Live at The Theatre Cafe With Cassidy Janson, Aimie Atkinson & Michael Auger

Keep Calm And Kerry On

Kerry Ellis hosts a live season four finale at The Theatre Cafe, interviewing three West End stars—Cassidy Janson, Aimie Atkinson, and Michael Auger—who reflect on

Key takeaways

• Cassidy Janson discusses returning to And Juliet after a pandemic hiatus and her emotional performance at Jamie Lambert's London Coliseum concerts.
• Aimie Atkinson reveals how a random TV quiz show answer about Henry VIII's wives convinced her to take the low-paying risk of originating a role in Six.

Main topics

• Theatre industry recovery
• Pandemic lockdown experiences

Notable quotes

It's kind of lovely seeing everyone interact the way they did. Like everyone was going straight back into the banters and the digs... it was just sort of lovely watching everyone just go straight back into how we are with each other as theatre people.

Conclusion

The episode offers a grounded look at the resilience required in musical

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:02) Hello and welcome back to the final episode of season four. I cannot believe how fast this season has gone. I have just had so much fun talking to all my special guests and entertaining you guys and also hearing... All of your beautiful feedback. It seems that you guys have been enjoying it as much as I have making it. So thanks for sticking around and I hope I've kept you entertained. I've loved every second. So a massive, massive thank you to our sponsor this season, Bedfordshire Hot Tubs. They've been amazing. Yes, I know lots of you have seen me splashing about in my hot tub in my garden and I've just had the best time in it. And to have their support over this season has just been... epic so thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you uh to bed for your hot tubs if you haven't got one yet or if you're thinking about maybe uh investing please do go check them out they're super helpful and uh even if you're not too sure you think they're a lot of upkeep i can promise you now they're not um but go and give them a call um or check them out on instagram bh tubs And they will give you all the information you need and just give Jim a big hello and a hi. And I'm sure it will help you out. So a big thank you to them. So I have a very special episode as our season four finale. We actually went to the Theatre Cafe about a month or so ago now. And I did a very special live event. And I had three special guests come along and chat to me. And all thanks to the lovely Theatre Cafe who hosted us. And if you haven't been down there yet, please do go and check them out. They're in central London, all in the theatre district. And they've got lots of merch and lovely theatre posters and lots of signed bits and pieces, memorabilia around the cafe. And it's just so much fun. So go and check them out. So up first... We have a very good friend of mine. We work together on a show called Wicked. She has played Carole King in the show Beautiful and is currently starring in And Juliet. I can't wait for you to hear this chat. Welcome, Cassidy Johnson. Speaker 1 (2:21) Hello. Thanks for coming. It's lovely to see you. It's a reminder of me I'm more excited. Hello. It's Sunday. Speaker 3 (2:30) I know. And you know what? It's really lovely of you to be here with us today because you've got two, not one, but two shows this afternoon. Tell them what show you're doing at the moment. I'm doing a play. Speaker 2 (2:40) I'm Speaker 3 (2:40) doing The Speaker 2 (2:40) Mousetrap, which is lovely. It's the world's longest running show, which I never, ever thought I'd be in. So it's really, I feel very lucky. Speaker 3 (2:48) So how's it been for the last year for you? Because you were, I know it's been mental for all of us, and we've all had different struggles, but you've actually been quite busy, really. You were doing a show when the lockdown hit. I was, I was doing Ann Juliet, yeah. And how was that? Speaker 2 (3:03) Yeah, it's funny, it's like telling war stories now, isn't it? Like what happened the day for you? And for Ann Juliet, we were getting ready to do the show, and we were on stage doing warm-up. And then the company manager, Jackie Morgan, came on stage and just said, we've been advised by the Society of London Theatres to close the show tonight along with the rest of the country. It was just so strange. It was very eerie. And when we've come back for certain events to sort of check out the theatre, the water bottle from the 16th of March is still at the side of the stage. It's like time stood still. Oh my Speaker 3 (3:40) God. Because you're... You're doing a show at the moment, but you're going to go back into Anjuliet, aren't you? How does that feel? Because obviously this is something we've never experienced before. Usually you go into a show, you do your contract, and you might stay for a year, and then you leave. But to have such a huge break in the middle of it, how does that feel? Speaker 2 (4:02) It's funny, actually. We had a photo shoot for Anjuliet on Tuesday because there's some new cast members going in. And it is weird to sort of think that normally by this point, if the pandemic hadn't happened, we'd all have been long gone. Speaker 3 (4:15) And the fact Speaker 2 (4:16) that we're all coming, well, most of us are coming back to it. It's kind of lovely. It was lovely seeing everyone interact the way they did. Like everyone was going straight back into the banters and the, you know, the digs, you know, the friendly digs. And it was just lovely watching everyone just go straight back into how we are with each other as theatre people. You know, we have this sort of... respect and love for each other and it was just sort of lovely seeing the group. I Speaker 3 (4:41) think we've all missed group Speaker 2 (4:42) interactions and human behaviours that have Speaker 3 (4:45) sort Speaker 2 (4:46) of been banned, you know, not allowed to hug, not allowed to show affection and I think the fact that we can start to show it now, I think, I don't know about anybody here, but my sort of psyche is healing just from being able to spoon someone. Speaker 3 (4:58) Hello! You know. But we were talking downstairs before we came up here and... We talk about just being creative with people and being able to provide a service that makes other people feel something is so important. And to be starved of that for a year, for us and for people that come and watch, Speaker 2 (5:19) a Speaker 3 (5:20) .k.a. you, has been really difficult. I mean, what have you done in the last year and a half? I can't believe I'm still saying that. To kind of keep yourself... mentally positive or mentally creative or just busy, I guess? Speaker 2 (5:36) Good Speaker 3 (5:37) question. It's funny because... Thank you. Speaker 2 (5:40) It's funny because... Again, I'm sort of throwing this out to the room a little bit. Because there was lack of physical location over the last year, so when you get asked, what did you do, it almost feels like Groundhog Day happened because you can't latch. when something happened to a physical location. You've always been sat on your sofa. And you're like, did that happen three months ago or a week ago? I can't remember what happens. It sort of messes with your memory a bit. But going on, I think I got very lucky. I got asked to do a few things. I got asked to do that Leave a Light On, which was the Jamie Lambert concerts, which were wonderful. I got to ask, like you, the London Coliseum. Which were live, streamed. Speaker 3 (6:24) They Speaker 2 (6:24) were beautifully shot. I don't know about you, but when I walked on that stage, I cried. It was August, so we'd been shut down since March, and the Coliseum is so beautiful. Everything was being filmed with the auditorium in the backdrop, and they lit the auditorium, so it looked stunning. And it's so big and so vast. And it was, you know, I was going through a breakup as well at the time. And I sort of walked on the stage and I was just like. Speaker 2 (6:54) It's so Speaker 3 (6:54) beautiful. Speaker 2 (6:55) And I Speaker 3 (6:55) had Speaker 2 (6:56) quite an emotional gig. I don't know about you, but when you did yours, it was very like, oh, God, I really miss and love this so much. And I think when you... Speaker 3 (7:04) Obviously, we love what we do. That's why we've been doing it so long. Speaker 2 (7:08) But having it taken away and having it... It's... I don't know. It's not quite like this, but I suppose it's like having a family member or someone that you love and just seeing it be treated so badly Speaker 3 (7:18) has Speaker 2 (7:19) been really painful. Speaker 3 (7:20) Yeah. Speaker 2 (7:20) Really painful. Speaker 3 (7:21) And, you know, you've had such a career, you've just gone from job to job to job. And this industry can be quite difficult sometimes when you're waiting to find the next adventure or whatever that is. And sometimes there can be breaks. You haven't had that really. You've been busy the whole time. And then to have this enforced break, Speaker 2 (7:41) I Speaker 3 (7:42) know for myself, it became very difficult. It's why I started to do things like Keep Calm, Carry On. like you know get creative in other ways and how did you find that the same or not really i Speaker 2 (7:56) don't know about you first six weeks amazing Speaker 3 (7:59) i'm resting it Speaker 2 (8:02) was so nice not to be glued to my phone checking that i've missed any emails is that Speaker 3 (8:07) my agent no it Speaker 2 (8:09) was really nice um you know because it's Like everything in life, there are pros and cons. Being busy all the time is lovely because you're always earning and you've got things to do. But you never quite get to catch up with yourself. So for that first six weeks of lockdown, it was genuinely delightful. And then, you know, I think the moment for me that got a bit rough was my boyfriend at the time. When June sort of things started to reopen last year, he could go back to work and be quite normal. And it was suddenly that the vast chasm between normal... normal jobs, going back to work, and what's going to happen for theatre and the arts. And it was then that I kind of got quite... I don't know, like spinny, I think is the word, because you suddenly realise, gosh, how long is it going to be until theatres are back to normal? That was a bit of a reality check for me. Yeah, it's been Speaker 3 (8:55) tough for all of us. But we're coming out. You've already Speaker 2 (8:59) done one show and you're about to do another one. I mean, Speaker 3 (9:02) that's amazing. So take me back a little bit to when you started out. What was it that got you into performing? How did you start? Speaker 2 (9:14) think from what my mum told me I I pestered her for ballet lessons when I was two and um and they and she sort of took me for a little trial lesson with the local ballet school and well not ballet but dance school in the local church hall and they said oh give her a go and apparently I was very good so they said she's a bit young but she can actually do it so they let me start really early and the same thing happened with piano lessons um I was a bit young but they said she's I've got a talent for it, so they let me start a bit early. And then I... And, you know, credit to my parents. They had no idea at all. They're not musical. They don't really play music. They're not... They were like, we don't know what to do with her. But whenever I said, I don't want to do it anymore, they said, OK. And they never pushed. They never... And I think, again, pros and cons to both things. If you have a parent that pushes you a little bit, I probably would have been a bit technically better at things. But it meant that I did it in my own time and it was always my decision. If I said I don't want to do gymnastics anymore, that was it. Speaker 1 (10:15) They'd Speaker 2 (10:15) give it a couple of weeks and I'd be like, OK, fine. So it took me a little while to really dedicate myself. Probably when I was about 10 or 11, I went, yeah, probably time I start doing this a bit more consistently. And Speaker 3 (10:26) you have had such an amazing career. You really have done some of the best shows. I have to talk to you about Beautiful because... And suddenly, you know, your face was all over the tube. And I was like, it's always lovely when you, you know, when you've worked with somebody and then you see them doing something brilliant. It's just like, it's wonderful. Was that, was Beautiful a bit of a game changer for you? Because suddenly it was, you know, you'd done some great shows, but suddenly it was you, your face there on the tube leading the show. Did that feel Speaker 2 (10:59) different? It really was. And I... There were so many things about Beautiful that, you know, on a personal level, professional level, just every level of my life, it sort of shifted. It felt like it was a real milestone in my life. And, you know, it was lovely. It was very funny having people send their pictures standing next to you against the photos and the posters of the show. And on a personal level, there was never a single show that I didn't go, I cannot wait to get on stage. I might have been... unable to string a sentence together off stage because it's very tiring, as you know, those big roles. Speaker 3 (11:35) But I Speaker 2 (11:36) never got tired of singing those songs. I loved the script. I thought the script was excellent. The plot was great. It was beautifully directed. And I just... Speaker 3 (11:46) singing those songs. You know, like, Speaker 2 (11:49) you know, obviously we can put our hand to many different roles, but when there's every now and then a role comes along and you go, this is like putting on a silk glove. They just, it just fitted my strengths really well. And I just loved it. And I, and then, and then, so that was my personal pleasure of doing it. And then obviously professionally, lots of publicity around the show. I got to sing with Carole King at Hyde Park. I was going to ask you about that. That's so exciting. How Speaker 3 (12:14) was that? Oh Speaker 4 (12:15) my God. Speaker 3 (12:15) Oh my Speaker 2 (12:16) God. It was so... It was, you know, it was one of those things where, you know, we always have a little voice in our head and I was just like, for about a week, I was like, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. And then you're preparing and you're preparing and you're preparing. And then just as I was standing by the stage and she's announcing it, this voice is going, ah, and it suddenly went, Cass, enjoy, doing a puppet hand. Cass. What's the... Don't freak Speaker 3 (12:42) out. Speaker 2 (12:43) Enjoy this, because what's the point of doing this amazing career if you're going to freak out and not enjoy it? And I went, fuck Speaker 1 (12:49) it. And Speaker 2 (12:49) if Speaker 1 (12:50) you see the video of me, I'm literally like a Duracell bunny. I'm like, yeah! I'm like, Speaker 2 (12:56) oh, well cast, you know, at least you were enjoying yourself. But I did, I was, and it was lovely. Speaker 3 (13:02) But don't you find, I mean, I definitely do, the older I get, the more I appreciate the moment, like take stock of the moment, because when you're younger, you're going at 100 miles an hour, you're going show to show to show, Speaker 2 (13:14) you're Speaker 3 (13:15) looking for the next thing, you're, not that you're not in the moment, but you're always looking forward, and I've certainly found... and even more so after the last year, that just savouring and enjoying and exactly that, taking stock of that moment Speaker 4 (13:30) to Speaker 3 (13:31) go, I need to remember this. I need to remember that I've just stood in front of thousands of people with my icons. You know, I mean, those moments, they just don't come up that often. No, they Speaker 2 (13:40) don't. And you do have to, you know, I think most of this profession is actually probably a degree in psychology. You know what I mean? the mental mind games we play with ourselves. Because you don't know about, Speaker 1 (13:50) you know, when you read about the number one or number two human fear is speaking in Speaker 2 (13:54) public. And we do it for a living. Hello. Speaker 3 (13:57) What are we doing? And Speaker 2 (13:59) we somehow keep circumventing this, like, number one Speaker 1 (14:02) human fear. We're like, what are we doing? Speaker 3 (14:04) It's Speaker 1 (14:05) mad. Speaker 3 (14:05) I get it. I totally get it. It's a mental but brilliant career. Speaker 3 (14:13) that we get to do. Speaker 2 (14:15) And may I take it back? So going back to Speaker 3 (14:17) sort of what beautiful Speaker 2 (14:17) sort of opened up doors Speaker 3 (14:18) for Speaker 2 (14:19) me was then I got offered leading ladies with Beverly Knight and Alva Riley. I Speaker 3 (14:23) was going to Speaker 4 (14:23) talk to you about Speaker 3 (14:24) that. Speaker 4 (14:24) You're Speaker 3 (14:24) ahead of my game. It's brilliant. So music, and before we get to your kind of debut album, obviously you knew Bev. You knew Bev before you did leading ladies? Not really. Speaker 2 (14:36) Not really. I think I'd said hello to her at one of the West End day events. but that's it. And she's just the most gorgeous human being. Beverly Knight is as lovely as she comes across, by the way. We love her. We love her. Speaker 3 (14:49) So was that a bit of a change for you, this opportunity to suddenly do a music album with two other incredible vocalists, to suddenly do something that's not a show, that's not being a character, suddenly you've got to be yourself? How was that for you? Was it something you had to think about, or were you just like, I'm all in, let's go? Speaker 2 (15:08) Interesting question because Speaker 3 (15:13) Rupert Christie. Let's bring up Rupert Christie. Love Rupert Christie. Crispy. Christie. Here's a funny story. Speaker 2 (15:21) So Speaker 3 (15:21) I was, Speaker 2 (15:22) before the Leading Ladies album, I was doing my own solo album. I was writing it with Rupert Christie. Now, just so you know who Rupert Christie is, he's a producer. And Kerry, this is such a weird tournament. Kerry used to be a lodger in his parents' house when she was at Leeds. Speaker 3 (15:38) What are the chances? I know, I know. There we go. Speaker 2 (15:41) He said everyone was trying to ask you out when you lived Speaker 3 (15:45) there. Well, what can I say? I was like, do you want to move in? I was like, yes, I do. No, it was amazing. And Rupert was a very young kind of musician. And I would see him and his brothers from time to time. And then obviously I'd worked with him years later, but now he's like this big superstar producer. And, oh, he's doing some amazing things. But I didn't realise you were doing that before. Before. Speaker 2 (16:12) So actually, when I got off the Leading Ladies album, I wanted to do it, but we sort of had to really make sure it wasn't going to be a cheesy, you know, naff album, and it was going to be really classy, because we'd put about four years' work into the solo album, which Cassidy that came out afterwards. So it was funny sort of sitting there in a record label going, can we just make sure? And not meaning to be a, I wasn't being a diva, I was just making sure that it wasn't going to mess up the plans that I'd had with Rupert, because the album was really, we were really proud of it. Speaker 3 (16:41) So Speaker 2 (16:42) we sort of, we were doing things like that, having these sort of meetings with the head of Warners, going, can you tell us more about the concept of this album? You know, she was very funny. And who am I? You know, like, I'm just playing Carole King in town. Anyway, so the Leading Ladies album happened, and it was wonderful, because I had been doing a lot of studio work with Rupert. And then being chucked in with Bev, who is so unbelievably experienced, professional, competent. And then at the same time as being all of those things, she's so gracious and kind and encouraging and supportive and validating. Speaker 2 (17:19) And always makes you feel like you're contributing, even though she's probably doing most of the work. You Speaker 1 (17:24) always feel like, oh, I put that harmony line in. She's like, yeah, Speaker 2 (17:27) it was great. And you're like, I did one line. Speaker 1 (17:30) I mean, she really did most of it, Speaker 2 (17:31) but thanks, man. Speaker 3 (17:32) You know, like, she's just, yeah, Speaker 2 (17:34) she's wonderful. And Speaker 3 (17:35) then, so going on, so you did your leading ladies, and then going on to your, you then... turned it around and did your solo album, which, are you going to tour? Did I read that? You're going to tour later? Speaker 2 (17:44) I'm touring, yeah, yeah, yeah. Amazing. Between your Speaker 3 (17:47) musical, your next musical, you're going to tour, of course. Speaker 2 (17:50) Well, I was going to tour in September this year, but that's when Ann Juliet decided to reopen. So I was like, oh, complete day clash. So my lovely live managers, who are probably pulling their hair out by now, they understand that it's going to have to be put back again. And it's going to be, it's Speaker 1 (18:08) a Speaker 2 (18:08) tour called It All Happened in Laurel Canyon, which is a lot of Carole King-esque, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, James Taylor, all that era. The Mamas and the Papas and a few of my originals will be chucked in there as well. And I'm very excited about doing that with my four-piece band. Speaker 3 (18:23) And where can people get tickets? It's not on sale at Speaker 2 (18:27) the moment because we've had to... rebook everything so it will be on sale so just follow me on social media and it eventually will be announced and it eventually will happen because the pandemic will eventually end Speaker 3 (18:37) we can't wait goodbye COVID so a couple more questions before I let you leave because I know you have to rush off and do a show what's been this is going to be probably a tough question because there's been so many what's been the highlight of your career so far big or small but the thing that's meant the most to you Speaker 2 (18:57) Oh gosh. Speaker 2 (18:59) It's hard to... It's hard. It's a bit like saying, you know, who's your favourite child? Yeah. I can tell you who mine is. Speaker 3 (19:08) I'm joking. I Speaker 2 (19:11) think in different ways, I have a very fond memory of Avenue Q. Speaker 3 (19:17) I love Speaker 2 (19:18) doing comedy and that was a really happy time. Beautiful had my heart on every level. And also... And Juliet for me as well. And I know that sounds easy to say the show I'm currently in. I loved that. I love playing Anne slash April because she's sort of, it's, you know, the angel has two faces. We've all got two sides to us. And what I love about playing Anne slash April is it very much was sort of augmented on each of the individual's natural personalities. So I feel like when I'm being my sort of together shop. clever-witted person, that's Anne. And then when I'm having my, you know, existential crisis, I'm being my own spirit animal playing April. And April's just bonkers. She's so lovely. I love playing her. And so I get to sort of play sort of two aspects of myself and get paid for it. People come up Speaker 1 (20:12) and they're like, my good friends come up and they go... Speaker 2 (20:16) you know do they know that you're playing yourself Speaker 1 (20:18) don't tell them I think they're going to give me the Olivier award oh Speaker 3 (20:22) it's amazing I must come and see you and with gorgeous Ollie Thompson as well I can't wait to come and see you both together um has there been like what's been the toughest moment what's been the lowest moment of your of your journey so far Speaker 2 (20:38) I don't talk about it very often, but I feel like I can start to touch on it a bit.