Episodes
Hi from Belfast!! š This week thereās no set, or red curtains, or How Very Hannah sign. Instead, itās just me, my dressing room and my vlog camera, as we have a little announcementā¦How Very Hannah is taking a summer break!!Ā Iāve been nonstop this year as you all know - and with Legally Blonde having a few weeks off, it feels like the right time for the whole HVH team to have a little bit of downtime.Before we go I just wanted to sit down, reflect on what has genuinely been one of the most incredible six months of my life, and say a proper thank you.Ā BUT WE WILL BE BACKā¦ ON SEPTEMBER 3rd!!We...
She thought she was a Gabriella... but she was ALWAYS Sharpay - and this week she's on the pod. Itās Caitlin Tipping!!Caitlin's career is genuinely stacked from Jane Seymour in Six on the NCL Bliss cruise to covering Elsa in Disney's Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and Cathy in The Last Five Years at Edinburgh Fringe.She has done it all and she is only just getting started āØWe get into everything, from finding her Celine Dion voice, why covering every female role whilst improvising nearly sent her over the edge, and the moment she watched Six in a tent at Edinburgh Fringe before the res...
omigod you guysā¦ we have our first MBE ACTOR IN THE STUDIO!!!Matt Henry MBE (full name at all times tehe) joins me this week - Olivier Award winner, MBE for services to musical theatre, original Lola in Kinky Boots, and currently playing Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada at the Dominion Theatre.And honestly, this conversation gave me so much. I had my notepad out, I was furiously scribbling, and I may have fan girled just a little bit.We get into everything - from Matt bunking off ballet at Urdang to go to an open call, to first professional job in the West End, creating Nigel in Devil Wears P...
Right, before we get into this episode, we have some very exciting newsā¦ How Very Hannah has been nominated for Podcast of the Year at The ITV bCreatorā¢ Awards 2026!! š„¹āØWe are shortlisted, voting is officially open, and I need you to get over there RIGHT NOW and vote for us. It would mean the absolute world. Fill your details out and find us in the Creators Awards under āPodcast bCreator of the Yearā šĀ http://bcreator.co.uk/awards/vote/ šOkay. NOW we can talk about this episode, which is a Q&A solo special! From nightmare journeys to zombie apocalypse theorising, in this episode I'm answer...
Clammy hands, hammy fingers and a charades game that nearly broke the show - it's my Legally Blonde co-starā¦ George Crawford, aka Emmett Forrest himself!! šThis ep is chaos from start to finishā¦ we get into George's incredible career journey, from auditioning for drama school with absolutely no idea what he was doing, to landing Book of Mormon straight out of Arts Ed without even having an agent. We talk Waitress, Gatsby, Newsies, and the fact that he met his wife Aimee on tour and she made her debut on her birthday. Absolutely beautiful. š„¹We also get into Legally Blonde life - the sweaty h...
BOG OFFā¦ no but donāt because DANI HARMER is on How Very Hannah!!! This one has been on my dream guest list since day one of this podcast, and I am so excited for you to hear this chat šWe get into everything from her West End debut at six years old in The Who's Tommy (she had no idea who The Who was, bless her dad), doing the Annie tour at 10, her Rocky Horror days, and the audition process for Tracy Beaker that somehow all happened in basically one day. We also talk about what it was actually like growing up on a TV set, the tutoring schedule, and the role her parentās played in supportin...
Put your best red boots on, Lolaās in the house!! šš¾ This week I'm joined by the incredible Tosh Wanogho-Maud, currently playing alternate Lola in Kinky Boots at the Coliseum , and I genuinely could have talked to this man for hours. Wise, hilarious, and absolutely full of the kind of advice that makes you want to go home and write everything down.Tosh's career is honestly staggering - from making his West End debut at seven in Whistle Down the Wind, to Young Simba in Lion King, original UK cast of Book of Mormon, Dreamgirls, Drifters Girl, Titaniqueā¦ itās incredible to hear that Kinky Boot...
This week I'm joined by the one, the onlyā¦ Charley Marlowe!! Content creator, presenter, red carpet queen, THEATRE LOVER, and honestly one of the funniest people I've ever had in the studio!! šWe get into how she went from production runner making 58 cups of tea a day to landing gigs at the BAFTAs, the BRITs and the Oliviers - including a genuinely brilliant encounter with Kate Fleetwood that nearly made her cry, the moment Rachel Zegler showed up in all her glory, and what it's actually like watching Claudia and Tess work in the studio at Strictly.We also talk about how to actually get int...
ā ļø This is an audio-only episode - but trust us, you're not gonna want to miss a second of it!! šOn Sunday 24th May, How Very Hannah made its West End debut at the Garrick Theatre for one night onlyā¦ and we recorded it so you could all be part of it!! We're so proud of this oneš©·The incredible Marisha Wallace joined me on stage, talking about going from a tap dancing egg on Broadway to becoming the first full-time black Sally Bowles in the 60-year history of Cabaret, flying to London overnight to cover Amber Riley in Dreamgirls with five days notice, AND why London changed everything for her...
šļø Grab the last few tickets for HOW VERY HANNAH LIVE, THIS SUNDAY at The Garrick! Iām taking over the West End on Sunday 24th May for a very special evening... with unreal guests MARISHA WALLACE and DAISY TWELLS!! See you there āØĀ ā ā https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/how-very-hannah/ā ā -------She won Britain's Got Talent, played Cruella in 101 Dalmatians AND has just dropped a new singleā¦ it's Sydnie Christmas and I am absolutely thrilled to finally have her on the pod!! šWe get into everything - ten years of auditioning and not being able to crack the West End, the side hustles that kept h...
She's back!! Gracie McGonigal made her How Very Hannah debut on the What's On Stage red carpet and now she's finally in the studio, and this chat did not disappoint. šGracie is currently playing Little Red in Into the Woods at the Bridge Theatre and we get into everything - how she genuinely thought Little Red died after Act One and had no idea how much of the show she was in, the Disney Jaw she's currently suffering from, and what it was like keeping her Bridgerton casting a secret for months while going back onstage like everything was completely normal.We also talk about booking Bridgert...
I have been so excited for this one!! Jordan Luke Gage is one of the most multi-talented humans I knowā¦ original Romeo in &Juliet, Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde, Cal in Titanic, and now he's written his own musical. Yeah. His own musical (!!!) šIn this ep, we get into his insane career trajectory, from four years of not being able to book a job after drama school, to Max Martin coming to watch him in Bat Out of Hell and calling him in the next day, to being the original Romeo in &Juliet.We also talk about what it's actually like being an onstage alternate, why he thinks that's harder than doing...
Shoes off, sinuses blocked, Leon sausage and egg bap in the systemā¦ it's a solo ep and we have a LOT to catch up on!! šWe've just finished Canterbury - meningitis outbreak, masks on, no stage door, and somehow still one of my favourite weeks on tour so far. I did Elle twice, Margot six times, stayed with Remi and Rai, did a proper food shop and honestly felt like a functioning human being for once. Turns out that's all it takes.I'm also getting into my onstage pet peeves (some of which I probably shouldn't say out loud), giving you a full Garrick live show update - NOT LONG NOW (get your ti...
BLESS MY SOUL, Luke Brady's on a rollā¦ into the studio!! š Luke is currently playing Hercules at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and what a delightful chat we had this week.We get into what it's actually like working for Disney, why the scale of Hercules is unlike anything he's done before, and how a chance conversation with Imelda Staunton mid-rehearsal completely changed how he approaches his craft.Ā Luke also talks about going back to RADA after years of professional work, why he doesn't have dream roles (and actually loves that about this career), and we both share in what it means to feel ...
My first ever Legally Blonde cast guest is HERE!!!and honestly it was worth the wait, as I'm joined this week by the incredible Jocasta Almgill, AKA the iconic Brooke Wyndham herself šWe get into what it's actually like playing Brooke - including six months of skipping training, the press night skipping rope incident that drew actual blood (I'm so sorry Daisy), and why Jocasta never in a million years thought this role was for her.We also talk about her INCREDIBLE career - from Dream Girls at the Savoy with the Amber Riley(!!!), In The Heights in a literal tent with a steam train, West Side...
It's just me this week!! Well, almostā¦ but we'll get to that. š¤I'm fresh off what I can only describe as the most chaotic week of my entire career (so far) in Milton Keynes, and I needed to sit down and tell you all about it!! Mid-show swing ons, show stops, four different people playing Margot in one week, concert versions nobody planned for - Milton Keynes, you will go down in history. šI'm also catching you up on MY LIVE WEST END SHOW at the Garrick next month, what the helly!! thoughts on what comes next after this contract, and why I would genuinely be happy doing Legally Blonde for th...
I have been FANGIRLING over this guest for so long and I'm not even slightly sorry about it!!Mitch Wood is the comedy genius behind the musical theatre videos that are constantly flying around our group chats - and this week heās in London and in the studio!!!šWe get into how it all started - from his specialty musical theatre high school in Toronto to drama college, working professionally, and then turning to content during the pandemic just to keep his creativity alive.Mitch also gets real about the fact that viral views don't automatically equal money, why he's still very much an active ...
Ad: This episode was made in partnership with The National Lottery āØĀ Guys, it's ALMOST HERE!! The National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals is back on 28th March and this week I'm giving you a backstage pass to get you ready for a very stagey night of TV!! ššThe National Lottery has surpassed Ā£700 million of investment into arts, culture and heritage across Greater Manchester since 1994, and over 31 years National Lottery players have contributed Ā£1.4 billion to 29,000 theatre-related projects across the UK. Every time you buy a lottery ticket, you're contributing to good causes - Ā£32 millio...
I'm back in the studio this week and I am joined by the one and only Maddie Grace Jepson!! šYou'll know her from her iconic TikToks (and that tongue lol) that took over lockdown and never really stopped - and now she's living her absolute theatre girl dream playing Lorraine Baines in Back to the Future in the West End, and we had SO much to catch up on.We get into what it's actually like juggling a West End contract with keeping up with content - the exhaustion, the decision fatigue, and the guilt of being a bad texter (relatable honestly).Maddie also opens up about the negativity that came...
Okay so I basically crashed the What's On Stage Awards red carpet and it was CHAOS (the good kind) šāØI'm out of the studio, mic in hand, Red Bull in system, dangling dress bit getting stood on - and somehow I managed to track down some of the biggest names in musical theatre for chats, confessions and of courseā¦ a How Very Dare You moment or two.This week's ep includes red carpet outfit of the days, wrong-key singing attempts and genuinely unhinged energy throughout (from me, obviously), and International Women's Day shoutouts from across the industryā¦ some iconic, some unexpected, all bril...
Besties reunitedā¦ and this week heās getting an entire ep (š¤Ŗ) itās Tom Scanlon!!Currently in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club - AND covering Cliff, we get into what itās actually like stepping into a lead track in a show thatās emotionally heavy, why the post-show decompression is so real, and how stage door feels totally different when youāre trying to come down from the world of the show.Tom also chats about his Cabaret journey - including how he didnāt even think he wanted the job at first, how surreal it is having major names above the door, and what itās like when a show changes leads const...
Itās happenedā¦ Legally Blonde is OPEN and Iāve officially debuted as Elle Woodsā¦ earlier than expected (What the HELLY !!) šThis solo ep is the full opening week debrief - how Leicester has been, what itās like being Margot (and living my best trio life), and how my Elle debut was meant to be weeks awayā¦ until it suddenly wasnāt.I also want to say this upfront - itās a weird feeling celebrating when someoneās unwell, and Iām so grateful I got to go on, but Iām really aware it wasnāt ideal circumstances. That said, this whole week has reminded me more than ever why swings and covers are abso...
On THURSDAYS we wear pinkā¦ and talk Mean Girls, Heathers, Legally Blonde AND handling the internet when itās doing the mostā¦This week Iām joined by my friend ā and actual real-life Regina George ā Vivian Panka. We met doing the Heathers movie together (she was Heather Duke, I was New Wave Party Girlā¦), and now sheās leading the UK & Ireland tour of Mean Girls as Queen Bee herself.Vivian takes us inside the *wild* audition process: going in for Gretchen, asking to be seen for Regina, last-minute recalls, and finding out sheād booked it while on holiday listening to the cast album on repeat.W...
If youāve watched Good American Family and found yourself obsessed with Natalia Graceā¦ this is the girl behind her. šThis week Iām joined by my friend ā and fellow theatre girly ā Imogen Faith Reid. We met doing Panto years ago, and now sheās leading a huge drama series playing Natalia Grace. No big deal!!!Imogen talks about going from Panto and body-double gigs to landing her first major TV role, and what it actually takes to transform into Natalia: prosthetic hands, a padded bodysuit to hide her curves, fake baby teeth, and learning to act for camera after years of big, stagey musical the...
Week three of Legally Blonde rehearsals nearly finished me (š¤Ŗ)ā¦ so letās have a little debrief, shall we?! šIn this solo ep Iām giving you a full life update ā how rehearsals are actually going, why week three is always chaos, and what itās like setting the whole show!Plus, Iām answering YOUR questions - like my favourite numbers from the show, the joy and pain of learning choreography, and I get really honest about stage door, nerves and boundaries. We talk about cover life, why Iām not off-book for Elle yet (and why thatās normal!), feeling shy in week one rehearsals, and the pressure of ...
West End besties on the pod alert !!This week Iām joined by actual West End royalty and on-stage power duo Lucie Jones & David Hunter... the iconic pairing from Waitress and the world premiere of 13 Going On 30 The Musical !We get into all of it: how they first ended up opposite each other, what makes on-stage chemistry actually work, and why generosity is the secret sauce when youāre sharing the stage.They talk corpsing on stage and get nostalgic about the Waitress company being absolute MENACES for giggles - and I hear how you keep a show feeling fresh when youāre on performance number 24...
All You Wanna Do... is hear about Katherine Howard, right?! š
Well you are in LUCK because Iām getting all the SIX West End scoop from none other than stagey icon and my friend Leesa Tulley!!Leesaās just been announced as the new Katherine Howard in SIX in the West End (I KNOW), so weāre getting the inside story on her stage debut award, the diner dash of actual dreams (she left the Theatre CafĆ© mid-shift and was on stage an hour later), and what itās like returning to a show youāve lived, breathed and belted in for years ā but this time as the full-time lead.We also get into the madness of ...
Weāre so backkk! Itās my first guest ep of 2026 ā and Iāve dragged the icon, the legend, the gleek supreme that is MAX BALEGDE into the How Very Hannah hot seat! š
āØMax is one of the funniest people on the internet (no, I wonāt be taking questions at this time), and today heās bringing pure chaotic energy as we dive into his childhood dreams, some not so pretty tour bus tales, a very niche Glee awakeningā¦ and yes, a bogey confession that will haunt me (and maybe you?!) forever š«£Ā šWe chat:
Being a Gleek (and being personally wronged by Amber Riley)
Going feral on tourā¦ complete with a toilet ...
Dream role? Unlocked...šIn this very special solo episode of How Very Hannah, Iām finally revealing my next job ā and itās a biggie. Iāve been keeping this secret for months but the time has comeā¦ Iām joining the UK & Ireland tour of Legally Blonde the Musical as Margot, and alternate Elle Woods (!!!).From manifesting moments in the Museum of Broadway, to self-taping āDonāt Rain On My Parade,ā to crying outside my final audition - Iām spilling everything about the road to pink šIām diving into the (slightly chaotic) audition journey, including kids accidentally watching my entire audition š...
Hannah the Elf, whatās your favourite Christmas song?!Itās the final How Very Hannah episode of the year - and weāre going out in festive style šIn this solo Christmas special, Iām reflecting on a big year of podcasting (from launching How Very Hannah to 29 episodes!?) and Iām getting well and truly in the festive spirit. Expect sleigh bells, chaotic costumes, festive phone-ins with friends, and school play flashbacks that might make you cry (with laughter).From being a fairy in A Special Kind of Present to a rumoured voice transplant in Year 6 (true story), this ep is packed full of hilari...