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[0:00] Tori Bullard: We would like to acknowledge the Thorowall people of the Eora Nation and the Warundari people of the Coolin Nation.

[0:06] Tori Bullard: We pay respect to the traditional custodians of this land on which we work, live, and record, and strive to continue in the tradition of Australia's first storytellers.

[0:15] Tori Bullard: We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

[0:17] Tori Bullard: Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

[0:26] Tori Bullard: Hello everyone and welcome back to Stage Door Podcast.

[0:29] Tori Bullard: Season six is rolling on, and it's all thanks to you.

[0:33] Tori Bullard: The best way to keep us and the show alive is by dropping a cheeky rate and review on your listening platform of choice.

[0:39] Tori Bullard: It may seem small, but it is mighty in keeping this show alive.

[0:43] Tori Bullard: But today we're kicking off part one of our chat with Brittanie Shipway and Leah Howard for Once On This Island.

[0:50] Tori Bullard: And trust me, you'll want to stick around because we've got the exclusive official cast announcement coming up, so stay tuned.

[0:58] Tori Bullard: Please welcome to the mic, Brittanie and Leah.

[1:01] Brittanie Shipway: Hey!

[1:02] Leah Howard: Yay!

[1:03] Brittanie Shipway: I'm so excited.

[1:04] Brittanie Shipway: I can't believe we're gonna find out the cast today, guys.

[1:07] Leah Howard: This is crazy.

[1:08] Brittanie Shipway: Yeah, I'm pretty excited too.

[1:09] Brittanie Shipway: This is a real exclusive, isn't it?

[1:12] Leah Howard: I know.

[1:13] Brittanie Shipway: We feel a bit fancy.

[1:18] Brittanie Shipway: We've been sitting on this for a while, so it's pretty great for it to be finally coming out.

[1:24] Leah Howard: You're so close now, which is wild.

[1:26] Brittanie Shipway: I guess for anyone listening that doesn't know anything, let's start with the basics.

[1:30] Brittanie Shipway: Give us a rundown of Once On This Island for anyone unfamiliar with the show.

[1:35] Leah Howard: Give us a taste.

[1:37] Brittanie Shipway: A little taster.

[1:38] Brittanie Shipway: Well, our story follows a young orphan girl, Timon.

[1:42] Brittanie Shipway: Um, she's a humble peasant girl, and she saves the life of Daniel and falls in love with him.

[1:48] Brittanie Shipway: But unfortunately, he's from the wealthier side of the island.

[1:52] Brittanie Shipway: The gods of the island wager a bet on whether love is stronger than death or not.

[2:01] Brittanie Shipway: And so she becomes this pawn in their bet.

[2:04] Brittanie Shipway: Her life hangs in the balance as she follows her heart.

[2:09] Tori Bullard: That's such a perfect little succinct, like this is what it is, but also gives you enough to be like, you're not giving anything away.

[2:17] Tori Bullard: It's such a beautiful show and such a beautiful story, and I'm so excited to see what you guys are going to do with it.

[2:26] Brittanie Shipway: But I guess obviously, such a big part of doing this show is the fantastic cast.

[2:33] Brittanie Shipway: I say fantastic as if I know the cast.

[2:35] Brittanie Shipway: I really don't.

[2:36] Brittanie Shipway: We're hearing it first with our listeners as well.

[2:39] Brittanie Shipway: We have the exclusive cast announcement.

[2:42] Brittanie Shipway: So please take it away.

[2:43] Brittanie Shipway: Who is bringing this story to life?

[2:45] Leah Howard: Well, we're really lucky, aren't we, Brittanie?

[2:47] Leah Howard: We had nearly 300 people apply to audition for the show.

[2:51] Leah Howard: Um, it's super exciting.

[2:53] Leah Howard: So we really had a hard job trying to find the right people.

[2:58] Leah Howard: Uh, and we could have cast it so many times over.

[3:01] Leah Howard: There's a lot of talent out there.

[3:03] Leah Howard: But um, our particular cast, a lot of them are new to The Hayes.

[3:08] Leah Howard: I actually think it's a Hayes debut for nearly everybody in the cast.

[3:12] Brittanie Shipway: Amazing.

[3:14] Brittanie Shipway: Yeah, it's refreshing.

[3:15] Brittanie Shipway: They were just so right for this version of the show, and it was amazing working with Leah and finding the puzzle and fitting it all together and saying, oh well, if this person is playing this role, then this makes sense for this version of the story.

[3:30] Brittanie Shipway: But genuinely, we could do Once On This Island four or five times over and be thrilled.

[3:35] Brittanie Shipway: But our amazing cast for this production.

[3:38] Brittanie Shipway: Who do I kick off with, Leah?

[3:40] Leah Howard: I don't even know.

[3:41] Leah Howard: I don't even know, but I think I also just need to quickly add to how special everybody was that came in that room for this show.

[3:49] Leah Howard: Like even all the videos from around the country, it was incredible.

[3:54] Leah Howard: Like, and just everyone's spirit, and you know, Brittanie and I are big on, you know, we're storytellers by our heritage.

[4:02] Leah Howard: We are, you know, we're filled with music and song and dance.

[4:05] Leah Howard: So, in order to find these special beings that just stepped in front of us and wanted to be a part of this story, and you know, it feels very different for me personally to on a level of the theatrical and Broadway storytelling, you know, our version of it is just not only is a cast refreshing, but the storytelling and Brittanie's take is just so incredibly powerful and will be so like it will be filled, you know, with the gods' strength, you know, and it and yeah, it's super exciting.

[4:40] Leah Howard: And I think the way it was not easy, and the way we got to this fantastic cast is just like full through full connection, and it was a full-bodied audition, and yeah, they are superb, and it's so wonderful that we can give to these spirited, you know, human beings and performers, you know, a role in this show.

[5:04] Leah Howard: Like it's really special.

[5:05] Leah Howard: Like, I think there will be a lot of tears throughout this whole process and a lot of deep feels.

[5:11] Leah Howard: I know I already like, you know, I need to take a month off pre-rehearsals just to get my, you know, my strength and power to be able to just, you know, inject and connect.

[5:23] Leah Howard: Like it's gonna be full.

[5:25] Leah Howard: And you know, I think when Brittanie tells you all who all these wonderful people are, and it's yeah, it's going to be very exciting I think for the industry as well as for, you know, just for storytelling in general.

[5:25] Brittanie Shipway: I really feel like what we have come up with as a cast is something else.

[5:25] Leah Howard: Yeah, I totally agree with that.

[5:25] Leah Howard: I couldn't say that better myself, Brittanie.

[5:25] Leah Howard: You just give me that inspiration and it's, I mean, I'm so, it's the anticipation because we haven't said it out loud like between nobody else like it's just so bizarre.

[6:00] Brittanie Shipway: Oh my goodness, so this is like the first time for you guys too, this is crazy.

[6:00] Leah Howard: All right, we're ready for our drum roll.

[6:00] Brittanie Shipway: Yes, okay, so we're lucky and spoiled enough to have two amazing swings.

[6:00] Brittanie Shipway: We have Paul Escurito who is amazing, has just graduated from NIDA, and we have the incredible Sarah Kamara who is currently studying at the Conton Sione Latu.

[6:00] Brittanie Shipway: And as Mama, we have Zara Andrews.

[6:00] Brittanie Shipway: And then our gods are Paula Perore playing Asaka, Rebecca Verriere playing Papa Gay, we have Gagurawon Knox playing Agwe and Cipriana Sing playing Azully.

[6:00] Brittanie Shipway: Sebastian Nelson is Armand, and we have the, I just want to make sure I don't miss anyone.

[6:00] Brittanie Shipway: And we have the incredible Kaya Ocampo playing Andrea.

[7:11] Brittanie Shipway: And playing Daniel is Alexander Ty.

[7:11] Brittanie Shipway: And our beautiful Timon is Talia Santos.

[7:19] Leah Howard: Oh my goodness.

[7:20] Leah Howard: Oh my gosh.

[7:22] Leah Howard: It's so exciting.

[7:24] Brittanie Shipway: And it's so exciting to hear.

[7:26] Tori Bullard: I know Eliza, I have a friend in the cast.

[7:26] Eliza Gunther: Paul.

[7:31] Eliza Gunther: I adore Paul.

[7:32] Brittanie Shipway: Paul is wonderful.

[7:33] Eliza Gunther: And Eliza also has a friend in the cast.

[7:35] Eliza Gunther: Alex is my very good friend from uni.

[7:38] Eliza Gunther: We went to uni together.

[7:39] Eliza Gunther: So seeing Alex in this role, Alex will be absolute perfection in this role.

[7:39] Brittanie Shipway: Guaranteed.

[7:46] Leah Howard: Oh, you don't want to miss him in this because he is something to watch.

[7:54] Eliza Gunther: You will literally see me at the theater over and over and over again because I work there.

[8:00] Tori Bullard: I forgot about that too, yes.

[8:02] Eliza Gunther: So you have no choice.

[8:04] Eliza Gunther: I will be there.

[8:05] Tori Bullard: And you get many free viewings.

[8:05] Eliza Gunther: Lucky.

[8:05] Tori Bullard: Yes.

[8:10] Tori Bullard: It's so exciting to hear such a fresh cast.

[8:15] Tori Bullard: And I feel like it's always, it's like this exhilarating and like scary, but like scary in a good way.

[8:22] Tori Bullard: Hearing all of these names that I just don't know.

[8:22] Leah Howard: Yeah.

[8:25] Tori Bullard: Because that is, you know, it's always nice when you're like, oh, like I've seen this person do X, Y, and Z before, they're wonderful.

[8:31] Tori Bullard: But hearing people that you just have no idea, and you know how fresh and how full of like energy and life and how much they can bring to this show from their own experience.

[8:43] Leah Howard: I am, this is insane.

[8:45] Leah Howard: Yeah, this is exciting.

[8:46] Tori Bullard: Congratulations to the cast and to you both for building such an amazing, amazing cast.

[8:52] Tori Bullard: I'm sure they're gonna be fantastic.

[8:54] Brittanie Shipway: Yeah, I think it's gonna be pretty magical.

[8:55] Brittanie Shipway: I mean, it was really important to me from the beginning that, you know, if we were going to do this production on Gadigal Land, that it made sense to represent this island.

[9:06] Brittanie Shipway: Um, it's set on a fantasy island in the Caribbean, and I just thought, well, how can we really infuse our own storytelling from here into this musical?

[9:19] Brittanie Shipway: Otherwise, why are we importing it?

[9:22] Brittanie Shipway: Um, we're still honoring the roots from where it's originally set, but we're taking a bit of license because it is set on a fantasy island that doesn't actually exist.

[9:33] Brittanie Shipway: Once On This Island, there's so many different cultures and storytelling cultures that come here.

[9:39] Brittanie Shipway: Uh, and I'd really love to honor how different and diverse all those backgrounds are.

[9:45] Brittanie Shipway: Uh, I don't ever want to feel like we're putting on accents or we're not being who we are, or honoring where we come from, and so the cast that we have assembled.

[9:54] Brittanie Shipway: I mean, they are amazing, and everything they brought into the auditions, they had a little bit of home and a little bit of family with them, which really wowed us.

[10:03] Brittanie Shipway: And I was in tears for so much of the auditions, uh, especially when Leah was running the dance call.

[10:10] Leah Howard: It was, dance call is such an unfair way to describe it, it just felt like a celebration, and sometimes I watch the video just for catharsis, like it was just so beautiful.

[10:22] Brittanie Shipway: There was this percussive number on Timon's dance, and everybody was just so free.

[10:27] Brittanie Shipway: And I watched a lot of people, you know, sometimes dance calls hold a lot of trauma, and I say this as a prolific mover.

[10:27] Leah Howard: I'm with you there.

[10:27] Brittanie Shipway: Yes.

[10:38] Brittanie Shipway: But it's just so lovely to watch these people take flight over the course of an hour, and we had everybody in the space at the same time, and it was just joyous and like it was a celebration.

[10:50] Leah Howard: Um, and I really, I can't wait to see what Leah comes up with or what we come up and dream into together.

[10:56] Brittanie Shipway: I think it's going to be, I know I can't wait to see what we dream together.

[11:00] Leah Howard: And like Brittanie said, it was, you know, I am a dancer from, you know, day dot, so I understand when people, you know, it is, it's not easy, you know, to be in a dance call, even as a trained, you know, fully trained dancer, and that was my first, you know, my first love.

[11:16] Leah Howard: And it's so, you just never get the best of anyone if you're pushing them too far outside of that dance comfort zone, you know, and I don't like seeing that because I love dance and that the love that I have, I know I can teach anybody to dance because we all have a two-step in our bodies, you know, but in a cultural realm and the diverse culture of our auditions and the story that we're telling, allowing everybody to bring themselves and their family, their spirit, their mana, whatever that was for them, was so incredibly powerful in a dance call, you know.

[11:52] Leah Howard: People just will absolutely lifted and just brought us so much, which is kind of you know, exactly what we want to bring into the show. You know, we want to bring in people's, I'm gonna go and I'm going to, you know, research and explore with all of the cultures in our cast and you know, really look into heavily into elements of their cultural dance, elements of their storytelling through movement and stuff like that, in order to allow them to have authentic parts of themselves embedded in our story. You know, I think that's the most important part of the fabric. It's not about, you know, I'm like, we're not doing chorus line. I'm not giving you triple turns and shadets across the island. That's kind of not, you know.

Let's let's find a beautiful way of using that physical movement and you know, that technique throughout it with without it being, you know, so confined in a space of dance that is let's say, for want of a better word, colonized dance, you know, Western dance. We want, we want the deep, rich roots of cultural movement and storytelling in that space. So you know, I think that's it's you think I always think as a choreographer, I go into that audition, go, yeah, great, we'll do something percussive. And then I go, Oh gosh, this has gotten deeper than I ever imagined, you know, like it's you know, and it is it's just such an incredible feeling. And you know, we have the diversity of age ranges, you know, which Brittany is completely opened up to.

So there was oh, such beauty in, you know, Filipino traditional, you know, dance, you know, and that it was, yeah, it was incredible to watch. I mean, you you just learned so much and felt so much, you know. You just I just want to lie on the floor and just watch everybody bring their own, you know, for 10 minutes. It was really incredible. And we're trying to incorporate that into the production as well. So we're already having chats with the costume designer, Rita Nadu, who's amazing, and we're we're wanting to chat to the cast, and anything that reminds them of home or family or culture that makes them feel strong on that stage, whether that be a colour or a texture or a pin, anything, is there a way we can incorporate that into their costume as well so that we can still marry uh the language up of what everybody's wearing, but at the same time honour um their background.

I think that's really important as well for a show like this. And I don't think that's appropriate for every show, but for like the the script says that we are storytellers, and so we we start off the show as ourselves, and um, and we all come together to tell this story about an orphan girl Timon who lives on an island that's separated by colourism, and I I think that's really rare in musical theatre to look at a story like that that isn't necessarily written for um a white audience, but they're invited along for the ride, you know.

[14:55] Tori Bullard: Definitely. It sounds so creative and inviting, and I you kind of touched on it. But how did you guys create a safe environment for actors to feel seen and able to do their best work during the audition process? Obviously, speaking, Leah spoke about the dance, and um, but if there's anything else you want to add to that at all?

[15:13] Brittanie Shipway: I think it's really important for for me as an actor that everybody feels comfortable when they walk into that space. Um, you know, the dreaded table with you know 10 people behind it can be so intimidating. So first round, I was running out to greet people to bring them in just so they could get to know me as we we walked through and and make them feel as calm and as confident as I as I possibly could. But I I think everybody on the team we made it really clear to everybody auditioning that we were on their side, um, and everybody put up just beautiful work, it was astonishing and really creative and really playful. I'm really grateful for that, and I think that we have to be just as playful on the other side of the table definitely it's it sounds like um when you go in breaking down that barrier allows them to do their best work so that you can see their potential to be in your show and to see those characters within each person and really see them rather than have like a ball of nervous energy walking in and being like ah yeah and I think it's great like Brittany and I both you know obviously we're both performers still as well and you know we're kicking off our shoes we're in our bare feet I'm running around chasing singers like we are doing all the most like we are doing the most to just you know also allow them to understand that we are in we're in the same boat we're going in for auditions left right and center as well you know we know we know how you know daunting it can be but here you are with us and we are just playing like and you know Brittany made me run around I mean you know it was it was a lot but we got really great stuff out of people anything for the craft anything for the craft yes and also the creative team are auditioning for each other we've never worked with with each other before we're auditioning for the actors as well you know we we've got to make sure that they want to work with us.

[17:08] Leah Howard: That's important especially at the and just to see the fun in it too as well like we have to always bring people back do you know what you the audition room is the worst room ever so let's just have fun let's just yeah we'll just run around we'll just yell at you like just I don't know let's just do this like it's okay. It's such a great it was such a great feeling you know being in there and whether you know, whether it was callbacks or finals or whatever that was, you know, it was just about that connection as you know, as artists we all that that we all are, and you know, and keeping it real and reminding them of the the joy that we bring and the hard work that we do, but how fun and joyous and you know it could it really is.

[17:51] Brittanie Shipway: Yeah, as as performers, we put so much pressure on ourselves every audition. We have to we have to nail it. This has to be the one, and I feel like sometimes um the audition panel gives you that energy back, and it's not helpful, and it's actually really harmful to you both during your audition and afterwards, and then it you know puts trauma on you for future auditions. So having a creative team that genuinely feels connection, like they you want them to succeed, you want them to be the answer to your question and to what you're looking for, and to hear it from you is so refreshing, and to hear your your take on it is so wonderful. And I mean, obviously, every director and choreographer has a vision for how they want a show to feel and how you wanted this show to feel.

How both for this show and others that you've worked on, how do you bring that vision into the audition room when obviously it's still the vision is still so vast, and what do you do to help actors really tap into the energy of what you hope your piece is going to be?

[18:58] Brittanie Shipway: Yeah, it's interesting because this is my first time directing uh a full-scale musical, so I had to have all the answers, but had to be happy to leave them all at the door as well. Um I think it's a really fine balance, and uh, you know, maybe I'll get better at it as I as I go on, but it's it's ensuring that you have the answers for them when they ask uh for what you're after, but also allowing their own energy and their own heart and soul to to flavor and bring what they would bring to the show because at the end of the day if you dictate too much as a director then you've just got you know 10 cast members that are just doing what you would do if you were on the stage and I think that's a really easy track for a performer who's uh becoming a director to to fall into based off of what Leah saying it I I probably piggyback on that and say that the more comfortable and confident uh an audition he feels the more of themselves they'll bring to it and at the end of the day what I found really interesting if I put my actor hat back on as I was watching everybody and championing them and and just loving what they brought to the room sometimes people weren't right for this show but you notice them you know and and that was really wonderful too just to give them space to be themselves and to sing for you or or dance for you or or you know act for you.

It was just really lovely to to watch all of that storytelling happening in one space. So yeah it it's not that even if it's a not this time it's not a no. I think sometimes you think um you know if you get a no you think oh I've done a bad job but if you feel like you've really done the best that you can you probably have done a really good job you just didn't suit the show and we just sometimes we don't get that feedback but just know within yourself that you did a good job. But even if you don't do your best work like you can't give your best work a hundred percent of the time you know and auditions are tricky you know you're you're donating your time to come in and audition for us, and and I acknowledge that, and I know that there's a lot of other things going on, and you've got a lot of material to learn last minute.

Um, we're not judging you uh expecting you know, this is a fully rehearsed performance as well. Like it is a chance for us to get to know you, and that that's what I really loved about this process as well. Just getting to meet a bunch of human beings that are creative and talented and have a lot of love to give, um, and just love the craft, it's really really gorgeous. Bring yourself to it.

[21:30] Tori Bullard: Absolutely beautiful. Well, that was a great way to kind of finish up our first part. But before we go, can you give the show a plug? Where can people find tickets? Is there an Instagram? All the good stuff.

[21:44] Brittanie Shipway: Yeah, so head to Haze Theatre.com.au to buy your tickets. Um, we go on sale from August 2nd, I believe. I hope I'm not getting that wrong. Um, and you can go to Curveball Creatives on Instagram to check out more information. Our wonderful producers are um, yeah, they're they're just as excited as we are, which is really really beautiful. Um, but yeah, that's where all the info is, and more cast announcement info and um behind the scenes stuff will all happen on that Instagram page. So check it out.

[22:22] Tori Bullard: That's awesome. Amazing. Well, on that note, that is where we are wrapping up part one of our chat with Brittany and Leah. Remember, once on this island, we'll be hitting the stage at the Haze from August this year. And stick around for a sneak peek of what's coming up in part two.

[22:41] Brittanie Shipway: It just feels different, you know. I'm I'm uh I'm a beast of musical theatre, and I work on such great stories, but nothing has really hit me like the anticipation and the excitement and the the adventure of what this will do, you know, and what what this this journey creatively will feel like for me.