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[0:00] Josh Mitchell: Hey theatre fans, what's going on? This is just a quick note to let you know that listener discretion is advised for this episode. There are some discussions on some sensitive and triggering topics such as rape and sexual harassment throughout. So please be careful. Other than that, enjoy.

[0:21] Josh Mitchell: Hey theatre fans, one and all. This week we are walking down the aisle. We are going to the Wedding Signer musical currently in Melbourne, then coming around Australia. We are here with Stephen Mahy, who plays Glenn. Hey Stephen, how you going?

[0:35] Stephen Mahy: Yeah, good, thanks, mate. How are you?

[0:37] Josh Mitchell: I am really excited to have a chat about this show. I'm a huge Adam Sandler movie fan, so this musical is obviously like an encapsulation of everything I love all in one. First of all, do you want to talk about your character and your role in the show?

[0:54] Stephen Mahy: Yeah, so I'm playing Glenn Goulia, and Glenn is a money-hungry power broker. Grew up in Jersey and has gone to Wall Street to find money and has landed some great deals somehow. He's not a very smart man or a very nice man. Essentially, he's the villain of the piece. The two people, obviously Julia and Robbie, the main focus is on them. They meet, they're friends, and they develop feelings for each other. But Julia is torn between this sort of world of Glenn with money and material things, or love and romance. And so if you have seen the movie, I'm pretty sure you know what happens. But if you haven't, yeah, there's sort of this tug of war of what she kind of wants. And so we try to empower her, and Glenn does everything in his mind to take away that power.

Whether he's doing it consciously or not, he's the douchebag, and it's a very interesting character to play because I guess I don't ever get cast as the bad guy. But I've done this is the second musical in the eighties now that I've done that I'm being typecast, so it's got a thing. He's got a nice sort of thick Jersey accent, very much a power man, and thinks the world revolves around him.

[2:15] Josh Mitchell: Speaking of the eighties, stepping back in time, going back to that style of music and everything like that and getting to encapsulate the 80s on stage, what's that like to kind of revive that entire era in a musical?

[2:15] Stephen Mahy: From the moment we kick off, you feel like you are back there. You hear the synthesizer, you see the colours, you see the lights, and the choreography really just snaps you back into that world. It's very nostalgic, and a lot of people when they come and see the show, they're like, "Oh, just love it." The 80s was about self-expression and a way to break the norm of what was going on in pop culture. Art especially was really vibrant and really poppy. So you do know exactly where you are immediately, and to hear those different sounds within the musical is hilarious because you just know, like, I had a cassette player or I had a CD player or the new mobile phone in America was a cellular phone you could take anywhere and was the size of a brick.

So it's really fun to go back there and see, kind of discover again. I was born in '82, so I was a bit of a little fella going through those times, but just see how influential pop artists like Madonna and Prince and Cher and countless people obviously had on culture.

[3:38] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, amazing. I love that. Such an interesting thing 'cause right now we're seeing a lot of modern musicals come to stages that are set in either futuristic times or current times. We now obviously have Hamilton way back when, but with a modern vibe. But to get that kind of not historical but recent past kind of vibe on a stage is kind of different to see, I guess.

[4:05] Stephen Mahy: Yeah, and it's not so far back that it's sort of so far removed from a lot of people. It's our generation or our parents' generation, like, "Oh, the eighties were just so much fun and carefree." There was money and the world seemed a very kind of innocent place because we weren't all connected by the World Wide Web very easily, and there were so many things that kind of were innocent about it, but yet very, very corrupt.

[4:32] Josh Mitchell: And you guys have had the chance to have some audiences in and get some reactions. So, what's it been like hearing people's reactions to this show so far?

[4:43] Stephen Mahy: Yeah, The Wedding Singer is definitely a comedy piece, and so it relies very much on that audience response. We absolutely vibe off it. We encourage people to yell, scream, have a laugh, have a cry. So definitely, I mean, there's nothing really beats live theatre in my opinion. It's hard to sort of say, "Nah, it's not worth it." Absolutely it's worth it, like a musical. I'm so grateful for it, but every night there is a different audience, and every night is a different kind of heartbeat that goes with the show.

[5:14] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[5:14] Stephen Mahy: And that's what we have to trust as performers, that we're still doing our job properly, even if people aren't laughing in the same spots.

[5:20] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[5:20] Stephen Mahy: But because there are different generations of people that see it, different jokes land as well. So sometimes people are like, "Oh, I definitely understood that," although, "Huh?" So you just have to play into your strengths and just trust that you're doing the right thing. I think that's the fun and tricky thing about being in a comedic piece is that it's not the same thing every night. In standard musicals, pretty much you know certain things are gonna resonate with audiences throughout the night, and you get the similar reaction, but with comedy, it's very dependent on audience interpretation and how they hear what comes out of it, and then you obviously have to adapt to that.

[6:01] Josh Mitchell: And being the villain in this, how does that work on your end?

[6:07] Stephen Mahy: Yeah, I mean, I think I can hear the audience cringe in some of the things that I say because it's just these jerk. And I'm not necessarily a funny character; there are funny moments that I have there. It's really interesting coming in and sort of breaking that comedy or breaking what is going on because people just get a quick snap. They're like, "Oh my gosh, okay, he's saying that," or "Oh my gosh, he's exactly like this villain or this chauvinistic pig." Because he really talks to Julia like she's, it's like, "Come on, you'll be right, come on, you've got this," and so it's quite demeaning. Especially in this day and age, we've learned a lot about inequality and what's going on. So I have a role to kind of play in the sense to show what men are really like even today.

Some of it's funny, but it also just crosses that line, and I just have to sit in that a lot more because personally, I am not like that, and I'm absolutely some nights I come off and go, "Oh, I'm so gross." But yeah, it's a lot of fun playing, that's for sure.

[7:10] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, let's go down that road just 'cause that type of thing is in the news a lot, especially in the musical theatre scene right now. To portray that on stage, what is your understanding and how did you develop that character, but also that understanding with Tegan and everything like that?

[7:32] Stephen Mahy: So it doesn't feel personal; it's a very character-on-stage persona type thing that you're putting forward.

[7:42] Stephen Mahy: Yeah, so it is definitely a conversation that you have sitting around a table and seeing what the piece is and addressing issues that, you know, there were certain lines that we've changed and certain things that we've wanted to think about. They had more like, Alistair had a great chat with Tegan, Kirby, and Holly, in regards to kind of things that just don't sit very well now or can be like, "Why are we saying that?" One particular line was changed in the sense of like, "Oh, you look hot," and then she's like, "Really?" and it said no, and it's like, "Well, we don't need to say that." It's like, "Oh, good to see you." And so instead of just flipping it that way, it's like, "Really good to see me."

"No, it's not." We don't have to be misogynistic all the time, and we can certainly have the liberty to change things. I'm very much what I spoke to Tegan a lot about the trust that we had. I've worked with Tegan before 10 years ago, and it was very much, "Okay, this is what's gonna happen." We had a coach come in for the intimacy scenes, and we spoke about that, and it was very much of, "Can I put my hand on your shoulder?" "Okay, yes, can I put my arms around you?" And so we've now have the tools and coaches to be able to talk through this and explore it in a way. But it definitely just comes down to rehearsal communication between the director and myself, communication with the rest of the team as well.

So everybody observing is seeing that it's not Stephen going in there and tearing up a piece. It is definitely the character, and there is room, like we've still got a script and you've got to stick to your script, but there's room to be able to explore who we are as people and who Glenn is as a person. So I think, yeah, it's a long conversation.

[9:35] Josh Mitchell: I love that. So let's dive into the rehearsal process and everything like this. Getting your hands on this work and music and everything like that, seeing the show come together, especially coming out of COVID and everything like that. What was it like to be in this room and be able to get creative with people after such a long time away from it?

[9:57] Stephen Mahy: It's incredible. We set up an amazing room with Alistair and Mikey that it was all about having fun and playing and just throwing offers out there onto the floor. I think everybody is so excited to get back in the room and not do a Zoom acting class or do an audition again. Like I auditioned online via Zoom, and then I did a self-tape, so there were all these things online, and it was like, "Okay, so I've not met anybody or played with anybody in the room yet." So when we got in there, I was just open, and it's probably the first time in a long time where I've had the liberty to be, "You know, I'm gonna try five different things and see what happens." And because we were creating our own show, like our own version of the show, we really did have a liberty not just to walk on and stand on four.

We were like, "No, no, maybe I'll come from stage left today, or maybe I'll come from stage right. Let's see what works for all of us." And like with the cast that we have, it was just so liberating that everybody was so willing to just be like, "Yep, yes, and yes, and let's go. Hey, how about this way? Can we try it a little softer or can I try it a little harder?" And I've just been having fun, and I think that's kind of what the aim of the game is anyway, is just to have fun with what you're doing. You know, like it's very cliché, but I'm hashtag grateful for just having a job. But then being able to come in here and I do this sort of big seven-minute number at the top of Act Two called "All About the Green."

[11:27] Stephen Mahy: Um, Mikey Ralph choreographing. I'm not naturally a dancer, but he gave me time. He showed me the steps and let me create that character within my movement style, and now I'm doing it. Like, and before I'd be so scared of be like, oh my god, I've got a dance, and my shoulders will rise up. And now it's like, well, I'm not I'm certainly not a dancer. There's an amazing ensemble of dancers in this show that are killing it in every number, but I feel like I've got this new sense of freedom about playing in shows now and that it could end. Like we could get an outbreak today and like get a cancellation, show's over, you're not going to the Gold Coast in a few weeks. So I don't know. I just want to go out there and have gone out there with the audience and in the rehearsal room just to have as much fun as I can because I've yeah, I've never experienced anything like a show closing down and just losing everything. Um so yeah, just just taking each day and just being very, very blessed. And I don't know it sounds cliché, but it I really have.

[12:24] Josh Mitchell: No, it's really interesting that you s like you guys think about that. Like obviously it happened with um a couple like Come From Away guys and the Frozen guys in Sydney um prior to you guys opening. Um but it's just interesting that you actually have that front of mind that hey this could potentially be our last show. We don't know what we're gonna wake up to tomorrow. Like it's a very interesting world. Um let's dive into 2020. What was twenty twenty like for you um with the pandemic getting locked down um and everything like that.

[12:56] Stephen Mahy: Yeah at that at the beginning of it I went into a bit of a panic. Um I didn't I'm not used to stopping in life. I'm I love a hustle and I love to find work where I can and work really hard at it. So to kind of be put in my place and not have control I was like oh wow like this is something I've really got to address in my personality. Um and it was hard like working through those moments um in the year it was hard on I was in Melbourne I wasn't with my family and friends um so I really felt that um sense of loss because after the first lockdown I was like cool I'm gonna go to Sydney and see my family because wow like you know uh what an experience and then we got locked down again that second time really played on I was like look I've got to get a job outside of theatre so I worked for Telstra and I ended up I was just working from home in a call centre job uh which is very confronting in the sense of I failed am I a failure but realistically it was just the situation that we were all in.

Um I wanted to earn some money and so that's what you gotta do, just get a job and get out there. I did on reflection learn a lot about myself and found the ability to find some peace. Uh find that there is an abundance of things that you can get if you allow it.

[14:19] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[14:20] Stephen Mahy: Um you know we all would talk about you know yes ask the universe and it shall you know give provide you what you need but unless you do that work you're never ever going to get that. We could talk about it till the cows come home but we're always going to be sitting here with walls up and you know uh being very protective of ourselves and I think and then getting to do the show like 2020 just sort of proved to me like you need to live with your own light uh completely turned up and if other people are doubling your light then you need to like question that you know it it just shows like the people that turned up in your life are there still the people that didn't turn up or didn't um provide and and not in a selfish way but just in a sense of going, you know like what are we doing?

Like I don't want to do I don't want to do surface stuff anymore. I want to be in there and I want to I want to be real with you. It's like you know how are you going today? Like fine is if you're just fine that's fine. But like I want to know you know what I'm not feeling very well today but like we don't need to talk about it. I'd go awesome I respect you so much. And I'll say the same thing hey I'm pretty shit today.

[15:26] Yeah.

[15:27] Stephen Mahy: Or I'm actually amazing. I'm having an amazing time and that's okay too like you should be able to have an amazing day. Like here we are doing a podcast I'm having an amazing morning. Like how great. I found that too like 2020 was a huge like reset button I think like it was a massive cool look at everything around you analyze it, figure out what you don't need anymore because everyone's gonna move through this at different paces at different times and figure out where you're sitting. Um communication was a big thing for me and emotion and everything like that and working through all of that was just it was a very interesting process um mentally for myself so um it's just interesting to hear other people's kind of takes on um what they went through and how they handled everything.

[16:13] Josh Mitchell: Yeah I mean I think look if you looked at society and what was going on around the world you know the Black Lives Matter um rally happened because of George Floyd of you know just another number or another thing that happened in the States but also you know I chose to go and do the rally here in Melbourne um for the lives that are lost um in the detention centres. It's like how many you know at what point did I sort of go do I have to protect myself and the community? Did it have an outbreak of what it was it was a risk I know but like it really making you stand up for what you believe in.

[16:48] Stephen Mahy: Yeah um and prioritizing that like it for me the industry we spoke touched on it before about the respect of what's going on. Like inequality is absolutely rife through our industry. Um what has just happened recently with um the girls coming out talking about what happened during Rocky Horror Show um and you know yep he's been proven not guilty but the judge certainly said if he was tried in another time he would be guilty.

[17:19] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[17:19] Stephen Mahy: And I have certainly very very passionate and angry about um the sexual harassment, the rape culture um not just within um our industry but within like you come to I moved to Melbourne a few years ago and it was like every other week a woman was raped, killed, um sexually assaulted, um followed on a tram, and I was like, what the hell is going on? Like and it happens all around the country. But what what's going on? Like, why am I in Melbourne and this is just on my feed or I'm seeing it on the news? Like we you and I, as men, white privileged men, have a responsibility to stand up and make uh start calling calling shit out.

[18:01] Like calling your mates out and saying, you can't say that. Like and as much as it's locker room fun, that's what lots of people say, Oh, I'm just having a good time. No. I'm okay. It's not okay anymore. Um so yeah, like I I've really sort of gotten behind a lot of things and listened and and uh doing a lot of learning. A lot of people are like, Why aren't you posting on social media and why aren't you saying this? And it's like my social media is an echo chamber, like yeah, it's people that are kind of already converted, but it's the generations above us that need to hear it, but it's also education for the younger people to say, if you're gonna come into this industry, you need to pull your socks up and there's gonna I'm gonna call you out on your shit.

[18:39] Yeah.

[18:40] Stephen Mahy: That's it's it's so good, like and I have never felt so confronted um as I did in 2020, and really I had to learn about a lot of things because I didn't realise how sheltered I was from certain things, like the amount of research I did throughout the Black Lives Matter movement and then um just with certain things popping up with that rape culture and everything like that and the sexual harassment, it was just like cool. Am I doing anything to hinder progress? Or am I doing anything that is not right by standards, or is there ways I'm approaching things that I need to adjust things so they're not perceived certain ways by certain people? Like what am I doing that's wrong and What what did you do in the can I ask the question like what what are you doing? Because maybe I'd need to learn that as well. Like is there something that you're doing or a group of people that you're talking to?

[19:36] Yeah.

[19:36] Stephen Mahy: It's just it it was very interesting like having to reflect on not only my own personal stuff but those social things that I'm like, cool. Why have I never thought of this? Why have I never gone out of my way to make sure I'm up to date on all this information? Why am I having to do so much learning now on a topic that I shouldn't have to learn about? Like it should just be a natural instinct. It's a it's our privilege, right? We're as as white males we don't need to think about a lot of things and it's I guess that's the uh that that's that's why we we're we don't we've not been taught to be scared or we've not to protect ourselves because the world is made for us.

[20:19] Josh Mitchell: Exactly.

[20:20] Stephen Mahy: It just it's such an interesting time and just all those social movements just really a massive reset. Um so taking all of that and going into a fresh cast, how different did you approach this show? Did you find yourself thinking about things more or did you approach your processes differently um going into Wedding Signer after 2020?

[20:46] Stephen Mahy: Um I think I've already had a a pretty good moral compass in before going into the Wedding Signer. Um it wasn't last year that sort of taught me that I did a cabaret show in I think it was 2019. It was called A Time to Love and it was pu it was exactly about that. Like I've um learnt a lot of it probably in the last sort of four to five years about feminism and what that's like you know, and I'm I am a feminist and what that stands for, and I've had a lot of backlash from like friends or people online. Um, so I think that I've always approached um going into a show with care and love and understanding and try uh being equal. What I probably did with this show is very much have the conversation with people about who Glenn is, and you know, everybody understood that, but I said in front of everyone all the time, like this is not okay.

What we're doing is not like we're telling a story through this part, but you know, it was about what asking the other person what they needed, what they wanted from me. I called it out in rehearsals and said we need to have a conversation, we need to have an intimacy coach, we need to sit down and talk about the the issues that are here in this piece. Um, I don't think we dove um deeply enough into that conversation because we had about two and a half weeks, but I I've certainly encouraged it around the cast now. Um, and I'm probably a lot more liberal. Like, I'm just like, you know what? No, no, you can't say that, you know, like and um not intentional racism that happens, like I call it out in you know, not intentional misogynistic behavior, I'm calling it out.

Um yeah, I I think if anything from last year was just like gave me the confidence to be like, Well, no, you you're allowed to say things respectfully, you're allowed to do that, and to be honest, I'm with the powerhouse bunch of women in this show that are like they're calling shit out, yeah, you know, they're they are they they're doing it, and I and I support them and I stand by them because some people are gonna say, Oh, this is just repetitive, and I'm all I'm hearing, like I'm not meaning it, I'm not doing the wrong thing.

[22:56] Stephen Mahy: It's like, well, you are, you are. If they're uncomfortable and you're not feeling they're not feeling safe, you're doing the wrong thing. Yeah, if you're feeling uncomfortable because they've called you out, that means you're doing the wrong thing. Like if you feel that way because someone said no, then switch up your game because you're doing the wrong thing straight away. Yeah, and that's just not about like this is not all just about sexual harassment, bullying, um, you know, it's it's everything. Like we should we should lead with love. We should lead with no fear, we should lead with no judgment. And if you do that, as much as it's very hard, and I'm not perfect, I could certainly have an ego, and it gets in the way all the time.

But I would want people to call me out, and I would want people to tell me what I'm doing, or and and because I can absolutely will be wrong sometimes, but so will everybody is. Yeah. It's not just men. We're like, and it's not just women, like it's it's society, it's the world, it's the way that we've been brought up, it's learnt behaviors from our past, it's things that we've been affected by. Like you may be guarded and maybe brash because you've had something happen to you. It doesn't still give you an excuse to treat other people in a terrible way. So you need to unlearn your bad behaviors. You need to go and speak to a psychologist, you need to go and do your meditation every every day.

You need to find those things that are going to ground you and say, Okay, things have happened to me or things I've done the wrong thing, but I'm willing to learn, I'm willing to adapt and understand what's going on and make a difference. Yeah. Like, no matter how old you are or how young you are, you've you have the capacity to lead with love.

[24:33] Josh Mitchell: Yeah. I love that. That's such a good, powerful message. I'm so glad we got to have this conversation. I've been waiting to have this conversation. I'm so glad I got to have it with you. Um obviously being away from theatre for an extended period of time with shutdowns and that type of thing. What was it like going back into a theatre for the first time? I think I scrolled through and saw you saw Pippin. What was that as like a performance uh as a performer that's been away from the industry? What was that like going back in to that space and seeing live art for the first time?

[25:04] Stephen Mahy: Just it was mind blowing because I came out of you know two lockdowns here and I did two weeks of quarantine in Sydney and I came out and Sydney was already like they were rolling, they had been for months. And so that alone was like, ooh, what's happening? Uh there's a lot of people here. Uh but I was I was just it was it was heartwarming to see that you know the New South Wales government had gotten behind GFO and they put on Pippin um to see your friends on stage again and to see the hard work. Like that's a pretty hard show to just slap up in a few weeks. Um was a little scary because you're like, okay, uh I've not been in this kind of area. And I thought that'd be, you know, it's my mum and I just sitting there watching the show, but it's like no other people are there, and so you know, uh it was it was amazing, of course.

Uh and I think it was just a trial and error from the end of last year, and I think everybody going to see it just appreciates going to theatre. I I I'm definitely one that claps and whistles and has a great time regardless of what's going on. I think you just have to support them. Um if I don't like it, I don't like it, I'll leave. But um, yeah, no, it was it was wonderful to go and watch.

[26:11] Josh Mitchell: I love that. Um just it was such an interesting experience heading back into theatre with everyone masked up and all the procedures of getting in. It was just a very it was like cool. I'm going back to the thing I loved, and my first show back was Frozen, and I remember hearing the overture of Frozen Start, and I just sat in my seat and I was like, okay, we're back. And I just like almost started crying, just of like, yeah, cool, alright, we're back on our feet. Awesome.

[26:38] Stephen Mahy: Yeah. Yep. Getting to post the stuff on social media that I did, but still having my friends in the UK and the US react to us having theatre back, and they're like, oh my god. And I'm like, Yeah, things are like back to normal here. Like hopefully it gets back to that way for you. Like we've got shows left, right, and center, we've got online productions, we've got physical productions, we've got sell out theaters. It's just an interesting time for the world of theatre, and we've just a couple of weeks away from West End and uh a couple months from Broadway opening, which is good. So we'll have full forces back. But just to be in that space knowing, cool, this is one of the first hubs of theatre reopening in the world, and I'm here to be a part of that is just really cool.

[27:22] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, I mean we we're very much in a very privileged situation and it's not taken for granted at all, I think by Australians and by people that are doing the show um day in, day out, and I think it's given the opportunity for the overseas creatives to come over here and um you know, uh get their kind of expression back and their, you know, way of living. I know that a lot of people, yeah, it we all missed it. I mean I can't believe Broadway's been shut for this long. You can imagine the tourism that they are just losing money, like it's lost, it's not coming back. Um so yeah, we we've certainly given them the world a a a great opportunity. Like the same with Korea and um, you know, you had the cats go over there, you had Phantom running during last year. Um, so you know, other countries were doing it, but we certainly have now we're on fire, and especially with the movie industry, TV and film are up and running. Um, yeah, we're doing we're doing pretty well.

[28:15] Josh Mitchell: As a performer going back into the industry, what was it like having to adapt things for COVID procedures and everything like that? Obviously, auditions online, but once you get back into that room, what was the kind of um discussions around those safety procedures just to make sure everyone was safe and healthy?

[28:34] Stephen Mahy: Yeah, so masks were you know mandatory going into a new venue, getting your temperature checked, um, and discussing, you know, we've got sanitizer everywhere and different props and different touch stations. Um the advice from the government at the time that we started rehearsals was a little less than what other shows were doing. I know other shows get um tested every week, they have a COVID test every week. Uh we don't in the Wedding Signer um at this point because we've not needed to. Um, but it's very much you know, going we went to Adelaide first, and Adelaide are very different, so they've not had cases there for a very long time. So we all got off the plane, ripped our masks off, and you know, do you need to wear it in the Uber?

No, we're fine, you're in the safest place in this in the world. Um, but definitely the comp we have we have conversations weekly, we get updates immediately if there's been a case announced. Um, you know, there was one in Melbourne that was an out I think was announced here, and so people like, you know, just to make sure if you're gonna be on public transport, just do your due diligence. Um, the whole sort of common cold thing is really hard now because obviously you have those flu like symptoms, you should go and get tested. Um don't come into the theatre and you know, let us know how you're feeling. Um after that, that's the discussion you can have because A, if you have a common cold, you still shouldn't come into the theater. Uh you still should stay away because one person gets sick, the whole cast can get sick, and no one needs that that.

[29:59] Josh Mitchell: That's very interesting. Um let's get back to the show. Um performance show night in night out. What's your favorite part of getting to put this show on?

[30:11] Stephen Mahy: Um, there's so many. I I I just think I mean getting up any show is a mean feat. Like it's a a testament to David Venn in this time, who's the producer, to take a chance on a show that I don't know, like I'm just sort of like the wedding sing of the musical. How's this going to be received? You know, um it's 80s, sure, it's nostalgic. There's a lot of original music in here, so people like, do they are they gonna know it or care about it? Um so he's taken a great chance. So just to be able to back his um his confidence of what the show was gonna do is is incredible. Um and doing it for an a live audience every night is just amazing. You know, like we just we're in the Athenaeum and it probably seats about a 800 people.

When you got a full house in that place, it's cooking. Like it's it's the best vibe ever. Um the fact that we are doing an 80s nostalgic piece, it really I I think that's all it is. It's just very nostalgic, and you have have a lot of fun. Um the show itself, I think has some important messages in there. I think that they're not necessarily in to in what we uh representing of what today today's world is, but it's certainly a a moment in time uh that we can we can relate to. There is a love story, um loosely tied in there. Look, I don't I don't necessarily agree with the message of the show, uh, but I could say the same thing about Mamma Mia and uh, you know, Rocky Horror Show or different shows that you kind of go, Well, what are we saying?

Like, um, what are we doing? Um uh it's not rocket science either, it's just a fun night out. It's silly, it's fun, um and kind of like what the eighties was, it's just kind of just the tongue-in-cheek humour. Um I think what is inspiring is seeing the choreography and the ensemble absolutely smash it every night. Um, and we're led by, you know, Teagan, Woodison, uh, Christian Therese, who are just um they're nailing it. Um there's other people in the show that obviously do a great job, but yeah, those two are really um they're on fire.

[32:11] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, it's a big show. Perfect. You guys are packing up in a couple of weeks to head to the Gold Coast and then coming down to Sydney. Um for those people that are sitting listening to this right now or scrolling through social media and seeing Wedding Signer this, Wedding Signer that, um, uming and aring about buying tickets, what's that one piece of advice that you have for those people listening right now?

[32:34] Stephen Mahy: Oh, go out, buy a ticket. It's um it's a it is one of those fun nights out, it's very nostalgic. Um get yourself some 80s gear and distress up and have a good time. It's not about uh it's not rocket science as I said, and it's not a about brain buster. It's two and a half hours of fun. And um, yeah, come and say hi afterwards.

[32:52] Josh Mitchell: Wonderful. Stephen, that's gonna wrap us up for this week. Thank you so much for joining us. Um there was a lot of stuff packed into that half an hour, guys, and thank you for sticking around for those guys that are here. Um if you guys want to get tickets or anything, any info on the Wedding Signer musical, head to Weddingsinger Musical.com dot AU. Right now, you'll find all the information on casting, shows, whatever the the lot is there. You can click in, buy everything, and I will definitely be there, so make sure you grab tickets because I am a hundred percent gonna be coming and seeing this show.

[33:25] Stephen Mahy: Um, to wrap things up fully, um, what is your favorite moment in the show?

[33:32] Stephen Mahy: Uh look, it's a very selfish moment, but it's all about the greens. Top of act two, uh, you get to see why Glenn is the way that he is. It's a big seven minute number that Robbie goes to Wall Street to find some money, and he's sort of like wants to have a bit of meaning in life. Uh, and I just think it's one of those, yeah, the whole whole ensemble is with me as well. So it's a pretty red hot, red hot piece.

[33:54] Josh Mitchell: Amazing. There we go, guys. Thank you for joining us this week on the We Are Theatre Podcast, and we will be back next week with a brand new episode. See you later, guys. Bye.