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[0:00] Josh: And tonight, we are hey queens, what's going on? It is that time of the week again where we sit down and have a chat with one of your favorite superstars from Six: The Musical Somewhere in the World. And this time we are throwing it back to somebody that actually left the cast about this time last year, nearly. Um, and we are bringing her back into the Queendom and chatting all things Six: The Musical with Vicki Manser. Uh, this is so exciting. For those of OG's followers on my account, you guys would know that I started out as pretty much like a Vicki Stan account for the first couple of months until I found my feet. So to sit down and have a chat with this amazing woman was so fantastic. Plus, she's just released a brand new single that you can go and listen to right now.

All the links are down below. We mentioned it at the end of the episode. But pause right here, go listen to it, come back, listen to the podcast episode, then go listen to it again, put it on repeat and keep listening to it. Um, go show it some love. All the links are down below. If you don't follow me or Vicki, make sure you do all those links down below as well. But other than that, guys, uh, it is another week. Make sure you guys are checking out TheatreFans TV. We've had Athena Collins on doing a concert. I just forgot my words. Uh, we've got Dana Steingold on this week and Mariah Rose Faith doing a concert as well. So make sure you're checking out theatrefanstv.com to get all of that. But other than that, you know what time it is? It is Saturday. It is time for a brand new podcast. Let's get down. Here we go. Stop me because I'm the Queen of the Castle. Get down, you dirty Ross.

[1:46] Josh: Hey Queens, and welcome back to the Queendom Podcast. This week we are joined by one of my favorite humans to ever grace the stage in this show, Ms. Vicki Manser. Hello.

[1:54] Vicki Manser: Oh, stop that. Thank you, my darling. Hello.

[1:58] Josh: When my account first started, for a solid like two months, it was literally like a Stan account for you before I kind of feel. So I got you back. Um, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for coming and hanging out with us.

[2:10] Vicki Manser: Thank you so much.

[2:13] Josh: I have a fun one to start you off. Okay. What type of berry is best?

[2:20] Vicki Manser: Oh, what a good question. Yeah. What type of berry is best? Um, I am partial to a strawberry.

[2:30] Vicki Manser: Yeah. I like a strawberry. Um, and is a cherry a berry?

[2:37] Vicki Manser: It's the same shape as a berry, so I'll count it as berries. Yeah. Yeah. If it is a berry, I'm gonna go with cherry. I love cherry, but I don't I'm not sure if it's a berry or not. Because it's got a bit in it. They count grapes as berries, and grapes have apparently on the list that I was looking at. Um, what else have we got on the list? Um maybe I've missed some really good ones. They're the top eight berries were blueberries, raspberries, goji berries, strawberries, bilberries, ashoberries, cranberries, and grapes.

[3:10] Josh: Right. Well, cherries is not on the list, so let's go strawberries. Um, right now, what is your most used emoji?

[3:20] Vicki Manser: I'm gonna have a look for you right now. It mixes up between two. Uh, right now, my top one is the crying laughing face. That's like my go to.

[3:32] Vicki Manser: I don't think it's ever my top. Isn't it? It's it's that's top, and then second is a heart.

[3:39] Josh: Oh, sharing the love.

[3:41] Vicki Manser: Oh, yeah, always. If you could go back to any point in history to witness a moment, what would the moment be?

[3:49] Vicki Manser: Oh my god, that's such a good question. Um, do you know what? I think I would uh I'd love to go back when Elvis was alive and watch one of his concerts, and you know how like Top of the Pops is there. Do you have Top of the Pops in Australia?

[4:06] Josh: Yeah, I know what it is.

[4:07] Vicki Manser: I don't I I think we had a like a different version, but like similar thing. So yeah, and when they like chart every week and then they come and they sing live or not live and they lip sync. Um, and then you've got all that like screaming fans around this tiny like square stage. Yeah. I'd love to be there and witness that, I think. Good vibe. I'd love to see them right.

[4:28] Josh: This wasn't on my list, um, but I know you're a huge country music fan, and so am I. Um, so who is right now, who's your favorite country music artist to listen to?

[4:39] Vicki Manser: Oh, there's so many. There's so many. Uh Chris Stapleton has just bought out a new track, Cold, and it is phenomenal. It is so great. Um, but I mean, my main like I've obviously I love Dolly. Dolly is just a dreamboat. I love her. I love Reba McIntyre. Um, but growing up, I used to listen to Alison Krause like all the time. Uh Alison Krause and the Union Station, and um, yeah, I love them, they're great. And the Dixie Chicks or the Chicks as they now are, yeah.

[5:16] Josh: Oh the Dixie Chicks, man, they uh oh record so I love them. I took my dad to go and see them at the O2 um for Christmas one year, and uh I was it was just the best. I loved it.

[5:30] Vicki Manser: Oh, wonderful. Um last but not least, before we get stuck into the theatre part of things, on a night out, what's your go-to drink?

[5:40] Vicki Manser: Okay, it is uh makers mark and diet coke all the way. I love a Bourbon.

[5:47] Josh: Yeah, oh yeah, I love it.

[5:47] Vicki Manser: True country gal idea.

[5:51] Josh: Oh yeah, and if it's not that it's a beer, and if it's not a beer, then it's a gin and tonic. But always, always at the end of the night, I will go to my whiskeys a hundred percent. Love it.

[6:01] Vicki Manser: Yeah, I love it. All right, so how did you get into the performing arts and theatre as a whole?

[6:10] Vicki Manser: Um, I danced since I can remember. Uh I started really young, maybe when I was like three or four. Um, and that's all I ever wanted to do. I just wanted to be a dancer. Uh, and I broke my leg when I was really young. I broke it twice in exactly the same place. It you know, it's a bit crazy. Um, and basically the second time that I broke it, my dance teacher, I wasn't able to do the dance show that we were doing, and she was like, Well, do you want to sing instead? Because I could walk on it by this point, but I just couldn't dance on it. So I sang and she gave me an acting role as well, and that was when I was like, Oh, there's more than just dancing, like I love it all, let me do it all like greedy greedy.

So that was sort of really the moment that I was like, Yeah, I love it, I love it all. Um, and so I joined a youth theatre group when I was 10. Um, and I started doing like amateur amateur. What's that? Amateur dramatics when I was 10. Um, and it's just it's just all I ever wanted to do. I I can't remember a time where I ever wanted to be anything else.

[6:57] Josh: Yeah, I love it. That's so good. Um, and since getting into theatre, you performed some pretty top-end shows fame, cabaret, horrors, beautiful sunny afternoon, bad out of hell. Hell six, obviously. Um what would you think is the highlight for you so far out of your resume?

[7:50] Vicki Manser: My highlight for me was definitely my first Carol King show that I did when I did the show in town, um, in the West End. I I got to do it once in the year contract that I had, and it was just incredible. It I'm just I'm beaming about it now. I just love it. Like it was so so special. I had so many people come and support me, and um oh god, it was just amazing. And I think I was only maybe 22, 23 at the time. Um, and like taking on this big role, and I was just like, I'm in heaven right now, literally in heaven. It was it was a blur, but it was the best kind of blur ever. And I remember I haven't actually said this in an interview. I was so happy when I'd got to so like I had just so much adrenaline throughout the whole show, and then the finale came, and it was that kind of like, oh my god, I've done it, I've got to the end.

Like, uh, I can't I can't believe I've just made it to the end, and so my uh whatever I had just was all over the shop, and and I tried to sing the finale, and my voice was just like no, we're done. You're done, and so got to the finale, and I was trying to get my woes out, and literally instead of singing them in the end, I was just like, whoa, whoa! No, it wasn't happening, it wasn't happening. I was just but you know what? I was okay with it. I had the best time, it was great.

[9:38] Josh: I love that. Um, so before we jump into Six, um just touch quickly on what you are doing with Sharpe Academy at the moment and uh what everything there is because that is huge, and I want to plug it, go nuts.

[9:53] Vicki Manser: Yeah, it's um oh I love it. I love it. So Sharpe Academy, if I just give you a little lowdown of how it all came about, um the theatre group that I started at when I was 10. Um it got taken over by Daniel Sharp when I was uh 16. So he he bought the company, and from the get go, he he made me dance captain. Uh we just we got on really well, and he had loads of part-time schools, and he said, 'Jona, come and teach at my part-time schools and come and uh teach jazz and musical theatre. And and I was like, yeah, great. So so literally from 16, I started working for him, and he always had said that it would be a dream of his to open up a college, and um I sort of I never really I never really left.

I obviously I left the company when I was 18 and I went to go and train professionally. Uh but I stayed as choreographer for the company and um and when I was working professionally and I couldn't do that, I used to just come back and guest teach and and all this kind of stuff. And and he, you know, he would always mention it, oh you know, I'm I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it. And then when the company was 10 years old, um he I had a message from him being like, I'm I'm doing it, I'm opening the college next year. Can I pick your brains about you know your college experience and whatever? So we went for a coffee. Um, and that was when he asked me to be artistic director for the college, and I was just like, I do, I do, yes, great.

Um felt like this massive proposal. And I was like, oh god, yeah. Um, so absolutely thrilled. So basically, we've created this course uh together. Um, and we have we're now in our second year, we have two fantastic year groups that are doing a three-year diploma um with us uh to to go and work professionally in the industry, and they work, they they have classes from half eight till six o'clock every day um in absolutely everything you can imagine, and uh it's just amazing to I've always loved teaching and I love I love choreographing and very uh creative, so it's just really nice to be able to work with um kids that really well they're not kids, they're adults, but really, really want to do it, and seeing your visions come alive and watching them grow, and it's just really really exciting to be such a big part of it as well.

[12:25] Vicki Manser: Um, I love it, I love it, love it, love it.

[12:27] Josh: I could tell.

[12:30] Vicki Manser: Um, okay, so Six: The Musical. That is why we're here. Um, how did you find out about the show? What was your introduction to it?

[12:39] Vicki Manser: Well, I found out about it when my agent called me with an audition. Um, before that point, uh, I was in Bat Out of Hell at the time with Courtney Stapleton and Colette Guitar. We shared a dressing room, and Colette had mentioned that her mum had seen this show about Tudors, and we were like, oh, that's interesting, um, interesting thing that you want to base your show on, but alright. And said that it was amazing, and that was sort of the only thing that I'd ever heard about it before. And we did, it took us what ages actually to put two and two together because we didn't know that the name of the show was Six then, and we were like, ah, like down the line, we were like, Colette, that must have been the show that your mum saw.

Um, so yeah, I didn't know anything about it, and obviously, when me and Courtney auditioned for it, uh, it was quite early doors still. There was a couple of mega Sixes online, but nothing really to look at to gauge anything from. It was all so new still. Um, so yeah, I didn't know anything about it to be honest. I went in completely blind. Um, and actually, um, the original audition was for a swing, and at that point in my career, I was like, look, I'm really grateful, but I really do need to try and get out of this swing box and take like a different path. So there was uh this tiny part of me that was like considering not going for it. And my agent was like, look, let's go for it and see what happens, and we can talk about it down the line.

Oh my god, thank God! Thank God I went for it. Jesus, what a fool I would have been if I didn't. Hey. Can you imagine? We wouldn't be having this conversation right now if I hadn't gone. Incredible. That's crazy to think about.

[14:41] Josh: So um, what was your audition process like? You had it work on from your perspective.

[14:47] Vicki Manser: So it's, I know that they run the auditions differently now. Um, but when I auditioned, the first round was take two pop songs. Um, so I think I took her Christina Aguilera and I took, um, I think I took Mama Knows Best, Jesse J. Uh, sang them both, came out thinking, oh do you know what, that wasn't that great. I don't think I'm gonna get recalled for this. And I did. I thought, oh my god, that's weird. Uh, and the next day was like a big long old day, like nine till five. Um, working nine till I love you, Dolly. Um, nine to five, just doing all the different dance routines. You had to, I was given three of the queens to learn initially, which was Berlin, Seymour, and Aragon. Um, and I did so I did bits of them and uh the opening speech as well, and then after that, there was another dance round, and they gave me Howard and Pa to learn, and then by the last audition, I'd basically done the entire show, so I was like, we better cast me because I know the whole thing.

[16:03] Josh: That's awesome. So, do you remember the moment you got the call?

[16:07] Vicki Manser: I do, yeah. I was at home uh in my flat, and actually my best friend was up from Devon at the time. Um, and I got the call to say that I'd got it, and we ordered £75 worth of Chinese to celebrate. We had Chinese for days.

[16:28] Josh: That's great. That's just the ultimate celebration right there.

[16:33] Vicki Manser: That's just where it's at. Um, so going in to you'd swung before Six, obviously. So um, you had your swing process of learning tracks, obviously, down pat. So, how did you find picking up um this show with how intricate say the choreography is from Carrie-Anne and all of that? How did you find this show to swing in?

[16:59] Vicki Manser: I don't know what it was about this show. I just at the beginning in the rehearsal process, I felt pretty relaxed, which it just doesn't happen. I cry every rehearsal process. I will have a moment where I'm out in the road on the phone to my mum going, "Mom, I can't do it. It's so hard, I don't know why they picked me." And then I'm like, right, okay, I've had my moment, let's go back in, let's go and tackle it. Um, and Six was the only process where I didn't have that moment. I just, I don't know what it was. I just absolutely felt like really comfortable from the get-go, and just felt so lucky to be able to play all six of the queens and learn all six of the queens. I was just like, this is an epic job.

This is so great. Like, you don't ever get to cover six lead parts in one show that are all equally as good as each other. Um, and also the fact that you get to put your own spin on it, like I just love that. I love that about the show. So it was just a really fun process of like discovering what I was gonna do with each of the roles, and um, I think going from that where we had basically learned 18 different tracks dance-wise, then going to do six different tracks dance-wise, that element was like, oh phew, okay, fine. It was more so the harmonies and the lines um that were more difficult in Six than like Out of Hell, for instance. Um, but you know, the more that you do stuff and the more that you practice, the more that it's there, and it just falls into place, so yeah.

[18:44] Josh: I love that. Um, with the whole finding yourself in each of the queens, how was that process for you? Did you struggle with any of them to kind of find that, oh cool? This is me as this queen.

[18:55] Vicki Manser: Yeah, for sure. There were some that came more easily than others, definitely. One that I struggled with, and it was actually it happened to be my alternate to start with was Cleves. Um, because I obviously Lexi is just iconic. She is iconic, and she has her way of playing it, and if I had gone in and done it in the same way that she does the role, then it just would have been laughable. Because it's just like I'm a completely different person to her, and I just thought I'm never, honestly. I got in my head a little bit about it. I was like, I'm never gonna be able to live up to her doing it. Um, and so I really did have to find my own take, uh, my own way of doing it that was sort of like not gonna be compared in the slightest, and uh it took a while, and then one day I was just like Gemma Collins, Gemma Collins, it's Gemma Collins from TOWIE, which might be a completely like weird thing if she's not made it over to Australia, but basically there's this program about people from Essex, uh, and Gemma Collins is like a really big character from it, and I just thought it's that new money thing, like where you've just become, you've just rocketed into this, um, you know, money, um, and you're just loving it, and I was like, that's what I'm gonna base her on. Uh, so it came, it came eventually, um, but it did take a while. Yeah, that was probably the hardest one for me.

[20:40] Josh: Yeah, cool. Um, let's talk about another big part of this show that is completely offstage, and that's the Queens. Um, because you came into the show kind of as it was reaching kind of the peak of, oh my god, this is taking off. Um, so coming into that, seeing Amy Jay, uh, Millie, all of that kind of skyrocketing their social media presence. What was it like for you when you got announced as joining the cast?

[21:07] Vicki Manser: I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous about it, I was really nervous about it because there is this whole stigma still about um, you know, covers and whatnot, and don't get me wrong, it's getting better, and Six is phenomenal and not part of that stigma at all. Um, and we sort of knew that there wasn't that stigma attached to it because Grace Moat was so well received by uh the Queendom. Um, but there was still a part of me that was like, oh, everybody loves this group of girls so much. How is it gonna be with another two? Like, is it, you know, it could go one of one or two ways. Um, and actually it was, I had nothing to be worried about. Oh my goodness, they just welcomed us with open arms, and it's just insane.

I don't think I'll ever experience anything like it again, actually. Um, it's just phenomenal, but I do think that Six have got such a big part to play in that because when we were announced, we had our own video, we had our own video when we first went on for our first show, and they were constantly plug, plug, plug, look, our amazing alternates are doing this, that, and the other. And I was like, yes, yeah, yes, Six, like so many shows need to learn from you because actually, you know, they're setting the ground rules. They're like, we think all of these people are equally as good as each other, they are amazing in their own right. We're gonna support them, and I think that does trickle down to the fans and the people that watch it, they're like, oh, well, if the show is promoting them and the show is saying how amazing they are then yeah, yeah we're gonna go and watch them and we're not gonna be disappointed when we're not seeing, you know, whoever.

Um, so honestly I think they have a massive part to play and I have such a lot to thank them for and um, the Queendom have been so loyal in following me ever since and um, I have a lot to thank them for so I'm a very, very grateful gal. Yeah, I think the thing like with alternates um, and Six is that Six kind of been able to shed a spotlight on how important alternates are to a show as a whole. Um, like a show doesn't happen without people in the wings there to go on if something happens because then you've got no one to go on. So I think that's been a huge thing that I think people have finally understood, oh cool, these people are actually like hella important to this. And it's funny to like watch people like try to see the alternates instead of a full cast, oh cool, I need to see this person.

It's like, I love that. Exactly, there the possibilities are endless as to what show you're gonna get and because it's not one of those shows where you have to do a carbon copy of whoever is playing the part, you literally are gonna get a different show every time and I think that is like such a great and exciting thing, um, because it does make it different every time. You're never gonna get bored because you never know what's gonna happen.

[24:31] Josh: Alright, so let's throw it to the 26th of January 2019. Your debut for Cleves. Talk me through that.

[24:40] Vicki Manser: Wow. That seems like a while ago now. Oh my goodness. Um craziness. Oh wait. No, that's nearly two years. Oh my god. I've literally wiped 2020 from my brain, guys. Yeah, 2020 is gone. See? Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh, craziness. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. I love the arts theatre because it's so intimate. Um, and actually I found my feet a lot with Cleves doing the shows rather than in rehearsals because I had people to react against. I had an audience that I could see that were reacting to me, and you know, I feed off of their energy, I really do. Um so I remember doing my debut and like getting laughs in places, and I was just like, yes, do you know what? This is gonna be alright, like this is gonna be okay.

Um yeah, I like getting the person up to dance at the end of Get Down, and they didn't get up, and I delivered my line, and it was funny for the first time because obviously I hadn't done it to an audience before, and I was just like, I'm gonna have so much fun doing this, so much fun, yeah. Loved it.

[26:00] Josh: Going from chaotic to chaotica with Boleyn as your next debut. Um we could just go through the whole of 2019, but um what um was it the same kind of were you more confident going in to that second cover, knowing kind of what the presence was gonna be like on stage after having already covered one role?

[26:24] Vicki Manser: Um, I think I don't know. I never uh I I never really get to that place where I'm like I feel I feel comfortable I do I do get nervous every time well yeah I think is a good thing because I um but I was really excited about doing Boleyn because from the get go I was like Boleyn is my girl I love her she's she's hilarious like she's goofy I was like this is brilliant and I just had a lot of fun with her um so yeah I was really excited from from the get go and I I also I found with her track there was a lot of scope for me to just play around and you know add a few little ad-libs here and there much to uh Lucy and Toby's disgust I was like oh okay yeah rain that back in bring that back in um but yeah it was a lot of fun and I think it was like literally from the first show that was where my absolute classic um tagline came from uh and it stuck it's that when I was just sitting sitting there on the phone and I was like laughing and was like oh absolute classic and it just it just stuck I was like brilliant um I just lost my train of thought and I had a really good one guys but that's okay um so going into this show um what's it like to get into a room and get to work with the like original creative team and get to have input for people from people that actually wrote it and created the choreography and work with those people in the moment instead of kind of learning it second hand years down the track.

[28:01] Vicki Manser: Yeah, um insane. I loved it. I feel but you feel like you feel very lucky as well to to work with the people firsthand because they created this incredible show that has literally taken over the world. Yeah. And I I always just I just feel so lucky to be a part of it and not just not just that but to be one of the few people that have got to play all six there's still only a handful of people that've done that and then to be the only person that's gone from you know um playing all six to then like covering all six to then actually getting to play a part I'm like God that's so cool. And so like when I took over as Howard I got to work with Lucy and Toby on like creating a new version of Howard's that just hadn't been done before and I was just like God this is epic. This is so great like just you know being able to just see what's going on in their minds for that split second and their their thought process and yeah it's really it's really good.

[29:09] Josh: That was a perfect segue because that's where I was going next moving into the pink um what was that whole experience like obviously um that whole kind of couple of month period there like you were leaving at one point and then it was like no Amy's leaving Vicky's staying like how chaotic was that for you and then learning not relearning but kind of cementing yourself as Howard and having to almost forget the other five what was that all kind of period like for you?

[29:09] Vicki Manser: It was a weird time because I actually I actually was leaving, like it that wasn't that wasn't made up, like I was actually going. Uh, and so I didn't find out that I was uh gonna be taking over as Howard until already it had been put out that I was leaving, and then I had to keep it a secret, and it was all just like a bit mad to be honest. Um but obviously, like I was so happy that I got to stay for a little bit longer. Going into the pink was a bit nerve-wracking for me because number one, Amy is just sensational. Um, and I was like, again, I was like, right, it's gonna, it's gonna be a different version, it's gonna be it's gonna be different, and not only that, but it was so different to my alternate version of Howard, because all of a sudden I'm in pink, I'm in a skirt, I’m a lot more girlier than I've ever had to be because I was in my blue, I was in my shorts, I was like, yeah, like you know, a bit laddish with it all.

Um, no, none of that. As soon as I got that skirt on, I was like, oh my god, I'm a different person. So it really did change. Um it changed a lot, but it was so nice just to focus on one and really like find your feet with it and and cement this new sort of take on her, um, which was like a lot more sincere than I had ever played her before. Uh, and I think that just added a new layer of comedy because then by the end of the the whole bit where she goes and she disses all of the queens, if you actually do that at so genuine and so sincere, I think that it just punches you at the end when she's like goes into her song and you're like, oh my god, you're clever, you're really clever, actually. So it was just really nice, yeah. Um, I feel very lucky, very lucky that I got to do it.

[31:43] Josh: Yeah, uh what with the experience as well because it wasn't just Howard that changed roles over that period that really Maya left Millie left um and who else there was one more wasn't uh so Maya Millie and maybe it was just Amy maybe it was just the three oh yeah yeah yeah it was so what was it like to kind of because obviously you worked with the all the different dynamics on that stage through that period to then have a brand new Berlin and a brand new par on stage what was that like knowing that you were a brand new Howard did that kind of alleviate some of the the pressure of sorts as well because it wasn't just a single role change that was happening.

[32:24] Vicki Manser: Yeah I suppose so um what is nice is the fact that sometimes you you know you can get into a routine of saying things like exactly the same way and you know to hear then somebody else say the lines in a different way and and you're just like oh god this is this is fresh this is and you you can react differently like I I know that I played um I will do things differently dependent on what I'm given in the circumstance so so you know if one of the alternates was on for par for example then I'd be reacting differently to how I would be doing it with Danielle Steers um because everyone plays it differently so it's just it was it was really nice to uh just play about with some new energy and yeah um hear lines delivered in a way that you've never heard them before and you go oh god that's that's good that's a good way of doing that.

Um, and everyone's got their own spin, and it's it's great, and it was just really nice as well to see uh how excited the audience were about seeing seeing a fresh take and again welcoming everybody with such open arms, yeah.

[33:32] Josh: Yeah, it's lovely. Love it. Um overall, what has been your favourite memory with six there's there's been a few.

[33:44] Vicki Manser: Um you can rattle off a few. This is your episode, you can you can take it.

[33:49] Vicki Manser: Um I adored doing West End Live with them. Oh my goodness, that was amazing, and that was West End Live was always on my bucket list, and I was like, I really want to do it, really want to do it. And I got to do it with Bat Out of Hell, and it was epic because Bat Out of Hell also had a fandom that was really loyal, and and then I did it with six, and I was like, oh no, oh no, that was nothing in comparison to this, and just again, like it just never happens where the covers or alternates or anyone gets to do that kind of thing because it's always the it's always the cast, and and uh so I was just like, God, this is just epic. I felt so lucky, and it was amazing, and to be to be then recognised on the street after that, and I was like, this is mad, this is crazy.

Um, so so that was that's a highlight. Getting to go to the Olivier's was amazing. Um because every show that I'd done up until that point as well, I could have been there, and I just missed out on the chance of going. So like I just joined Sunny at the time, um, so I was like a few weeks into rehearsals, and they were there, and I was like, oh god, that would I know them, I know them. I'm working with them. Like it just would have been so nice. Um Beautiful, I was like a year late because they were there the the year that Sunny was there. Bat Out of Hell didn't get nominated, which was craziness, and they should have been because it was a brilliant show. Uh so I was like every year I was like, oh my god, I just want to go to the Olivier's. And then I got to go with six. So big up six again, making it things happen.

[35:42] Vicki Manser: Um but yeah, my first night for sure, um, and closing night as well, mental, uh, and my opening night for Howard and my closing night for Howard. Uh all the feels, all the feels, the standing ovation after all you want to do. I was um overwhelmed. You're literally reading my brain because we're going into this, so feel free. Like the like the emotional wave that would have happened because you were there how long did you play Howard? It was two months. A couple of months. Um yeah, October, November, December. So you had it pretty much under well, you kind of would have had it in your mind at one point that you were leaving three months earlier to finally get to that point where damn I'm actually leaving the show.

What was that kind of final few days like of prepping yourself to move on? I um it wa it's a funny one because I didn't I didn't want to leave. I was just like, Oh god, I really I loved the show. Um, I was very, very excited to to go and do Carol, but at the time before, before I knew I'd got Carol, uh, I didn't I didn't want to leave the show. I was just like, Oh, I just love it, I love it, love it, love it. Um, so so then I felt so like honoured that I'd got to stay that extra bit longer because I was like, yeah, do you know what? I'm not done with it, I'm not done. Um so to get to do that, I was like, ah, do you know what? We can not close that chapter because don't get me wrong, I think I'd go back in a heartbeat, uh if I could.

But you know, I felt like okay, now is the time like fine, I've done my I've done my bit. Um so so yeah, and it was just like, oh my god, I'm not gonna get to live my pop star dreams every night. Like it's really sad. What was going through your head when the standing ovation happened? I honestly I it was a it was blur. It was a blur. I I was just like standing there with my head up and and I could hear everybody going crazy, and and I was just like, whoa, whoa, this is mad, this is mad. Um yeah, very, very grateful, very grateful. Then transitioning from six, heading out on tour with beautiful. What how did you um deal with like the switch of obviously shows, characters, mindsets, everything, heading out on tour and not being located in town?

How did that whole process work for you? Um so I was quite lucky because I'd done the show before, in the rehearsal process, I was doubling up. I was rehearsing in the day for beautiful, and I was going and doing the shows at night at six. And thank goodness I'd done the show before in the evenings, that's when you like go home and you learn your lines and whatever. And thank goodness it had stayed somewhere in the back of my brain because I I think I picked up my script maybe once. Um and it just came flooding back all the direction, all the harmonies, like everything. It was just I thought it had gone in one ear and out the other when I didn't need it, but it was buried deep within me somewhere.

So that was really nice. I felt confident in that. I felt confident in the show, and um, and I was just I was ready, I was ready to play that part again because as soon as I finished the um the show in London when I did it, I I said I said to like I said to my family, I was like, I'm not done with that show. I need to play that part again. I need to play that part, and I still feel like it now, like it's not enough. I just want to I just want to keep on doing it because Carol King for me is the dream role, it really is. It's just amazing. Um, but obviously, you know, it was a massive difference going from this show that was so hyper and like out there in your face to go then back to that naturalistic style, yeah.

Um, and a completely different style of singing as well. Like it's nice to change it up a little bit. Uh I was nervous as hell about going on tour. I actually ended up having the best time of my life, so yeah, it was great. I love it.

[40:19] Vicki Manser: Um right now, obviously, we are in quarantine, guess. Um, if you aren't aware, um it's still happening. It is you aren't aware, where have you been? Are you living under a rock? If so, how have you gotten away with it? Because I would love to know your secrets. Um what is the biggest thing you've learned during this time of isolation and being away from theater and everything like that? Yeah, uh, the biggest thing I've learned, and I'm still learning to do, um, but I keep telling myself is to live in the moment and enjoy the moment. You there is no point in worrying about the past because it's happened, and there is no point in worrying about the future because we literally have no clue what is going on, and I think that's something that I'm terrible for is that I never in fully enjoy what I'm doing in that moment because I'm always thinking, what can I do next?

What can I do next that's gonna better myself? What's the next step? Like, what is gonna take me to the top of that ladder? Babe, stop. You're at the top of your ladder at the moment, like just chill your beans, you can't get any higher at this moment. Like, I'm I'm constantly just like, yeah, but yeah, but yeah, but no, no, yeah, but take a step back, look around at what you've achieved, and just go, oh my god, you did that. How amazing is that? Just enjoy it. So that is definitely what I have uh learnt during lockdown, and sometimes you know, sometimes I'm like, Yeah, but yeah, but yeah, but and then I just go, no, bit, come on, remember. You kind of catch yourself in a moment, you're like, Oh, just calm down. It's okay. Take a look at it.

[42:03] Josh: Queens, we have another announcement. It's probably already out on social media by the time you were listening to this episode. Because yesterday, I'm pretty sure I've got my days right. Vicky, you released something. Um, guys, we're recording this like a week in advance. So like yesterday, take it away, Vicky. What what did you announce? Well, what what is going on in the world of Vicki Manser?

[42:24] Vicki Manser: Well, if it is the 10th of October, then yesterday I released my second single. We're checking calendars just to make sure. This will not be edited out because you know, authenticity guys. No, why not? This is how we roll. 10th of October, yeah. Yesterday. Yes, right. Yesterday, guys. Oh my god, yesterday. Yesterday I released my second single. It went to number one in Australia. I'm putting it out in the universe now. Worldwide, it's just topping all the charts. Worldwide, it went number one. Now going to the Billboard Music Awards, guys. It's there. And because we said it first here in the universe, I'm Vicky's Plus One. We said it. We said it. Um, yesterday I released my my single. Um hopefully, hopefully it's gone as well as the first one.

Um, but yeah, I'm super well I'm super excited about it. And I'm sure on the 10th of October I'll be ecstatic. Uh but right now I am I'm really looking forward to releasing it and getting it out in the world. And um, yeah, I can't wait. I can't wait for everyone to hear it. I'm so excited. Don't press play.

[43:35] Vicki Manser: Um It did actually chart in Australia, my last single. Did you know that? No, it did, yeah, because I listened to it like four. For like a s for like a split second, but it did chart, and I'm taking that. We'll make it happen for a little longer this time. I got it. Let's make it happen, guys.

[43:54] Vicki Manser: Um with obviously being away from six, what's the biggest thing you've missed about six in particular? Um, I think the whole concert vibe performance thing. Um, singing like with a microphone. I know it sounds weird, but obviously a musical theater, you don't get to hold your microphone. You it's attached to your edge somewhere or whatever. So um, so I do I miss I miss performing like that because you you literally do feel like a pop star. And actually, I did a drive-in event a couple of weeks ago um with the six girls, and I sang with Courtney and Colette. We sang with our band that we have, and um, and we're obviously we're all holding microphones, and we had core well, we went full out. We went full out Friday for this event, and we did choreo for our numbers, and and I felt like a pop star again uh for that split moment. I was just like, yes! That's probably what I miss the most about it.

[44:55] Josh: That's wonderful. All right, guys, all the links for all of the stuff that we have mentioned, Sharpe Academy, Vicky's album, everything single, everything will be down below in the description. So if you've heard it's coming. Hey, you heard it here first, guys. We're dropping all the news. Look at that. We've got all the leaks. Um, all the links will be down below. Click, listen, play, play, play, play, play, play, play, repeat. Simple, easy. Um Lucy come to you, Vicky. After quarantine, they're like, hey, we want you back. Um, you get to choose the queen, you get to play. You're not a swing, just a single. Who are you choosing?

[45:38] Vicki Manser: Blynn.

[45:40] Josh: I before I should I knew the answer. I was like, I know exactly where this is.

[45:46] Vicki Manser: Everybody knows it. It's no secret.

[45:47] Josh: I love her. Obviously, I don't have favorites though. Like that's rude, but um I do.

[45:55] Vicki Manser: I do have favorites, and it's Blin.

[45:57] Josh: Inside the show, I just skipped over like 40 questions. Um what is your favorite moment in the show? Or was your favorite moment in the show?

[46:07] Vicki Manser: Oh well, I think I don't know actually. That's a really good question. Um six, when you finish six and you punch your hands up in the air, and the confetti comes down. That's epic.

[46:23] Josh: Yeah.

[46:24] Vicki Manser: That is epic.

[46:25] Josh: I agree. And on that epic note, Queens, we are gonna wrap things up this week. Uh Vicky, thank you for coming and hanging out.

[46:33] Vicki Manser: Um I got it any time.

[46:35] Josh: Guys, I've been trying to make this episode happen since like the first week of the podcast, and we got here 38, I think, episodes later, but we got here, guys.

[46:45] Vicki Manser: Oh my goodness, no, not been that long.

[46:48] Josh: I think it's it might be 37.

[46:50] Vicki Manser: You might be okay.

[46:51] Josh: Oh, yeah, that makes it better. But guys, um please check out everything in the description box below. Make sure you're going to check out TheatreFans TV as well because we are up and running, all the stuff is there, and Vicky and the crew might be making an appearance at some point in the coming weeks. So make sure you are heading over there and subscribing. All the links are down below, and we will see you next week with a brand new episode of the Queendom Podcast. Bye.