020: Alistair Brammer buys cheap biscuits.

It’s the hottest day of the year and we’ve got a leading man to match! Actor, Alistair Brammer joins host and director Andrew Keates for today’s episode of the Show People Podcast after playing Chris in both the Broadway and West End productions of Miss Saigon. Andrew and Alistair chat about biscuits, the differences between Broadway and the West End as well exploring his whole life and career, including growing up in Exmouth, not going to drama school, working for his local council – counting cars sat in a deck-chair, his experiences participating in the BBC’s Any Dream Will Do competition – which took him to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s castle, going on to appear in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, playing various roles both on stage and for the film version of Les Miserables, appearing in his first immersive production of Taboo playing Billy at the Brixton Club House, getting his kit off in Hair, his auditions and experiences in War Horse, working with Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi in the TV show Vicious and so much more. He also does a very good impression of Fra Fee.

Episode features include:

The Soapbox: Andrew and Alistair talk about pigeonholing/typecasting in the industry. Alistair asks for the opportunity to be seen for roles that might not necessarily be an obvious casting option for him. He shares his frustrations with just getting into the room and the way auditions are very different in America compared to the UK. Andrew chats about his frustrations about why certain roles must have certain physical dimensions and the two of them discuss the horror stories they’ve heard about actors being cast on beauty alone, rather than talent and the subsequent pressures on actors to look a certain way. They also discuss the challenges that face BAME artists and the controversy of casting a black actor to play Javert in Les Miserables.

Dramatic News: Andrew covers the latest dramatic news including stories about Gemma Hamilton’s controversial comments about BAME artists, the new cast of Les Miserables and The Other Palace/Mercury Musical Developments upcoming Musical Bites.

The Platform: Today’s platform is given to composer Ashley MA Walsh and his new musical called The Jury, which will soon play at the Brindley Theatre and we hear a song called So It Comes To This performed by Leanne Talbot from that show.