Steve Lauder-Russell

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“Very rarely does my original idea or concept end up being what’s on stage, it’s a negotiation, a collaborative experience. That’s when the magic happens.” Steve Lauder-Russell has choreographed pantos, directed youth theatre productions, and worked as a movement director on everything from Edinburgh Fringe shows to brand new Scottish musicals (currently Wallace the Musical). But when Cole asked him about his process, it was this idea – that the best work happens in the gap between your concept and what the performer brings back to you – that cut to the heart of what he actually does.




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Stephen Matthews

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“I started at a drama school in London. I left after four days.” Stephen Matthews has been a jobbing actor for over 30 years, but he’s never forgotten who’s in the seats. We talk about the trap of long running shows, how easy it is to slip into autopilot when you’ve done 500 performances and how he fights against it every night. He also reveals why he walked away from a four year stint in The Lion King after a moment of brutal honesty backstage. “An actor I was on stage with looked at me and said, ‘Sorry mate, I wasn’t listening.’ And in my head, that was when I went. I’ve got to go.” It’s a fascinating chat about staying present, surviving the uncertainty, and the art of keeping it fresh when the 8 shows a week start to blur together.




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Yana Harris

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Yana Harris spoke to Brian about her West End debut in Trainspotting: The Musical. She learned firsthand how quickly things shift in commercial theatre from having her main song cut hours before the first preview to finding out the national tour was cancelled mid-run. They talk about handling industry heartbreak with grace, avoiding the trap of cynicism, and finding joy in the work anyway.




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