The Actor's Playbook: Inside the Mind of a Character Builder | Actor Jordan Laidley | Ajay Tambe

[00:00:00] So during my final year at drama school which was at Rosebroughford, my partner at the time was pregnant with my daughter.

[00:00:06] So she was studying in Manchester, I was still studying in Kent.

[00:00:10] So I would love to be able to leave early because I was fed up. I was like, I'm not learning anything new.

[00:00:15] I'm just here. So I ended up being approached by the local theatre which was Playhouse

[00:00:22] to audition for a show which should be, I guess I can leave and get marked on this show.

[00:00:27] During that same time, my partner at the time had just left uni to come back home.

[00:00:32] So I was travelling back and forth. Let's say Monday, I'd leave nothing but 4 in the morning on coach,

[00:00:37] get to on my lessons for half nine, do the day and then go back home and then do it.

[00:00:43] So I was doing that for like four days and then I auditioned. They didn't get back to me in time.

[00:00:48] So I was like, oh, it's okay. I've got to stay at Rosebroughford.

[00:00:51] And then I got a call saying we are so sorry. We actually sent the email or the confirmation to somebody else.

[00:00:57] So we'll now have to call you and just ask if you're still interested in joining the company.

[00:01:01] And I was sat in rehearsal and the reason why I remember this so well is because you don't get along with everybody.

[00:01:08] There's people at drama school that will pretend to be close because they've never been in an environment

[00:01:15] where they have to be an adult. So I was just at the point of like, I don't want to mix anymore.

[00:01:20] And there was this whole stigma that, oh, you have to stay here because we're all here.

[00:01:25] So the moment I got that phone call and then the confirmation email came through,

[00:01:29] I was pretty much in the rehearsal space and I just hopped out and said, I'm gone. I'm out.

[00:01:36] Thank you everybody. But I will see you next time, which is never, however, I have to wait till the end of the day.

[00:01:43] So it was just awkward. Me just smiling at everyone.

[00:01:45] Oh, wow. Wow.

[00:01:47] I didn't want me to leave.

[00:01:53] Hey, everyone. I am Ajay Tambay, the host and producer of this show, Krithi Oyo's Darden broadcast.

[00:01:57] And today I have with me a very talented artist from UK.

[00:02:00] Also he is the part and the cast and the guest storyteller from our recent release series, The Knights of Avalon.

[00:02:07] Hello Jordan. Welcome. Welcome to the show.

[00:02:12] How are you doing? Thanks for having me.

[00:02:14] Oh, I'm doing great. Great. I guess there's an internet issue. You're hearing my voice after four or five seconds.

[00:02:20] That's the gap I guess you're having. You're facing at this moment. I don't know why.

[00:02:25] But yeah, I'm doing good and what's going on with you at this moment today?

[00:02:31] Nothing much. Just doing my usual. If I'm not on a project, it's either contacting agents, contacting casting directors

[00:02:38] and prepping for the next project. Today it's prepping for the next project and also it's a writing day.

[00:02:44] Which is the one project that you're working on at this moment? Anything that's really on the go at this moment?

[00:02:51] So right now I'm heading into rehearsals for a project called Generations with...

[00:02:59] It was originally with Hidden Track Theatre but we are now changing over.

[00:03:03] So we're about to have a meeting about what's happening, about the tour, where we are going, what we are going to be doing

[00:03:11] and if any changes have came up because last year was in the research and development process

[00:03:16] and now we're going into rehearsal process. So it's looking interesting. It's looking good.

[00:03:20] It's centered around a young man who not long finished uni. He spent some time away from home and his comeback

[00:03:27] and it says if he is the same and everyone has progressed and he now needs to catch up.

[00:03:34] Oh, got you. Okay, okay, okay. This sounds interesting, you know?

[00:03:40] That's a struggle for that guy at this moment. Yeah, got it, got it.

[00:03:44] So before we talk about...

[00:03:46] You're in the dialogue.

[00:03:47] I think there's a lot going on. Yeah, go on.

[00:03:50] The dialogue is mostly spoken word.

[00:03:53] So the writer is a spoken word artist, Ryan Sinclair from Birmingham

[00:03:57] and he's now dived into the world of writing for theatre.

[00:04:01] So it's been interesting. It's been very good. Everything's been positive

[00:04:05] and he already knows the direction that he needs to go in.

[00:04:08] So this has been a very nice project to work on from the beginning.

[00:04:12] Kurt, great.

[00:04:14] So Jordan, before we go on more about your upcoming projects and what's happening in 2024 for you,

[00:04:19] I'd like to jump back to your childhood days.

[00:04:21] Specifically the days where you were actually catching up with what's going on with you and around you

[00:04:28] and you were aware of... Hey, I found this interesting.

[00:04:32] I found this is not for me.

[00:04:34] In that particular fair where you were catching up with things which were very good to you.

[00:04:38] This is what I love to do and you would spend hours on that particular part.

[00:04:44] So can you go ahead on your childhood phase? How was it?

[00:04:50] So much childhood. There was no negatives from that home.

[00:04:55] But I'm from an area where back then everything was negative.

[00:05:00] Everything was either on this road hype or you're just trying to survive in that road hype.

[00:05:08] I kind of felt it was like a boxing match.

[00:05:11] Some people are trained to win but others are built to survive

[00:05:15] and I felt like in my city, in my area, it was like you needed to survive

[00:05:19] if you wanted to make something of your life.

[00:05:21] So when it came to acting, I'd be very honest.

[00:05:24] I wasn't bothered about it.

[00:05:26] In school it wasn't a thing that was interesting.

[00:05:28] It just so happened that we did something.

[00:05:31] I excelled in it and then yeah, I was pretty much forced by my mom to continue.

[00:05:37] So yeah, I didn't stay in school.

[00:05:40] This is new angle.

[00:05:41] Being kicked out of school.

[00:05:45] This is new angle.

[00:05:46] Yeah, so it is.

[00:05:49] It's a hard one because a lot of people are like,

[00:05:52] well, your mom made you continue acting.

[00:05:56] I'm like, yeah.

[00:05:57] And then at the time when I wasn't actually in school, so for us over here,

[00:06:01] we've got year 10 and 11, which is age 14 to 15, 15 to 16, was not at school.

[00:06:07] And I was pretty much forced to go to a drama group.

[00:06:10] And yeah, pretty much excelled there.

[00:06:13] No GCSEs.

[00:06:14] I went straight to college and then it became a debate because I wanted to go to university to do mathematics.

[00:06:21] My mom found out about Mathieu and was like, no, you're going to drama school because that's what your passion is.

[00:06:29] Follow the passion.

[00:06:30] I lost that battle.

[00:06:31] Had to go drama school.

[00:06:32] But all in between there was so many like challenges and roadblocks because someone like me at that time does not excel from the East Midlands of the UK into the industry.

[00:06:45] So it's fighting the narrative of you can't do it.

[00:06:51] And if you tell me I can't do something, well, guess what?

[00:06:55] I'm going to do it.

[00:06:56] So yeah, it was like it's been uphill battle.

[00:07:00] But we're here.

[00:07:02] I create, I go to auditions, I succeed.

[00:07:07] And there's one thing I do want to throw out there for a lot of people.

[00:07:10] If you go to an audition and you hear no, no is not.

[00:07:13] You're not good enough.

[00:07:14] No just means you're good.

[00:07:16] That's why you're here.

[00:07:17] But not for this role, but we have got books.

[00:07:21] So yeah.

[00:07:23] So I guess one thing I noticed is you were a good student of Matt, right?

[00:07:28] And Matt was the one thing that you were looking to pursue and somewhere your mom told you that no acting is the thing that you are going to do.

[00:07:35] You should do it.

[00:07:36] So and also there is survival mentality.

[00:07:40] Like you came and you had a background where you were living to survive the next day or the next month or the whole life at this moment at that particular period.

[00:07:49] So when you chose acting, was it hard or was it something that you found interest after going for it?

[00:07:59] And like you thought, okay, I'll give up studies.

[00:08:02] How that shift happened.

[00:08:06] You know what?

[00:08:07] The shift kind of kicked in when I was 15.

[00:08:11] I'll try break this one down real quick.

[00:08:14] So there was a situation that happened with my group of people I used to hang with and they wanted to seek revenge.

[00:08:23] Let's basically say that.

[00:08:25] But I was a man of my word.

[00:08:28] If I made a promise, I'm going to fulfill the promise and the promise I made was to my director at my youth theater.

[00:08:34] I would be at rehearsals now bearing in mind we didn't do anything on that day in rehearsal, but my character only had two lines.

[00:08:44] In fact, two words it was no anyone.

[00:08:47] But okay, I committed.

[00:08:49] I said, I promise I'll be there.

[00:08:51] That same night.

[00:08:53] I actually fell out with everyone in that group because I didn't go along with them to this, this situation that we need to deal with someone else said, oh, I would do it because this guy's just being a coward.

[00:09:06] Oh, okay.

[00:09:07] Then it is the word coward but coward.

[00:09:10] So the guy that stepped in for me ended up getting killed.

[00:09:14] For me, that was where it all hit. Do I want to stay here and continue trying to duck and dive or do I want to make something of my life and acting kind of followed me saved me.

[00:09:27] So go into college and studying acting and then going off to drama school wasn't really a hard decision.

[00:09:35] It's like, you've been here in my whole life.

[00:09:38] I'm hoping let me fulfill this help. So it was an easy decision to make.

[00:09:44] Good. Good. I love that particular situation, you know, you are someone where when you were like, it's like underdog thing for you.

[00:09:53] If you if you if you're put in something which is underdog situation, you make sure you win that particular situation or you do everything to survive it and make sure you come back winning.

[00:10:04] I got that. That's you, I guess that's that's particular mentality I see from from I guess childhood days in school phase, I guess and then now in 15 year old, I guess same thing happened when you're doing other things at this moment.

[00:10:17] Okay. So now share me.

[00:10:20] I guess that 15 year old as a situation that you show which brought interest and that's where you decided to become an actor and choose this field.

[00:10:29] Do share that how your experience at at least 15 and Rose Broughford College shaped your approach to acting. Any memories.

[00:10:40] Yes, so I need to say first things first do audition for drama school everyone.

[00:10:47] I do believe extra education is important because you might find things that you didn't notice about yourself.

[00:10:55] Drama school wasn't for me, but I believe in always training your muscles always building up so whether drama school wasn't beneficial for me in areas.

[00:11:06] There was areas that I needed to understand and get a hang of.

[00:11:09] So is bits that I did take from drama school and what I took from drama school mostly was I know myself.

[00:11:16] I know my ability.

[00:11:17] I know where I can go.

[00:11:20] And I'm not going to talk bad about East 15 or Rose Broughford because I took what I needed from them and I'd like to believe since I've left they've only gotten better and if they haven't, there's still a journey to go because a lot of people will think drama school is the end.

[00:11:34] The be all and end all.

[00:11:36] But the thing is after you've done three years which is really an hour now a year and a half you're still going to go into the industry and continue training.

[00:11:43] So that's what I took.

[00:11:44] I took the fact that training is never finished.

[00:11:47] And I found who I needed to be for the industry but not just the industry for my community.

[00:11:54] So when I finished drama school, I wanted to go back home.

[00:11:57] I wanted to be within my city and rebuild my city within its cultural arts sector.

[00:12:03] So yeah, it helped me realize I'm Jordan lady and no one else.

[00:12:09] Yeah, that made you realize who you are and you know what I get from you is you know who you are.

[00:12:16] And that's where the mentality of hey, I'll grab what is important for me and what I can grab and what is good for me to learn and who I am.

[00:12:25] You knew that already.

[00:12:27] That's what helped you.

[00:12:28] You know there are good things.

[00:12:29] There are bad things.

[00:12:30] You know, you're really going to capture good things from this particular institute and then you also they're like it's important to train your muscle as an actor and do whatever things to do the exercise which is needed on regular basis.

[00:12:43] That's where you told me about hey learning is important.

[00:12:45] You can't just give up once you finish drama school or once you finish any exercise or workshop.

[00:12:49] It's important on regular basis.

[00:12:51] And that's really important where you know yourself.

[00:12:55] That really helps you know not to criticize a place which is not good but only take the good things that you got from there and then you know just leave that place and that's where you know hey I'm Jordan lady and now you shifted back to your place where you thought hey I have something.

[00:13:09] I know something and combination of that I'm going to do better in life and yeah this is great point point of view you have.

[00:13:16] Now here's the thing once you passed on your acting school and the journey.

[00:13:21] What happened after that you went to do theater stage plays or you went for auditions and what was that first role or first thing that is still memorable and you remember that day.

[00:13:33] So the first thing which I'm probably in the percentage of really lucky so during my final year at drama school which was at Rose Bruford.

[00:13:43] My partner at the time was pregnant with my daughter so she was studying in Manchester I was to study in Kent.

[00:13:51] So I said to myself I would love to be able to leave early because I come to a point where I just I was fed up I was like I'm not learning anything new I'm just I'm just here.

[00:14:01] So I ended up being approached by the local theater which was Playhouse to audition for a show which should be okay and I was like.

[00:14:11] Okay, I guess I can leave and get marked on this show during that same time my partner at the time had just left uni to come back home so I was traveling back forth back forth so it'll be like let's say Monday I would I would get to leave nothing about four in the morning on coach get to

[00:14:30] my lessons for half nine do the day and then go back home and then do it so I was doing that for like four days and then I audition.

[00:14:39] They they didn't get back to me in time so I was like oh it's okay I gotta stay at Rose Bruford and then I got a call saying we are so sorry we actually sent the email or confirmation to somebody else.

[00:14:51] So we now had to call you and just ask if you're still interested in joining the company.

[00:14:55] I was sat in rehearsal and the reason why I remember this so well is because you don't get along with everybody cool yeah and there's people at drama school that will that will pretend to be close because they've never been in an environment where they have to be an adult.

[00:15:14] So I was just at the point of like I don't want to mix anymore and there was this whole stigma that oh you have to stay here because we're all here so the moment I got that phone call and then the confirmation email came through.

[00:15:26] I was pretty much in the rehearsal space and I just hopped out and said I'm gone.

[00:15:32] I'm out.

[00:15:33] Thank you everybody but I will see you next time which is never however I have to wait till the end of the day so it was just awkward me just smiling at everyone.

[00:15:43] Well because they didn't want me to leave for the show so it was a blessing in the sky.

[00:15:48] I got to go home, work on a project, be a father at the same time as my daughter was born like two months before so I was able to do everything in one.

[00:15:58] Everything.

[00:15:59] So I was like yes I was homeless but it was good.

[00:16:03] It was settled for you when it started.

[00:16:06] It was like kind of in between having a baby and going jumping up and back to the university to the place that you're training but that call actually changed your life I guess that particular call actually made you realize what you can do and you actually got a place where you can unlock anything.

[00:16:24] You know stage plays, theatre plays always help you to you know give a new arc to your acting career and I guess that's what happened with you after that call.

[00:16:32] It's the same when I was talking to you when I was messaging you you are always in rehearsal so doing some shows at this moment it's completely busy schedule for you.

[00:16:41] You actually get some time I guess in the night where you just check on messages what's going on.

[00:16:45] You just surprise me.

[00:16:46] Hey this is it.

[00:16:48] And I guess we in between that you got that whole thing covered for the Knights of Abilor and it's great to hear that now here's the next question I have for you.

[00:16:58] Now you're talking jumping in your professional field as an actor.

[00:17:02] How do you approach building a character from the script to the stage or screen you know doing a short film or movie.

[00:17:08] Could you walk us through the process of how you structure that whole thing out once you get the script get a call from director and then you get a script and then how what's the next thing that you do.

[00:17:21] Okay, so with me.

[00:17:24] I'm very musical in a sense of I'm an improv freestyle rapper so what I would do is our tailor that approach to reading the script for the first time so it's off.

[00:17:35] First, but it's also in a pattern. So then whilst I'm reading it and then I was just start improv rapping about what I've read during that I would jot down what I remember so anything my character says about themselves.

[00:17:50] Then I would then jot down what anyone else says about my character in a separate column.

[00:17:57] Then I will jot down everything that is mentioned about my character, not from a character point of view.

[00:18:05] So then I can see how everyone else thinks about the character, my character thinks about themselves and how the world slots my character into place.

[00:18:14] Then I'll start going in between those broken bits. So it could be the world's the world has my character as a, as a ruler.

[00:18:25] So then I think okay, so what does a ruler look like in that time frame compared to this timeframe.

[00:18:32] So it could be.

[00:18:34] I'm a big wrestling fan so I use wrestling as an example.

[00:18:37] If it was Macbeth, I would jot down all the things that everyone says about Macbeth.

[00:18:43] And then I would say which wrestler suits that. So let's say Macbeth, I would say WWE superstar Drew McIntyre.

[00:18:50] I'll then pick everything about Drew McIntyre that makes sense and see how that can work for me embodying those little bits.

[00:19:00] Just because I use wrestling quite a lot because especially for theatre it's receive a response and it's how to connect with the audience for what the audience needs.

[00:19:12] So I adapt that element to my approach.

[00:19:17] God, if this is actually, if God is with us at this moment, I hope it got captured your frame properly because your frame was breaking.

[00:19:26] But the words and the way you're saying I mean that is incredible. This is the first time I have ever heard from any actor who shared this kind of breakdown to how they actually work on script and the character

[00:19:38] you know you just shifted to Hugh then what he's going to say and completely chop down into columns. That's incredible, you know.

[00:19:44] And one thing I liked about it how it is looking from other people's point of view.

[00:19:49] You may be good and bad in between because it's struggle and the motivation and the things that you want that's GPU as a person.

[00:19:55] But how it is looking from other people's point of view. It's really new game that you play and also the Macbeth thing.

[00:20:01] Wow, I hope I really hope this got recorded properly because this is really helpful for all the aspiring one because I guess I don't know why this internet issues happening at this moment never happened before.

[00:20:12] Because I can feel myself good you have thinking but the sink is not good at this moment.

[00:20:18] Okay, great. So now tell me about you do a lot of tours right you do a lot of stage theatre at this moment what's the major thing is going on stage theatre or films at this moment for you.

[00:20:31] Mostly, I'll say mostly theatre and immersive. But I do get my fair share of filmed media.

[00:20:40] So I prefer to when it's me creating, I prefer to do theatre and immersive because I can welcome my young people and my theater company and for myself as in being offered as long as I can connect with the audience and I'll be very honest I can pay bills from it.

[00:20:59] I'm fine as long as it's not taking me as the artist back as in it needs to benefit me and my progression and it needs to benefit you as somebody offering the work because there's no point in me taking some random TV work if it's not going to benefit me but then in the long run it's not going to benefit you.

[00:21:19] So, but yeah going back to what I'm mostly getting theatre and immersive stuff here started because how did that move TV.

[00:21:28] Yeah, yeah, yeah. So here's the one thing I'd like to know as now if you consider your four five years of length, what's the major timeframe if we consider 80% to film and 80% to stage and 20% to film how's the percentage involved in between stage and actual film sets and all like 50% of the

[00:21:49] 5050 or 8020.

[00:21:52] I'll say 5050 only because yeah because it also depends on you as the person so for me, I prefer all I'm not too fast I prefer all types of work.

[00:22:08] 5050, but there are some people that won't do theatre and some people that won't do film.

[00:22:14] So I say aim to be 5050 because then it can be give or take on whatever comes across because then you're then in control of saying yes and no.

[00:22:24] I prefer more TV. I would prefer more TV and film only because in this, this time that we're living are more people will watch Netflix or cinema.

[00:22:37] They will see more recorded media. So if I could get that audience I can then draw the audience to my stage performances.

[00:22:45] And then the same with theatre I could draw them to the TV. So I just want to be able to be a person that can take the fans and draw people in.

[00:22:56] So yeah, I say 5050 is the best.

[00:22:59] 5050 is the best. So now here's one thing what the whole question was about is you do a lot of this stuff. You do a lot of stage theatre at the same time.

[00:23:09] The 50% of your time is involved in stage theatre.

[00:23:12] Once you do the plays, you keep on repeating the character because I guess you're touring for one project to different cities and different shows.

[00:23:20] How do you keep that lively? It gets repetitive and it gets why you know the graph of that particular character.

[00:23:28] Hey, it's going up then it's going down, it's going up. You know the graph.

[00:23:31] Now you've got the form on it. First five, six plays four, one, you come to know, okay, this is this.

[00:23:36] But now you're exceeding that number which is 15, which is 25, which is 30, which may be 8500.

[00:23:43] How do you keep that liveliness in that character, that excitement and the same thrill? What's your process?

[00:23:49] So the rule is it should be the same.

[00:23:54] So then if we take that it should be the same because that's the dialogue, that's what's being scripted.

[00:24:01] Okay, let's hold that. I then see as every show is the first time this audience is going to see it.

[00:24:10] So then if this is the first time they're going to see it, it's the first time I'm going to see them.

[00:24:15] So each show will automatically be different. So then I am able to step out and go, I don't know what's going to happen next

[00:24:24] because this is the first time also because a different audience can respond completely different.

[00:24:30] This was one thing that I realized that drama school cultures are very different.

[00:24:35] So my culture is everything is not funny unless it actually is funny as opposed to when I was at drama school

[00:24:44] everybody was laughing at everything. So when we did a show and nobody was laughing at what they thought was funny, it threw them off as opposed to me.

[00:24:53] Well, if they laugh, they laugh, if they don't laugh, they don't laugh but my aim isn't for you to go, oh, this is the moment that's funny.

[00:25:01] My aim is for you to just be taken in a world and be distracted from the world that's outside.

[00:25:07] So I am happy when different things happen like anything could happen in the show for me.

[00:25:12] The stage could fall down. I can go with anything about signing Koki. I am an improv genius.

[00:25:21] My head will think of so many ideas before I even move. So I can go with whatever happens and sometimes I have to speak with a director or producer and ask,

[00:25:32] what is the freedom I can have here?

[00:25:35] Sometimes, please stick to what we've rehearsed just because it's for others.

[00:25:41] When you build the reputation with that creative, they will sometimes say, the ball is in your hands as long as you can support the others,

[00:25:52] which I can't, like there's been times where I've had an actor being pulled off stage and the other actor kind of froze

[00:25:59] and I think it was like 45 minutes. I just created a whole new show within that show, keeping it to the whole story.

[00:26:07] That's cool.

[00:26:08] Yeah, while still using the other characters' lines, my own characters' lines and yeah, in fact there was one time somebody was having an asthma attack on stage

[00:26:19] and I pretty much carried them off stage, still creating a new story, took them off stage.

[00:26:25] My first aiders came, the actor got taken to the hospital and continued the show. No one knew anything.

[00:26:32] Still continued the show.

[00:26:33] Even though that was watching the clinical tour.

[00:26:35] Yeah, the show was going.

[00:26:37] Oh man.

[00:26:38] Yes it's something like, I physically knew.

[00:26:41] So the other people took that particular guy to hospital or not?

[00:26:47] Yeah, so everyone else that wasn't on stage attended and I just stayed and looked after the audience and then at the end of the show,

[00:26:55] well when I got to a point where I was like, yeah I can't keep improvising and I can't keep creating this.

[00:26:59] And then I had to explain to the audience and everyone was like, that was fantastic.

[00:27:05] In fact I got a job from that as well.

[00:27:11] These are good stories. I guess that's the live-in and then that's the power of doing stage plays.

[00:27:17] The way you're saying it makes actually more interesting because the psychology and the mindset that you developed in your brain,

[00:27:26] like hey this is new audience and you still don't know how they are going to react because this is new audience.

[00:27:32] Even though the thing that I do, I know that how they are going to react and how this whole thing is going to go from start to end is not fixed.

[00:27:41] It worked last time but there's no idea.

[00:27:44] There's no, it may not go the same way.

[00:27:47] The punch will not land in the same way or the moment that I thought hey this is the peak of the show.

[00:27:52] It will not go in that way.

[00:27:54] So that's where it keeps you on the toes.

[00:27:56] You have to do that.

[00:27:57] And that's also the improv thing.

[00:27:59] Tell me about it.

[00:28:01] That improv thing, when it actually started to happen, I know it doesn't happen the moment you start acting but where you picked up like hey improv is my thing.

[00:28:11] I can't do that. What was that?

[00:28:13] Improv was actually the first thing that I was coached on.

[00:28:19] Okay.

[00:28:20] Text and dialogue that didn't kick in for me until like a year later but also my reading is so bad.

[00:28:29] And I know there's a lot of people who are dyslexic that allow it to hinder them.

[00:28:35] Yeah, me reading is bad which is why I will improv freestyle rap and I will improvise improvisation and devise.

[00:28:43] So I was doing devising and improv sessions before I was given a script and because it's like the whole thing of if you have an area that you're not so skilled in,

[00:28:56] you can make up for it elsewhere.

[00:28:58] It's like if your eyesight wasn't that great, you'd make up for it for listening or touch.

[00:29:04] So that was me. That's how I adapted.

[00:29:06] So then when I then got on board and started working on text work in a way that I could, I would see it as well I can't hold a script in rehearsal and go for it.

[00:29:16] So I would explore through improvisation but then also if something wants to happen because I have to learn every single thing about this script.

[00:29:25] So some actors will just learn their lines and just listen out for the others.

[00:29:28] I have to learn the whole script, even the stage directions in case something happens, I can create the whole backstory and use that to help me through.

[00:29:40] I was always told by a tutor, learn the whole play because if you don't feel your reading and understanding is great,

[00:29:50] you automatically start to improvise the right things.

[00:29:55] Yeah, I get the point completely and I guess it started there.

[00:30:00] It started where that you think was disability actually helped you to become something where you are today.

[00:30:07] One thing that you thought okay this is not what I'm good at and this is really torturing me because this is I need to have hold on and it's something that I need to,

[00:30:17] but you're not getting and that's where you actually decided to grab the whole thing up and then it actually started clicking your mind.

[00:30:25] Hey, the improv thing where once you know the whole thing, then you can change and shift the thing because you know the story and that's really good.

[00:30:32] I guess that's where it kicked off for you and look how the graph changed now.

[00:30:36] Look how you turned over like that particular step actually build it up brick by brick for you.

[00:30:42] And now once you're doing shows, you're actually changing the game for everyone there.

[00:30:47] That's really interesting.

[00:30:50] We shift off, you're not just an actor, you're also a script writer right?

[00:30:55] You're also a freestyle rapper.

[00:30:57] You also rap, you also write.

[00:30:59] So now I'm talking about particularly on script writing.

[00:31:02] How do you approach the development of a new script to start with characters, a plot or perhaps a message you want to convey?

[00:31:12] So for me, I have the idea and I'll always think how do I want it to end?

[00:31:20] So then I'll always say okay, I want it to end like this.

[00:31:24] So how do I need to start in order to go for that journey?

[00:31:29] So I guess it's the same as when you write music or if you do anything else, you always have how it needs to end and then you play with the journey.

[00:31:39] So what I started doing now is I started doing a chart.

[00:31:44] So it'll be count of nine and I will map it out the same way as a wrestling match would start.

[00:31:53] So for example, the entrance would be number one, which would be introduction.

[00:31:59] And then number two would be the bell ring.

[00:32:04] So that's when we get into the information for this show.

[00:32:08] Number three would be the grapple, which would be what part of the story is going to hold the audience to make them say I'm staying.

[00:32:21] Number four would be like the ring throw out so when I was looking thrown out of the ring, it's like oh no, they're outside the ring.

[00:32:28] What's going to happen for me and my story?

[00:32:30] It will be okay.

[00:32:31] Okay, I've already got you from number three.

[00:32:33] Now we're getting into the nitty gritty.

[00:32:36] So four five six would be like different moves that a wrestler will bring back both back forth, which would also be the journeys on the hand.

[00:32:46] Something's now happened for the journey to go left and we have to get back on track.

[00:32:51] And then seven and eight would be coming around to the conclusion of how the match is going to end.

[00:32:57] Same for the show.

[00:32:58] And number nine, the wrestler has won for me and nine is the ending.

[00:33:04] So I'm not going to go out like that.

[00:33:08] Yeah.

[00:33:09] So then I do that and the same with music, the same one with when I'm directing or assisting directing.

[00:33:15] And the same when coaching.

[00:33:18] Yeah, try to keep everything the same until it doesn't work.

[00:33:22] I'll keep everything like that.

[00:33:24] I know in time, I will probably develop a new skill that would change that.

[00:33:28] But for now, that's what works for me.

[00:33:30] Okay, that distance goal, you know, the way you structure it properly one to nine, you know, the start and then conclusion till the ninth step, everything is properly set up and it only comes from when you're good at your craft when when you know life actually how it's going to happen.

[00:33:49] You know the real life.

[00:33:51] You see, you know, observe a lot of things and that's that's where you come to know this is the graph every life has and that's where they will come to know that this story will have this kind of graph.

[00:34:00] And then you figure out in, you know, chop it down into sections, which will have which only helps you to, you know, arch it out properly, give proper art to every particular point.

[00:34:09] And then you figure out, you know, like grid great thing that you do and it's it's good that you, you know, chopped it out here also properly explained as point by point of this is what I do in first and second and third.

[00:34:19] It was great to hear that from you.

[00:34:22] Here's the thing.

[00:34:24] Now, you've been involved with Ben Kinsela Trust and the National Justice Museum in supporting knife crime and gang culture intervention programs.

[00:34:34] I just want to understand, to me and the listeners also what is supporting knife crime and gang culture intervention program. What's that first?

[00:34:45] So with the supporting of an early intervention is to help those are not just young people. It could be young people, idols over civil servants.

[00:34:56] But it's to help them understand the effects of what knife crime and gang culture, joy enterprise can get you into whether you're involved from the whole gang culture side, whether you end up involved in trying to stay safe, and whether you're involved in being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[00:35:16] So what we do, especially in Nottingham, we are linked to London City City called London where they have three sites where they do this project slash exhibition.

[00:35:27] And we happen to have an actual police station that's no longer a police station which we use to facilitate this exhibition in order to help young people understand.

[00:35:37] We can't tell you what to do. We can only give you the information and the knowledge of what you could find yourself getting into if you don't understand.

[00:35:47] So for me, it's mostly the whole situation of I'm here to my community, but I can't tell you don't be on this road, road hype.

[00:35:58] If you want to be on this road, okay, I need you to understand the effects that you can find yourself in.

[00:36:04] And what a lot of young people, and especially myself when I was young and I was about it as well, we don't think about who it affects.

[00:36:11] Like for example, if there's a situation with a knife, nine times out of 10, you're only going to think about it's never going to be me or you.

[00:36:19] But when you then think about, okay, it could be me or you, but it also affects my family, their family, my community, their community.

[00:36:29] Everything else is effective just by that one moment that you decided to not use your head.

[00:36:36] So that's what we do. And when they took me on board, it was mostly because to them I showed the passion that I care for my community in a sense of what the media see the media doesn't help.

[00:36:52] So I need to be able to help uplift the positive and also try and reduce the negative. If I can help do that by 10% within 10 years, okay, fine, that's still 10% more than what we've done before.

[00:37:06] So, so this is thanks first of all for explaining I had no clue about this. And this is a great initiative by whoever organization was doing it and you being a part of it.

[00:37:18] You went through that this kind of things, you know, you had no idea how old were you when you went through this and someone rescued you or you like you know pulled back yourself.

[00:37:30] Some kind of thing happened like this for you.

[00:37:35] Yeah, I was a little unhinged I'll be very honest, but it was only because it was mostly pride, because I was always the youngest out of the whole group, but because I've always looked older.

[00:37:49] A lot of people always mistook me as a grown person. So like I remember I was 12.

[00:37:57] I'm bearing in mind I have not grown since I was 12, I just like a little bit more facial here.

[00:38:02] But I someone asked me what did I want to do in life. And I said, I don't know. And they were like, Why don't you know and they will really go in at me and my mom was laughing because she realized what had happened.

[00:38:14] It hit me then I was like, So people think I'm older. But what does an older person need to do. And it was only until a friend of mine went prison for a situation that they still haven't came out for.

[00:38:30] And it then hit me I was like, That's a whole life that you could be insightful and a whole generation can form around you.

[00:38:42] Do I want to be locked away for like a whole generation and a half or do I want to be trying to prevent that.

[00:38:54] I'm not going to act like we just go we stop. We all have our ups and downs, we all have our bad days, good days.

[00:39:03] But it's being able to hold what you need to hold. And easier said than done, just walk away. It's not easy all the time.

[00:39:13] Also, for me, I have mouths that I need to be able to feed. What good is is me not being around for those mouths.

[00:39:28] I guess and this completely tells more about the way you know, that's the maturity level you had at that particular age, you know, where you could decide for yourself, you could decide what's good what's bad.

[00:39:42] At the same time, you can you short your vulnerability like hey, yeah, I'm not staying away it's not just stop like hey no, and then it's tough.

[00:39:51] It's graph it's in between where you know, you could go your mind goes there also at the same time hey I need these and this is easy for me if I do this.

[00:39:59] But it doesn't end well where you saw your friend is still in jail I guess.

[00:40:06] And that's it that's life for so in case just to fill up your short shortcomings at that particular point, you could end up where your life could be all around in the cheese.

[00:40:18] And that's where I guess that's one of the part for you maybe you know, shaping yourself as an artist where you observe things.

[00:40:25] That's where I guess the artist actually came out of yourself where that this is this requires a lot of self observation and a lot of being with you spending time with yourself.

[00:40:33] And I guess that's where you the writing is major part of you, you know, because this is this are the incidents you know that really stays with us and that's really a part of an artist where this situations actually shaped the journey.

[00:40:48] And you know, you're not just a person you're a person you're an artist.

[00:40:53] Or caught it and that this is a great initiative that you're doing. I guess this is the part which got you motivated to be a part of some organization which is by the name with the pen can sell a trust and the National Justice Museum.

[00:41:03] And thank you for sharing that and thank you for making me and a lot of people aware. And I guess you're doing a good thing in notting them there.

[00:41:10] What now now he has a thing.

[00:41:15] Now you are a rapper also. So what's the thing with the wrapping you your maximum time is involved I guess in films and shooting and a lot of things I guess related to stage only, because whenever I was talking to you, you were actually in the rehearsals, you're

[00:41:30] actually doing play or some shooting anything but you were busy.

[00:41:35] What's the time where you get to write something you know write a piece for wrapping something you get a time what what's your thing with wrapping up.

[00:41:46] Mostly, I will improve so I might just be out and around and I might just say you know what this idea sounds good.

[00:41:54] I'll probably just open my phone and just record my voice or because writing will take a while. I will sometimes play the instrumental and just like oh I like this and just start going off the top of my head like for example, I might just say I'm

[00:42:09] sat in an interview listening to my friend trying to get to the interview but maybe this might end and if it ends what am I going to do I can't pretend and continue going and going until I start making sense or something.

[00:42:20] Yeah, this is making sense actually. Wow this is good and this is inside you I guess that this is inside you which stays when this is like you know the original rappers what we say this is how the processes they don't need any particular time

[00:42:37] it's just inside them you got your guys someone who you know do the music and all for you or you're just managing by your own. You have some people who are just in the rapping and then gather up with them.

[00:42:51] So pretty much me rapping wise it's more of a piece of mind state so this year I'm not working on getting back to performing music recording and releasing music but before it was just I'll just be improv rapping and people will be like oh my gosh when are you going to drop this and I'll be like

[00:43:10] Confession I don't know what I've said I've just literally made this all up on the spot which is mostly what I used to do is I used to just record and just release that and it was only until I'll be listening to some artists nowadays and I'll be very honest a lot of them should not have got signed but they've got a big following because they know how to use their selling point.

[00:43:30] Marketing.

[00:43:31] It sounds like I don't know what you said.

[00:43:36] Wow but yeah you're doing good you know you just need to release some of this stuff you know just grab some time I guess your maximum part is in the theater and film that's where you're not finding proper time to you know sit down and spend because for you if you're doing something then you put all your heart in that that means your time it's committed that's what you are you commit to that particular thing and then for you.

[00:43:59] You need to actually stop something of some some part of this to actually release an album or release song I guess that's that's actually one thing that's bothering you.

[00:44:08] So I get it.

[00:44:10] Now here's the thing.

[00:44:12] What's your role as a creator associate for lit theater and your work on the vegan of dreams and the jungle book.

[00:44:20] What are the challenges and the choice of working on a family oriented touring shows.

[00:44:25] So your role is also off the screen you know your role is off the stage where you are created associate for lit theater and you're also working on the vegan of dreams and the jungle book you know putting your create your head on board so how is this going on and how is this whole thing helping you in you know doing this all towards and family oriented.

[00:44:50] So for me, I was still trying to get in the whole performance side of it, but with jellyfish theater was a creative developer so it was mostly I wanted to be able to pitch an idea and create for a creative and educational purpose.

[00:45:09] So John COVID.

[00:45:11] I was with the company jellyfish data moves working on their show jungle book and another show, and I randomly said, can we take a short to not to me.

[00:45:19] I just want to be able to give back to my city.

[00:45:22] So then COVID kicked in and the director said, you're gonna have to make a decision because she was away.

[00:45:28] And I guess I was in charge of rehearsal that day.

[00:45:31] So we'll call it everything had to shut down.

[00:45:35] And then during the first two months of COVID, she called me and then we started crafting what became the wagon of dreams, which ended up becoming the biggest thing for the company.

[00:45:48] So then we started talking going around the whole UK.

[00:45:51] So then that got me into the whole thing of developer because I was creating learning alongside with the director slash producer and now picked up those skills.

[00:46:02] And then lit theater contact to me.

[00:46:05] It was to originally it was only to do two sessions with lit theater, but when I came in and worked with the young people.

[00:46:13] I then left and apparently it was Jordan we need Jordan so then I was asked to come back and the school that I actually hired to use was very much against me coming in even though I got a BBS and I work with young people all the time they were

[00:46:31] very much against me. So yeah, I then became an associate director once the overall person of lit theater said I don't want to lose you.

[00:46:42] So I'm going to pull out this pool and we're going to get our own space.

[00:46:46] So then that space of a week, which means so they became associate.

[00:46:52] Yeah, I should hope so.

[00:46:55] I was just winging it this whole time.

[00:46:59] And then the library or onto that and off permanent place.

[00:47:03] So now, yeah we've got two groups a young people group and then older young people.

[00:47:10] So we're just trying to expand and now all over the city doing odd group sessions with nothing in play house, the yard theater.

[00:47:19] And I've had enough few meetings with others.

[00:47:21] So I'm trying to keep that going as much as possible before Hollywood says, okay, we need you.

[00:47:27] Yeah, yeah.

[00:47:29] I mean, the way you work and the way you, you know, structure things the way you go for things it's going to have.

[00:47:35] I don't know the time but yeah, because once you had a hold over your craft and once you had all the need is the one knock on the door or one something that opens you up.

[00:47:45] And then what we can get out of this guy.

[00:47:48] So if these guys are there someone who saw you in the two sessions of record what we're doing fields and then they decided hey we need this guy.

[00:47:57] And then they decided to leave the place and get a new space because they want to use all your creative energy into their projects.

[00:48:04] And I guess this is the way, you know, other things are going to happen in a way that you are very crafted and that's the best thing that you have and that's the way people are going to need you.

[00:48:14] But yeah, thank you.

[00:48:16] Thank you so much for sharing that particular thing with me.

[00:48:18] And yeah, this is a way it's really interesting you know doing just two sessions and that's where the things actually the game actually changed for you you know in a creative way.

[00:48:27] You're actually putting your points and they are getting considered.

[00:48:30] So that's that's really good.

[00:48:32] Now yes, one more thing for nottingham.

[00:48:35] You are really connected with nottingham whatever comes you wanted to do for your city.

[00:48:39] Also the touring and all.

[00:48:42] So, what do you envision as the future for young artists in the city. How do you plan for it because you are actually looking for, you know creating some good things for your city always looking for giving back to the city.

[00:48:56] Anything related to your feel that you'd like to create you have a dream or a future envision anything that you have in mind that would like to share with us.

[00:49:08] So, my overall aim for my city is to make my city nottingham as relevant as Manchester and London only because when I was in drama school auditions.

[00:49:21] I was getting a lot of oh you from nottingham. Oh, how is that because nottingham has a reputation will have a reputation. And now the positive for nottingham is that it's a uni based city.

[00:49:34] So I want to be able to be a part of the art scene within the acting and the music, and I'm not going to act like we don't have one. We do.

[00:49:44] But at times it says if nottingham is just to themself. And I want to be able to uplift the city. So I want to be able to create like a some form of agency where people can be trained, people can also be represented, people can get that training.

[00:50:01] I know this places around that do that and that is that is fine. But I want to be a part of it for not just the city but also my background as well, because trying to go from where I was going from to where I am now it was hard.

[00:50:14] A lot of us never get to experience theater. A lot of us never get to experience the actual craft of what it means to be in the industry.

[00:50:24] I'd like to be able to start doing more of that but also I've started them drawing out a plan in order to get some funding so I can start going into detention centers and work with those that are currently serving time.

[00:50:37] So they've got pretty much a acting background and not just acting even like backstage stuff. So whether it be performing, whether it be working lights, sound design, anything that is to do.

[00:50:52] With performance, I want to be able to help guide them on that because as much as a lot of people think oh yeah it's just an easy and easy thing to do is hard.

[00:51:04] But at the same time when you're in a moment where you feel like there's nothing left. I feel like the joy of creating can take you out of a dark place.

[00:51:13] And for those that are serving time or in a detention center, it would be beneficial to help them. It will help get through their time.

[00:51:21] It will also give them qualifications. It will also give them something that they can say okay I had to do this time. This was my rehabilitation but I've then also been doing the projects with Jordan Lady as a way of understanding myself and what I can do.

[00:51:39] So I've had to be able to help opportunities that aren't going to be given to them because I believe the more opportunities, the more positive people can be, the less issues that can happen in this outside world.

[00:51:52] And hopefully if I can get all that going, I can get people that have more knowledge than myself to run it, even do school educational shows and I can just keep investing.

[00:52:05] Hopefully be in Hollywood.

[00:52:07] Hollywood things like that's the one thing that's on your mind all the time I guess. That's the one thing that you'd like to reach and be, yeah it's going to happen soon.

[00:52:19] Now tell me, till this day 2024 what has been the most rewarding projects or the piece of art that you did which is really, you think that's one thing that's really rewarding till this day of my journey.

[00:52:38] Can you share on that? Share something on that particular moment or the part of the journey till this moment which is very rewarding.

[00:52:49] Okay so there's a company called Wise Hour and I do the Polar Express with them.

[00:52:59] A lot of times on those shows, there's a lot of young people that will come never experienced theater, never had the opportunity to be in immersive show.

[00:53:10] So Polar Express, we perform on a train that moves pretty much and we create the whole scene from the Polar Express.

[00:53:20] So this particular audience member I didn't realize but they hugged me and said at the end they hugged me and said this was the best thing ever.

[00:53:31] Thank you and then they walked off with their mum and their dad looking like, I'll be very honest, he was looking like Arnold, like bodybuilder, big and he came over to me, shook my hand, it was painful.

[00:53:46] He was crying and I was like why are you crying? And he said just so you know, she's a maker with a wish child. This is what she wished for and you've made her dream come true and I was like wow.

[00:54:01] And then she came back and said can I have a picture and I was really taking because I wouldn't have thought I would be that person to make someone want a wish, deliver that wish.

[00:54:15] And for them to say this is the best thing ever. And again going back to wrestling, I only see that on wrestling. So for that moment I was like I need to keep giving this positivity and this energy because that day I was having a really bad day as well.

[00:54:35] I'm tired of this, I should be in Hollywood. I don't need this and yeah whatever I did really connected and especially to my dad who was clearly not that type of person to show emotion, show the emotion to a random person that was dressed like an elf.

[00:54:55] I hold on to that because I could have given up that day.

[00:55:02] Yeah. For someone from your Nottingham city to someone who is just starting out as an actor, you and then became something became a part of drama school, then actually got project but you never gave up on yourself.

[00:55:18] You're one of those guys if you put in something which is called as underdog situation, you make sure you've been. And if someone tells you hey this is not going to happen and you can't do that's where you actually gear up and get all your superpowers that you have inside you

[00:55:34] and you have to act active, activate all of those and you make sure that it happens. You fall in that kind of line you know where you make sure that this thing is done and it is done in crafted way.

[00:55:46] You just don't go randomly you make sure it is done in a way which is actually accepted on the bigger platforms.

[00:55:54] And this is the way that you have developed yourself. This is the way that you are in 2024 and this is the way that till this moment you structured yourself, you have structured this doesn't happen on day one.

[00:56:05] It happens with time and you actually make sure that you invest your proper time to structure yourself the way you are in 2024.

[00:56:13] Someone like you, what kind of advice you'd like to give to a new guy from Nottingham or someone around the world who's listening to this at this moment who's starting out as an actor, what advice you'd like to share?

[00:56:29] What I'd like to say to them is first think do you want this? Because if you don't want this, that is fine. There's no right or wrong. But if you do want this to keep going.

[00:56:43] Don't think because it's an industry where you have to accept you can either be broke or find your big break.

[00:56:52] You can see it as prepared to be broke because then if you are then surprised, it's even more sweeter. So put in the work put in the 10,000 hours and always aim to reach for the moon, because if you don't get the goal which is the moon whatever that goal is, all right, you're just going to hang with the stars.

[00:57:12] There's always an opportunity there. So reach for the moon. And if you miss the moon, you're going to hang with the stars.

[00:57:19] Great advice. The break, the broke and the break that really got me. That's the actual truth of this industry. Make sure you're ready. You're going to broken up into pieces in this industry.

[00:57:35] It's not like it just broken into two. It's like tiny pieces of you are flying all over the city everywhere if you get into this field. So make sure, yeah, you know that yeah this is going to happen to the moment you know and shoot for the moon because if not moon you're going to land on the stars but you have to prepare yourself in a way.

[00:57:53] Yeah, this is wonderful piece of advice that you share Jordan and the way you're preparing I'm sure in coming time I'm going to see you in major OTT platforms you know someone like who do a Netflix or prime in coming time it's going to happen the way you the way you craft yourself and the way you design yourself.

[00:58:11] It's like it's moment it's small thing that's going to happen. And then someone was going to watch that and then put you on the bigger things like this is how the step by step because you already have good craft there there's nothing more.

[00:58:23] You know the thing it's like just the moment that clicking to you and it's going to happen soon. So I'm wishing you all the best to the projects recent projects also that you're doing and the upcoming future that you're going to have as an artist.

[00:58:35] Thank you for being on the show thank you for thank you very much for being part of the Knights of Babylon as guest storyteller. And this was great this conversation was, yeah this conversation was really great and I am really happy that you actually shared really good points on the show.

[00:58:52] Thank you.

[00:58:55] Great great. So to everyone this was actor Jordan lately you can follow him on Instagram I guess he's not very active but I'll mention his Facebook and for anyone who is listening. There's also spotlight mentioned in this particular interview so you can if you want to connect with him you can connect with him by spotlight link

[00:59:15] you can just have a go through over that. But yeah, this was actor Jordan lately who got featured in one of our projects which was the Knights of Babylon, you can connect with him via social media. I'm going to mention them.

[00:59:28] Thank you so much for listening I am Majay Tambay the host and producer of this show. And now I'm signing off.