What's it really like to perform eight shows a week in a musical — or to be on standby, one minute playing Fortnite, the next going on at the Bridge Theatre?

This week, Jamie Body is joined by West End performer Jacob Fowler — known for his iconic run as JD in Heathers the Musical, the UK Tour of The Addams Family, and currently appearing in Into the Woods at the Bridge Theatre, one of the most-nominated Olivier shows of the year.

In this episode, we cover:

🎭 What life as a standby is REALLY like (including a mid-show emergency at the Bridge)

🎤 How Jacob went from messaging Paul Taylor Mills on Instagram to playing JD over 350 times

🌳 The audition for Into the Woods — singing in a church pew with the director and creative team

📺 Winning Little Mix: The Search and supporting Little Mix on their arena tour (including three nights at the O2)

💼 Co-owning a Theatre Train franchise, running solo workshop tours of 15 cities in two weeks, and why every performer should think like a business owner

📱 Jacob's honest take on social media, networking, and shooting your shot with casting directors Whether you're a musical theatre fan, a performer navigating the industry, or just obsessed with all things West End — this one's for you.

🎙️ The Business of Show Business is hosted by Jamie Body. Subscribe for new episodes and don't forget to follow on social media #IntoTheWoods #HeathersMusical #WestEnd #MusicalTheatre #BusinessOfShowBusiness

Steve Roe founded Hoopla Improv above a pub in Balham 20 years ago. Today it's one of London's most beloved comedy institutions — and the improv school quietly behind some of the biggest names in British comedy, including members of the SNL UK cast and writing team.

In this bonus episode of The Business of Show Business, Jamie sits down with Steve to talk about building a culture-led arts business from scratch, why improv is one of the most underrated career skills you can have, and what the arrival of SNL UK means for the UK comedy and improv scene.

In this episode:

1. How Hoopla grew from a free pub drop-in to a London-wide improv institution
2. Why SNL UK reached out to Hoopla — and what happened next
3. Improv as "yoga for soft skills" (and why corporates are catching on)
4. The myth of the impoverished artist — and why it's holding creatives back
5. How social media and TikTok are reshaping British comedy
6. Why the Edinburgh Fringe is no longer the only path
7. Hoopla's 20th Anniversary Festival: April–July 2025
8. How to start improv even if you're absolutely terrified

🎟️ Find out more about Hoopla's 20th Anniversary Festival: hooplaimprov.com

🎙️ The Business of Show Business is the podcast for performers, creatives, and entertainment industry professionals who want to understand how the business really works — from the inside.

Subscribe for new episodes every fortnight.

Jamie Body got a sneaky peek press screening of California Scheming, the directorial debut of James McAvoy, and sat down with stars Seamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley for a candid chat about playing morally questionable characters, the wild true story behind the film, working with McAvoy on set, regionality in the UK acting industry, and the survival jobs that kept them going before the work came in.

California Scheming is in cinemas from April 10th.

🎙️ The Business of Show Business is the podcast exploring the industry behind the industry — for performers, creatives and entertainment professionals.

🔔 Subscribe for more industry insights, interviews and commentary.

⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:30 What drew them to the script? 02:00 Improv skills as an actor 03:30 Playing morally dubious characters 06:00 Art imitating life — actors vs musicians chasing the dream 08:00 Survival jobs before the big break 09:30 The audition process 11:00 Working with James McAvoy 13:30 Regionality — do you need to move to London?

#CaliforniaScheming #JamesMcAvoy #BusinessOfShowBusiness