How do you go from waiting tables between auditions to co-directing a Disney musical with Jason Donovan and Harry Judd? And once you're the one running the room, what do you actually want to see when a performer walks in to audition?
Joseph Houston and William Whelton turned a former Manchester mill, first advertised as a storage space on Gumtree, into Hope Mill Theatre, one of the most talked-about producing houses in the UK. Ten years on, they're producing and co-directing a brand-new production of High School Musical, opening at The Lowry this summer before transferring to the Troubadour Wembley Park.
Jamie sits down with them to talk auditioning, producing, and swapping the performer hat for a business hat.
"Everyone on that panel is rooting for you to succeed."
In this episode:
- Why "50% naivety, 50% ambition" built a theatre, and why that's a superpower, not a weakness- The false sense of security that helps performers pivot: people only see what you show them
- What producers really think when you walk into the audition room (and the red flags that stand out)
- Why an audition is a job interview, and how to make safe, strong choices instead of risky untested ones
- The permission slip most performers need: bring your sides in your hand, and just ask
- How to wear the producer and director hats at once, and why "there's always a budget" makes the work better, not worse
- Why regional theatre matters, and how shows now reach Manchester before London
- The business skills nobody teaches performers: take every opportunity, even as a runner
- Why your performing career was never a failure, just part of the journey
Got a topic you want covered on the show? Send Jamie a DM. And if you're near Manchester or London this year, go and see High School Musical live.
Subscribe for honest conversations about the business behind the performing arts, made for performers, creatives and anyone building a sustainable career in this industry.
And find out more about High School Musical here - https://highschoolmusicalonstage.com/
