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The long wait is almost over... (feat. Mark Brewer & Roxy Yarnold)

• Jack Jenkins and Henry Patterson • Season 4

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Join Jack Jenkins on the number 2 podcast in Hopton On Sea; to thank you for the long wait before season 4, we have got an episode we weren’t going to release, but here it is just for you to tide you over until Monday!

Catch up with Jack Jenkins, Mark Brewer and Roxy Yarnold with their conversations from before the summer, talking all things Cabaret, Comedy and Simply The Best!

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Speaker 1:

Well, hello. Yes, it is back. The all-exclusive podcast is finally back, and this time a little bit different, as you'll notice. It's just me talking to myself. Yes, henry is gone, my co-host from the last three seasons of the all-exclusive podcast. He's no longer with us at Potter's Resorts. He's not died or something like that, but he is no longer working with Potter's Resorts. He's off doing his own wonderful things that we always knew he would be doing.

Speaker 1:

This episode is something just a little bit special for you, though. We're going to address everything properly in the first episode of season four, but we know you've been waiting a long time and we've been very busy making sure that season four of the all-exclusive podcast is the very best we can make it, including making it visual as well. We're going to be putting it on YouTube, so go and search for the all-exclusive podcast on YouTube, because we will be popping things on there, including brand new episodes starting from Monday including brand new episodes starting from Monday, but we've taken so long to get this up and running. We thought we'd bring you a very special audio episode before we do officially kickstart season four. This episode is a bit of a chat that we had months ago, and we were actually just going to completely get rid of it when we decided to make the all exclusive podcast, season four, visual based, so you can also watch us as well as listen to us on your journeys or around the house. When we decided that you would be watching us as well, we were going to get rid of this episode, this conversation with Mark and with Roxy about all sorts of wonderful things, but because we've taken so long, we thought no, let's give you something special. It was such an interesting conversation so we're bringing it to you in audio format just to please you and hopefully satisfy you, to say sorry for waiting so long for this season, because it's been a long time, not just since we've announced season four, but also since we've last done an episode. Those episodes with Henry and I were over well over a year ago now. We've been working really hard behind the scenes. We've got lots of exciting things coming up. We've already recorded about eight episodes of season four, so you're guaranteed those to the end of the year. We've got episodes planned and we want to make things running. I've got an incredible team now, not just me and Henry in the broom cupboard studio, we've also got Ross, who's not the runner. I'm just letting you know that, ross but he's also helping out with things. We've got a brand new studio and all of that you'll be able to see firsthand with the brand new episode of season four coming on Monday. Now let's get into this episode, though.

Speaker 1:

As I said, we recorded this episode a long time ago in an audio format. This was with Roxy and Mark. Now we really wanted to bring you into this conversation because it's a lovely, lovely conversation. We're talking to Mark about his holidays. This was right in the heat of summer that we recorded this episode and it's good to just catch up. Mark talks about going to see old Potter's friends in Australia John Nemchek and Marta, who he went to visit out there. John Nemchek and Marta, who we went to visit out there Another near-death experience, or maybe he nearly had one.

Speaker 1:

We catch up with Roxy, arnold, mark and I, and we're talking about and this may be news to some her pregnancy and engagement and also her role as show creator. We were actually at the time putting together the Cabaret Club. Some of you may have seen this already. It is our fabulous new show, taking you to jazz bars and cabaret clubs across the world. It's a fun show filled with comedy and all sorts of you know. We get into that.

Speaker 1:

Within the episode we talked to her about the creation process, which is actually another reason why it's taken so long to get this episode out, because not only have we been putting Cabaret Club together, we've been putting the summer to, you know, the heat of summer, of fun which many of you joined us for, and now we're revamping Simply the Best as well.

Speaker 1:

We talk about all of this during the episode. So I'm not going to waffle on too long, because this is a little bit strange. I'm still just talking to myself in the broom cupboard studio. So let's dive straight into the episode. Let's catch up with Mark Brewer in the middle of the summer. This is just something a little bit special for you. Until next week, we go live visually with the all-exclusive podcast, so let's catch up with Mark Brewer Press play. Yes, we're starting this up again after a year and I'm going to get different people to sort of co-host different things with me, and you're one of the people who I wanted to bring on to sort of join me with different people. I've just been to Harlow.

Speaker 2:

Very exciting Harlow Football Club. Come on sense the excitement in the whole.

Speaker 3:

Wow, yeah, but actually it really was a lovely stadium. I can't sense the excitement in the whole. Everyone's going, wow.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but actually it really was a lovely stadium. I didn't expect it to be a really nice cool stadium, Nice little stand, nice sort of PA.

Speaker 1:

It was a charity football day, wasn't it yeah?

Speaker 2:

yeah, it was literally for Adam West, a mental health charity which is a Thrive programme, and sadly we lost Adrian not Adam, take that back.

Speaker 1:

Adrian West, not Adam.

Speaker 3:

Adam West was Batman wasn't he?

Speaker 1:

Yes, he was, yeah, yeah, yeah, we did lose Adam West as well at some point. Hopefully he didn't make that mistake yesterday, then no, hopefully he didn't, hopefully I didn't that mistake yesterday then?

Speaker 2:

No, hopefully I didn't, but I was more bringing up the Thrive programme, which was a charity. But yeah, we've known a lot of the guests from Potters who had invited me to come and host and compare the whole day. So it was lovely. It was a lovely day and, of course, one of the hottest days of the year.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it was really hot over the weekend, wasn't?

Speaker 2:

it, of course, one of the hottest days of the year. Yeah, it was really hot over the weekend, wasn't it?

Speaker 1:

And you were busy yourself, wasn't you? Yeah, so I do like a little summer fair up in Helston just above Norwich. It's just like silly stuff that we you know egg and spoon races and tug of war and things like that, but it was so hot I don't think many people turned. It was busy. It was a nice stream of people, um, and they had other things going on, uh, throughout the day, sort of local groups like martial arts groups doing demonstrations and stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

so it made it but it's very unusual for me and you to be doing something yeah around the same day, so it's very rare that we get to do that sort of thing it was funny because I went live and then you went live a little bit later.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'm here at Eltham. Yeah, there's no way.

Speaker 1:

What is this? Yeah, for the full day. I don't you know. We, we were, we. We had both disappeared for the. I made it back for the evening for the show, but that was tiring. That was, you know, having a full day, literally.

Speaker 2:

I'd never felt my voice struggle so much when I finished, so it was about four hours of constant talking. By the time I'd done the auction as well, I was literally going.

Speaker 1:

So you could probably hear I've got a real rough. I was going to say you can hear it in your voice now. I've got a real rough in my voice now. So you've been quite busy. You do quite a lot for the charity outside of here as well.

Speaker 2:

You've got your MCA Trust sort of jacket on at the moment.

Speaker 1:

I'm a patron of mca trust and that's.

Speaker 2:

That's um children's cancer in essex. Yeah, um, and I love this charity because they don't take any money out of it at all so you're looking at, 98 of money raised goes back in and the two percent is the administration, whatever little cost they pay. But it's a beautiful chance. Yeah, shout out to keith isaacs who sort of runs all of that and and again, keith, isaac and the whole family's been coming to put us yeah for years.

Speaker 2:

And it's just that he brought it up to say, like would you like come again, host a golf day? And I said, yeah, of course I play a bit of golf. I mean, I didn't really, but I made a point to say yeah, I play a bit of golf, but um yeah, so things like that are great fun. I have to take a buggy round especially now, even with your new knee.

Speaker 1:

Last time we had you on the podcast. I think you'd just had your knee done, so you were telling Henry and I all about the new knee and actually I can't sort of diss it.

Speaker 2:

It really has done me wonders. I mean, I've lost weight and I didn't know why I'd lost weight. I really had lost about two stone and even my wife Claire was really sort of like well, you better get a check up because you've lost two stone. And what have you done? I said so. They gave me hundreds of blood tests, loads of blood tests to find out if there's anything going sinister on.

Speaker 1:

But it just means you're more mobile, it was a conclusion test to find out if there's anything going sinister on. But uh no, and then it just means you're more mobile.

Speaker 2:

But it was a conclusion, the doctor said oh, you didn't realize how much you must have slowed up yeah, and then I didn't realize, because when we did the uh, the joke of it, when I did the five lakes weekend, yeah, they put me in the uh, the lake, the village what they call the village well. That scene miles three years ago, yeah, I was moaning about it, walking the village, what they call the village Well that seemed miles three years ago yeah, I was moaning about it walking from the village rooms down to the actual main building, going crikey.

Speaker 2:

I can't believe how long this is. And then, of course, the following year we had another weekend there and I was going and I was even moving even slower going. Couldn't they have got me a closer room than this? And it's always on the far end, yeah, yeah. So this year, this year we did, and of course, now with my new knee, it literally took me a minute. It took me a minute walking and I'm going like I was laughing, claire's saying to me why are you laughing? I'm going. Well, didn't you know? I was really moaning about how far away this village is and it really only took me a minute from the room to walk down to the main building and into the dining room.

Speaker 1:

I suppose you don't even realise just how much it was slowing you down.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and it really had done.

Speaker 1:

You do joke about it, but when you sort of you going up and down the Atlas Theatre steps onto the stage, that's right.

Speaker 2:

And going into the changing room, from upstairs to downstairs and I said, right, I'm not doing that, I'm just going to bring all the costumes by the side.

Speaker 1:

I've noticed you still get Brian to bring all your costumes up, though.

Speaker 2:

Well, I appreciate that. I appreciate that. I am fitter, but the whole point of that is I'm still, like you know, retired. Yeah right, I mean age, the fact that everyone's about 40 years younger than me.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Going running up and down the stairs. So no, you know it's great, but what was we talking about anyway? We were talking about the charity, oh well. Charity, different bits and pieces and your golf days and no, I mean that's lovely, and I mean that's lovely, and we don't try and do too much out of Potters. I mean, it's usually something that takes me out of Potters is a charity day or something likewise, with yourself and you do a little bit more of your bowls now, aren't?

Speaker 1:

you, yeah, yeah, you've got more news with that, haven't you? Yeah, so they've announced another competition. So last year I went up to Scotland to do the Scottish Open and this year they've got another UK Open in March time, which is right in the middle of my holiday time. Perfect, but yeah.

Speaker 2:

It's how they see it. Well, yeah, so that's lovely. So literally you've got three sort of championships now.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so a busy sort of few months, sort of the end of the year and the beginning of next year, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 2:

And you've been out. You've been on holiday. I know like I'm holidayed out, to be honest.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 3:

I hate to say that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

But this January obviously we went to see Skye.

Speaker 1:

Yes, that was one of the things I was going to sort of talk about. You went all the way to Australia, yeah, I mean, that's a long old, not Emirates.

Speaker 2:

I was trying to get Emirates.

Speaker 1:

Emirates is nice, that's always a.

Speaker 2:

It was something like the Singapore Line.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think we did. That can't be too bad. No, it was lovely, I mean it was lovely, but just long yeah.

Speaker 2:

When you're on a plane for 20-odd hours, 20-plus hours you're almost like unbelievable.

Speaker 1:

How do you keep yourself amused for that amount of?

Speaker 2:

time everything, but no, I'm a binge watcher. I think I didn't realise how much when COVID happened.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I didn't realise that I wasn't going to bed till like four or five o'clock in the morning just to watch, binge, watch everything. So now, like that was easy, I just watched about five movies, yeah Like, and in between there was feeding us.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, between there was feeding us, yeah, yeah, no, but but australia trip was fantastic and because you caught up with john nemcheck used to be in the restaurant and uh marta, and they've got their new little child there as well, leo.

Speaker 2:

So I mean, it was like really fascinating to see someone that we'd known for about, I think, 11, 12 years, john nemcheck had been here as long as I can remember. I mean, he was here and then, obviously a couple of years ago, living in manly and we went over to manly to see him and caught up with him and he's running a fabulous japanese restaurant and he's got great staff and it's just a lovely life they lead and and.

Speaker 2:

Can you believe we went down to um, and can you believe we went down to the Opera House? Yeah, and literally we was down at the Opera House. This is a few days before we was even catching up with John Nemchik and we went and sat down at one of the restaurants by the rocks and we're literally just sitting there and John Nemchik walked past with the baby and Marta, I mean.

Speaker 1:

Just by chance.

Speaker 2:

I mean I'm saying there was thousands of people, yeah, literally everywhere, and then they'd be all stopping going. Could hear me?

Speaker 1:

They could hear you coming my voice. Oh no, here he is already.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my God. So yeah we caught up with them before we even thought we were going to. No, and there was great Candy lives in Sydney. Candy used to. She did a whole year with us at Potter's.

Speaker 1:

Because you had her on Brewer's House Party over lockdown, didn't you? Yeah, I remember you talking to her.

Speaker 2:

Having a chat to her from Australia. So no, it was lovely. And Claire's nieces and nephews they live out there for now. So the first week we really enjoyed it. Bondi Beach, cocoa Beach, and it was hilarious. I couldn't find old people. I was really having the conversation so much I went live to say they're doing away with old people, everyone and I'm telling you now have a look. I mean it literally was a young people's place.

Speaker 1:

Australia is, isn't it? They were?

Speaker 2:

all in their keep fair and they get up at 6, 7 o'clock in the morning and they're going off to the classes and I was literally found. I found an old lady in a wheelchair and I had to have a conversation with her. I said where are they putting you?

Speaker 1:

Did she understand anything you were on about?

Speaker 2:

No, she didn't understand my humour at all, but it was hilarious in my own way the fact that I'm going like, but where are the others?

Speaker 1:

Where are your friends?

Speaker 2:

I mean, are they just like?

Speaker 1:

Was she abandoned on her own? Was she just in a wheelchair? Just left on her own?

Speaker 2:

But they'd give her someone who was out getting her an ice cream. But yeah, I did really love that sight. And, of course, the exciting bit was we had a week before and we knew that Sky was going to port up with the Ovation of Seas, porting up there in the beautiful Royal Caribbean ship and we were going on board with that. We had two weeks with her and that was lovely.

Speaker 1:

Because didn't you get offered to do a skydive? Because you came back telling us honestly.

Speaker 2:

I mean I was pooing my pants and I kind of, but we we went up to early beach and um cruised up there and that's like the edge of the great barrow reef so people would spend.

Speaker 2:

It was like an overnight stay and it's going to be two days there and people were going to the you know the Great Barrier, and we stayed at Airlie Beach and, of course, one of our ex-staff, craig, his son, he was literally skydiving and he's been skydiving since 16 years old, literally from Beckles up the road where he trained up there, to eventually and literally just takes people in tandem, and what a place to do it. And we got a message to say, oh, by the way, sam's there. And we said, oh, we'll catch up with Sam. And Sam immediately went Mark, do you want to go on a? Take you on a.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I said why aren't you doing it today? Well, it's a bit rough today, the weather's, but we've stopped. But normally I do about 10 jumps a day. I'm going oh my gosh.

Speaker 1:

Imagine that being your job jumping out of a plane 10 times a day, so what are we talking about?

Speaker 2:

5,000? No, no, don't be silly. So we're about 20,000 feet. You jump out and by the time we open the parachute because you're skydiving for at least 10,000, so you're dropping down 10,000 feet.

Speaker 2:

And I'm hearing it going like oh seriously, and then we pull the chute at 5,000. Oh right, so you're pulling the chute? Of course you are. And then so I was over the literally I don't think I slept that night because I knew I was going on the skydive, thinking like if you're going to die, you're going to die, but at least he was going, you can go live you can go live with it, we'll tap, we'll harness your phone on your thing. We can go live. I mean, that would have been incredible to watch.

Speaker 2:

I just found the whole thing and it really convinced me to let's do this and then to let's do this. And then this incredible storm arrived and I got a phone call at nine o'clock in the morning saying look, all the jumps are cancelled today. So it was a few. I mean, I was like it's fate.

Speaker 1:

I probably would have died there was no getting out of that one if that had all gone wrong.

Speaker 2:

So yeah. So yeah, it was something that I loved, but I did love Airlie Beach.

Speaker 1:

Is that something you would like to do at some point? A skydive have you ever been tempted with that? Or is it when?

Speaker 2:

I was younger Jack, at your age, I would have taken on anything which.

Speaker 3:

Of course you have. You did your wing walking last year.

Speaker 2:

And I probably would have just jumped at that, because you just, I have this sort of thing that well, you're harnessed in. It's like any funfair ride that you go. You know you're safe, don't you? So I took it. I mean, you know I can't swim, but I did what's the skiing, water skiing, and I can't swim. And this is when I was in Cyprus, and this is when I was young again.

Speaker 2:

Like when I say young, I was probably in my thirties and I was probably in my 30s and I was like no, I'm okay, I've got the life jacket on and literally the boat took you off and the idea is that you spend your knees and slowly stand up and I literally was hanging on and I went lower and lower and eventually I was going down and I'm in the water and I'm upside down in the water with the ski.

Speaker 1:

And I could see the edge, I could see the water and I'm upside down in the water with the ski and.

Speaker 2:

I could see the edge, I could see the water upside down and I could hear people shouting and saying let go because.

Speaker 1:

I was just convinced. I was convinced I was going to actually come up but I didn't, so I had to let go.

Speaker 2:

So I really did really drown. I nearly died there as well that was the devil in me saying I'm going to do water skiing. Obviously, I didn't try it again.

Speaker 1:

No, I've never given that a go. I saw somebody on Instagram trying that the other day and it does look like a lot of fun.

Speaker 2:

No, I just think if you've got good enough knees to do it. I'll just play with it, I won't do it now.

Speaker 1:

Is there anything sort of thrill-seeking that you would like to do nowadays?

Speaker 2:

No, because I would have wanted it. I'd love to have done a bungee jump. I would have done that that's the only one that I think scares me it wasn't there 30 years ago. I mean four years ago people would bungee jump at that age, but that would scare you.

Speaker 1:

I would scare you. That's, I think it's the only one that I feel uncomfortable with. But I nearly did it in. When I was on the world cruise and stopped off in australia and I think it was new zealand I am a few. A group of people were going to uh, do it off a bridge in new zealand and I thought actually, if I'm going to do it anywhere, but I think they didn't have enough spaces in the end, so I didn't go for it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but no, I, I think I would have gone for anything like that when I was younger, but now it's just like that. I mean, I don't even like really doing the funfair rides. Now, what about the giant swing? The giant swing I did once yeah, and I went. I'm never doing that, it's yeah it was like again I mean you, they haul you up.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And literally you're hanging there, and then, when they release you, you just fall you fall.

Speaker 1:

It's a horrible feeling.

Speaker 2:

You think you're going to die. Yeah, that's the only way you feel it.

Speaker 1:

We're really advertising it, but, yeah, it does feel like you're going to die.

Speaker 2:

And then, literally, you miss the ground and you go back up. And then the worst bit is you then go back down again, but backwards you go backwards and you think so it's a great ride and anyone who's got no fears of things.

Speaker 1:

it's great for the kids and adults, oh yeah.

Speaker 2:

But we've had like a 91-year-old. Do that, haven't they?

Speaker 1:

Yes, I've given a medal out to a 91-year-old. I vaguely remember something to do with that.

Speaker 2:

Saying like he'd done that, but perhaps he couldn't feel nothing.

Speaker 1:

He lost his teeth on the way down again. That's right. Remember, someone lost their teeth so he can't find out.

Speaker 2:

The activity crew were trying to find his teeth Now.

Speaker 1:

a little bit later in the conversation, mark and I were joined by the one and only show creator, roxy Yarnold. Here she is.

Speaker 2:

Welcome on the avenue.

Speaker 1:

Welcome from the étranger stranger.

Speaker 2:

So this is Mark auditioning.

Speaker 1:

I practice it.

Speaker 2:

We're so close, aren't we? Je suis enchanté, happy to see you, but I have a restless day. That's the first one that's made me feel pretty confident.

Speaker 1:

I'm really confident in this.

Speaker 2:

I just don't ask me to go mine and damon and her and je suis. I'll do it in a minute, mine and damon and her and je suis. But can you not? Just I know I do, I can't do it now because I need to have it flowing.

Speaker 4:

It's so fast that bit, isn't it yeah? I think you should have stopped while you were ahead.

Speaker 1:

It went really really well, and then you ruined it all.

Speaker 2:

I've got a couple of weeks to worry about that, that's when I'm on holiday.

Speaker 3:

It's not the word for you. Are you going to Germany? I'm going holiday? It's not the, it's not the words for you.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to Germany just to practice because this is all the new show. I'm very excited. It's all brand new show.

Speaker 1:

It's great because that since we've recorded an episode, you have got a brand new job as well, haven't?

Speaker 4:

you have I yeah, I'm pretty sure it's been over over a year since we've recorded an episode, I think.

Speaker 1:

Brand new job role you are now in charge of. What is your title?

Speaker 2:

Is it creative, is it?

Speaker 4:

creative director, something like that. Creative producer.

Speaker 3:

Producer director.

Speaker 2:

You know what we miss, though? We miss your singing.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, do you miss the singing. I'm still singing. I mean, I did a couple of gigs this weekend, so but just not here, not here, not here yeah. But I do have to still record all the vocals For the team to learn anyway. So I still feel like I'm singing all the time. Just not on the stage, but yeah.

Speaker 1:

Is it weird.

Speaker 4:

I think the first show I put up. It was weird and I'd be like really monitoring what everyone's singing and being like.

Speaker 3:

Well, I would have done it like this. Of course, you would.

Speaker 4:

Whereas now I just like I get excited to see them sing things and do things so well and really we're really putting the singers through their paces in this show. They're basically dancing it's a lot dancing. It's a lot. So I was looking at the other day and I turned to Saskia is she looks after the choreography? And I said I would be awful in the show and I would.

Speaker 1:

You're so relieved that you're not yeah, I would be absolutely awful.

Speaker 4:

So, um, yeah, I think I came out weirdly. Looking back, when I did come out of the shows, I didn't feel ready, but now I feel like it was the right time.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, everything happens for a reason, I think I think it does, and the little little baby coming and that, yeah, it's just because that was really quick. You're acting like you were part of it. I'm gutted no, but let's no, obviously, with you getting with Sean. You thought you said, well, a few years, but it didn't happen. It's happened quicker than that well?

Speaker 4:

no, we've been together two and a half years now oh, wow yeah, just over. Well, I think yeah, just over two years. So a baby and an engagement at the same time I know that was classic it was yeah, he's done well, yeah, so during november, which actually the due date, is the christmas show opening. So I'm gonna see how long I hold on, or or we're gonna really do an early christ Christmas show.

Speaker 1:

When are we starting rehearsing Christmas?

Speaker 4:

I'm not even thinking we've got simply the best revamp before then so yeah which I was just sorting out the rehearsals upstairs, but a lot going on.

Speaker 2:

I just don't think people realise how much you have to put together and it just flies. And I think all the entertainment, all the theatre companies that come in don't realise that one. You say we've learnt this show. They don't actually realise that you've only got to take like a couple of weeks breather before the new show. Rehearsal's kicking in.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I think they have two and a half weeks of nothing.

Speaker 1:

Of just clearing their minds, which, I have to say, is harder than cruise ships?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, I guess the rehearsal process to get you onto the ship, just clearing their minds, which, I have to say, is harder than cruise ships, yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 4:

I guess the rehearsal process to get you onto the ship is possibly harder because they have to learn more shows. But once you've learnt them you go on and you have a lovely time and you maybe do a couple of little cabarets or you know that kind of thing. But with us we turn over a new show every three months and then we put a module in amongst that as well. Plus, they're doing their singing sets, their dance classes. Yeah, we definitely are.

Speaker 2:

I think we are tougher than probably anywhere in the country or even ship.

Speaker 4:

Well, I don't think anyone turns over shows like we do. That is what it is. If you come once a year, you should see is what it is we. If you come once a year, you should see a different set of shows. If you come um, which that would never be the case on a cruise ship and those shows that still on have been running for 10 years, so and they work, don't?

Speaker 1:

get me wrong it's just we we have such regular guests that come that we want to keep it fresh, 100, and so the new one is cabaret club yeah and that we're all really excited about that because it's something so different and it's becoming more of an experience yeah, I feel like it's had such a good response.

Speaker 4:

I come up with the idea actually last year, but when I obviously came into the position we had to revamp, simply the best, and then we um did an eight years module. We did christmas, so there was just no time to get it going for that. But this idea has kind of been developing for a while and then just to see everyone's reactions about the material it's been, it's been a really nice they're very excited.

Speaker 2:

All the cast I'm talking, always talking. Now they're loving and it's all songs they all love to sing.

Speaker 4:

I know.

Speaker 2:

Millie's been saying you know cabaret and all that jazz and it's just what I mean. I know if Skye was back in time to do that, she would have loved this show. Yeah, and she's going to love it because she's going to be here to watch it.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, of course.

Speaker 2:

It is one of those sort of shows that any lead lady would want to be a part of.

Speaker 4:

I think it's that very. We've kept it really old-style cabaret, so we could have kind of gone off on a tangent with it and made it new and there is like a modern take on some things, but it feels very old school and I think that's why it works so well. We've not done anything that's themed so specifically in a long time.

Speaker 2:

I think so how many choreographers have we used?

Speaker 4:

for we did a lot we had 14 choreo uh choreography days, which is the most we've ever had.

Speaker 2:

I was gonna say that was, and we used seven choreographers.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, we've been involved with two of them Tracy, uh, who was fabulous. She choreographed one of our numbers and then the finale, simon, and he was a really lovely guy, really, really. Tracy was as well, but simon just had this energy about him and everyone seems tracy's fantastic.

Speaker 4:

She um obviously does the choreo every year for thursford, so we knew. You know we take we do go out on a bit of a limb when we book choreographers. You see their work but you don't really know what you're going to get until they they come here. Simon's been working with us for over a year now and we've had him involved in every project when we can, because he's I mean I posted about him the other day on Instagram. Actually he always he did a little montage of like the footage that he'd done and I just said it's way more than the the choreo with him. It's the energy he brings when he comes in and he learns everyone's names and he's just got so much patience.

Speaker 4:

And again with tracy she. But I was not. I mean, you obviously hope for the best when the choreographers come in, but I think she absolutely smashed out of the park with.

Speaker 1:

She did not know how to take us. Initially I felt so bad.

Speaker 2:

It was her first day ever with us more sorry for her because she actually, because when, when, you're, when she's probably with our dancers and our theatre company, well, I mean, they're all trained, most of them are all trained, they've been gone from performing arts. But when it comes to the comedy team looking up and saying, well, we'd like to do Fever, please, and what's your? She was just looking at us. I don't think I can do that bit there. She said we'll do it step by step though, but it was she asked.

Speaker 1:

She was. No, she was very patient with us. I think in the end, she was great, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4:

I did feel very sorry for her when she walked in and I was like ever. I was like please come back, um.

Speaker 1:

but then she was with the potter's theatre company the next day and they did dancing for and it is just beautiful. I'm really looking forward to seeing it all come together, because I've seen snippets and yeah, it's just it's.

Speaker 4:

It looks very and we're going away from how we usually do things. We're not really using the screens this time. Uh, we're trying to keep it how it would be if you went to go see, you know. You know if you went to the Moulin Rouge or you went to, you know we, even the modern musicals like kick that club, you know yeah. I just think we're trying to make it different to everything else.

Speaker 4:

We're lucky that we have those screens and they look fab when we use them, especially for 80s with the movie section and we have the luxury of putting some of the film snippets on there, and but it is kind of nice to take it back to probably what it may have been like.

Speaker 1:

Does that remind you, mark? I'm so old.

Speaker 2:

It does bring us all back and it is great. It really is looking forward to it and a little bit of comedy stuff in it as well that we're going to ruin the show.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, that, as always, will get very mixed reviews.

Speaker 1:

We always seem to. That's what we're there for. Oh that's so silly. We are there to make the theatre company look better.

Speaker 4:

And it does you do very well. No, it's always something especially our regular guests love to see, but also, I think it's a conversation starter for you guys, you know like you know to, then you know ask how you come up with those terrible ideas, where?

Speaker 2:

does that come from?

Speaker 4:

but yeah, so it just it takes. I think it adds a bit of lightheartedness to the show. We've got some huge songs in there, but I think sometimes the audience just need that two, three minutes where it does feel a bit more fun and silly, and I think that those shows always work the best. For us anyway, that's simply the best us.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Always gets the best reaction of the shows that we have on, because it involves everyone that they've got to know for the three or four days that they've been here. You know we are taking a bit of a risk with this show. We're putting it on the opening night.

Speaker 3:

Wow, which you know, no one's had any opinions on.

Speaker 4:

I apologise.

Speaker 2:

No, I apologise, but no, it's just as it is. It's hard, it's very exciting. It's very exciting to put this show together and to have all the big mixture of everything in. It really is.

Speaker 4:

No, it's going to be great. I'm really excited.

Speaker 2:

I mean I always love when the costumes go on.

Speaker 4:

Oh don't make me think about it.

Speaker 2:

Because it's the costumes that just change everything. Because you see everyone doing it through the motions yeah, and they go wow, that's going to be. But when costumes come on board, you go oh my gosh.

Speaker 4:

I know, but it's been a tricky. It's been a big show to costume. There's 42 people that we've had to costume this time. But yeah, we've got first costume fitting on Wednesday at Five Lakes, so we're going to see how it goes. But yeah, I do think it makes such a big difference and especially with this style of show, it's got to fit the theme well.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I think it's yeah, it'll be great, and I do think people forget that you've got to cover five legs as well. We're not just talking about our potters team and us together.

Speaker 1:

You have to go and get the whole show and get the rehearsals and get everything choreography at the other side as well and to get the both shows up at the same time, because that's again cruise ships don't have to do that necessarily. They have one team, they train them up and then they move on to the other one to do sort of both in tandem.

Speaker 4:

We are a bit lucky with this one, whereas we've got a week or so in between the two opening dates. So five lakes actually goes up on the 11th and then we go up, I think, 10 days later. Um, but when it comes to christmas, for example, that festive break- is on the same break so we open both shows within a day of each other, which is always quite tricky to. Oh, yeah, you know, manic.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, it is the word yeah, I know, with a baby due as well, it's kind of you've got a good team around you, though, oh 100%. Yeah, a good team and everyone no one, you know. Everyone wants it to go well, everyone involved in it. So, regardless of the team that I have with Shane and with Saskia, everyone gets involved in the end and pulls together. So we always seem to make it work, even when we think it's not going to.

Speaker 2:

We cross our fingers yeah, what? No, have we had many disasters? I'm trying to think have we had many disasters? I'm trying to think, have we had many disasters? We do as comedy, because we go, we won't do that again.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

It's easier for us to go. Won't do that again, but when you put a whole show together yeah, we haven't, though no, I don't think we have.

Speaker 4:

That's the thing it always. And even if something isn't perfect, it's only not perfect to us, who you know myself that has been putting the show together for three months and that costume isn't quite actually how I thought it would look. Or, you know, you can see our knickers at some point and we need to sort that out for the next show or whatever it is.

Speaker 2:

The Father Christmases, because I mean the other thing we do is incredible. What they don't get is that our changes are so fast yeah.

Speaker 4:

And it takes 20, 30 seconds. I think they think we have a team backstage dressing. We don't have costume dressers. We have some stagehands that will help, but they are they're doing several things at the same time. And they're quite reluctant to unless they need to, because their attention has to be elsewhere and, weirdly, they probably are a bit nervous about zipping up girls' costumes.

Speaker 2:

I volunteered.

Speaker 4:

So they are, you know, doing their own changes, and we do make the costumes as easy to get on as we can.

Speaker 2:

But that was the only one really last year, wasn't it Christmas?

Speaker 4:

But it was just I'm going to name. Shane Brandon Brandon Jones with the Santa costume change.

Speaker 2:

He just struggled.

Speaker 4:

Nightmare.

Speaker 1:

I think he made it for the very last one, because wasn't that the number where you had all the dancing Santas?

Speaker 4:

on stage yeah it was such a good number.

Speaker 3:

All the Santas came up, but just one Santa without a beard.

Speaker 4:

It wasn't that it was always without a beard.

Speaker 1:

it wasn't that it was always without a glove, or the belt wasn't on, or the hat. Yeah, it was. Uh, no more dancing santas. This year.

Speaker 4:

No, that is off the cards this year does that make it easier?

Speaker 1:

simply the best, because it's obviously you're looking at old material and then it's, it's a revamped, show't it? So you're taking elements out and swapping Is that easier or harder than changing an entire show.

Speaker 4:

No, I think it is easier and I think as well, with Simply the Best. There isn't like a running theme, so you could add a section that may be so totally off the section before, but that's the point for this show, we're bringing in things that feel nostalgic, and it doesn't really have to.

Speaker 4:

We want a flow, but we also want to be showing all the different things we've done over the last however many years. So, yeah, it was quite easy to do this one. I think over the year, when I'm creating the shows as well, I am always thinking about the next thing Christmas is always just the hardest because there is only so much Christmas.

Speaker 1:

And everybody has a different idea of what Christmas means to them, right, some people love traditional.

Speaker 4:

some people don't love traditional, yeah, and we did traditional for quite a few years. So I tried to take it away from the traditional stuff last year which some people loved, and then we did get a few comments oh, it wasn't traditional enough. And it's hard then to know what route to go down. And you know there's only so many Christmas songs and then you can find different versions.

Speaker 2:

And what's always, I always find which is really difficult with Christmas we always do a Christmas field countdown.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And use all the classic Christmas countdown songs yeah, which. And use all the classic Christmas countdown songs which a lot of people could easily put into the Christmas show, but you can't put them into the Christmas show because we want to use them for the countdown 100%, and it is that sort of frustration.

Speaker 1:

It's not just a show, it's an entire night. You've got to choreograph and you're saving elements from there to put there, and it's a bit of a puzzle piece.

Speaker 2:

And the truth is it's only a limitation of Christmas songs. Material Christmas songs.

Speaker 4:

And we find that our Christmas guests, our festive break guests, are the guests that come every year. So you know the expectations are high, you know what they've seen before. So it's yeah, just trying to get it right.

Speaker 1:

And of course we don't mention Pantos.

Speaker 2:

Oh yes, we will so, and of course we don't mention Pantos.

Speaker 1:

Oh yes, we will so busy year busy year and you say you've just done, boy George yeah, I was in Germany and then Denmark.

Speaker 4:

We had a couple of gigs, I've got a couple more and I'm doing some gigs with Gloria Gaynor in a couple of weeks, which I've got to learn quite a lot of songs for, whilst I just put them on the car.

Speaker 2:

do you find that natural, though? Because I mean, you do say it so many times oh, I've got loads of songs to sing, even when you've done the simplicity thing, like when you go to a pheasant tree and you went, oh, I'm going to sing a pheasant, but I haven't got the song yet. And this is the next day. I mean how next day? I mean, yeah, do you get to? You know like it takes me at least three or four weeks to pick up a song.

Speaker 4:

Oh, yeah, no, and you do it in days. Well, I haven't started yet. I've got 24 songs to learn that's a lot yeah and I've got to learn it all off youtube videos, which is that's the trickiest part I think like trying to hear what is actually happening, and obviously you're hearing the three vocals and I've got to pick out what I think is the top part. But I mean, yeah, I think I'm okay with things like that. I'm a good crammer yeah I'm very good at cramming.

Speaker 4:

Also could learn probably a few songs in a day if I needed to yeah yeah, but I've always been like that, I'm very much like, but if you then ask me to sing it again in six months, I wouldn't even be able to tell you the tune. I'm a big crammer. Like Henry wanted me to do a show. I've actually I'm not going to do that show anymore Because I said to him I've not got time to. I don't know that song anymore more. I couldn't even tell you the title of the song that we did and I'm away then like two days after with all the glorious stuff. So I was like I never turned things down, but I think with how busy things have been

Speaker 3:

I was like so it's got to give eventually, yeah yeah, so I've.

Speaker 4:

I've give that one a miss, but yeah, the glory stuff is exciting do you know what I was gonna try and push for?

Speaker 2:

what that?

Speaker 4:

that when we've had all the babies and everything, Stop saying we when you first said, it happened so quickly.

Speaker 2:

No, I just I think it would be nice to have a Roxy Arnold evening. Is that bad for me to? Can you imagine if I created a show called?

Speaker 4:

The Roxy Show On cruise ships. It happens all the time.

Speaker 2:

And the reason why is when I sat on the cruise ship and the cruise director came out and ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Derek Ramsey Show. What, it's your own show, yeah. And then when I hear there's lots of people Dan has, just recently on Princess he puts his own show together and I thought, well, wouldn't that be nice, because recently on Princess he puts his own show together. And I thought, well, wouldn't that be nice Because we miss your voice.

Speaker 1:

I don't understand how much many guests say to me.

Speaker 2:

That's what the people want. Roxy, I'm not talking about I mean, I love your voice, but I'm saying how many guests say to me and I thought well, what's the harm in having a Roxy Arnold half an hour or 45 minutes? Is it too much to ask? Because half an hour or 45 minutes Is it too much to ask? Because it wouldn't be something you'd have to learn. Learn it would be your material, your songs. I feel like maybe Is that too much to ask Indy?

Speaker 4:

No, I don't. I feel like I will come back to something at some point, even if it's like a Simply the Best spot or something.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

In years to come.

Speaker 2:

I don't know, so you're saying years to come. I don't know, so you're saying years to come. I'm talking about this year. I'm talking about when get a Roxy Arnold 45 minute.

Speaker 4:

But I think the guests would love it. I'm not even saying in years to come, I'm saying you know, at some point once we revamp something, if there is a spot, I don't know.

Speaker 2:

You do get more sort of fact that that will tie you down to a particular night.

Speaker 4:

But then I don't know whether, like one year, maybe I'll do like a New Year's Eve slot or something where it's like I don't know, I'm sure there'll be some time.

Speaker 2:

It's what I love. When I do the Mark Brewer weekend in January in Five Lakes, I always go to Roxy to say, roxy, are you going to come and do a spot? Because it's out of context, it's out of everything by because it's out of context, it's out of everything. By then the Christmas show had finished. It's almost like it makes to me great and the guests know that you're going to be coming to sing, dan.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's great. Thank you very much, Roxy for coming in.

Speaker 2:

Oh, thank you, it's been lovely, lovely to see you, and you are blooming.

Speaker 4:

I'm not. I'm waiting for the glow. They tell you that happens.

Speaker 2:

No, but I thought you did when you walked in I thought, yeah, I was just sweating.

Speaker 4:

I thought when you walked in.

Speaker 1:

I was just sweating.

Speaker 4:

I walked from there to there.

Speaker 1:

It's far, isn't it? It's far. No, thank you for fitting us in your busy schedule to come in. Oh, thank you, have a little chat. It's good to catch up and hear a bit about the new show, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Naming the baby in November Marco.

Speaker 3:

We'll have a poll.

Speaker 2:

Suggestions. Why do I ingest? It'd be hilarious if she comes out. I've only called it Marco.

Speaker 1:

She actually liked it. We went for what it looked like and it came out of a beard.

Speaker 2:

We'd ordered pizza at the time, and then I gave birth. Oh God.

Speaker 4:

Can you imagine giving birth here? People have, haven't they?

Speaker 2:

Not many, but yeah.

Speaker 3:

I don't want to add to that list.

Speaker 4:

I don't want to add to the list.

Speaker 1:

But that was nice, nice talking to Roxy, it was good to get her.

Speaker 2:

I don't think she knows what's coming her way, though no yes, all of these things planned, is it? Just bad when you've had four children and you sort of know that she has no idea what she's going to get through, especially when it gets heavier and heavier. She just wants it out and she's got the whole of November to wait. Usually by that October.

Speaker 1:

It is a busy period for us, isn't?

Speaker 3:

it. It's incredible. It's a busy time of year, incredible time.

Speaker 1:

No One thing we didn't talk about that. I was going to because Henry's gone now Henry's sort of he was always going to go off and do sort of big and wonderful things when you look at the fact that he was going to come and do a year.

Speaker 2:

that's all he was going to do, and we conned him into saying, well, do a second year with us but he got so involved in the shows and all our pre-shows and everything, all our pre-shows and everything. It was just, you know, fantastic for us. So the third year and he was already. By then he'd already got the New York planned, he was already doing the pheasantry and it was just a rundown of actually finishing. And it was quite a sad time when he actually did finish.

Speaker 1:

He had a great Never Say Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard yeah, beautiful song and with such a wonderful video as well. And again.

Speaker 2:

He just put all this video and then he showed me. Incredible. It must have been about two hours. One evening. He got out of his room and he's still here for three more weeks, and so he went I don't suppose you can put me up for three weeks and so he came and stayed with us, but in the time that he stayed with us he was showing me the videos of his life at Potter's. Yeah, and it was literally, you know, I don't know how many hours.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

How many hours and hours and hours of footage from all the messing around, from the fun to the shows. Some incredible footage of all sorts of things and he was able to go through that and edit little bits and put that all connected to the one song at the end. It's quite emotional really. It really was.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it actually was. It was, yeah, quite one of those. It's just one of those key moments, do you know? I mean, that happened here. You know, yes, week to week we have, we have wonderful things that happen, but sometimes you get those key moments that you, you know, that stay with you right yeah, and it really was.

Speaker 2:

And then, of course, he came straight to five lakes with me. Yeah, straight after the new year to have the very last weekend yeah and he was literally going from the Sunday night, finished at 12 at midnight and he was literally going to Heathrow and getting on the plane for five o'clock early in the morning to go to New York. So that was a fab weekend.

Speaker 1:

And it must have been great watching him in New York as well.

Speaker 2:

Well yeah, he had this beautiful Anna Slavison watching this. Well, yeah, he had this beautiful Anna Slavison, I think.

Speaker 1:

Anna Slavison.

Speaker 2:

I mean, she was fabulous, but only 20, 22?, 22, I think 22 and Henry's 21.

Speaker 2:

And he had some critics Broadway critics sitting there and some producers sitting there, and you have to be in awe because he'd learned his trade being at Potter's without a doubt, you can just know the confidence and the chat and to have this beautiful Broadway singer, who's already been lead Broadway at her age at 20, the two years prior and that's how he met her at the Jimmy's Award to say would you like to come and sing for me? And of course she was estranged with that whole idea because a performance on like even with potter's theatre company take them out of their yes, take them off of a production show and put them in an environment that says I'll have a chat to you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah and it's like most people go. What do you mean? You're going to have a chat to me? What? On the mic with everyone, yeah, and it's that sort of. But she was lovely and I think she was. I think she was really nervous initially, yeah, about it, but it was tremendous and he had got rid of his, I heard he had issues with the, the first band. Yeah, yeah, um, he didn't. I don't think he got henry either I think, again.

Speaker 2:

It's you don't understand. And he was almost saying to henry well, henry, um, how old are you? And they were saying like, yeah, I'm 21. And he was going well, perhaps I should introduce each number. Yeah, I mean, this is how he just didn't get the whole concept of what Henry is. And of course, it's like me. I mean I'm very quiet outside of work. People don't see what I'm like you know outside, in fact, most people my friends think I'm ill. They think there's something wrong with me.

Speaker 1:

I think it's a thing of an entertainer, isn't it? Yeah, you have moments I've had moments where I physically feel myself doing it, say, I'm having a conversation with you, know friends, or something, and quiet and relaxed, and then someone will walk over. That I will know from a work environment and my whole body, language and persona just changes, doesn't it?

Speaker 2:

And I think that's what we naturally do. I mean, my wife thinks I'm really boring, Is it? It's quiet. All the kids thought you know. I always laugh at the time when they said they were about eight and nine years old and said Dad, I didn't know you was funny. Yeah, because they were too young to come and see me work for the late shift. Yeah, I.

Speaker 2:

so, yeah, I always find that I think we're going to miss Henry I think we always will and it's what always makes me laugh when you see the social media, when Henry comes for a weekend he pops back he pops back, catches up, because I think he misses the whole environment and naturally so yeah of course, the Potter's community. Yeah, he misses that.

Speaker 1:

I think that's what he will definitely miss, for me he's coming back in a couple of weeks because I was in Prague when he came last time, so I missed him, but hopefully he said he's coming back in a few weeks so might have an opportunity to have a chat. I think the family holiday is coming, aren't?

Speaker 2:

they. They've booked a family, but he misses that. It's just generally when you've done three years of being around everyone. I think it's a bit like Skye coming off the ship. She was emotionally wrecked, saying goodbye to these people, all the cast members that she'd been literally ten months with constantly and live and breathe them.

Speaker 1:

Suddenly you're surrounded by people and then suddenly you're not. It is a strange shift.

Speaker 2:

But guests suddenly put so Henry hasn't left. Then yeah, yeah, I mean, it's just that incredible social media, the fact that immediately Henry's appeared.

Speaker 1:

I saw somebody wrote on it very quickly. Didn't believe that he'd ever left. He had never left.

Speaker 2:

And he'd only come on and sang one song, and it was what we're paying him just to come and do this one song. But it is how people see him. But his destiny is vast. I mean, he's back in New York now.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, he's always going to go into and like I said when I sort of mentioned the Thames boat trip, within an hour he contacted them, talked to them and said do you want to do this thing? Yeah, so when he comes back we're going to do that, and that's the reason for doing that really.

Speaker 1:

No, I think that'll be a lot of fun.

Speaker 2:

It's going to be a lot of fun. I wouldn't want this hot weather though.

Speaker 1:

I mean.

Speaker 2:

I would like nice weather, but if it was that steaming heat that we had for the last few days.

Speaker 1:

Especially when you're out on the water. You can't really escape, can you?

Speaker 2:

And there's 300 people almost on top deck crammed in as well, and that's why we're going to do other things down in the middle deck and even the bottom deck. We're going to have some fun and drag people, try and take it.

Speaker 1:

Once you've done it, we'll have you back on and I'll chat to you on what we did with that occasion. We do need to get together and talk about what we're going to do, sort of, yeah, as we do, bits and pieces, don't?

Speaker 2:

realize. That's how we do it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we just have a chat within a chat let's just go out and try it yeah that's how it works I do. I always find that quite funny with me and you, because we both, we like to just go out and just do feel it and we have a chat about it first and, like other team members maybe, are horrified yeah, and they, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I just think, I think, if you think back from Covid days, when we actually first you joined in and I used to say to you, jack, what are you doing? And Jack said, well, I'm, I'm not on anything and I said well, come and do the show. He said what do you mean to come and do the show? Well, I've got to do the Broadway and Beyond, so it's the fireman thing. And I said we're going to do this bit as well. And he went and Jack was like yeah, well, let's do that.

Speaker 1:

Well, I already knew the show, didn't I Because from before COVID, but yeah, the bits beforehand as well.

Speaker 2:

And that's how we really first got going.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, if you get my meaning.

Speaker 2:

It, yeah, and I think that's how Henry got involved. I mean, henry got involved so quick. Yeah, he was really shot and he sort of admitted that.

Speaker 1:

I think that is the way I mean. That's certainly the way I learn is just to go head first into something.

Speaker 2:

As long as we're not leaving him and make him look down and I do care, everybody is individual. The other team members? All really seem horrified. They want to know exactly what. What are we doing, what we're saying, what?

Speaker 1:

are we going? I think part of his background. Actually I was thinking about this the other day, um, have it like I was talking to emily and, uh, maybe ashley and fletcher. Just I think the people who've had training and like been to musical theater college, they're so used to being told what to do and where to stand and how to react, and when they get given things to learn, that's how they uh, that's how they do things, whereas I think when you've I mean, I've not had that formal training, you almost have to learn yourself and figure out your own way. So I think that's maybe the maybe the difference.

Speaker 2:

I don't know and also because we're doing it possibly twice a week yeah and the other thing is we can easily say that didn't really work. Let's change that you soon. Oh, by the way, this really was funny when we did this line yeah, and we keep it. Yeah, um, and I think you can't do that, you can't really write it, and they always think comedy is a totally different kettle of fish and I don't think anyone understands it, unless you're doing it I.

Speaker 2:

I always laughed when when we had when five lakes arrived opened up. Yeah, but before they opened up, the main entertainment manager, vince, and the comedian, um, sadly passed he. They came to watch us.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And they were saying, oh yeah, but you just improv and you've got no formality. And I was thinking they really don't realise because they're only seeing it once. Yeah, and it's a compliment to ourselves.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

People think that but if people aren't many guests who return return that we're doing a routine and we do have flexibility because something might crop up with guests or something and we do mess around with guests, but we rarely do improv.

Speaker 1:

Oh no, we do improv, we know what we're doing, but we also are comfortable with running with things that are happening in the moment when something happens around us and you're evolving, and they just didn't get it.

Speaker 2:

They didn't get it at all and they were almost like, well, we can't do what Potter's doing. Are we going to be professional? And I was saying, potter, what do you mean? You don't think what we're doing? No, because you're making it up as you go along, but we are good at making it up as we go along. Yeah, but we are good at making up as we go along, meaning the fact, that if a situation arises we turn to that.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes you need that, and that's why you've really improved and got how you grew with working so instantly with us. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

How you've got confidence in doing anything that I've done over the past and have the confidence of actually taking that on. Not everyone has been able to do it. You know, over the years, it's practice as well, though.

Speaker 1:

I love that sort of off-the-cuff stuff and even like it helped me and I think I grew with that when I started doing more with the World Bowls, because you've got that unknown amount of time and you've just got to play off people. You've not got long enough to do any material, but you need to fill and warm the crowd up. So, yeah, little moments like that.

Speaker 2:

And then you've got people like James who, when we get him back, is very quirky.

Speaker 1:

We actually don't know what he's going to come out with. You need to have that ability to work on the fly for working with people like James and Henry as well. I used to always remember, like you never know what he was going to come out with, so you need to be ready to deal with you know those things.

Speaker 2:

And I think we had a nice golden little era with Henry and I think that definitely that's in the past, but that's why I like having a little glimpse of doing a little something with.

Speaker 1:

Henry, yeah, and it's only going to be once, twice a year.

Speaker 2:

I think it's going to happen.

Speaker 1:

I think it's also been great, though Obviously now Henry's gone, but we're getting Roddy involved, your son, a little bit more, and it's been great having him, and that's built and it's another work in progress.

Speaker 2:

I mean the effect he gets on a Saturday when he comes and does his first set in the Atlas Theatre.

Speaker 1:

He was with me on Saturday and an incredible response I'm back to sing a couple of songs afterwards and he's got a great.

Speaker 2:

well, I wish I had his voice but that way, yeah, incredible voice.

Speaker 2:

I wish I had that voice and he's looking forward to being part of things and we're going to grow that. I think that's the truth, because we didn't get Henry involved straight away. We put them into a little bit and we only had one show, a variety show, three years ago that we could only say, oh, henry, come and be my assistant, yeah, and likewise with Brian yeah, and it was only a little gap, stop gap. We could get them involved in so same thing with Roddy. I think we're going to grow that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I think because he going to grow that, yeah, and I think because he's got a very sort of nice sense of humour as well, yeah, and he always well like with father and son he takes the mickey out of dad constantly.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

He keeps bringing up the fact he's got a song for me. He's got your funeral song, which is quite hilarious the fact that he said and he meant it. Yeah, it's a funeral song, which is quite hilarious, the fact that he said and he meant it and he played it, and the audience were almost shocked to the fact that it's you know it's a great song, James Blunt song. I know the one, you mean now actually yes, beautiful song.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and he sings it fabulous and plays it on the piano. So, yeah, it is that sort of that he wants to, but again and we improv that very quickly. In fact, that shows you how we do it. You appeared with the gravestone.

Speaker 1:

I did, yes, I did yeah.

Speaker 2:

Just to go along with the whole conversation. And I think that's something we'll probably keep through our summer.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, because it's just on spec.

Speaker 2:

We only did it once, yeah, yeah, but we'll probably say well, that was funny that you can bring that in, because it was a surprise that a guest sent gave you a gift of a gravestone. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

A headstone.

Speaker 2:

And it was gold leaf. I mean, it was proper marble, it's all ready to go, except put the date in.

Speaker 1:

That's all we need to add on. The date so yeah, or the dates of the times you've nearly died.

Speaker 2:

But I do believe that that's our secret with our work is that we do have that ability to improv where we go.

Speaker 1:

One last thing I was going to talk to you about is old potter's traditions, because I was thinking about something the other day that I haven't heard for a long time, and is there any old potters traditions that you miss? But there's one in particular that I'm going to talk to about in a second.

Speaker 2:

I get a lot of, especially in peak times. I get a lot of guests saying to me why aren't you doing ta-ta?

Speaker 1:

It's what I've got on my list. It's the ta-ta song that I thought, and I aren't you doing ta-ta. It's what I've got on my list.

Speaker 2:

It's the ta-ta song that I thought, yeah, and I just think COVID happened, and then we never got invited back in the dining room again.

Speaker 1:

No, we used to obviously do the announcements on the last day on the way out.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but to be honest, I used to come in and do a breakfast announcement and do a lunchtime announcement. During the summer periods and it's six days a week, but we used to have everyone waving the serviettes ta-ta.

Speaker 2:

And I get so many of the guests missing that and when you think about it families, kids it's just a lovely little thing to do. So I would say as one of the main traditions. I mean we used to do birthdays On some weekends, we used to have 20-odd birthdays and celebrations which could be a hen do or that in the early period. Well, I could understand that when you know let's not put that into it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So we try and do a little bit of that in the theatre now.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

But traditions. I mean we used to make a point of saying goodnight kids. Yeah, but in those days the kids went to bed, yeah, Now they don't. They seem to stay up all night and parents don't want to see the show. So you get the whole point of that. If you went right back to 40 years ago, we used to put a hanky on the door. How embarrassing is that now, yeah, I mean literally. We used to announce there's a baby crying in chalet one, whatever it is yeah a long time ago that.

Speaker 2:

That there's a child on its own in its room and it's crying. Can you go? And? And we used to tease the fact that it's waking up all the other children in the other. It's funny how times go by that no parents won't even dream of dropping a child off.

Speaker 1:

Can you give us then one final thing can you give us a rendition of the Ta-Ta song? I think it's important. I haven't got a hanky.

Speaker 2:

No, I've got tissues.

Speaker 1:

You've got tissues.

Speaker 2:

Funny enough, I always have tissues.

Speaker 1:

I thought it would be a nice way to round things off To everyone. Yeah, you hold up.

Speaker 2:

And if, if you're sitting listening and you actually have a hanky in front of you or a serviette, or you actually said, let's do this at dinner because you could record this and go to dinner. Send in your ta-ta song and you could all sit round in your dining rooms and everyone just put your hanky in the air and go ta-da, ta-da, ta-da-da-da-da, ta-da. Everybody now ta-da, ta-da, Ta-da-da-da-da.

Speaker 3:

Ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, everyone, ta-da Ta-da-da-da, ta-da-da-da-da.

Speaker 2:

Ta-da, ta-da. A lot of ta-tas in the dining room, which was, of course, the whole fun thing. I never stopped and people used to walk out ta-taring, but yeah, it's a lovely way of saying goodbye to everyone.

Speaker 1:

It certainly is.

Speaker 2:

Jack ta-ta, ta-ta Mark.

Speaker 1:

I will see you in a few weeks where we've got to bang in our rehearsals yes, I'm looking forward to it. Lovely chat, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Thank you very much.

Speaker 1:

Take care Bye Funny how you go bye, bye. I can't not do it now, I can't not Bye. There we go. A catch up with Mark Brewer and, course, roxy Yarnold. Now, that conversation happened in the heat of the summer, before Cabaret Club went up, and I know many of you have probably already seen Cabaret Club by now, if you haven't. It's an incredible show filled with comedy, filled with all sorts of wonderful things, taking you to jazz bars around the world. Make sure you do come and watch that sometime soon. Come and join us on Resort.

Speaker 1:

We are going to officially kickstart Season 4 on Monday, where we're going to be heading down to Five Lakes with my new co-host as well. So some episodes. Mark Brewer is going to be joining me for co-hosts and different people. James R Hearn we're going to try and get to co-host some episodes, but next week I'm joined by Ashley, or Twitch, as most of you probably know him by. He's co-hosting with me down at five lakes where we catch up with Alice Molnar.

Speaker 1:

So not only can you listen to Monday's episode, but for the very first time on all exclusive podcast, you can watch it as well. That's why we've been working so hard behind the scenes to make sure we can get this all right and get this perfect to kickstart season four. Thank you for being so patient, that's all I have to say, and thank you for joining us for this little bonus episode. I know it's a little bit different, but we've got some very exciting things coming up, so go and search for us on YouTube the all exclusive podcast or come and find us on Instagram as well, and I'll see you Monday for a brand new episode and a brand new season of the all exclusive podcast. Bye.

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Jack Jenkins

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