Actors come from all walks of life, some are born into the profession, others trained endlessly at university or drama school but for some, life just gets in the way and other careers beckon. For many, their dreams of being an actor are never realised but there are some, that once they are able, they cast off the old career and pursue the career that eluded them. My guest this week spent over 30yrs as a police officer, sometimes undercover, sometimes on the beat, but his heart was always in acting and one day, he put aside his handcuffs and truncheon and joined a local acting club. He has since appeared on stage, screen and is also now writing his own material.

We learn from a very early age how to interact with other and how to express ourselves. Somewhere deep in our past lies the key that opens a door to creative expression or art. Maybe that key is shown to us earlier than we think so this week we headed off to meet a team that puts together a wonderfully fun workshop for young people to come together to share their love of music and dance.

This week we speak with a lady who has come such a long way in a very short space of time. From the shy shrinking violet of the Theatre Royal days, to a star of stage, screen and writer of her own wonderful poetry, Philippa has certainly flourished and exploded into a creative genius and rising star. In this episode Phil shares her journey with us and takes us from her days as a PA with ITV to treading the boards and appearing on screen and then onto writing her own material.

Bring the Drama, the show that took 8 new and untrained actors from the streets and amateur stage and thrust them into the world of TV and onto the sets of some of the biggest shows on our screens. The series is over, but what happened to the 8, where are they now and what was their personal experience of the show?

This Podcast reveals all and we check in on the 8 to hear their own account and personal story of Bring the Drama.

We all watch Film, Tv, or stage performances and we connect with the characters; whether it be the bad lad of Eastenders, the charming lady of the manor or the action hero, we all get immersed in the story that they tell on stage or screen. But, the heroes we see on screen or stage are just like you and I, they are real people with real lives and responsibilities so today we dive into the life of an aspiring actor to find our their story and what drives them to become an actor. In this episode I will be speaking to the wonderful Phoenix Haynes.

Today we chat with Lorna who is currently directing the next play to hit the stage at the Little Theatre Cleadon. This play is the last part of the trilogy by Amanda Whittington. Lorna chats about the directors role, how to manage her cast and also the story behind the book

In this episode we chat to two actors who are more familiar with treading the boards on stage, but, like so many others, they are set on moving into TV & Film but how easy is it to make that transition. Well tune in and find out from our two guest; we also chat to Jeff, the current treasurer of the Little Theatre, Cleadon and we ask him how he manages to balance the books and keep the theatre open.

Join me as I chat to the chair and vice chair of the Little Theatre Cleadon. In this episode we chat about the growing concerns for the aging roof and the fund raising campaign that is on going to raise fund to have the roof replaced. Music choice by Mags

35min