24] He had just a few possessions.

[00:33:26] So he had his diary, which is obviously a big talking point because that gets found.

[00:33:30] And obviously, that's when the thought police go, well, you think this and you think that that's not conforming to what we think.

[00:33:35] So it was really important to take these possessions, these props on stage and work with them.

[00:33:39] And the little rations that Julia would bring back, you know, have those moments where they could actually celebrate having jam or real coffee and things like that.

[00:33:46] Good, good.

[00:33:47] And I guess it was kind of in-depth prep for you.

[00:33:51] Did that character came home with you?

[00:33:53] Or were you successfully able to put that out once you were out of that character?

[00:33:59] I think I had a little bit of depression reading it at some stages in the very early days because you sort of realized what that character is going through and what little he has.

[00:34:09] And there's no real enjoyment in that kind of lifestyle.

[00:34:12] But I was able to obviously, you know, separate that after a while because I did one performance of this for a festival, which then got through to another festival.

[00:34:19] So I performed this twice in two very different theaters to two very different audiences.

[00:34:23] So by the second run, I was fully able to detach that feeling of, you know, sort of disillusion and sadness, really.

[00:34:32] You know, it was a hard role to do.

[00:34:34] Yeah, yeah.

[00:34:35] So was it affecting on your behavior with people or, you know, some thoughts that some came from your past, you know?

[00:34:43] Was that past bothering you or, you know, some bad phase of life?

[00:34:48] Was that happening with you or were you all clear?

[00:34:51] Yeah.

[00:34:51] I don't think it was so much that, but I would have said I was definitely more emotional.

[00:34:55] Emotional, okay.

[00:34:56] Yeah, definitely very emotional, very aware and probably not as bubbly and fun as what I'd be in a pantomime.

[00:35:03] So there was very much a difference there, I'd have said, yeah.

[00:35:06] Yeah, that's the reason.

[00:35:07] Because I've been hearing this, you know, when once anyone plays this kind of role, like they take a bath of, you know, just to get that out of them.

[00:35:17] They do some different kind of things just to get that character out because once you're in that part, it stays with you for longer periods.

[00:35:24] So you have to practice that out.

[00:35:26] I guess it happened with you too, but in a very different way.

[00:35:29] And it took time for you to, you know, just to come out because it kind of absorbed a lot of energy from you too, you know, in order to live inside you.

[00:35:36] I guess that's where the whole depression part comes in.

[00:35:40] Good to know that.

[00:35:41] So help me with the name.

[00:35:42] It is Lee's Dream or Lys Dream?

[00:35:44] Lee's Dream, yeah.

[00:35:45] Lee's Dream.

[00:35:46] We are going to talk on the part of you being part of Lee's Dream.

[00:35:51] It's a play and surprisingly, you took on multiple characters.

[00:35:57] So this is the part that really interests me, how you prepared, what were the directors thinking and what was the point of you playing two characters.

[00:36:05] So first of all, tell us about Lee's Dream in short and you played two characters.

[00:36:12] One is Karen Fleming and then James Bentley.

[00:36:16] Karen Fleming and James Bentley, right?

[00:36:19] Yeah, that's correct.

[00:36:20] Karen Fleming and James Bentley.

[00:36:21] Okay.

[00:36:22] What was your process when you were preparing for these roles and within the same production?

[00:36:28] So what were the techniques, the prep process, the discussions behind the, you know, behind the drama with the team in order to play two characters in one single production?

[00:36:40] So first of all, Lee's Dream was a piece for the Birmingham Fest.

[00:36:42] It was written by a co-writing partnership, a mother and daughter who were new to the scene, had never written anything before.

[00:36:48] This was something that they'd written during lockdown and they wanted to bring it to stage and bring it to life.

[00:36:53] So it follows Lee, who has been brought up in the 70s and sort of pursues a relationship that she didn't sort of predict at the time.

[00:37:02] So she was really in love with another guy called Gray.

[00:37:05] And then she goes on to have a child with this other guy.

[00:37:08] But basically he's an abusive partner and she's trying to break out of her really sort of, let's say, emotional sort of life and this domestic violence by going through dance.

[00:37:19] So she did a lot of salsa and love dancing in the 70s.

[00:37:22] And by the time we get to the 21st century, so the plays in the 70s and also the 21st century, she rekindles her friendship and sort of relationship with Gray.

[00:37:31] And it's really interesting to see that through salsa.

[00:37:34] So there's a sort of a real big dance element to this.

[00:37:37] So the two characters that I play, first of all, I'd only been originally cast for the role of James Bentley.

[00:37:42] He was a wacky TV host.

[00:37:44] And then the role of Karen Fleming came up just by accident, actually.

[00:37:48] So an actor dropped out a month before show week.

[00:37:51] And I remember reading him for the role of Karen only a few times during rehearsals.

[00:37:55] And after about a week of doing this, the director came up to me and said, I'd like you to play her, seeing as you can bring a real bitchy Karen to life.

[00:38:03] And yeah, that was how it came about.

[00:38:04] So initially it was just James.

[00:38:06] And then I ended up doing the role of Karen.

[00:38:09] And the way I prepped this.

[00:38:10] So there were two different characters.

[00:38:12] One was in act one and one was purely in act two.

[00:38:15] But one was set in the 70s.

[00:38:17] So Karen's character was all 70s.

[00:38:19] And James's scenes were all set in the 21st century.

[00:38:22] So the way I prepped for that really was that I had different actors I was working with.

[00:38:27] And that really helped differentiate the role.

[00:38:29] Different accents as well.

[00:38:31] So Karen was basically a Brummie girl in the 70s.

[00:38:34] And we had James in the 21st century as a wacky TV host, obviously speaking quite posh and eloquently.

[00:38:39] So that helped really that they were very diverse and different characters and different type of humans.

[00:38:45] I guess it was male and female too, right?

[00:38:48] Yeah.

[00:38:49] That was completely different.

[00:38:51] Different wigs.

[00:38:52] Different wigs.

[00:38:53] And why?

[00:38:55] So it's kind of a question that puts me into curiosity.

[00:38:58] It's like, why did they decide to go ahead with you with the male character?

[00:39:02] What was the plan and the discussion and the mindset behind putting you also as James?

[00:39:10] I don't think I can really answer that question.

[00:39:12] I mean, it was Jimmy Bentley.

[00:39:14] Did you ask them like, hey, why are you thinking of me playing James?

[00:39:19] That's the question I was going to ask.

[00:39:20] I did get, yeah, I did obviously get curious and sort of ask that.

[00:39:23] But I think when they wrote it at the time, they'd obviously envisaged the TV host as male.

[00:39:27] And then when I came in, when I auditioned, I gave probably a wacky audition.

[00:39:31] And they thought, actually, you do best suit this role of TV host because of my quirky audition.

[00:39:35] That's all I can think, really.

[00:39:36] I didn't get a definitive answer on that one, just for the record.

[00:39:39] Right, right, right.

[00:39:40] No problem.

[00:39:41] Again, now we talk on you playing.

[00:39:46] You are part of a lot of short films.

[00:39:49] You know, you did a lot of short films.

[00:39:50] You performed in a lot of them as main lead character.

[00:39:55] Okay, so you have experience of performing in front of camera, performing in front of stage.

[00:40:02] So once you are performing a pantomime, once you're performing a serious drama.

[00:40:08] Okay, so, you know, a tragic filled with inner turmoil.

[00:40:12] So it's filled with a lot of emotions.

[00:40:13] And now you are in front of camera.

[00:40:16] So how is your adjustment between stage, screen, the prep, responding to the director, responding to the character's visuals, you know, the way he's going to getting portrayed in front of camera and then in front of stage.

[00:40:32] So there are point of views changing.

[00:40:34] That's the part where we talk on stage versus screen.

[00:40:37] So what's your settings default to, you know, something new that you add up in order to change your point of views on, okay, I have to perform in this certain way and here in this certain frequencies.

[00:40:50] So what's your play with when it comes to stage versus screen?

[00:40:55] I think really you have a different mindset before you go down to the theatre or wherever it is you're shooting.

[00:41:01] I think for me, with screen projects, you don't get a rehearsal.

[00:41:04] So you have to have really learned the lines and explored the character in your own time.

[00:41:08] And you understand who you're going to be working with on the day because there's rarely a chance that you get a rehearsal.

[00:41:12] I think your time on set and between takes is the time you get to know your fellow cast.

[00:41:16] So it's a very different dynamic.

[00:41:18] Whereas when you're doing a live show, you have all that rehearsal time and you build up that chemistry.

[00:41:23] You've had that established with the cast on stage as soon as possible, really.

[00:41:26] When you begin rehearsing with your scene partners, you do that as much as possible because obviously doing a live show requires so much more prep.

[00:41:32] And obviously preparation for space and the logistics that you'll be using.

[00:41:36] It's really hard to explain, but the approach I take is just mentally and physically.

[00:41:39] I just like flick a switch, you know, in my brain and just say, oh, today I'm doing day one of filming or, oh, today's my third rehearsal for dot, dot, dot.

[00:41:48] It's just like my brain just adapts to it on demand, really, at this stage.

[00:41:51] Is there, what's your prep when it is in front of camera?

[00:41:56] Like, do you prep anything like today?

[00:41:59] Because, you know, once you go through a lot of rehearsals, once you go through a lot of way of preparing for a character for a particular drama,

[00:42:05] your body and mind tends to perform like that until it receives some different signals of, hey, this is in front of camera.

[00:42:12] Kind of have to put it low.

[00:42:13] So what kind of things do you do or is there anything that you prep so you kind of change your frequencies of emotions when it is in front of camera?

[00:42:25] Yeah, that's a good question.

[00:42:26] So I'd say when I'm on set, you'll have longer days.

[00:42:29] Rehearsals, obviously you have long rehearsals, but when you're on set, you're obviously building yourself up for a big day.

[00:42:34] So I think it's particularly important to have eaten before you go out.

[00:42:37] Make sure you're taking a good bit of food with you.

[00:42:40] Make sure you've got your script.

[00:42:41] I just think there's a you're planning more for a longer sort of slog.

[00:42:47] You know, you can be in there and I think you just need to have slept better, really, for being on set than you do with stage.

[00:42:53] I don't know why I say that, but I feel the days are longer when you're filming as opposed to when you're on stage.

[00:42:58] You come in and out, you're in and out a bit more.

[00:43:00] Whereas when you're in film, you sort of you're in it and then that's you sort of more in hibernation.

[00:43:05] You don't you don't socialize with anybody like your family and you obviously switched off.

[00:43:09] You're sort of away from the real world a bit more, I'd say.

[00:43:11] In my opinion, that is.

[00:43:13] Got it.

[00:43:14] And yeah, thank you for sharing that, you know, explaining in detail for us.

[00:43:18] OK, sounds good.

[00:43:20] I'll be jump on you as a writer.

[00:43:23] But you also do writing in different genres, which is horror, sci-fi and, you know, what else is it?

[00:43:31] Fantasy.

[00:43:32] So fantasy, sci-fi, horror.

[00:43:34] You also do writing.

[00:43:36] So and it's not something that you do as a hobby.

[00:43:38] You write as a professional, help people in the anthologies and all.

[00:43:41] So how did this start your journey into writing?

[00:43:45] Because you are developed into someone who can write some professional stuff.

[00:43:49] OK, it's it's it's not related to hobby or a short story.

[00:43:52] So how you got started into writing?

[00:43:56] What was that?

[00:43:57] First of all, tell us that.

[00:43:58] I really started writing when I was a teen.

[00:44:01] I used to keep a diary as a kid.

[00:44:03] Yeah.

[00:44:03] I used to just love really enjoy storytelling, you know, at school, amongst friends or family.

[00:44:08] I became more and more descriptive, I guess, as I wrote things about the news.

[00:44:12] And I moved across from nonfiction to fiction.

[00:44:15] So rather than talking about myself, I then thought, you know, I want to escape my busy life, my busy work, my school life.

[00:44:20] The more events and things I did, I think the more creative experience I gathered.

[00:44:24] And that's when I really started doing the whole genre exploring and writing proper fiction.

[00:44:29] I guess it was kind of escapism from the real world and, you know, from a lot of stress and facing the reality kind of thing.

[00:44:36] So I guess this genre, this kind of escape from the real world.

[00:44:42] So it's like fantasy, horror, sci-fi.

[00:44:45] So tell me now, writing horror and sci-fi often requires, you know, building the character, that period, that zone, you know, that tension that's required.

[00:44:54] So how do you go ahead with, you know, developing the storyline, you know, the world building, the character development, plot twists?

[00:45:02] So how do you go ahead with the elements of writing, you know, the story structure, you know, the storyline?

[00:45:09] The twist is the end, but the character building and the plot and the tension are three things that really puts you, you know, like clinched towards whatever they are going to read and, you know, go through their own psychology.

[00:45:25] So tell me about how do you plan for this once you take on a horror or a sci-fi thing?

[00:45:33] I always have something manifesting in my head.

[00:45:37] And I basically think to myself, you know, I don't want it to stay up there forever.

[00:45:41] I need to get this out and obviously start bringing it to life.

[00:45:44] I do a lot of sort of note taking when I've had dreams.

[00:45:48] I would write down my dreams the next day.

[00:45:51] Do you remember your dreams?

[00:45:52] Yeah, yeah.

[00:45:53] Sometimes.

[00:45:54] Sometimes they're very vivid and very crazy.

[00:45:56] And I think actually I can imagine that being in a story somewhere.

[00:45:59] And I might not immediately put it in, but I have it there and obviously build up a collection of things, ideas,

[00:46:04] things that even I think about maybe on a train journey or from a very busy day somewhere on set.

[00:46:09] Or I just make these connections and I like to just keep a note of them.

[00:46:13] I just enjoy building characters, world building.

[00:46:17] I think you have to have a start.

[00:46:19] Otherwise, your story just goes off on tangents.

[00:46:21] I think you just need a beginning, the middle and an end before you can really sit down and start writing.

[00:46:27] Good, good.

[00:46:27] And what is the thing that you do as a routine for writing?

[00:46:32] You know, what's the writing routine for you?

[00:46:34] Is it morning?

[00:46:35] Is it something late in the night?

[00:46:37] Or, you know, just having a lot of cups of coffee and then writing?

[00:46:41] What's your schedule for writing?

[00:46:43] Like, you know, as an artist, we got some different mindset when it comes to writing.

[00:46:46] So what's yours?

[00:46:48] I think for me, you can't force it out.

[00:46:50] So I might go, oh, I can't make myself do the writing.

[00:46:53] It has to be I want to do it.

[00:46:55] You know, I can't go.

[00:46:56] I have to do it today.

[00:46:58] My mindset is if I've got the time to do it, I will sit there, maybe put my friends off for an hour and say, sorry, I've got something happening at the moment.

[00:47:06] And I can't really stop.

[00:47:07] So once I start, I do find it hard to stop.

[00:47:09] I'm more of a sort of evening writer, really.

[00:47:11] I wouldn't do it first thing in the morning because I'm still waking up and doing my yoga and, you know, looking at like my script work and things like that.

[00:47:18] That comes first, of course.

[00:47:19] But I find by the end of the day, that's when I'm more creative and wanting to put words down on paper.

[00:47:25] I'm not a very early morning person.

[00:47:27] I mean, I can be, but not for writing anyway.

[00:47:29] I find I have the brain switched on all day and then it starts coming in, you know, sort of, yeah, collecting sort of that creativity through the day for me.

[00:47:39] Got it, got it, got it.

[00:47:40] We are now going to jump on you as a screenwriter.

[00:47:43] Screenwriting is completely different.

[00:47:45] And first of all, first of all, this particular thing we call screenwriting is it's kind of different.

[00:47:50] You know, it's kind of chalked out version of what writing is.

[00:47:53] It's kind of, you know, a lot of edited version where you have to make sure what is the scene, where is it and what the character is saying.

[00:48:00] That's it.

[00:48:00] If you can put it in short way.

[00:48:03] So tell me about when you got jumped into screenwriting.

[00:48:07] Was it just this, you know, what we call as the project that you did?

[00:48:12] You know, you did some co-writing with another person, another artist.

[00:48:18] So tell me first when the screenwriting came into action for you.

[00:48:23] Yeah, this is an interesting one because this goes back to my university days.

[00:48:27] I had to earn some extra credits when I was studying my degree.

[00:48:30] I happened to be dating a guy at the time who did a film module and I also signed up because I was quite intrigued.

[00:48:35] Part of the module included dissecting elements of the script.

[00:48:38] For example, Hitchcock's kind of works or Martin Scassese.

[00:48:42] And I became fascinated with the technicality of bringing a story to life via a script.

[00:48:46] So it's very different from prose, like obviously working in the book.

[00:48:50] Something about the working within limitations of dialogue and directions, it just fascinated me, really.

[00:48:56] It's like formula making or like algebra.

[00:48:58] You know, you've got to make this happen, but you're limited on how many words of dialogue you can use.

[00:49:03] So it was kind of like fun.

[00:49:04] You know, I'm no mathematician, but basically you've got to put yourself in the actor's shoes

[00:49:08] and give him directions and dialogue on a page.

[00:49:10] And that really fascinated me and challenged me.

[00:49:13] Got it.

[00:49:13] I guess this part of there's limitations of budget.

[00:49:18] So it's something that puts us on a commercial part of the project.

[00:49:23] You know, just the screenwriting, because whatever you're going to write is going to appear in front of screen

[00:49:28] or it's going to appear in the background or the environment.

[00:49:31] So whatever you're going to write is kind of one thing that how much money you have in your pocket.

[00:49:36] It's that simple and it's that complex at the same time, because you can't take the liberty of,

[00:49:41] hey, it goes there and there.

[00:49:43] You have to think of everything while writing.

[00:49:46] So how does that part of having a limited budget affect your writing, like in a way?

[00:49:55] Or how does that, you know, kind of puts you in a zone of, oh, my God, I don't know what to write.

[00:50:02] And how do you go ahead with that?

[00:50:04] I think you have to be aware of it, but at the same time, don't feel you have to work under those rules.

[00:50:09] So for me, less is more.

[00:50:11] If you can tell a story which has interesting characters, unusual premise and basic locations,

[00:50:16] then you can set yourself up for a better outcome.

[00:50:18] And obviously, whoever brings it to life decides to bring it to life.

[00:50:20] I think it helps cut down on costs and obviously avoids limitations when someone's deciding to take on your work.

[00:50:26] So it helps them then have to avoid finding very complex locations, special effects teams,

[00:50:31] because, of course, all that ramps up the cost and time effort.

[00:50:34] So I think try and use less where you can, but without being, without starving the story.

[00:50:41] So at the same time, it's a happy medium, I think, really.

[00:50:44] Got it, got it.

[00:50:44] And I guess it's kind of something that is intriguing for you.

[00:50:49] It's kind of exciting for you, where it helps you put in the zone where you are challenged in order to,

[00:50:56] you know, I have to do this, but it's challenging for me because I have to use certain things in order to fit this.

[00:51:03] And it must look interesting.

[00:51:05] I guess that's kind of a challenge for you.

[00:51:07] Okay, good to know that.

[00:51:09] So now, help me with the part of doing the auditions.

[00:51:17] So we are jumping back to your acting journey now.

[00:51:20] So how do you manage the rejection?

[00:51:23] How do you deal with rejections once you get a call and, hey, it was great working with you.

[00:51:30] It was great knowing you.

[00:51:32] And we kind of think that you are not fit for the project.

[00:51:36] Or sometimes you think you did the best performance and you performed really well, but still you didn't get selected because I guess someone else was perfect for this role just by the way she looks, you know.

[00:51:52] And what do you do when you think you did well for audition?

[00:51:57] You performed perfectly with the lines and the flow and you still were not able to get into the list.

[00:52:03] I think it's a learning curve.

[00:52:05] I mean, at very first, I would have struggled to handle rejection.

[00:52:09] But as time has gone on, you have to have that mentality where you know you can take the rough with the smooth.

[00:52:14] And I think it's just built into my brain now that you can't win them all.

[00:52:18] I mean, I think if you get some direction or some sort of feedback where they say, we'll keep your name on file in the future, you're not what we're looking for.

[00:52:25] It's not that you did a bad job.

[00:52:27] It's just you don't fit the mold.

[00:52:28] And I think you have to understand that when people are casting, you're not always going to be the best fit for that.

[00:52:33] And I think really, I think I always try and ask for feedback.

[00:52:36] You know, that gives me some self-belief that I can achieve anything.

[00:52:39] But it's just down to luck at the end of the day.

[00:52:41] So you just have to dust yourself off and move on.

[00:52:44] It's as simple as that, really.

[00:52:46] So tell me, how has that changed?

[00:52:48] Because now you kind of really structure this part of a way of looking towards audition and how you should take this.

[00:52:55] How has it changed from the day one where you auditioned and you're not selected?

[00:53:01] What was your reaction then?

[00:53:03] I think in the early days, I would have been taking it a little more personally and sort of going, why was I not selected?

[00:53:10] It was too personal.

[00:53:11] Yeah, but I think you can waste a lot of time worrying about why you were not picked for it and miss out on the next opportunity where you could be picked for something.

[00:53:18] So I think for me now, I really understand that.

[00:53:20] Move on.

[00:53:21] You know, there's another one out there.

[00:53:22] And just keep going and going and going.

[00:53:24] You know, don't get held back on that one thing that you didn't get.

[00:53:27] And just don't put your heart into it 100 percent because if it doesn't happen, you know, you're not going to be way more disappointed.

[00:53:34] I think you have to have that sort of set of expectations as well to handle.

[00:53:38] Great, great.

[00:53:38] And I guess this is the part where it also is the learning curve that happens once we go through a lot of auditions.

[00:53:45] It's something that happens once we go through that patch of going through multiple rejections.

[00:53:52] And that's how we learn it.

[00:53:54] Otherwise, it's the same of taking it personal for a longer period.

[00:53:58] It's a curve that we come to know, okay, now we get it.

[00:54:01] What does the actual deal with it?

[00:54:04] So I guess it happens with time.

[00:54:05] So that's kind of learning for a lot of artists.

[00:54:10] Now we held on the part where what I'd advise throughout your career, you know, you perform in a pantomime.

[00:54:17] You do the tour.

[00:54:19] You do a really serious drama, you know, where you play intense character.

[00:54:23] You play a part in a play where you play two characters in one single drama theater play.

[00:54:32] Okay.

[00:54:33] So where you are preparing a lot, where you are making sure that this should look perfect.

[00:54:39] And then you perform a completely different character in that same play.

[00:54:43] You are someone who is performing a very larger than life genre, what you can say, is pantomime, where you have to be very extreme with your emotions.

[00:54:54] You have to perform in a way where it should look loud and it should entertain people and it should be fun and sound good and entertain audience.

[00:55:02] And at the same time, you perform in a way where you go and make sure that the character should say less and it should still express more.

[00:55:11] Like less is more kind of thing that you follow.

[00:55:14] Someone who has been preparing like this stuff from a very long time and now is kind of a pro where she knows about how she's adjusting things when it is front of camera and when it is front of theater.

[00:55:26] What advice you would like to pass on to the younger ones who are just starting out, who are just stuck in the phase where they are doing one genre and they're just looking for some advice.

[00:55:37] So that may, okay, I get it.

[00:55:39] What advice you'd like to pass on to the fellow artists, to the artists who are up and coming and to artists who are just like you and performing so they can get to know, okay, what's Ali's secret?

[00:55:50] What advice you'd like to pass on to them?

[00:55:54] I would say you've got to be willing to take on lots of different challenges and roles, not turn your nose up at anything really that you're being offered because you're absorbing as much experience as you can.

[00:56:03] And you want to get that experience under your belt.

[00:56:05] You've got to show that you're willing to be involved and muck in.

[00:56:10] And that's the case for me when I was starting out.

[00:56:13] I wanted to learn so much.

[00:56:15] I was going, I'll take that.

[00:56:16] Yeah, okay, I'll do this.

[00:56:17] Why not?

[00:56:17] Because you've got to start somewhere.

[00:56:19] So I think you've got to be willing to accept lots of different challenges.

[00:56:21] It might not be the role that you want, but it will get you the experience that gets you to the role that you want, if that makes sense.

[00:56:28] Very, very good.

[00:56:29] And any final advice for theatre artists, specifically for theatre artists?

[00:56:37] Because you see the whole thing happening in front of you.

[00:56:41] Okay, you see the ups and downs of theatre artists.

[00:56:44] So what is the one thing that you'd like to pass on or you'd like to share or you'd like to go give a tip specifically to theatre artists?

[00:56:53] I think for anyone who's starting out in theatre particularly, join lots of amateur dramatic groups.

[00:56:59] Do lots of different scripts and plays where you can.

[00:57:03] Don't always restrict yourself to one genre.

[00:57:06] Just try and get different flavours and really build up that sort of chemistry with theatre actors.

[00:57:13] And just do as much as you can, really, around those different groups.

[00:57:16] You know, it might not be a full-on serious play.

[00:57:19] You might try a murder mystery or, you know, you might try a pantomime or you might try a two-hander play or a small cast and then maybe go on to a musical.

[00:57:29] So I think it's really just keep going with what you want to do.

[00:57:33] Don't be afraid to try a different challenge and basically just enjoy it.

[00:57:38] You've got to enjoy in that immersive experience being in it, I think, really.

[00:57:42] You know, it's just that's what I think you need to do, really.

[00:57:46] Yeah.

[00:57:47] Thank you.

[00:57:47] Thank you so much, Ali.

[00:57:48] Thank you for this advice.

[00:57:49] You've been wonderful throughout this interview.

[00:57:51] I came to know a lot of things, learn a lot of things throughout this whole period.

[00:57:56] And one new thing that I learned is pantomime when I met you.

[00:58:01] So it kind of excited me once I came to know about it.

[00:58:04] Wow, this looks great.

[00:58:05] So now we are going to jump on a quick rapid fire, even though you can answer in your piece, you know, it's kind of not that rapid.

[00:58:13] But here we go.

[00:58:15] So stage or screen, which do you prefer?

[00:58:18] I think it has to be stage.

[00:58:20] I love the immersive experience.

[00:58:21] Yeah.

[00:58:23] The most challenging role you've ever played?

[00:58:26] Aladdin, because I found singing hard enough as a lady, never mind a man.

[00:58:31] And I had to improvise a lot in act two.

[00:58:34] So you played Aladdin?

[00:58:36] Yeah.

[00:58:38] Yeah.

[00:58:38] Okay.

[00:58:40] So that's interesting.

[00:58:41] It was.

[00:58:42] And yeah, it was great fun.

[00:58:44] But we were very under rehearsed as a cast because there was a lot of sickness one Christmas when we did it.

[00:58:50] So I basically improv'd a lot of act two.

[00:58:52] But it was great.

[00:58:53] Yeah.

[00:58:54] Wow.

[00:58:55] Good.

[00:58:56] Favorite actor you look up to?

[00:58:58] You've probably never heard of him, but it's someone called Alan Tudyk.

[00:59:01] He does a lot of voice work as well as on screen work.

[00:59:04] And the guy's a genius on and off screen.

[00:59:07] Good.

[00:59:07] Good.

[00:59:08] One role you'd love to play, but haven't yet?

[00:59:11] Winnie Sanderson, I think from Hocus Pocus, just because she's the ultimate badass.

[00:59:15] And I kind of like her personality.

[00:59:18] Good.

[00:59:19] A book that inspires your writing?

[00:59:22] Oh, I think it would have to be I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison because it's very dystopian and I love that genre.

[00:59:31] Too right.

[00:59:31] Okay.

[00:59:32] Most memorable moment on stage?

[00:59:36] Would have to be not a fun moment, but memorable.

[00:59:39] Being tortured on stage in 1984.

[00:59:43] 1984?

[00:59:44] Like it's a play?

[00:59:45] Oh, a play.

[00:59:47] George Orwell's 1984.

[00:59:48] Oh, okay.

[00:59:50] Oh, okay.

[00:59:51] What happened?

[00:59:52] So aside from Winston, I played a character where I basically was a prisoner and I basically had my hands.

[01:00:00] Yeah, basically hit very hard.

[01:00:03] Oh, hit.

[01:00:04] Smacked around.

[01:00:05] Yeah, hit.

[01:00:06] Oh, okay.

[01:00:07] Got it, got it, got it.

[01:00:08] Yeah.

[01:00:08] Most, okay, got it.

[01:00:10] We did this.

[01:00:10] Best advice you've ever received as an actor?

[01:00:14] Be professional at all times because you have a brand to maintain.

[01:00:20] Brand to maintain.

[01:00:22] Okay.

[01:00:22] Favorite genre to write in?

[01:00:25] Always sci-fi because there's no boundaries.

[01:00:27] Sci-fi.

[01:00:28] Are you coming up with some kind of play or drama or are you writing anything in sci-fi?

[01:00:34] I am actually.

[01:00:35] So I've got a short collection of stories that will be coming out next year involving a few characters that crash land to earth and have to fit in with the local lingo, which is going to be good fun.

[01:00:46] Yeah.

[01:00:46] So I can't reveal too much, but I have some short stories coming out next year.

[01:00:50] All right.

[01:00:50] Good, good, good.

[01:00:51] Let me know.

[01:00:52] I can read that.

[01:00:53] We can have some fun with our show if that's a possibility.

[01:00:58] We can do it.

[01:00:59] Okay.

[01:01:01] Okay.

[01:01:02] One audition tip in three words.

[01:01:06] Hmm.

[01:01:07] Prepare like mad.

[01:01:11] So say again.

[01:01:13] I missed it.

[01:01:13] Prepare like mad.

[01:01:15] Like mad.

[01:01:16] Prepare well.

[01:01:17] Okay.

[01:01:18] Okay.

[01:01:18] Prepare very well.

[01:01:20] Okay.

[01:01:20] Prepare very well.

[01:01:21] Prepare like mad.

[01:01:23] Oh, got it.

[01:01:23] Got it.

[01:01:24] Dream collaboration.

[01:01:25] Director or actor?

[01:01:26] And who?

[01:01:28] Actor.

[01:01:30] I'm going to say again, Alan Tudyk, because acting out some of my sci-fi work akin to his character portrayal in something called Resident Alien.

[01:01:37] I see him performing as my protagonist crab in the most hilarious way.

[01:01:42] Got it.

[01:01:43] Wow.

[01:01:43] So this was it.

[01:01:45] This was a rapid fire.

[01:01:46] Thank you.

[01:01:47] Thank you for answering very quick in a way and kind of surprised me a bit.

[01:01:51] But thank you so much for your time.

[01:01:53] Thank you for being on the show.

[01:01:55] Thank you for being part of the Dark Alley series, which by the way, you can go check out the description of this particular episode and check Ali's work in the Dark Alley.

[01:02:04] Check the series.

[01:02:05] Check the series out now.

[01:02:06] It's by the way, streaming now.

[01:02:07] So you can go and tap on the link and check it.

[01:02:10] Also, everything related to Ali is mentioned in the description of this particular episode.

[01:02:15] So you can go and connect with her via her mail.

[01:02:17] So work email, you can contact her.

[01:02:19] And all the social media links, the work email, the information related to her spotlight IMDB is mentioned.

[01:02:25] So you can go and check and connect with her.

[01:02:27] Also now, Ali, help us with the part where what's the best way to connect with you in order to talk about work or anything?

[01:02:35] I'm on Instagram.

[01:02:36] So I'm happily available if anyone wants to reach out to me.

[01:02:41] You can obviously email me.

[01:02:43] I'm on social media.

[01:02:44] Yeah, so very much happy to network and yeah, looking forward to hearing from you.

[01:02:49] Okay, great.

[01:02:49] Great to know that.

[01:02:50] Thank you.

[01:02:50] Thank you so much, Ali, for being on the show for your valuable time.

[01:02:54] Important part was I learned a lot of things from you.

[01:02:56] I came to know like you played some characters that I never imagined someone like, you know, a woman can play these kind of characters, you know, and not just one time, a lot of times and in a lot of different plays.

[01:03:08] And also at the same time where you can play two characters in one single productions in two acts.

[01:03:14] And that was fabulous.

[01:03:15] The way you go for the characters and the way you prepare for it, it's kind of, you know, something that we can study on and we can take notes on, you know, just copy paste this and we can be good at what we are doing.

[01:03:27] So you kind of a pro in the way you perform, you prepare and you, you know, kind of present yourself as an artist in order to go ahead and make a career in this field.

[01:03:38] Your journey is amazing.

[01:03:40] Learn a lot of things.

[01:03:41] And I'm sure people who are going to listen to this are going to learn.

[01:03:44] Okay, she prepares this.

[01:03:45] She does this for this and this for preparing for a role.

[01:03:48] And this is what she went through.

[01:03:49] Thank you.

[01:03:50] Thank you so much for sharing all your experiences.

[01:03:52] It was it was great.

[01:03:54] Yeah, it's been a pleasure.

[01:03:55] Thank you so much for having me here.

[01:03:57] And yeah, really enjoyed it.

[01:03:59] It's been fun and continues to be fun.

[01:04:01] Okay.

[01:04:02] So everyone, this is the last bit where I'm talking about.

[01:04:04] Make sure you go and check out the Dark Ali series and check Alison Weir's work.

[01:04:09] It's linked down below.

[01:04:10] So you don't miss it.

[01:04:11] The whole series is now streaming.

[01:04:13] So you can check all the episodes, listen to them, review them and let us know in the DMs, in the comments section of our Instagram.

[01:04:20] And yep, that's it.

[01:04:21] It's me, Ajay Dambay, the host and producer of Great Your Ideal Starting Podcast.

[01:04:24] And now I'm signing off.