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[0:06] Josh Mitchell: Hello, Theatre fans, and welcome back to the We Are Theatre Podcast.

[0:10] Josh Mitchell: And today we're going with something different because we've talked about plays before on the show, but never from an Australian perspective.

[0:17] Josh Mitchell: It's always been over in the UK.

[0:19] Josh Mitchell: So today we're kicking it off with the first Aussie play that we're covering here on the show.

[0:22] Josh Mitchell: And I've got Lachlan Woods from North By Northwest with me.

[0:26] Josh Mitchell: Wow.

[0:27] Josh Mitchell: We're tripping over words already.

[0:28] Josh Mitchell: We're all good.

[0:29] Josh Mitchell: Hey Lachlan, how are you going?

[0:31] Lachlan Woods: Hey Josh, thanks for having me.

[0:32] Josh Mitchell: No, I'm so excited to cover this.

[0:35] Josh Mitchell: I love a good play, and it's been a hot minute since I've been to one.

[0:38] Josh Mitchell: I've been surrounded by musical theater recently.

[0:41] Josh Mitchell: Um, and this looks like a great one for the bucket list for everybody.

[0:47] Lachlan Woods: I think this is a super good play too for the moment.

[0:54] Lachlan Woods: In, uh, sorry, Josh, my headphones microphone just disconnected.

[1:01] Josh Mitchell: No, that's okay.

[1:02] Josh Mitchell: It's all good.

[1:03] Josh Mitchell: Cut out for a second there.

[1:04] Lachlan Woods: But yeah, just go back to where you were coming in from there.

[1:09] Lachlan Woods: Um, yeah, I think also this is just a terrific play for the moment.

[1:16] Lachlan Woods: You know, we've come out of two years of pandemic and there hasn't been a lot of theater on.

[1:20] Lachlan Woods: And, um, this is a play that you can really just sit back and enjoy.

[1:27] Lachlan Woods: It's such a roller coaster, rollicking, um, wild ride that, uh, you don't have to be, you know, too active as an audience.

[1:37] Lachlan Woods: It just kind of sweeps you up.

[1:39] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[1:40] Josh Mitchell: And like, just reading like kind of the little snippets that are on the websites and everything like that, it's just like it sounds super exciting, but just again, like that play that is, oh, that show that you can just go to and be like, just enjoy the moment, I think, and escape from whatever's going on in your life and just get out of it for a while.

[1:59] Lachlan Woods: Um, which I think is the beauty of theater.

[2:04] Josh Mitchell: Have you, um, have you seen the film?

[2:06] Lachlan Woods: No, I haven't.

[2:07] Lachlan Woods: I, um, I actually just rented it on Apple TV for anyone that wants to do that.

[2:12] Lachlan Woods: $2.99, go get it.

[2:14] Josh Mitchell: Right.

[2:14] Lachlan Woods: I mean, the great thing about this show is you don't actually have to have seen the film, so it's not just for Hitchcock buffs.

[2:20] Lachlan Woods: Um, it's a film that you can, um, it's a play that you can really enjoy on its own terms, on its own merits.

[2:29] Lachlan Woods: Um, and then there's some extra in-jokes for people that have seen the film or are Hitchcock buffs.

[2:34] Lachlan Woods: So that's cool.

[2:35] Lachlan Woods: So they've kind of a few layers there.

[2:37] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, awesome.

[2:38] Josh Mitchell: Um, we'll get back to the show in a second.

[2:41] Josh Mitchell: If you could go off today and tick one thing off on your bucket list with no restrictions, what would it be?

[2:50] Lachlan Woods: Oh gosh.

[2:51] Lachlan Woods: Yeah.

[2:51] Lachlan Woods: If I could do what, so one thing, I, I can, it could be anything.

[2:55] Lachlan Woods: I can absolutely anything.

[2:57] Lachlan Woods: We can teleport you to any point in the world to do any one thing you want.

[3:02] Lachlan Woods: Oh, you know, my fiancé and I have been talking about walking the Lycian Way in southern Turkey, and I would really love to be able to go and do that.

[3:12] Lachlan Woods: That would be, um, probably at the top of the list.

[3:15] Lachlan Woods: It's kind of along the coast, um, you know, ancient ruins, yeah, crystal clear waters, but I think that's it.

[3:23] Josh Mitchell: Doesn't that sound so good right now?

[3:25] Lachlan Woods: Oh, so nice.

[3:26] Lachlan Woods: It's bucketing down in Sydney, so it's, yeah, it's been like that in Newcastle up here too.

[3:31] Lachlan Woods: So I could 100% go with some sun and some clear waters for sure.

[3:36] Josh Mitchell: Um, another random one to throw at you.

[3:38] Josh Mitchell: If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?

[3:42] Lachlan Woods: I, I have a pet and I have a, a, uh, miniature groodle.

[3:46] Lachlan Woods: Well, she was supposed to be miniature, but she's about 20 kilos, so she's not very miniature, and, um, and I, she, I, that's all I want.

[3:55] Lachlan Woods: I just want her.

[3:56] Lachlan Woods: She's great.

[3:58] Lachlan Woods: Love her.

[3:58] Lachlan Woods: Love her.

[4:00] Josh Mitchell: Win-win.

[4:01] Josh Mitchell: Um, how did you get into theatre?

[4:03] Josh Mitchell: Like what was your introduction to the industry and how did you go about jumping in headfirst and getting to where you are now?

[4:10] Lachlan Woods: Uh, so I went to, um, a school in Melbourne that theatre or, you know, the performing arts was a really significant part of the curriculum.

[4:20] Lachlan Woods: Um, but that said, I, I didn't really have strong intentions about doing it professionally when I, when I left school.

[4:28] Lachlan Woods: I studied arts for a bit and then I studied, um, architecture for a bit.

[4:32] Lachlan Woods: I was drifting around, I didn't really know what I wanted to do in a clear way.

[4:37] Lachlan Woods: I'd auditioned for drama schools, I hadn't got in.

[4:40] Lachlan Woods: I, um, I decided, you know what, I'm just gonna stick to architecture.

[4:46] Lachlan Woods: Uh, I'm gonna do that.

[4:48] Lachlan Woods: And a friend of mine said, um, hey, look, I'm gonna audition for drama school again this year.

[4:53] Lachlan Woods: Do you want to do it?

[4:53] Lachlan Woods: And I thought, okay, well, I'll just do it for fun, if nothing else.

[4:58] Lachlan Woods: And, um, sure enough, I got in and I went to VCA.

[5:02] Lachlan Woods: I studied there for three years.

[5:03] Lachlan Woods: I graduated in 2009, and then I left and I thought, oh gosh, I'll just do this for a living now.

[5:10] Lachlan Woods: And, um, that was a, um, uh, bit of a terrifying moment.

[5:15] Lachlan Woods: And then fortunately, a few weeks later I auditioned for a show at Melbourne Theatre Company.

[5:23] Lachlan Woods: And, uh, and I got my first job, and, um, that was 12 years ago, and it's, you know, um, been reasonably steady ever since and just, uh, just rolled on from there.

[5:36] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, 100%.

[5:36] Josh Mitchell: And you've had your share of stage and screen.

[5:39] Josh Mitchell: Uh, as an artist, what do you prefer?

[5:42] Josh Mitchell: Do you prefer like the random, like the unique moments of stage where every show's kind of different or having that thing cemented on screen?

[5:53] Lachlan Woods: Uh, I love working in the theater and it's certainly where I feel most comfortable.

[5:58] Lachlan Woods: Yeah.

[5:58] Lachlan Woods: Um, there is something terrifying, isn't there, about, uh, something being committed to film, um, in all its permanence.

[6:07] Lachlan Woods: Uh, and you know, I've done a little bit, uh, I've done a bit of film and TV, but, um, the other thing that I love about theatre is, um, it's so process-driven and I love working, um, in a, in a team, in a creative team, uh, in a really intense way in rehearsal, um, with, you know, opening night, which is a pretty clear, strong deadline, and I love, I love the intensity of that environment and the, um, the, it's just the, the dynamism of that environment.

[6:40] Lachlan Woods: Like it's just a really exciting, um, workplace, if nothing else.

[6:45] Lachlan Woods: And it's, it's full of ideas and, uh, creative and generous people that are from all, all walks of life, um, that have really different and unique experiences and, um, that that's kind of what I love.

[6:57] Lachlan Woods: I, I have experienced, um, in film and television, you know, that it's much more, um, independent in the way that you go and prepare.

[7:06] Lachlan Woods: Yeah, and then, and then you, you rock up and you deliver and you've got a hot minute to do that.

[7:12] Lachlan Woods: And, um, you know, it's just a different experience.

[7:15] Lachlan Woods: But the, I, I just love, um, I guess the camaraderie and the, and the team feeling of, um, working in the theatre.

[7:23] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, 100%.

[7:23] Josh Mitchell: I think the, like the deadlines, as you say, with theatre, with opening nights and everything, they have to be met.

[7:32] Josh Mitchell: There's no pushing that type of thing back.

[7:32] Josh Mitchell: With all the money that's put online, you've got to be ready and like have that team effort to go forward and be like, okay, we're gonna do this, it really just adds that extra level of, um, people are coming to see us.

[7:43] Lachlan Woods: Yeah, we better get ready.

[7:45] Lachlan Woods: Yeah, 100%.

[7:45] Lachlan Woods: Like it's, it's not just us all the producers we're letting down, it's the hundreds of people that have already bought tickets to come and see the show.

[7:45] Lachlan Woods: Like it, it's, yeah, when you think about it, it's, there's a lot riding on you delivering some lines on a stage.

[7:45] Josh Mitchell: Like, yeah, when you're booked.

[7:45] Lachlan Woods: Yeah, you know, it's really cool.

[7:45] Lachlan Woods: I think the, uh, I was talking to my partner about this last night, and it, it's, it's so interesting because, you know, normally a rehearsal process is four or five weeks and, um, you, you launch into it and very often you've got a new workplace, new colleagues, new script, new story, new task, new character.

[7:45] Lachlan Woods: Like there's a, there's a lot that's happening and it happens in about a month.

[8:25] Lachlan Woods: Yeah, um, so it is, it is really a, um, super, uh, giddy, vibrant, um, intense place to be and, and it's, it's, it's pretty addictive.

[8:37] Josh Mitchell: It always baffles me that like professional shows get put together in like a month, like going from like regional theater where we'll rehearse a show three, four months before it goes on stage because of like limited availabilities and things where you guys jump into a room, meet each other, and then four weeks later you're putting the show on, and in this case, four months later it's, uh, four weeks later it's kind of shutting down again because you're only in Sydney for a limited time.

[9:04] Lachlan Woods: Like it's just a really short season. Such like a flash in the pan, but like just the creative and what you guys would learn as well as creatives being in the room surrounded by new people and people who learn different ways as well. You just would take so much out of it from people like coming from musical theater, like you've got Alex and some people that have come from musical theater, and then obviously the people that have trained and everything like that. Everyone just learns and processes things differently and has different processes to how they get on stage.

[9:38] Josh Mitchell: That's right.

[9:39] Lachlan Woods: And everybody has different kind of rhythms to how they work too, you know. And some people turn up on day one and they know every word of their script, and other people kind of feel their way into it, and other people learn by kind of the physical association of being blocked and have attachments to kind of language and story through where they are physically in the space, and other people are much more engaged by language, and other people are much more engaged by their imagination. So there's all sorts of kind of different processes at play. But you're right, there's quite a few music theater people in this show, people with music theater backgrounds.

[10:21] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, you know, Bert Lebonte, David Campbell, Genevieve Lemon, has done a bit of music theater, uh Tony Llewellyn Jones as well.

[10:30] Lachlan Woods: Yeah, um Chippy. Lots of music theater. And I think Simon Phillips productions, and this is a Simon Phillips production, he does require quite a technical skill set in many ways. And this show in particular is incredibly technical because you barely ever leave the stage. There's certainly no time to go backstage. Everybody plays multiple characters. There's a huge audio-visual component that's going on with actors operating miniature models and puppets and all sorts of other things that are happening concurrent to the action that's on the stage. So it is a really high degree of difficulty. And I think music theater people, and I can say hand on my heart that I'm not one, but music theater people certainly have a real alacrity and ability to pick things up incredibly quickly.

[11:40] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[11:41] Lachlan Woods: And I think that's just from having to learn so much, having to be a triple threat, having to learn songs, choreography, and lines in the same space that you guys are learning a script and staging blocking, like they're learning the music and the choreography on top of that as well. There's a whole different complexity to that. And so I think a show like this, you know, it makes so much sense to have people with such strong skill sets in that area.

[12:12] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[12:13] Lachlan Woods: You know, they do so much heavy lifting aside from just the acting, they bring so much technical skill, which is so important for a show like this.

[12:24] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, 100%. Do you want to give us a quick insight into your character, Leonard, and others in the show and what role you play in the story?

[12:26] Lachlan Woods: So Leonard, well Leonard is the henchman for, want of a better word, to Van Dam. Van Dam is the prototype Bond villain. Some people may know that North by Northwest, it's a Hitchcock film, but after this film came out, Hitchcock was actually asked to direct the early Bond films. So it really is a bit of a cultural touchstone in creating that genre of film, the thriller and or the spy thriller to be more precise. And so I'm a baddie essentially, but the baddies, not unlike the Bond villains, usually are that the baddies are pretty luxurious, stylish types. They're not really ghoulish baddies, they're suave, sophisticated baddies. And Van Dam is the baddie that I work for, and you know, he wears a three-piece suit and he's a dapper guy.

We operate and spy via the fine art world, so we trade spy secrets through the antiques trade. And I'm his henchman. I'm his right-hand man. So I kind of do a lot of watching, spying, lurking in the shadows, and yeah, I'm a very sophisticated baddie.

[14:19] Josh Mitchell: I love it. Um yeah, I'm just so excited to get in and see the show, like just the spy thriller. Like I love James Bond, I love that thriller category. So I feel like throwing it back and coming and seeing the show is gonna be really, really, really fun.

[14:37] Lachlan Woods: You're gonna really love it then.

[14:40] Josh Mitchell: Yeah, I'm pumped.

[14:43] Lachlan Woods: Yeah, great man. To wrap us up, what is your favorite moment that you think people can look forward to seeing in this show?

[14:53] Lachlan Woods: Oh gosh, there are so many. I don't want to give away, like because there's some moments that make the audience genuinely gasp. Um gosh, it's hard to pick out one. I'm not just saying that, it's really hard to pick out one because this show is like bang bang bang bang bang, like twist, turn, surprise, shock, horror. It's the whole thing is such a wow experience. And I've done this show a few times since we originated, I think it was 2015. And I've done this show a few times and audiences, they just have so much fun.

[15:41] Josh Mitchell: Yeah.

[15:42] Lachlan Woods: And personally, having done the show, you know, the first time that we did it, it's so technical and so kind of thrilling and so by the seat of our pants that we actually looked across at each other. I remember in the curtain call the very first time we did it, where we'd actually achieved everything technically, it wasn't until our opening night and we looked at each other in the curtain call kind of wide-eyed, like oh my gosh, we actually did it. We actually did it. So I would love to narrow it down for you just to like one thing, but I can honestly say that it is the whole thing is like a wow kind of achievement, and is kind of astonishing. But certainly, I mean the world is so luxurious and intoxicating and suave and you know, suited and dapper, and you know, the men are well tailored and the women are well dressed, and everyone's a bit creepy and spooky as well. It's just a fun, fun world.

[16:47] Josh Mitchell: Guys, if that doesn't get you excited for the show, I don't know what honestly. And you've only got a limited time, as we said earlier. So the tickets are available now. Head to, let me just grab the website, NorthByNorthwestPlay.com right now, and you'll be able to book tickets in Sydney at the Lyric Theatre. So for those of you that are in the musical theater world listening to this, that's where Hamilton is right now in Sydney. North by Northwest is coming in from March 9th just till April 3rd. So you've only got a few weeks for this one. And if Lockie hasn't sold it to you, I don't know what else.

[17:22] Lachlan Woods: Well, honestly.

[17:24] Josh Mitchell: Jump on, get tickets. I'm gonna be there 100%. I cannot wait. Thank you for joining us, Lockie.

[17:30] Lachlan Woods: Thanks, Josh. It was a pleasure.

[17:32] Josh Mitchell: I am so excited. Enjoy your tech week and enjoy opening night, and we will chat to everybody soon and we'll be back soon with a brand new episode of the We Are Theatre Podcast.