You're On Tonight

Kara Alberts-Turner, Liam Horrigan and The Sound Company Ltd

You’re On Tonight is a weekly podcast shining a spotlight on understudies, swings and covers in the theatre industry. Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner and Liam Horrigan, it shares extraordinary, behind-the-scenes stories from the people who ensure the show must go on. New episodes every Wednesday. Get in touch: youreontonight@gmail.com www.instagram.com/youreontonight www.youtube.com/youreontonight www.tiktok.com/youreontonight Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 15h ago

    I Understudied on the West End’s Biggest Play in a Generation | Hysteria, Hype and Hollywood Press Nights - Harry Bradley

    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. 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.

    I Understudied on the West End’s Biggest Play in a Generation | Hysteria, Hype and Hollywood Press Nights - Harry Bradley
  2. Sep 29

    I Was Thrown On in the West End for a Role I’d Never Played | Awareness, Attitude, and Always Being Ready – Allie Dart

    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.

    I Was Thrown On in the West End for a Role I’d Never Played | Awareness, Attitude, and Always Being Ready – Allie Dart
  3. Sep 22

    I Stepped Away from Acting - And Then Got Offered One of Musical Theatre’s Biggest Roles | Pressure, Perspective and Performing for Someone Else’s Fans – Emma Lucia

    Emma Lucia has spent the last year doing one of the hardest jobs in musical theatre: being ready to step on at a moment’s notice and make one of the Musical Theatre’s most recognisable roles her own. All while stepping into a role normally played by one of the most iconic names in the industry. As the cover for Jenna in the 10th anniversary tour of Waitress - a role normally played by Carrie Hope Fletcher - Emma knows what it feels like to walk onstage as an understudy in front of an audience who have arrived expecting somebody else. In this episode, she takes us inside that experience - the pressure, the nerves, the expectations and the challenge of trusting that you are enough when the spotlight suddenly lands on you. But Emma’s story goes much further. She opens up about one of the biggest decisions of her career: stepping away from acting altogether. She talks about why she left the industry, what eventually brought her back, how much she missed the people and community she had left behind, and why she’s now approaching her career with one very different priority - having fun. Emma shares some of the most extraordinary stories we’ve heard yet, including one spectacular piece of backstage chaos involving a moment where - in her own words - her life flashed before her eyes. We also talk about the power nerves can have over you, what it’s like performing when every instinct in your body is telling you to run, and Emma gives perhaps the most honest answer we’ve ever heard to one very simple question: Why do you do it? Emma Lucia - You’re On Tonight. 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.

    I Stepped Away from Acting - And Then Got Offered One of Musical Theatre’s Biggest Roles | Pressure, Perspective and Performing for Someone Else’s Fans – Emma Lucia
  4. Apr 21

    I Was Paid to Perform Drunk on Stage | Shocks, Shenanigans & Sh*tfaced Shakespeare - Princess Donnough

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

    I Was Paid to Perform Drunk on Stage | Shocks, Shenanigans & Sh*tfaced Shakespeare - Princess Donnough

About

You’re On Tonight is a weekly podcast shining a spotlight on understudies, swings and covers in the theatre industry. Hosted by Kara Alberts-Turner and Liam Horrigan, it shares extraordinary, behind-the-scenes stories from the people who ensure the show must go on. New episodes every Wednesday. Get in touch: youreontonight@gmail.com www.instagram.com/youreontonight www.youtube.com/youreontonight www.tiktok.com/youreontonight Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by The Sound Company. www.sound.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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