This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:01] Dave Hearn: Hello, and welcome to the next episode of Mischief Makers. My name is Dave Hearn. I am your host, and I'm with two very special guests today. Please introduce yourselves.

[0:19] Matt Cavendish: I'm Matt Cavendish.

[0:20] Allie Dart: Oh, that's it. Great. I'm Allie Dart.

[0:23] Dave Hearn: Oh, is that it?

[0:24] Allie Dart: That's also it, yeah.

[0:25] Dave Hearn: Do you want a short bio? Is that what you were hoping for?

[0:29] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, go for it. Tell us what you do.

[0:30] Allie Dart: My CV from the last three years.

[0:31] Matt Cavendish: So we're all currently on The Comedy About Spies.

[0:33] Allie Dart: The Comedy About Spies.

[0:34] Dave Hearn: There we go. Yeah, tell us what you do on The Comedy About Spies.

[0:38] Matt Cavendish: Well, we're both understudies.

[0:39] Dave Hearn: Nice.

[0:40] Matt Cavendish: I cover four of the male parts in the show. Bernard, Tipton, Sergei and Lance.

[0:47] Allie Dart: And I cover two of the ladies and two of the boys.

[0:50] Dave Hearn: Nice.

[0:51] Matt Cavendish: Pretty exciting stuff.

[0:52] Dave Hearn: That's pretty exciting. So both four covers.

[0:53] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[0:54] Matt Cavendish: Very exciting.

[0:55] Allie Dart: And then we're both obviously also ensemble.

[0:57] Matt Cavendish: So we're in the background being bellboys and guests and old ladies.

[1:00] Allie Dart: We call it track one and track two.

[1:01] Matt Cavendish: We do.

[1:02] Dave Hearn: Tell us a bit about that.

[1:03] Allie Dart: Yeah, track one is sort of, well, in theory the guys track, but actually there is a world in which—

[1:10] Matt Cavendish: You never know what's going to happen.

[1:11] Allie Dart: But that hasn't happened yet.

[1:13] Allie Dart: And that involves, yeah, sort of multi-rolling. So being useful bits and pieces throughout the show, really.

[1:19] Matt Cavendish: That's bellboys, hotel guests.

[1:23] Allie Dart: Gladys.

[1:24] Matt Cavendish: Gladys.

[1:25] Allie Dart: Come on.

[1:26] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, yeah.

[1:27] Allie Dart: A fan favourite, I'd say.

[1:29] Matt Cavendish: They want a spin-off of Gladys.

[1:30] Allie Dart: Yeah, yeah.

[1:32] Matt Cavendish: A man in an old woman's coat and headscarf and Gladys.

[1:36] Allie Dart: That's comedy.

[1:38] Matt Cavendish: It's quite scary sometimes.

[1:40] Allie Dart: Yeah, yeah.

[1:41] Matt Cavendish: It's a powerful look.

[1:42] Dave Hearn: And Allie, tell us a bit about track two.

[1:44] Allie Dart: Track two, exactly as Matt said, is sort of the same, except we are, what else do we do?

[1:51] Matt Cavendish: We do a lot of bellboy action.

[1:52] Allie Dart: You're a suspicious person.

[1:53] Matt Cavendish: We're a very suspicious person.

[1:55] Allie Dart: Very good.

[1:56] Matt Cavendish: You're a spa masseuse.

[1:58] Allie Dart: A masseuse.

[1:59] Matt Cavendish: We work in a hotel.

[2:01] Allie Dart: You probably have more bellboy action than we do.

[2:03] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, I think so, yeah.

[2:04] Allie Dart: In that first lobby scene, you're in and out constantly.

[2:07] Matt Cavendish: We're populating that lobby.

[2:09] Allie Dart: Every other line.

[2:10] Matt Cavendish: We've got towels.

[2:11] Allie Dart: We've got drinks.

[2:12] Matt Cavendish: We've got, you know, everything.

[2:15] Allie Dart: That's about it.

[2:17] Matt Cavendish: That's it.

[2:18] Allie Dart: It's so much fun.

[2:19] Matt Cavendish: And we rotate in those tracks between the six of us understudies.

[2:21] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[2:22] Matt Cavendish: Seven, I suppose, actually.

[2:23] Allie Dart: And we rotate between us in those tracks.

[2:25] Matt Cavendish: So when some of us are on for principals, the others will take over on the ensemble tracks and see how that works.

[2:30] Dave Hearn: So what are you doing when you're not tracking or on for one of the principals?

[2:34] Allie Dart: Well, in the beginning, we were in our dressing rooms, terrified.

[2:39] Matt Cavendish: Or we were shadowing you guys, learning lines, going through everything.

[2:44] Allie Dart: And then as you know the play more and more and you get a bit more comfortable, you can take a step back.

[2:50] Matt Cavendish: So often we can chill out in the dressing room.

[2:53] Allie Dart: I try and do some work sometimes, put my laptop in, catch up on Netflix, try and keep it different.

[2:59] Matt Cavendish: Sometimes I've done some yoga in my tiny dressing room.

[3:03] Allie Dart: Nice.

[3:04] Matt Cavendish: That's very fun.

[3:05] Allie Dart: Who does that?

[3:06] Matt Cavendish: I only do work-related stuff.

[3:08] Allie Dart: I knew you were going to say that, and that's unfair and a lie.

[3:10] Matt Cavendish: Always recapping the characters and the lines.

[3:13] Allie Dart: Movement captain, just constantly making sure the chase is clean.

[3:17] Matt Cavendish: Playing Uno.

[3:19] Allie Dart: No.

[3:20] Matt Cavendish: Sometimes we do that.

[3:21] Allie Dart: We'll hang out between her queues as well.

[3:24] Matt Cavendish: So it really depends on how many of us are off the shows.

[3:28] Allie Dart: If there's like three of us or four of us who are not on, then we can hang out and do stuff and run lines.

[3:34] Matt Cavendish: But sometimes it will just be you because everyone else is on in some capacity.

[3:37] Allie Dart: So you can either do your own work or get on with something else.

[3:41] Dave Hearn: Okay, so talk to me about the feeling. So you're waking up in the morning, hopefully, so we're in already. And then you're coming into the theater, right? And at some point in the day, and this is the electricity of being an understudy, right? Because at some point in the day you may get a call saying you're on for X. Or you may arrive at the theater and suddenly someone's like, oh, by the way, this person can't come in for whatever reason. So does that feeling pervade your day-to-day or is it like a thing that you don't really think about it until you get the call?

[4:17] Matt Cavendish: I think it's quite a weird job because you swing quite violently between very stressed and very bored. There's not a lot in between. But most of the time, especially where we're at now, we're all quite comfortable with the show. Actually, almost anyone that we cover could say I'm going off and it'd be quite exciting and we'd be up for it and it's fun. But there was a point when the show was opening and we were going through lots of script changes and previews where if we'd been thrown on, it would have been absolutely horrifying.

[4:47] Allie Dart: Of course, yeah.

[4:49] Matt Cavendish: But yeah, at this point, this is dreamland now as an understudy because not only are you getting to go on, you get to try out doing a bunch of parts so you don't get bored and you're not super stressed about it, which is nice.

[5:00] Allie Dart: Yeah. I think it also, because obviously as covers, we have our first, second, third, sometimes fourth, depending on how many you cover.

[5:07] Matt Cavendish: Or fifth for now.

[5:09] Allie Dart: Exactly, you have a million. If you're getting called and you're like, oh, it's your first cover, then you're just so comfortable with it, as Matt said, because we've been doing it for ages now and luckily a lot of us have been able to go on, so you've had your practice and you know how it feels. But if you're suddenly getting down to like, OK, someone's on their first cover, that means I have to drop into my second cover, which blah, blah, blah. With each cover, obviously, there's only so much prep you can do.

[5:32] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, yeah.

[5:34] Allie Dart: So if we got down to third covers, I think it would be a different story. But again, you're hearing the play every day, you're in the atmosphere of the play, even when you go on as a first cover, you're aware of the other people around you. It's such a different stage that we're at now than when we were at the beginning.

[5:51] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, and so for the people who aren't in theatre land, can you explain what you mean by first, second, third?

[5:57] Allie Dart: Yeah, so first cover means that you're first point of call. So for example, I'm first cover Nancy, who plays Janet. So if Nancy is ill or has holiday or whatever, I will play Janet. But then if I also am second cover Elena, who's Charlie, and Makedi is first cover, so if Makedi isn't there and Charlie goes off, then I will go in for Charlie, and it steps down like that.

[6:22] Matt Cavendish: But then also it means if other people are on for certain parts. So for example, if someone's on for...

[6:31] Allie Dart: So if Matt was on for Bernard, and Niall was on for Sergei, and then Dave, you were like, I've broken my leg, I can't go on. Then third cover Lance, here's your gal, she's going on. She's in. She's going on because the first and second covers are taken up, so it steps down. It basically ensures that everybody is covered and we don't have to cancel a show.

[6:51] Matt Cavendish: And yeah, failing some kind of very serious thing where lots of people get taken out.

[6:56] Allie Dart: Yeah, exactly. But it's also like once one of you guys...

[6:59] Matt Cavendish: It then becomes... Because the way I've always seen Understudies, right, because I've sat on the panel and auditioning people and stuff, and sometimes I find that some people are so good at doing so many different parts that there would be better to be an Understudy. And actually this other person is really good at just doing this one part, but I'd be like, well, they can't Understudy because they can only do this one thing. So I often find that Understudies... Well, you can tell me if this tallies, right? I often find that I think Understudies are quite precious in terms of like... Because you're covering so many things. But if one of you goes on holiday or one of you gets ill, suddenly the exposure of the show starts to become much more like... The show becomes more exposed, right?

And it might get cancelled. But then in terms of like, I guess, the kind of social paradigm of Understudying, right, around like how it's seen, I'm often like, oh, wow, these guys are amazing because they can do five parts. But do you feel that you are treated differently, Understudying, than you were if you were a Principal actor? I appreciate it's a bit of a loaded question, but like...

[8:05] Matt Cavendish: No, I think it's different between people who are in the industry and people who aren't as well. So if you're in the industry, you would hope that a lot of people understand the, like you say, like the value of Understudies. It ensures that Principals can go on holiday and don't feel like they have to push through injury or illness or whatever. They protect their body because they can go off and they know that they won't detriment the show or whatever. And especially in this show, it feels very much like a team effort, like the Understudies are part of the company and we all are involved in the show and helping, like help it. We've made what it is today, basically. But when you're not in the industry, I think a lot of people maybe have a view that Understudies are sort of just like the backup.

And when people turn up and you see the sign that says the part of blah, blah, blah will now be paid by blah, blah, blah. Sometimes the initial reaction is disappointment, which is sad. But also you understand it with like there's a lot of like star casting and stunt casting going on at the moment. So people come to the theatre. Often the only way we can get people to the theatre is to lure them in with celebrities. And then if your celebrity isn't on, then you get disappointed when actually, which I totally get because you want to come and see that person that you've seen on TV or you've seen in a different play or blah, blah, blah. But also it's a great opportunity to showcase a brilliant actress or actor who has done so much work and probably, as you say, is crazy versatile and helping keep the show on and running. So it's a balance. It depends where you place your value as an audience member, really.

[9:39] Allie Dart: I think we're really lucky in Mischief shows because the shows generally are sold on the quality of the show as an ensemble piece. So if people go because they know they're going to get a great 90, 120 minutes of theatre and a great story, they're not going because they're seeing Joe Bloggs from ITV's blah, blah, blah. So the audience are coming with a different expectation. But if they are going to see Joe Bloggs, and I understand why they would, then I also understand why that would be a really disappointing experience if they didn't get to see them. We've had that. But we're really lucky in this company that actually 90% of the audiences are coming to see the show. Obviously they want to see you guys too because you guys have had your own TV show and the story as a company is amazing.

But I've never had the sense going on in any of these shows that there's like a, oh, that's a shame. And I also think that culture is, there's a culture of celebration from the company publicly and behind closed doors for us. And when that culture is being set from the top down, then actually that really does help in terms of people coming along to see the show. If the people they're missing are saying, come see the show, it's great, this person's brilliant, that's great. Whereas actually if that isn't the culture, then it does leave the door open for people to be disappointed. If you're trying to hide it, people will find out when they get here.

[11:02] Matt Cavendish: Because I find, speaking from a principal position, I find, obviously I love doing the show with Nance, for example, but if she's off, it's very exciting to have...

[11:10] Allie Dart: It's me.

[11:11] Matt Cavendish: First of all, it's very exciting to have... But it's so fun to have, even when you're on as Bernard or even this week you've been on as Tipton, Greg's part, we don't even have that much to do together, but actually it's really fun. It's a fun new energy, I think, which feels really exciting.

[11:28] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[11:29] Matt Cavendish: And I don't understand why people wouldn't be excited by that.

[11:32] Allie Dart: Well, yeah, I think it's probably changed over the years as well. I think a lot of actors, you know, sometimes you do the same thing every day in theatre and some people find that great and some people find that quite boring, but then if you throw a massive curveball of someone who's only done it once ever with no rehearsal ever, it can really take you out of that rhythm and comfort zone. So I can understand if you're, you know, if you like theatre for doing a similar thing every day, you're suddenly like, oh my God, I have to really be on edge and sort of make sure that they're OK as well because this person hasn't had enough rehearsal and will I have to catch anything from them? They've said something in a completely different way so I have to actually change my thought. But then a lot of people can just take that as a great thing that changes up the game and keeps everything fresh, which is always good.

[12:20] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, it's actor-dependent, isn't it? Because I remember I stepped into bank robbery when it was on tour after having not done it for like three or four years. And I was just like, oh, it's going to be a carnage. It's going to be a fucking car crash. And I think I said to them, I was like, it's like I'm going to do my best, but it's like we're all playing Russian roulette and I'm going to shoot one of you. I just don't know who it's going to be. And most people laughed and was like, OK, great. And most people were really excited to have me there. But there was one or two actors that just went into full panic mode and were just like, do you know what you're doing? And I was like, yeah, yeah.

[12:54] Dave Hearn: Pretty much. But I haven't done it for three or four years. And I just read the script on the train on the way up. So like, I'm just sort of managing your expectations of what I'm able to achieve. But at the end of the day, it's just a show. And it's going to be a lot of fun, hopefully. And I'll be here for the next four weeks. And then yeah, I think I had a similar journey to you guys just sort of truncated after three or four days. I was like, great, I got it. And now I'm just doing a show. But yeah, I suppose it is that thing, isn't it? It's a high-pressure environment. Loads of people are watching you. And if you're used to something being a certain way, and then an element is changed, I suppose that can be quite unsettling.

[13:30] Allie Dart: Yeah. And I think again, it's all circumstance based, like with Mischief, particularly with you guys with the originals, it's a company built on improvisation. These people, like, what gets you guys going is the idea of something being new and interesting and fun. And literally the name Mischief is all about, you know, a bit of naughtiness and having a bit of fun and pushing it a bit. And so there is a real openness to people coming in with a new energy and making the show slightly different. Not that it's meant to be different, you know, it is the same show, but that different energy being new. And that's an interesting, exciting thing for you guys. There definitely would be companies where people aren't that comfortable with that.

[14:10] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, I think you have to create a culture of like, even in a serious play, I have to create a culture of it being enjoyable to tell the story. And like, I think the thing I always try and do, and I don't know if we do this, I think we do this as a company, I think we're able to laugh at ourselves and laugh at our errors. And I remember going on and Adam Byron was covering Henry Lewis, and he tried a new way of delivering a line, and it just died. And he came off and I went Byron, and he just went, yep, swing and a miss. And I was like, great, he's now in a position where he's going, I'm going to try something new with this joke. And I think like, and then accepting that it failed. Yeah, great. I'll just go back to the old way. Yeah. And that's like, I just think that culture is much more, is a much better way to exist than just being like, how do we get this right?

[15:00] Allie Dart: Yeah, we've talked about that in the dressing room, just like with the show specifically, when it gets to a point where it's too robotic, and like, it's an impressive feat, but it loses the sort of magic that makes people want to come back for more.

[15:13] Matt Cavendish: Yeah. And that, you know, that's an ensemble feeling like that it doesn't need a bit of eagerness to try new things. Yeah, I think my sense was when we were doing Play That Goes Wrong in New York, Jono, who's one of the writers, he stepped out and watched one of the shows. And the note he gave us afterwards was he was like, I watched the show and he was like, it was so impressive. It was like watching the military do comedy. It was like precise, it was clean. All the beats were hit and all the jokes landed. And he was like, but we look like a group of people who just really know what we're doing. We don't look like a group of people doing a fun, silly show. And he was like, I think we just need to remind ourselves of, and that's really hard when you've been doing it.

And when we'd hit over 1000 shows, and we're out there, so like, we just needed a new dynamic and new thought process just to go, how do we make the show fun again, rather than in our bodies being like, here's the joke, there's the laugh, here's the pause, here's the next joke. And it just becomes that. So yeah, I think having a new dynamic, and particularly having six or seven understudies now.

[16:20] Allie Dart: Seven.

[16:21] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, yeah. To keep the energy changing is really great. How does your internal feeling change as you're becoming more comfortable with the show? We're now in the last couple of weeks of it, is there still things that could give you the same feeling now that you had at the start?

[16:35] Allie Dart: Yes.

[16:36] Dave Hearn: What, instantly? Tell me about that.

[16:43] Allie Dart: 100%. I mean, the other day, I went on Finance last week, and I hadn't done it in only, I think, two weeks. But you suddenly just doubt, even though I've been on a lot, like, and I know that I know it in my soul. But just the worry of, I don't know, it's really strange. Yeah. And going on for like, one of the other covers that I haven't done as much, would just immediately give me that rush of adrenaline.

[17:14] Matt Cavendish: So yeah, your third cover, Meat, right?

[17:16] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[17:16] Dave Hearn: So yeah, how would you feel? Scenario. Okay, here we go. Role play.

[17:20] Allie Dart: Role play. Here we go.

[17:21] Dave Hearn: So you wake up in the morning, it's sunny, it's lovely. You have breakfast. What are you eating?

[17:26] Allie Dart: Croissant.

[17:26] Dave Hearn: Croissant. Lovely. It's the best croissant you've ever had. Little coffee, walking to the train.

[17:30] Allie Dart: Oh, yeah.

[17:30] Dave Hearn: Coming in.

[17:31] Allie Dart: Happy as Larry.

[17:32] Dave Hearn: It's great. I'm smiling at you.

[17:33] Allie Dart: Going to watch Netflix today.

[17:34] Dave Hearn: Yeah. Oh, yeah. You're on your phone. People on the train are going, oh my God, is that Ali Dartman Row? And you're just like-

[17:38] Allie Dart: Stop it. No pictures, please.

[17:40] Dave Hearn: Yeah. Waving. You arrive at the theatre.

[17:41] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[17:42] Dave Hearn: Through some twist of fate.

[17:43] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[17:44] Dave Hearn: Three people are down. You're going on for, you walk through the door and you're going on for lunch.

[17:48] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[17:49] Dave Hearn: What's going through your head?

[17:50] Allie Dart: Immediate. Yes. Can't wait to wear the costume. I'm dying to wear that costume so much. Oh, no. I need to make sure the harness fits me because that harness is so annoying. Need to go through everything, especially the physical bits. Just need to run through it once. And then I just need to panic, get all the lines out of my mouth before the show.

[18:07] Dave Hearn: Okay. What does panicking look like? You need to do panicking?

[18:10] Allie Dart: I need to do some panicking. It'll probably be a lot of pacing.

[18:13] Dave Hearn: You'll be striding around.

[18:14] Allie Dart: Grabbing. Yeah.

[18:16] Matt Cavendish: Matt's seen it many times, actually.

[18:20] Allie Dart: Yes. Grabbing. Probably some singing.

[18:20] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[18:20] Allie Dart: Probably being like, I probably should get another coffee. I need another coffee. Matt, do I need another drink? Absolutely not.

[18:25] Matt Cavendish: He's like, no, no. You need a chamomile tea. You just calm down.

[18:30] Allie Dart: So, yeah. Will you try and calm yourself or will you be like, no, no, I've got this energy. I'm just going to let it explode.

[18:34] Allie Dart: No, I'd need to calm. I think different people have different things. Some people are able to channel the energy into some sort of good thing that you can use on stage. Whereas if mine goes too much, I'll just be like, where I am or what's happening. My head feels like it's going to explode.

[18:49] Matt Cavendish: It boils over.

[18:50] Allie Dart: So I need to push it down and really hyper focus. And then I always just say to anyone that's going on or for the first time or whatever, you just take it line by line, scene by scene. And you don't think of it as a full thing. Because when I was first going, I was so nervous. I was absolutely terrified. It was a very depressed night, in fairness.

[19:08] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, true. It was quite early.

[19:10] Allie Dart: But I knew that I knew it and I was desperate to do it. So hungry for it. I was so nervous and I was like, just need to take it line by line. And I know what comes next. OK, we've ticked that off. We move on to the next. We've ticked that off and you just take it step by step by step.

[19:24] Matt Cavendish: Wow.

[19:25] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[19:25] Matt Cavendish: My experience of doing it on Bank Robbery was, I don't know if this resonates with you, but I knew it. But I was finding that the lines were coming to me as I was saying them.

[19:35] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[19:35] Matt Cavendish: So like, I'd hear the cue line and then my mouth started saying the next line. And I was like, but I didn't have the confidence of knowing what was coming next.

[19:44] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[19:44] Matt Cavendish: I was just walking into scenes and then someone would say something and I would respond.

[19:48] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[19:48] Matt Cavendish: Like, oh, OK. So it's like right on this like precipice of failure. And that's horrible.

[19:53] Allie Dart: Where you're like walking along the edge, like teetering about to fall off.

[19:57] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[19:57] Allie Dart: Is that like, yeah, does that like, is that how you feel when you're going on? If you were to go on for Lance, for example.

[20:01] Matt Cavendish: I mean, when I went on for Sergei, it was very much that. It was very much me just going, I hope that they're going to give me a cue that I then recognise in my brain and the line will come out because otherwise I just I don't know. But then some of it, weirdly, I will learn as monologues.

[20:18] Allie Dart: OK.

[20:20] Matt Cavendish: Like, I'll just know all of my lines and then I'll hear you say your line and I'll just go, yes, I know that my next line is this. Like, if I really.

[20:28] Allie Dart: Oh, I see like a full chunk.

[20:29] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, exactly. I can like see it on the page and that's how I get through it. We're going to come on to you going on Sergei because that is an incredible story. And I do want to, I do want to talk about it.

[20:36] Allie Dart: An incredible story.

[20:39] Matt Cavendish: An incredible story with Ali Dartmouth, right. But same question to you, though, Desh, you wake up in the morning.

[20:44] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[20:44] Matt Cavendish: You've made your quesadilla. What are you eating? Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.

[20:48] Allie Dart: Oh, yeah. Oh, what are you eating?

[20:49] Matt Cavendish: Generally have breakfast.

[20:50] Allie Dart: OK.

[20:50] Matt Cavendish: But I might have something for brunch.

[20:53] Allie Dart: OK, so brunch is having an omelette. Maybe she makes benny.

[20:57] Matt Cavendish: Eggs.

[20:58] Allie Dart: Today was a quesadilla.

[20:59] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, quesadilla.

[21:02] Allie Dart: The sun is shining and sun shining on the train.

[21:05] Matt Cavendish: My God, is that Matt Cavendish?

[21:06] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[21:07] Matt Cavendish: No photos, please.

[21:08] Allie Dart: No, no, no.

[21:08] Matt Cavendish: You get to the theatre.

[21:10] Allie Dart: Boom, several people are down.

[21:11] Matt Cavendish: You're on as Lance.

[21:12] Allie Dart: Just another day in the show.

[21:15] Matt Cavendish: Oh, my God. See the difference between me and Lance. Like, wow, this is fabulous. I would have to spend an hour just going over everything.

[21:23] Allie Dart: But that's the one I know least. Like, there just has to generally be a pick. When there's four or five covers you're doing, you just there just has to be a picking order in terms of what you prioritize. And Lance has been the last one because if Niles here, he'll always be on for that and I'd be on for Sergey or whatever. So yeah, that would be, it'd be hairy. But weirdly, I think, in a way, more fun. Sometimes, like with Tipton this week, yesterday was a weird one. Just starting off with that MI6 scene. That's just quite a tricky scene to start a show with anyway. Especially if you're covering mold.

[21:57] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, it doesn't have a lot.

[21:58] Allie Dart: But actually, there's something about just being exposed on that stage and waiting for quite a confusing queue line. Because it's all, if you've not seen the show, this is a whole thing that all the agents are given letters as code names. And there's confusion about, you know, I would be agent you. And so I'm answering to him saying you in any circumstance.

[22:19] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, you get out and you think it's you.

[22:21] Allie Dart: A whole scene of wordplay constantly. And yeah, I just had a moment yesterday, I came out and you're like, suddenly, you're in front of a thousand people. And yeah, you just feel very exposed. And because it's not entirely in your body, it would be when you're playing a principal and you've done two weeks worth of shows. At that point, it is you're in cruise control, pretty much. You can have fun. But there is still as a cover until you've been on. Like, I think by the end of this week, it'd be fine because I've done a week's worth. Yeah, but yeah, there's still moments where you just go.

[22:52] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[22:52] Allie Dart: Oh, I'm not sure. Have you ever had that one stage? Like where you're just like stomach drops when you just go, you know, it's you.

[22:58] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, a hundred times, so many times. But do you find that you have it where if there's any, suppose if you've been on, right, or it's the first time you're on as a part, if there's any pause, are you just like, must be me?

[23:10] Allie Dart: It must be me.

[23:11] Matt Cavendish: Or are you like knowing it well enough?

[23:14] Allie Dart: I get it that if there's, I, right, speak about it. If I am on and I'm trying to take my time with a line, I like try and like look at you and be like, I'm doing a pause. I do know my line.

[23:27] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[23:29] Allie Dart: Do you know what I mean? To like make sure that you're not like, do I have to save you? That is definitely a thing because people want to help covers out. And so, yeah, you're right. Your pause would be leapt on by principle because they'll think.

[23:39] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, they've lost it.

[23:40] Allie Dart: Yeah. It's like, no, no, I'm pausing. And here's the line.

[23:43] Matt Cavendish: This is also a bit of a loaded question, but try and answer it honestly. Do you feel like you are trusted by the rest of the company?

[23:51] Allie Dart: In this show?

[23:52] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, in this show.

[23:53] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[23:54] Matt Cavendish: Or do you ever feel like, oh, someone's gonna snap?

[23:57] Allie Dart: Not like be angry, but like snap up that pause or whatever it is.

[24:01] Matt Cavendish: No, this environment is very, very supportive. And I feel very trusted. And I know the podcast, it's called Mischief Makers. But if that is the truth, they're great. But you don't have to say that if it's.

[24:13] Allie Dart: No, it is lovely. And I've been an understudy before where it hasn't been that. So I can compare it. But this is it really does feel trusted. But it also feels like because it's a weird balance as an understudy. You do have to aid the principals because they've been doing it the whole time. And you need to make sure it's that show that's going on. You can't suddenly be like, oh, I've decided actually she's from Texas instead of New York. I couldn't make a choice like that. But I can make little character choices that would more fit me than like Nancy's Janet or whatever. So yeah, I do feel very trusted.

[24:53] Matt Cavendish: Great.

[24:54] Allie Dart: Yeah, I mean, you know, I've known and done shows with you guys for over 10 years now. So actually, I feel super lucky to just come in and be messing around with pals. Doesn't necessarily feel like I'm coming into a new job in that sense. Like whenever I'm on, it's just like, oh, it's Dave, I've known for 15 years. Oh, that's Charlie, who was the first person I lived with when I left home.

[25:20] Matt Cavendish: Which is lovely. And I remember that is the nicest thing when you're going on for the first time, you're a bit worried, you can just connect with the other actors. And if you're in a company like this where you're supported, actually that shuts out a bit of the noise because you're then just in the scene with someone who's your friend. And also, you're probably a bit more comfortable with someone's like, oh, how are you feeling to go? I am a bit nervous, actually.

[25:39] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[25:39] Matt Cavendish: Okay, cool. Whereas Adam Byron would say, I am.

[25:42] Allie Dart: I am a blaze.

[25:43] Matt Cavendish: I am a blaze!

[25:45] Allie Dart: Whereas at the beginning, I'm completely nervous.

[25:47] Allie Dart: Yeah, I was like guys, I'm absolutely fine. Absolutely fine. Nothing at all. I proved myself, proved myself. I know all my lines, blah blah blah, and now the filter is gone. But I think, yeah, it's trying a bit of honesty though as well. Yeah, I think as well like there's just on a human level like you can, you know, if someone's like calm or if someone's pretending to be calm and then you're going, are you pretending to be calm for my benefit? Yeah, I've done this loads. So like if you're not calm, that's okay. Yeah, you just today need to embrace whatever it is that you have. Yeah, run with that, but you were saying like in terms of making different character choices. Do you guys find when, in terms of your process of putting the character together, do you prioritize essentially like learning it as is?

Been rehearsed by the principal and then is it a facsimile or a copy of that or is that kind of what you're aiming for to start with and then bring your own flavor into it once you know it more or is it always a thing of how do I make this my own? As a starting point I would always just take it through osmosis like it would be okay, this is a version of what Shields is doing because you get so little time to rehearse. But usually that's the time where you get comfortable with the character you develop. Yeah, actually you're short-circuiting everything as an understudy. So I just need to find the quickest way to learn the material. Yeah, and that is to take on. And also it's part of your job as an understudy to take on a version of a performance that people are paid to see.

Yeah, and so you do that and you can only like, my main goal is to get it to a point where I just feel comfortable with the words coming out of my mouth. Yeah, once that happens, then I can start worrying about putting some character on top. Yeah, but actually I want to feel solid and comfortable being on stage saying those lines because actually it does take, you know, a week or so of the lines being learned for that to start feeling comfortable in your body. Yeah, and then after that like now we're at a point where it's great. Okay, I'll try and figure out we've talked about this. I like there are lines that I just, there are certain lines that you can't land in the same way as the person you're covering. Yeah.

[28:12] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, and so at the point now I go I just need to find my own voice with that and then at some point it will read truthfully because, but the worst thing is we go through the checklist that if we get to the mid the scene and if it doesn't get a laugh you basically just get us going like there was one where you've got a bit of a laugh we all three of us just went, oh.

[28:27] Allie Dart: But yeah, how about you, Ali? Are you the same?

[28:29] Allie Dart: Yeah, the same in that you need to learn the lines first and that is the main thing once you've got them out. But then there are certain things that all just like, just won't fit me as a person and I won't be able to sell it. So I'll just try and sell it how I would because me and that's so different.

[28:47] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, so some things that she's doing if I did that it just wouldn't be funny. But maybe I can try them in a different way and try and get, so it is, yeah, it's very similar and that's also kind of going back to what we're saying earlier about like the joy of having a new person. Oh, I wonder what they're gonna do differently.

[29:05] Allie Dart: Yeah, and then how do you feel? Maybe it's easier once you know it a bit more but we're, we as a group, we're a bit of a nightmare because we often know each other and like actors don't really do that and it's not really the dumb thing. It's sort of all done through the director, but we'll often just be like, oh mate, I think if you do this, this and this you'll get the laugh there. But how does that feel for you guys? Is there a tipping point where you're, if you're going on for the first time you're a bit like, thanks, fuck off. And then maybe after like a couple of shows, you're like cool. I'm ready to be like, yeah. How does that feel getting notes from other actors and particularly if you're stepping into another part?

[29:43] Matt Cavendish: I would say diplomatically I think generally you'll go given a show's grace in this company and then if you're on for a run of more than one show after the second or third show people start coming up to you privately and very kindly just saying, oh actually you're meant to be stood there. Oh, it's really actually an acting. But you will start getting four or five different, and that can become like at that point you just have to pick one, take it because it is helpful stuff. Yeah, but not obsess over ticking all of that in the same way you would with the director's notes you go. Okay, I'm gonna read them before I do it but if I don't hit it all, yeah, it's cool. Like it's better that you're in the moment. Remember what you're doing. I have like the notes up on my phone with the bullet points and then I read them and then I'm like once I finish the show I go back and go and then I tick off everything.

[30:50] Allie Dart: Yeah, I think on my first show if people you guys didn't, I'm sure you didn't come up to me and say anything. But on my first show, I was just like so hyper focused of just getting through it safely, making sure I didn't trip anyone off or push anyone off the Battenberg or anything mental. But then after that you guys, you do every day so it's like I want to hear what you have to say and I do want those tidbits of information and like Nance will also be amazing because if she likes still to this day when I'm not on if she finds something new in a show she'll come off and be like I've got a bit of cheese for you. You know this delivery got a little bit on this track. But then when I was on for her at the weekend, she was like so any cheese for me? That's just such a lovely dynamic of like both of us feel like we are both Jan Buchanan together and it's not like a divide.

[31:39] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, that is great actually. Oh, we had that yesterday when we, there was a gag, the falling to Australia gag and then Janet has a line afterwards and Nance came up and she was just like, yeah, it's just not as funny as the line before and we're exiting not on a laugh. We should exit on the biggest laugh and then but the first thing she did was she then went what's Ali doing and I was like Ali is similarly valiantly trying.

[32:15] Allie Dart: We've discovered no.

[32:17] Matt Cavendish: A little bit of a sandy water. Remember when I was first on for Greg, there was a particular memory. He was like, so, yeah, that is nice actually if you're, everyone's kind of working together and kind of similarly sharing in the dying. I've been like, did you die as well? Yeah, man, I tried.

[32:44] Allie Dart: I'm gonna do, we've got a little bit of time left. I'm gonna do a loo through because I've been listening to his podcast.

[32:48] Matt Cavendish: How's your energy?

[32:59] Allie Dart: Great, okay, great. Thanks very much.

[33:02] Matt Cavendish: I'm really enjoying his podcast.

[33:04] Allie Dart: So dry, isn't it?

[33:06] Matt Cavendish: The Louie through if you're listening to this, yeah, we'll be on your podcast.

[33:11] Allie Dart: Story of Mischief is amazing.

[33:14] Matt Cavendish: I want to touch on quite a big event that happened fairly recently which was Ali Dartman Row going on for the part of Sergei. Whoa, so talk us through the process of what happened and how because that wasn't at the time, it wasn't a part that you covered.

[33:31] Allie Dart: So it wasn't in your contract and it wasn't, you never even thought about, hey, I'll just check the lines for this.

[33:35] Allie Dart: No, no, never. So yeah, talk me through what happened and how we came from you not being on a Sergei very much being on.

[33:49] Allie Dart: So I was on the train at 11 a.m. and I thought well, I'll get the earlier train because you know, then I'll get coffee before and I'll be great. And I get a phone call from Katie Ann who was our associate director and I was like, what could this be? Like, you know, a phone call? It's always, usually really is our company stage manager and then you're like, okay someone's off. Yeah, and then there's Casey. And so you're like, oh is it just you need me for an extra rehearsal? I don't know. So I pick up the phone like so casual. Hi, how are you? She's like so oh my god, we've had a bit of a situation. And for this week Matt was on as Bernard covering Henry Shields already and Niall was away for the weekend who is first cover Sergei and Matt second cover Sergei and the show before Chris had really painfully injured his knee and he was told by the physio that he couldn't do the show basically it was dangerous for him to do the show.

So he literally could not do it. So Katie Ann was like this is the situation and I've gone through many different paths of what we could do and I was just wondering I think maybe you should do it and I was like, okay. She was like because and then she was like, let me pitch it to you before you say yes. This is my thinking and she like went through all of these. She clearly like had it written down and was like so you cover Elena so, you know how to do a Russian accent. You've also done, you know the blocking as Elena, but maybe you know, you could do it as Sergei as well. You cover the rest of the people in the fight and also Janet fights Sergei and obviously I know Janet's side of the fight so hopefully maybe some of that would have gone through osmosis and stuff.

And then she was like, I don't know what the other reasons were and she was like so out of ten how up for this would you be and I went eight and a half? She was like, whoa, that was way higher than I thought and I was like, yeah, I'm definitely up for it and she was like, okay, I'm gonna give you a second. You can say no and I was like, I'm gonna do it and she was like, okay, I'm gonna go put the motions, you know in motion, you know because then we realized I don't have a costume so you have to sell costume. What's my hair gonna be like usually I wear a wig like but so good doesn't need a wig which cover is five foot five.

[36:07] Matt Cavendish: That's right. You've got Matthew Cavendish's costume.

[36:11] Allie Dart: I am when I'm gonna give you another chance to say no and I went we're doing this. It's too late. I was looking at script on my phone on the train in I immediately rang Aaron my husband and was like you'll never guess what I think this is happening. I don't know what's happening. Wish me luck. Bye. And then I ran straight up to costume and they went well, this is the only suit for you. It's dishes suit and I went well, we'll see if it.

[36:40] Allie Dart: I loved it. So the costume is sorted. He has quick changes, but they sort of just like walked through me through them really quickly. I'm like, yeah, this will be fine and we'll change a tie and that'll be fine. Then obviously I'm a woman and Sergey is a man. So Katie I was like, we're gonna change it to a woman but you're still gonna be going undercover as Tim as a man. So I was in the suit so we didn't really have to do a lot of changing but poor Charlie then had to change a lot. We changed my name to so Gene which I don't know if we needed to do but like that she had to say that every time instead of Sergei and then saying she is tough. So bless her for picking all that up and then we went down to warm up and Chris was in the building bless him.

So he was like, do you need anything? Like is this actually happening? I was I think I think it's happening. Yeah, I think we've just got to do it at this point. There wasn't really time for me to feel nervous. I wasn't like oh god, can I do this? It was like well, I've got to do it now. It's very binary. It's just like yeah.

[37:37] Allie Dart: Yeah, so we take it line by line scene by scene and I just do it and so he bless him started going through scenes with me like telling me little bits of like blocking that I sort of had to do because obviously a lot of it is just gonna be like, well people are just gonna be helping me through it and I can do what I can to you know, not sound the wrong place and then but the main thing was obviously the chases. I'd never done either of the chases of Sergei. So we started doing them in fight call and then we did the fight and then I ran up to wigs and was like Lulu, what do we do with my head? But loads of grease in my hand just slick it back was like you look great. And while all this was happening Katie I was running after me going, what do you need?

And I was like, I probably need Lucas aid and I probably need a flapjack because I haven't eaten anything but I feel so sick that can't eat anything. But it's probably best if I do have some sugar and also were you just and then as we were running and I was like saying the lines as we were running around the building to all the different departments I was like, okay. We'll just do the part quickly. Okay, but we're doing it and then I was doing my makeup and

[38:42] Allie Dart: Allie's brain for lines is just insane. You didn't get anything wrong. And you hadn't ground the part. And I'm a second cover for that part. And I was going, you know it better than I did. Thank God you went on and not me. Because I remember there was a conversation. How do you know all this? It would have been carnage had Dish gone on. But I remember there was a conversation about you going on with a script. And then you had about 45 minutes in warm-up. And we were watching you run the scenes. And then about 10 minutes in, it was just... I think, yeah, Dish is right. It was amazing. Because it was like, fuck, you just know it. And somehow you just know it. But he's right. You didn't drop a single line.

Me and Nance were watching it on the monitors and stuff. And I knew it was going brilliantly when Nance and I stopped watching the show. Because the rhythm of it... When you're chatting backstage, you hear the rhythm in the background. And then when something goes off, everyone... And then kind of watches. It freezes. But we just started chatting and dicking around backstage. And then we realised, we were like, oh, Ali's on. This is so weird. And then we were like, oh, we went back to the screen and started watching again. But, yeah, it was so impressive. I don't think anyone who's listening and watching and doesn't do theatre... To understand, to be able to go on and do an entire West End track with realistically 45 minutes prep.

And running around trying to get costume and make-up and wigs and all that kind of stuff sorted. It is inhuman what you did. It's insane. But you said you didn't feel nervous. Was there a point at which you... Did it just sort of happen? And then the show finished?

[40:25] Matt Cavendish: Well, I think it was the moment on stage right. Just before. Because, no, at beginners, we're standing there for four or five minutes just waiting in position. And then I suddenly was like... Because I had a moment to breathe, basically. And then I was like, oh, my God. I remember turning to Matt and being like, oh, my God. I'm going to do this. Where did the trolley go? Where do I put the tea trolley? I was like, oh, my God. Of all the things, I was like... The first transition, I was like, I don't know what to do, Matt. I'm not going to be able to push that tea trolley. I really don't know. I don't think I can do this. He was like, you just push it, stage left, and then you're fine. And I was like, okay. So I just pushed it and then... For some reason, this show, it starts with... You're all backstage ready for that MI6 scene. And it starts with the epic spy music. And there's just something about that that triggers...

[41:12] Allie Dart: The fear of God.

[41:16] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, yeah. It's happening. We're doing this now. It's a show that you're truly... A bit like Play That Goes Wrong, actually. Most of the mission plays, you're locked in once it starts. It's a train. You don't have any time offstage to just check your script. Especially that Battenberg, which is the four hotel rooms. You're just on. That's what I was most absolutely terrified about, was the Battenberg. As soon as that music starts, that's the rollercoaster.

[41:39] Allie Dart: Yeah, you're like, there's no escape. Here we go! The only escape is just stopping the show. You literally stop it. I think in the Battenberg, it's quite nice, because I've definitely... When you've been on as Janet, you don't have any downtime in terms of being offstage, but the lights are off and you can chat to people. So you can just sort of check in. I imagine there was a lot of checking in with Charlie.

[42:00] Matt Cavendish: Oh my God, bless Charlie. She literally got me through that, because we are on the bed in her little notebook, but all in character, which is so amazing. She's writing down bullet points. She's like, okay, so next, the Glacier Mints. And then we listen to Marco. And then we hear a funny noise and we listen to the wall, thinking, oh, maybe they are having a fun time next door. And we'll take it step by step and everything's going to be fine. And then the lights went off and she said her line. And then I said my line. And then we were like, okay, we've done that bit. Okay, next. Now what are we going to do? Look back at the notebook. And I'm like, oh my God. Yeah, it was such a team effort. It was amazing. So much fun. And I remember actually in the fight, because I was so impressed how much the fight knew.

[42:36] Allie Dart: Yeah, the fight.

[42:37] Matt Cavendish: Because Chris doesn't even know the fight sometimes. Sometimes I'm like, Chris, what are you doing? He's like, sorry, man. Yeah, sort of wildly swigging. But I remember the way the fight works is it's like a split screen. There's two fights happening at the same time, like a comedy one and a serious one. And we're frozen when we're not fighting. And I remember you and me are very close together. We end up fighting each other quite a lot. And just Ali being like, okay, what happens next? I'm going to punch your right. And I'm trying to reverse the choreography in my head. I'm going to punch your right shoulder with my left hand. And then I'm going to punch you with my right hand. And you're going to duck under my right hip. And then just like the Matrix is going. And then lights come. It was very, very impressive.

[43:21] Allie Dart: But then how did you feel then? Because you did two shows. It was two show day.

[43:24] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[43:25] Allie Dart: So then was the second show like because the first show I imagine is just like, wow, amazing. Who gives a shit what happens?

[43:30] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[43:31] Allie Dart: But then the second show is there a feeling of like, well, you can't do that.

[43:34] Matt Cavendish: Yeah. It was like, how did I do that? That's a fluke. I can't do that again.

[43:38] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[43:39] Matt Cavendish: And I literally, I did not eat my dinner because I felt so sick. I ate like two bits of chicken breast and then was like, I think I'm fine. Literally. But weirdly, it had sunk in somehow. Like I did know it better in the second show. I actually like I think I started making some actual choices and looking people in the eye and trying to be a bit funnier. And so, yeah. But two shows, it was brutal. But I remember Katie-Anne at the beginning being like, okay, if you want me to. Because usually if something goes wrong in a show, often, you know, a director or stage manager will come out before the show and go, due to this, this and this, we've got an emergency cover on. They've never done it before. Or explain to the audience basically just to manage expectations and be like, strap in with us. It's going to be a unique show. And Katie-Anne was like, do you want me to do that? Because I've seen that you know it.

[44:30] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[44:31] Matt Cavendish: So we could just not do that. And I was like, I didn't know what to do. And people were giving me advice going, you know, it's good if they know that you're a cover, blah, blah, blah. But also, you know, you don't need that. And I, in the end, made the decision not to have the speech at the beginning because I didn't want people watching me under like a microscope being like, oh, she's never done this before. Like how's she going? Or feeling sort of anxious by proxy.

[45:01] Allie Dart: Exactly.

[45:02] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, exactly. Or is that meant to be her? Like is she in the right place? Or something's gone wrong, whatever. So I think that was the best decision as well. Because at the end, in a very lovely way, Henry Lewis then revealed to the audience that, you know, I had only never done it basically. So that helped me sort of get through it under a disguise of like, everyone thinks I'm meant to be here. So it'll be fine. And then we'll just do that again for the second show. And we'll get through it. And it's kind of the best because you get to nail it and then you get all the credit at the end.

[45:22] Allie Dart: Yeah, yeah.

[45:23] Matt Cavendish: Like, by the way, guys, you've just seen something unbelievable. And everyone, I remember the theater just like lift the roof off the place. It was just nuts.

[45:30] Allie Dart: Okay. So final closing questions. Which part would you both, that you don't cover, that you would love to do?

[45:39] Matt Cavendish: Bernard.

[45:41] Allie Dart: Bernard.

[45:42] Matt Cavendish: Nice Henry Shields' part. I would love to do Bernard.

[45:44] Allie Dart: What about it do you like?

[45:45] Matt Cavendish: I love his general state of panic and heightened chaos. Some of the light. He's got great, great gags in the show.

[45:55] Allie Dart: And it would suit your general demeanor.

[45:57] Matt Cavendish: Exactly. Being panicked before going on.

[46:00] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[46:01] Matt Cavendish: And he gets to interact with, like, basically everyone in the show. So that would be really fun.

[46:05] Allie Dart: Yeah, he does.

[46:06] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would love to do Bernard.

[46:08] Allie Dart: Woodbeed.

[46:09] Matt Cavendish: Yes.

[46:10] Allie Dart: Which I don't cover. But actually I think it would be fun to have a small, angry, pompous little man. I would love that.

[46:15] Matt Cavendish: I've seen you play Chris Bean.

[46:17] Allie Dart: Which is a similar vibe.

[46:18] Matt Cavendish: It's very, very fun.

[46:19] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[46:20] Matt Cavendish: And which part of the parts that you do cover scares you the most?

[46:25] Allie Dart: Elena.

[46:27] Matt Cavendish: Really?

[46:28] Allie Dart: Because you haven't done it yet.

[46:29] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, haven't done it. And weirdly, that first MI6, it's her and, you know, Henry Lewis. It's like, if you drop a single rhythm of that scene, it is so terrifying. And that's the first thing you have to do is Elena. It's like other tracks, you sort of like, I know. What am I moving? Tea trolley, tea trolley. Oh, God, oh, God. It's absolutely terrifying. But, yeah, I just feel like she would be a roller coaster for me. Don't get me wrong, I would love to do it, but it would be like, oh, okay, here we go.

[47:00] Matt Cavendish: And your second cover?

[47:01] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[47:02] Matt Cavendish: So if McCade is ever off.

[47:03] Allie Dart: Yeah, that's me.

[47:04] Matt Cavendish: Wow, okay, exciting.

[47:05] Allie Dart: Yeah, and Lance for me.

[47:07] Matt Cavendish: Lance, yeah.

[47:08] Allie Dart: Yeah, that's one to recap next week.

[47:10] Matt Cavendish: Oh, yeah, because I'm off next week.

[47:12] Allie Dart: Well, yeah, that's okay, but obviously if Niall then went off, I would be.

[47:14] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[47:15] Allie Dart: What I'd have to do is talk to Henry Shields and say, can you take it off? And then I can play Bernard and Ali can play Lance.

[47:21] Matt Cavendish: Oh, yeah, and we do it that way.

[47:23] Allie Dart: You don't have to do it. There's so many different configurations that can happen.

[47:27] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That would be really fun. No, I think it would be fun to do a Lance.

[47:29] Allie Dart: But he's done quite a few Lances now, hasn't he?

[47:33] Matt Cavendish: He's done quite a few shows.

[47:34] Allie Dart: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember speaking to him after the first weekend, and he was just like, that's hard, isn't it?

[47:39] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[47:40] Allie Dart: It's hard going from 0 to 100.

[47:42] Matt Cavendish: That's another thing understudy-wise. Like your stamina is sort of like just tested at all times, especially with a track like yours, which is so physical. You have to go from doing nothing, crossing the stage, being a bellboy, to then jumping through windows and through the floor and doing fight calls and everything and being like, okay.

[48:02] Allie Dart: Yeah, just all the sprinting and jumping.

[48:05] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, yeah. It is mad.

[48:08] Allie Dart: Okay, and if you could spy on anyone in Mischief, who would you spy on? And they won't know that you're spying on them.

[48:11] Allie Dart: Greg Tannehill.

[48:16] Matt Cavendish: Very popular choice, Greg Tannehill.

[48:18] Allie Dart: Is he?

[48:19] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, why Greg Tannehill?

[48:20] Allie Dart: I feel like he's quite an enigma.

[48:23] Matt Cavendish: Enigmatic was the word I was going to use.

[48:25] Allie Dart: Right? He's so calm, but also sometimes he comes out with these things. I'm like, what? He's very good at mime. He does yoga all the time. He just has different parts of his personality where I'm like, I want to see what a day in your life is.

[48:40] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, yeah. I can imagine secretly he is also an underground spy as well.

[48:45] Allie Dart: Or a clown.

[48:46] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[48:47] Allie Dart: That's a popular theory is that he's a clown. I think as well because he has a social life outside of the company.

[48:52] Matt Cavendish: What?

[48:53] Allie Dart: Exactly. So everyone's like, what are you doing? You guys have friends?

[48:56] Matt Cavendish: Yeah, he's like, what do you do a day off?

[48:59] Allie Dart: And he's always so like, yeah, I just hung out with some friends.

[49:01] Matt Cavendish: I'm like, who?

[49:02] Allie Dart: Who were your friends? Did you hang out with Henry Lewis? Did I get invited?

[49:06] Matt Cavendish: Exactly.

[49:07] Allie Dart: And I didn't see you there, Greg.

[49:09] Matt Cavendish: And he's just like, yeah, just some mates from school. And I'm just like, what? See, what was the school like? What was he like as a teenager? Did he even go to school? Is there a school? Was he born Greg? Like he is now.

[49:19] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[49:20] Matt Cavendish: Was he born as he is now?

[49:21] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[49:22] Matt Cavendish: Who would you spy on, Dish?

[49:23] Allie Dart: I think the obvious answer is Henry Lewis.

[49:26] Matt Cavendish: Because then I could just steal his next hit show.

[49:28] Allie Dart: Oh, yeah. Nice.

[49:29] Matt Cavendish: And make an awful lot of money.

[49:31] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[49:32] Matt Cavendish: And just be like, oh, I've written this hen.

[49:34] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[49:35] Matt Cavendish: But I also would like to spy on Niall.

[49:37] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[49:38] Matt Cavendish: Yeah. Just the idea of following Niall around to buy funny. I don't know why. He always has errands to run.

[49:43] Allie Dart: He's got what?

[49:44] Matt Cavendish: He's got lots of errands.

[49:45] Allie Dart: Constantly errands.

[49:46] Matt Cavendish: Constantly errands. He'll have a little vinyl record on the go. Maybe be cooking something quite nice.

[49:50] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[49:51] Matt Cavendish: Might go for a pot.

[49:53] Allie Dart: It'd be a lot of pottering, I think.

[49:54] Matt Cavendish: Yes.

[49:55] Allie Dart: It's like those YouTube videos, you know, where like it's just Pete the Day in the Life of.

[49:58] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[49:59] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[50:00] Matt Cavendish: And it's like he would probably make a lot of money on YouTube.

[50:01] Allie Dart: Definitely.

[50:02] Matt Cavendish: Very soothing.

[50:03] Allie Dart: Yeah. Just sort of living his life.

[50:05] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[50:06] Allie Dart: Mine was, of course, Harry Kershaw.

[50:07] Matt Cavendish: Oh.

[50:08] Allie Dart: I knew he was on the board.

[50:09] Matt Cavendish: Oh, yes.

[50:10] Allie Dart: And he won a mischief. Do you know Harry Kershaw?

[50:12] Matt Cavendish: Yes.

[50:13] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[50:14] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[50:15] Allie Dart: He's doing day-to-day business, like literally walking around his living room. Like I've stayed at his house a few times and I'll just be sat there on my phone. I'll look up and Harry won't know I'm there and I'll just watch him live his life for 30 seconds, just making a coffee and it's the most amusing thing.

[50:31] Matt Cavendish: He's an extraordinary man.

[50:32] Allie Dart: He's just so natural.

[50:33] Matt Cavendish: Extraordinary man. I remember I was staying there last year for a short bit. It was quite warm because it was this time last year and I knocked on the door or I let myself in. I had a key and he was just sat in the lounge.

[50:41] Allie Dart: Was it Olympics year last year?

[50:45] Matt Cavendish: I think it was.

[50:46] Allie Dart: Sat in the lounge just in his boxers. But all the windows were closed and the doors were closed because he didn't want to let the cat escape. So he was just sweating just in his pants on the sofa watching the Olympics. I was like this again to be a spy.

[50:59] Matt Cavendish: Ah, hello guest.

[51:00] Allie Dart: Hello mate.

[51:01] Matt Cavendish: He's going to be absolutely furious.

[51:03] Allie Dart: That is going to become public knowledge.

[51:05] Matt Cavendish: We can cut that out.

[51:06] Allie Dart: Sorry. It was a highlight of the year for me.

[51:09] Matt Cavendish: Redacted.

[51:10] Allie Dart: Redacted.

[51:11] Matt Cavendish: Yeah.

[51:12] Allie Dart: Guys, thank you so much.

[51:14] Matt Cavendish: Pleasure.

[51:15] Allie Dart: Thank you for having us.

[51:16] Matt Cavendish: For coming in. There are several more things I wanted to ask you about but I'm afraid we've run out of time.

[51:20] Allie Dart: Sad.

[51:22] Matt Cavendish: Part two.

[51:23] Allie Dart: Yeah.

[51:24] Matt Cavendish: Guys, thank you so much for coming in. Unfortunately, this podcast will now self-destruct in three, two, one.