You're On Tonight

Lucy Jenkins and Sooki McShane have cast some of the biggest hits in British theatre, including The Play That Goes Wrong, the original cast of War Horse and A Comedy About Spies. But what does a casting director actually do?

In this episode, they take us behind the scenes of the casting process, revealing how the industry works, what a casting director is really looking for, and how the job has changed dramatically over the course of their careers.

From delivering scripts by hand to actors’ front doors (and their favourite Soho pubs) to the rise of self-tapes, Lucy and Sooki reflect on how technology has transformed the audition process – for better and for worse. They explore what we’ve gained, what we’ve lost, and what it means to find the right actor in an industry that looks very different from the one they started in.

And, of course, they have the stories to prove it. From casting their first Bollywood film to taking matters into their own hands and puppeteering the horses in War Horse, their careers have taken them to some extraordinary places.

But what does a casting director actually look for in an audition? How do they balance a director’s vision with the needs of an actor who might be nervous, inexperienced or having a particularly bad day? And what are the definite do’s and don’ts that every actor should know before walking into the room - or switching on their camera?

Lucy and Sooki give us the real lowdown on life on the other side of the casting table, offering an insight into one of the theatre industry’s most misunderstood jobs. Whether you’re an actor preparing for your next audition or simply curious about how the people on stage end up there, this is an episode packed with industry secrets, hard-earned wisdom and a few surprises along the way.

Lucy Jenkins & Sooki McShane - You’re On Tonight.
Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.uk

Get in touch:
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Strictly Come Dancing winner and star of Coronation Street, Ellie Leach, had her stage debut as Miss Scarlett in 2024 in Cluedo 2. Hannah Boyce starred opposite her, directed the show while it was on the road, and also understudied Ellie.

In this Encore, Ellie discusses the horrors that come with performing live, including wigs going haywire and styling out stumbles. Hannah talks about her time understudying on Broadway, and what it’s like as an understudy to rehearse sex scenes. Reflecting on their careers - this is the kind of honesty you only hear when the rehearsal room doors are closed.

Link to the full episode: https://pod.link/1875555963/episode/Njk5NGQ5ZjMzYmEyNTc3MmZlZTY5ZmIx?view=apps&sort=popularity

If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:

Instagram @youreontonight

TikTok @youreontonight

YouTube @youreontonight

Get in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com

Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.

Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.

For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.

Show image by Louisa Sexton.
Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.uk

Get in touch:
youreontonight@gmail.com
www.instagram.com/youreontonight
www.youtube.com/youreontonight
www.tiktok.com/youreontonight

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Margot Robbie produced one of the biggest plays to hit the West End in a generation, Hollywood came with her. Quentin Tarantino was at press night, A-listers were descending on the theatre - and Harry Bradley was standing in the middle of it all as an understudy on Ava Pickett’s 1536.

Harry talks to us about what it’s like being part of a show surrounded by that level of hype, and the strange, difficult and sometimes terrifying experience of attending a huge press night when nobody knows who you are, or quite what you do.

He also has some of the best stories we’ve ever heard about the sheer weirdness of being a cover - from playing the back of someone’s head to doing a fight call in front of 1,000 people without any trousers on.

But Harry is also incredibly open about the harder side of understudying: the frustration, the lack of purpose, and the feeling that the job can somehow be seen as less valuable than being a principal. He gives us possibly the best analogy for understudying we’ve ever had on the show.

From his first job in New Zealand to making his West End debut, Harry reflects on what a successful acting career actually looks like – and why progression isn’t always about the next big credit, but about what you learn about yourself, your craft and the people you work with.

Harry Bradley - You’re On Tonight.

Harry's graphic design business: https://www.harrypbradley.com/portfolio

If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:

Instagram @youreontonight

TikTok @youreontonight

YouTube @youreontonight

Get in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com

Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.

Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.

For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.

Show image by Louisa Sexton.
Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.uk

Get in touch:
youreontonight@gmail.com
www.instagram.com/youreontonight
www.youtube.com/youreontonight
www.tiktok.com/youreontonight

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clive Marlowe is a world-record holder: he has been covering the same roles on The Mousetrap for 15 years, making him the longest-serving understudy in history and understudy royalty.

In this encore, Clive reveals incredible stories from his career, including show-stops, acting through COVID, and the terrifying moment when you’re finally told ‘you’re on tonight.’ He reflects not only on what it’s like to be thrown onstage unprepared, how the class system dictated the start of his career, and what it can feel like to be perpetually waiting in the wings.

Link to the full episode: https://pods.link/b6jtgtbv8vd50

If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:

Instagram @youreontonight

TikTok @youreontonight

YouTube @youreontonight

Get in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com

Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.

Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.

For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.

Show image by Louisa Sexton.
Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.uk

Get in touch:
youreontonight@gmail.com
www.instagram.com/youreontonight
www.youtube.com/youreontonight
www.tiktok.com/youreontonight

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allie Dart’s days never seem to go to plan. From tiny fringe theatre to massive West End shows, Allie’s career has never shied away from backstage chaos.

And she has the stories to prove it. In one of the most extraordinary understudy stories we’ve heard, Allie talks about what happened when her performance went properly viral. In 2025, Allie was asked in The Comedy About Spies to step into a male role she didn’t cover, had never rehearsed, and had never even looked at - with just a few hours’ notice. She tells us what it takes to step into the unknown, trust your instincts, and make the most of an opportunity you never saw coming.

From multi-rolling comedies to brand new musicals, Allie has built a career around being adaptable. In this episode, she talks about why new work is always a challenge, how she deals with last-minute re-writes, and why the process of creating a piece of theatre doesn’t stop once press night is over. Live theatre is constantly evolving - and nobody feels this more than the understudy.

But this episode also looks at some of the less glamorous realities of acting. Allie opens up about the challenges of touring, why cast and company members don’t always feel safe on the road, and why it’s time to have a conversation about the culture surrounding digs.

More than anything, this is an episode about attitude. About staying positive when things don’t go to plan, believing in yourself when you’re thrown into the unknown, and how you become the person who always has a solution ready.

Allie Dart - You’re On Tonight.

If you enjoyed the show, you can follow us at:

Instagram @youreontonight

TikTok @youreontonight

YouTube @youreontonight

Get in contact at: youreontonight@gmail.com

Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner & Liam Horrigan.

Produced by and recorded at The Sound Company, London.

For The Sound Company: Dom Boucher, Luke Nagy, Gareth Wood & Nick Thackeray-Cron alongside Freya Baldwin & Seb Stone.

Show image by Louisa Sexton.
Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.uk

Get in touch:
youreontonight@gmail.com
www.instagram.com/youreontonight
www.youtube.com/youreontonight
www.tiktok.com/youreontonight

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.