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[0:01] Ramin Karimloo: Hey folks, you're listening to The Hang, hosted by the Broadway Podcast Network.

[0:11] Ramin Karimloo: For the final episode of this series, I'm hanging with star of stage and screen and my good friend Samantha Barks. Samantha is one of the West End's most talented and versatile leading ladies, and one with whom I've had the pleasure of working on a few occasions. We appeared in the 25th anniversary of Les Misérables together at the O2 in London. Then again in Chess in Tokyo. And last year, we shot the musical film Tomorrow Morning, which we talked about in the podcast. She is, without a doubt, one of my favorite people to hang with. So hope you enjoy.

[0:44] Ramin Karimloo: Welcome back to The Hang because this is something we did, Samantha Barks, in lockdown over like a remote Zoom thing.

[0:53] Samantha Barks: Yeah, didn't work out.

[0:54] Ramin Karimloo: My bad Wi-Fi.

[0:55] Samantha Barks: Terrible Wi-Fi.

[0:56] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[0:57] Samantha Barks: And you were doing it on your cell phone as well.

[0:59] Ramin Karimloo: Was I?

[1:00] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[1:01] Ramin Karimloo: Well, no, I apologize. I apologize for that.

[1:03] Samantha Barks: That's fine.

[1:04] Ramin Karimloo: I'd rather this because the whole point was to hang face to face.

[1:06] Samantha Barks: Yes.

[1:07] Ramin Karimloo: And that was the last time I, that was the last podcast I did remotely. I'm like, I'm not doing this anymore. It's not fun.

[1:12] Samantha Barks: Oh, goodbye to Zoom, I hope.

[1:14] Ramin Karimloo: I hope that's what 2022 is going to be. No more Zoom.

[1:17] Samantha Barks: No more Zoom.

[1:18] Ramin Karimloo: Wonderful company, though. We have nothing against the company.

[1:20] Samantha Barks: They don't sponsor us, nor do I not sponsor them.

[1:22] Ramin Karimloo: But I'm just saying, we don't need it on my phone. So, music, theater, star, artist, judge on all-star musicals.

[1:30] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[1:31] Ramin Karimloo: You've been super busy and also killing it.

[1:33] Samantha Barks: It's been fun.

[1:34] Ramin Karimloo: And Frozen.

[1:35] Samantha Barks: Yeah, it's because I was thinking about this about last year. And my dad was saying, oh, it was a bit of a write-off last year. But actually, it brought some really good things as well. And we got to do our film. That was an absolute highlight. That was so much fun.

[1:46] Ramin Karimloo: Talk about that.

[1:48] Samantha Barks: Yeah. I couldn't stop laughing. Every day we had the best time. Every day. Like, I got abs for the first time in my life from laughing. It was so much fun.

[1:56] Ramin Karimloo: I can't wait to see it. That's going to be a fun one to watch back.

[1:59] Samantha Barks: Well, let's jump into the film then, yeah.

[2:01] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[2:02] Samantha Barks: Because one of the supporters off my app wanted to ask whether we have any memories of the film. And I'm like, well, we're definitely going to talk about it.

[2:08] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[2:09] Samantha Barks: So Tomorrow Morning.

[2:10] Ramin Karimloo: Tomorrow Morning.

[2:11] Samantha Barks: Musical.

[2:12] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[2:13] Samantha Barks: Go on.

[2:14] Ramin Karimloo: Next question.

[2:15] Samantha Barks: Movie or musical?

[2:21] Ramin Karimloo: I thought you were going to jump in or something.

[2:25] Samantha Barks: I was blank.

[2:27] Ramin Karimloo: All this. We'll be back after this break.

[2:31] Samantha Barks: Right.

[2:33] Ramin Karimloo: I can't wait to do a press junket for this.

[2:36] Samantha Barks: We're going to be amazing selling this film.

[2:38] Ramin Karimloo: Me and you 10 years apart. Do you know what happened? I think, like my brain, you were thinking of the text we got from Nick, our director.

[2:46] Samantha Barks: We had this, well, I might as well say it. We got finally Nick, wonderful director. Our one product who we love.

[2:51] Ramin Karimloo: Adored working with him.

[2:53] Samantha Barks: Yeah. So he sends us a text. And I said to you, how am I going to tell this story? I'm setting it up bad now. You know, sometimes I think when a director, well, what we all do as artists, you look and you're like criticizing and you're thinking. Someone will say, are you happy with your performance? And you think, but you probably were in general, but there are little things that you're trying to change. So he sent us this text basically that was saying that. And you text in, so is it good?

[3:23] Ramin Karimloo: Is he like us?

[3:24] Samantha Barks: Laughing, yeah. No, it's going to be so good that I can't wait to see it. Because it's a complicated sort of film in the way to shoot, because it's us 10 years apart. The night before we get married, the night before our divorce. And so there's a lot of hopping back and forth. So it was going to be really nice to see it all actually coming together and see that sort of make sense.

[3:46] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[3:47] Samantha Barks: I want to see that scene we were shooting in that penthouse.

[3:49] Ramin Karimloo: Which one?

[3:51] Samantha Barks: Where we ended up shooting all three scenes in one go. And it was like a nine-minute take, which is unheard of in film.

[3:57] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[3:58] Samantha Barks: Yeah, because we had, what was it? How many, four scenes or something?

[4:02] Ramin Karimloo: I just said three.

[4:07] Samantha Barks: Whatever, three or four, back to back.

[4:10] Ramin Karimloo: Three to four. Put it together. I'm already crying with laughter. This is exactly how the filming process was. But yeah, and then we just ran it. It was so much fun. But again, because it will cut back and forth to us when we were young. It would be so cool to see how that all ties together.

[4:26] Ramin Karimloo: The first half of the film relied on, we have to get this done. Because once Ramin shaves, we're not going back to this character.

[4:32] Samantha Barks: Exactly, yeah. I wonder how that scene turned out too, where I'm acting with myself. Across from myself.

[4:38] Ramin Karimloo: Shaved Ramin, bearded Ramin.

[4:41] Samantha Barks: Yeah, I only saw pictures that looked good.

[4:46] Ramin Karimloo: I can't wait. The music was amazing too.

[4:48] Samantha Barks: It was. I think the album is stunning. There's some real catchy, catchy songs.

[4:53] Ramin Karimloo: There are.

[4:54] Samantha Barks: And then when we actually filmed them, I'd go away and I'd be thinking, I can't get that one stuck in my head or that one. And now I can't wait to see your numbers as well. Like the Havana club when you're all dancing.

[5:05] Ramin Karimloo: That's, yeah.

[5:06] Samantha Barks: And Fleur. It's like so many great people in there. It's going to be fun.

[5:10] Ramin Karimloo: What was our duet in the house?

[5:12] Samantha Barks: You want to know what drove me mad? All those awful friends you had.

[5:16] Ramin Karimloo: That's the one where we're arguing. But where's the one that I'm trying to be all like, sexy.

[5:21] Samantha Barks: Did I give you a little lap dance at one point?

[5:23] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, yeah.

[5:24] Samantha Barks: What was that?

[5:25] Ramin Karimloo: The night before the wedding.

[5:26] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[5:29] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, but how did that go?

[5:32] Samantha Barks: I can't remember it. This movie is going to be so hyped with us leading it. We're going to do an amazing job on the press.

[5:37] Ramin Karimloo: I can't think of it. I'm going to have to look it up.

[5:43] Samantha Barks: Is it called It Takes Two or something?

[5:44] Ramin Karimloo: No.

[5:46] Samantha Barks: Is that the program?

[5:48] Ramin Karimloo: So when this film gets released, Fleur East is going to do all the promo.

[5:51] Samantha Barks: Yes, she will.

[5:52] Ramin Karimloo: She'll do an amazing job. And me and you will just be like silent in the background.

[5:57] Samantha Barks: Just nodding.

[5:58] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah. Do you know when it's out?

[6:00] Samantha Barks: I thought it was spring.

[6:04] Ramin Karimloo: We should probably talk about Frozen soon.

[6:06] Samantha Barks: We probably have more to say about that.

[6:08] Ramin Karimloo: We're doing this because it seems like a lifetime ago, but a ton of memories are rushing back.

[6:16] Samantha Barks: So like even our scene with Fleur and my wife. I don't know if you're going to talk about Frozen.

[6:25] Ramin Karimloo: No, we will talk about Frozen.

[6:27] Samantha Barks: But you, me, Fleur, and George in the hotel having that dinner. That was so much fun. I've actually got a few clips of that on my phone. We need to see that back because they did serve real wine and then real shots.

[6:41] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, yeah.

[6:42] Samantha Barks: And by the end of it. But then you decided to tap out and went to water and George joined you.

[6:47] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, but I'd had my vaccine that day, so I was like.

[6:50] Samantha Barks: Oh, that's why.

[6:51] Ramin Karimloo: Just slowly.

[6:52] Samantha Barks: That's why, yes. Yeah. But then Fleur kept sticking with it. I'm like, well, you can't drink alone. You drink alone, you see the devil.

[6:58] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, yeah. We kept taking shots. Those shots of water, but.

[7:01] Samantha Barks: And I remember like.

[7:02] Ramin Karimloo: It's funny.

[7:03] Samantha Barks: And at this point, it's like, let's do another take. Take seven. I'm like, okay, no.

[7:06] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[7:07] Samantha Barks: You got it.

[7:08] Ramin Karimloo: That was brilliant. The pool party.

[7:11] Samantha Barks: That was funny. That was insane. Like, so many fun parts of that film. And that's why I can't wait to see it back as well. One, because I just loved, actually loved the music and the material that we did. But also just like, it was so full of fun, like organically.

[7:26] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[7:27] Samantha Barks: And yeah.

[7:28] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah. It'd be good. So, that's the film. Obviously, it's a hit. We just told you how amazing it's going to be. And we had a blast doing it.

[7:37] Samantha Barks: Frozen.

[7:38] Ramin Karimloo: Yes. I feel like since we worked together on Chess, at that point, were you waiting to be announced for the first time?

[7:47] Samantha Barks: So, this would have been January 2020.

[7:52] Ramin Karimloo: Yes.

[7:53] Samantha Barks: 2020.

[7:54] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah. Had there been any delays?

[7:57] Samantha Barks: I think I had been announced. Have I? Again, that old brain.

[8:02] Ramin Karimloo: When did you get offered the gig? Because my point is, how many stops starts to when you finally did it? Because when you did the role of Variety, you still hadn't done the part yet.

[8:12] Samantha Barks: Still hadn't done it. Yeah, there was three, I think it was three stops. Three, like, changes of dates. Maybe four.

[8:18] Ramin Karimloo: Three, four.

[8:22] Samantha Barks: Yeah. And that was the thing. It kind of built up the excitement more and more, because even though it was disheartening in the middle, it's also one of those roles that I was so sort of excited to take it on, but I was trying to do a lot of work to make sure I was in the right place and ready for it. And so, you get ready, and then you're like, oh, okay. Then you get ready, which I think we all experienced in the industry. Because it's not something you jump back into. You just kind of have to get yourself into the right place.

[8:48] Ramin Karimloo: And so, by the time it actually opened, like, my first preview, and this sounds really, really cringe, actually, but I did Let It Go, and it's such an exciting number to do. Not just because it's such a beautiful song, but so much goes into it. So much, like, theatrical magic and joy that you just get to be the face of. But there's so many people that go into making that happen. And it's so exciting. And when I finished that number, I just ran off, and Steph had come down, who plays Anna, had come down, and she was just like, so excited. And I just hugged her and just, like, burst out crying. Burst out crying, but, like, happy tears. Like, complete, like, so excited that I got to do that moment. And it was the buildup of, like, so much, like, anxiety and excitement and then disappointment. And built to such an exciting place where I was like, I can't believe I got to do that for an audience.

[9:49] Samantha Barks: Why is that cringe?

[9:50] Ramin Karimloo: That's human.

[9:51] Samantha Barks: I know, but, you know, I don't want to be like, oh, you know. But it was amazing. The show, that's like, my favorite part I've ever done, because it's just constantly fun. And that was, like, the first time I did it. But even still now, months later, I just have, like, real moments on stage. Especially during that, because you're delivering so much magic. You just, again, you just get, it's not, you know, so many people that go into it. But you get to be there and be a part of it, yeah.

[10:19] Ramin Karimloo: And you look at these faces, these kids, just, like, because it's just all the effects, everything. And it's just, like, it's magic. And you see these faces, and it's just pure joy. And so I love it. I absolutely love the role.

[10:35] Samantha Barks: Wait till those faces see you Tomorrow Morning.

[10:37] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, you just wait.

[10:40] Samantha Barks: It sounds like we're downplaying it.

[10:41] Ramin Karimloo: I'm not.

[10:42] Samantha Barks: It's going to be amazing. We had a great time.

[10:44] Ramin Karimloo: It was.

[10:45] Samantha Barks: That's beautiful. There's nothing cringey about that story. It's totally relatable, whether it's other artists listening to this or people. Everyone's gone through this. And we all have our own experiences, of course. But that, I feel like mostly we all are tightly wound coils right now.

[11:01] Ramin Karimloo: Yes.

[11:02] Samantha Barks: Constantly waiting to let go and release and finally feel, I don't know, normal, whatever that means nowadays.

[11:07] Ramin Karimloo: It is. And it gave the show so much more meaning. Like, for the first time in forever, we're going to open up the gates and let everybody be together. And, like, even in the coronation, there's a bit that I turn around and it's the same night. And I just, my lyric is, I can't believe I'm standing here. And I was just like, it was more like, I just can't believe you're all here. Like, I sort of in my head at one point during the pandemic thought, is theatre ever going to come back? Because I just didn't know how we were all going to be. Not that I seriously thought that, but I maybe feared that. It was like a little fear in the back of my mind. And so it was just this beautiful moment of being like, this is amazing. And it makes you really, really grateful.

[11:53] Ramin Karimloo: So at this point, how are things taking over? Are you guys just trying to be as healthy as possible and do what you can as and when? And then if there's no permutations to put together to get the show running, you shut down for, what dictates, like, two days shut down, three days shut down?

[12:07] Samantha Barks: Well, we've been really lucky because we, Touchwood, we only had one very small...

[12:13] Ramin Karimloo: Samantha Touchingwood, for the audio listeners.

[12:15] Samantha Barks: We had a very, very small two-day shut down. And all the shows were opening and closing and opening and closing. And just the way it worked out, and this is definitely Touchwood, we all kind of got it in, in like a, I don't know how to, like, we didn't all get it at once. So the show was shut down for two weeks. It was like, slowly it's run through the company. So we've been lucky to keep the show open. But I think it was two days, I think it closed, which is a shame because you want to do every single show. But compared to some other shows that have been really unlucky, like had weeks, we were lucky in that sense. But no one wants to shut down.

[12:56] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, but then there's the financial ramifications for like smaller shows who might not have a big backing. And that's awful. And there's a lot of shows closing right now. And it's just, it's just so sad because of how hard it's been to get the shows back up and running in the first place. And now they're closing and it's like, it's just a, it's a hard time. It's a really hard time for the world. But you know, for our industry, it's so specifically been hit by this.

[13:20] Samantha Barks: Yeah, and that's what we're talking about today. This is not about making us martyrs or anything.

[13:23] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, yeah.

[13:24] Samantha Barks: And I'm sure you feel the same, like, talking about masks, vaccines, planning, I just want to smash my head into this wall.

[13:31] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[13:32] Samantha Barks: Because I'm done talking about it. That's why I'm like, I love your story about how it feels to be back on stage doing that part, pandemic or not, doing that part.

[13:42] Ramin Karimloo: Yes.

[13:43] Samantha Barks: You were always so excited about, you know.

[13:45] Ramin Karimloo: It is and it does give it an extra layer of excitement. Not that, like, not that this job is something I actually ever take for granted. I really don't because I'm always reminded of like, being a child and being like, Oh my God, imagine getting to do this ever, let alone be paid for it and it be your job. Like, so I've always got that excitement. But doing a role like this, like, I really mean it when I say I genuinely I'm like, pinch me every night in the middle of Let It Go. I just go. This is so exciting because it's, you know, but we're lucky to get to do what we do. And I something like a pandemic can really remind you of just like being with an audience. That's a beautiful thing. And it's something that was taken away from us. And we got to be in Japan right before. Well, that's when it was kicking off and we knew like something's going on.

[14:34] Ramin Karimloo: Our producers are like giving us the lowdown and yeah we were all every day watching it unfold. It was crazy, that was so crazy and I always think that whole pandemic my last experience was that and that was one of my favorite jobs I've ever had. We had so much fun and so I was in Chess in Japan and like we just had a brilliant time, like that cast it was really special and just Japan, it was amazing and you showed me around all these amazing places in Japan and it was just my parents came out and it was really special. I had the best time with you, I think you are my favorite leading lady, well at least one of them and you know, embarrassment of riches to work with such extraordinary people in my career but again it comes down to we have so much fun and it only heightens the work.

I love the way you approach things as an actress and the way we break down the backstory together before, like the amount of talking and you know, put our brainstorms we have brainstorms before every take. I've really enjoyed that because then when the fun would happen it was born out of the work.

[15:45] Samantha Barks: Yes, absolutely. I love working with you. I'm like every job I want you to be on every single job I do because it's just so much fun.

[15:48] Ramin Karimloo: I should be so lucky. Oh, it'll be fun next time, next job we've got to make it happen. And I loved in Japan too when we were doing the mountain duet, now again it was with the right intentions but I had to hold that note, you what's the line you charm not charm me but it relates to that you oh it's yeah it's that melody yeah my brain's gone I'm learning Camelot now so I have to like shift yeah information out of my brain to make room for new music you haven't done in my enchanted my brain something like oh but it's that moment I'm like okay you have to energize a long line otherwise you're just holding a note.

[16:38] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, what how do we physically add so I thought and it's we have this common interest in The Office, yes David Brent the character and there's a scene we just talked about it as well like the day before where he goes yeah David Brent does a very cringy thing to a female someone he's interviewing for a job and he cuts her off by doing a snake charming out of like a basket and you've charmed me so I'm holding that note and it's again what the character was saying to Svetlana, no Florence, there you go I know my parts, Florence I was married to Svetlana.

[17:16] Samantha Barks: Yes, you were, yes okay I was Florence, you were Florence, Flo and I you and I held and I gave you the snake charm and I remember you kind of your eyes I feel you said it so clearly that I feel like you might have said it but you went okay okay.

[17:31] Ramin Karimloo: I did because you know I see what you, I see your game like when something that is so funny to me that it's like gone past the point of like a little laugh and it's like I'm gonna like but hand on my heart I wasn't doing it to make you laugh because if you corpse I'm done.

[17:54] Samantha Barks: Yeah, yeah, yeah, but that was always fun that scene because it was always so alive and it has to be like they're literally like wow this is but they're also like giving each other a little bit of shit and like having a little bit of banter and testing each other they do it all working it was so much fun but um that that's the thing about Chess too especially doing it in that version and with you you know hearing the music it's got to be a top three.

[18:21] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, most likely top three, top five for sure greatest musical albums right?

[18:28] Samantha Barks: Why are you laughing?

[18:29] Ramin Karimloo: I'm gonna say three or four, third or fourth. No but no it is, it's amazing and I didn't know Chess really before we worked on it, I just forget how many good songs are in it, the songs that you know that you just I didn't actually put it all together and know it was Chess. I'd love to do that again, 100, that would be fun in a heartbeat.

[18:48] Samantha Barks: Yeah, but what I was going to say was with such great music and then when you do add these characters in and bring such and as you did beautifully life to these characters as Florence, I was like wow the show is great.

[19:03] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, it's a great show, it is.

[19:09] Samantha Barks: Yeah, because it just and the two guys and like that relationship and the tension and yeah it is, it's brilliant but when was it last on here has it been on?

[19:18] Ramin Karimloo: It was at the Coliseum, I was meant to do that but I couldn't work out the schedule with Evita.

[19:23] Samantha Barks: Yeah, Japan and they do often concert versions don't they?

[19:28] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, well it works so well, yeah concert as well. Well we did one at the Kennedy Center with yes it's supposed to be a new book I don't know what's happening oddly same director as Funny Girl now.

[19:38] Samantha Barks: Oh, Funny Girl, Funny Girl, he's so excited. Well we said this off camera I don't yeah of course yeah yeah I can't get excited for anything these days because you just don't know.

[19:48] Ramin Karimloo: Yes, I've been living with this undercurrent of anxiety yeah more as a father than an actor because you think yeah I'm gonna feed these little bastards you know so and again I've been one of the fortunate ones I've got a great team around me we keep trying to create and do stuff but yeah you know it's how I really want it to happen yeah put it that way.

[20:07] Samantha Barks: Oh, it's exciting. I just feel like even like it's always casting music comes over from Broadway but I feel like there's such an excited buzz about it.

[20:17] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, well people want that show I think that show the title alone they've been waiting for so long to do it and then um Beanie is yeah blown up like crazy yeah I'm so excited to see how she works in a rehearsal like that process I wonder how you work because I do love how she underplays her comedy and I think it's gonna work perfectly.

[20:37] Samantha Barks: Yeah, Fanny Brice, Jane Lynch I cannot wait to see what she's like in the room I'm so excited about that she's so funny yeah I love I've been watching for years yeah incredible oh that's gonna be I'm hoping Jaron Grimes can show me a little tap dancer too.

[20:53] Ramin Karimloo: Oh yes, he's incredible man. Yeah, it made me think when they launched the show man yeah it made me think when they when the names came out I'm like what am I bringing to this table because these guys are pretty amazing.

[21:05] Samantha Barks: No, you're gonna be so great and I feel like everyone's so excited we're so excited when you were cast like I was I was like seeing all these like comments good oh my god and I was like yeah we're gutted to lose you over to America but you know you'll come back do another exciting thing we'll do stuff yeah and we say we'll do so we'll probably be in Japan.

[21:24] Ramin Karimloo: Exactly, yeah oh god I'd love to work in Japan again that was so much.

[21:30] Samantha Barks: How long you contracted for?

[21:36] Ramin Karimloo: Till September so it's quite long because we started in June so it's quite wow that is a long time yeah but well deserved and with all these stop starts as well yeah it's it has been nice yeah hopefully from here on in or at least especially from the spring it will be like a solid run now people will feel comfortable because there's still that element of it is fine like for me like when people say you're still flying I'm like I feel like it's the cleanest time to fly.

[22:02] Samantha Barks: I know, I know it's a it's a it's really strange this whole pandemic because it was now it feels at a time especially when you're working in theater you're aware of like everyone's got it or had it and so it has changed because I remember last year I was like I didn't I didn't it's the first time I've had it I'm not I didn't have it last year but it's like it's really hard to avoid it in that way but actually some of the places where people think it's going to be really scary actually really safe places to be because they've got all like the what's it the air yeah filters and filters and all that stuff.

[22:31] Ramin Karimloo: Do they still temperature check you?

[22:45] Samantha Barks: Uh no, no but we test every single day so yeah it's you know theaters are doing so much no I mean the audience coming in do they oh maybe I'm not sure but they have to do like the pass do they I think you have to wear a mask in the audience yeah yeah so yeah so it's like all the measures that could be taken are being taken for theater and that's not that can't be said for a lot of the places you go you know that you that you might go out socializing whatever but the theater is like you know it's doing everything they can to make it safe so part of me is like because I think of things pre-pandemic so I was like when people would eat during the performance I'm yeah now you can't do that I'm like good yeah one for us.

[23:20] Ramin Karimloo: Oh and you we especially hate the sound of people eating.

[23:31] Samantha Barks: Oh yeah, the worst, the worst nothing like good on what is that a burger you brought a burger into Les Mis that I'm no my my mom and dad they came to Frozen a few months ago they're like what the what is that and my dad is the same as me he's just like oh I can't someone's brought a picnic.

[23:50] Ramin Karimloo: No right opening up a sandwich nobody brought a picnic they brought a picnic opening up a sandwich in some tinfoil my dad is just like and then they then they do the whole sandwich and he's like uh do you want some gravy?

[24:03] Samantha Barks: Yeah like that's unbelievable I told you this but in Les Mis I was doing on my own and I was like god it feels to me that as a woman organizing a plastic bag is the only way I can think of it and I'm like I had to glance down and she was in fact organizing a plastic bag folding it putting it away and I was just like what I literally ran to the front and I just had to look directly at her and she was you know so I'm trying to have like devil's avocado devil's advocate have that sort of like mindful and be graceful about it okay maybe it's like OCD or you know something that has to be done now yeah yeah why do you have a bag anyways why why?

[24:43] Ramin Karimloo: Well because it's empty I think the bag was full of snacks though you see did she eat the snacks?

[24:47] Samantha Barks: I think that had gone snacks are gone during a part I wasn't on and I just came for the finale so everyone else heard the snack yeah yeah maybe her blood sugar needed a spike yeah exactly yeah but again you don't need to fold per se you don't need it yeah I mean it all it was all right and and don't sit on the front row if you're gonna do that sort of thing yeah it's not a good place there was no place for it is there or maybe unwrap candy that you might need for your blood sugar put in a little tupperware.

[25:19] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah there we go just there are ways around it yeah just look it in there sneaky no one's happy you're comfortable we're comfortable.

[25:24] Samantha Barks: Yeah I don't know but going back to like wearing masks now in my head I was thinking well come winter season as performers I just don't want to get a cold you know because it just sucks singing on a cold and whatnot I remember coming out of stage door once someone literally hacking up their lungs maybe six people down I'm thinking well what are we gonna do about this yeah because I don't want to be sick and literally and we talk about our pet peeves and now the pet peeves why if you cough and don't cover your mouth oh yeah what is happening right now so I'm thinking oh my god I'm getting closer I'm two away now so I'm like I'm just gonna have to bite the bullet I said I'm just gonna stand over here because he calls you he goes well I don't mind I'm like well I know you don't mind but I want to be here tomorrow yeah I don't want the flu or whatever you're going to pass on but I feel like the mask wearing maybe it's and you know the first time I ever saw the mask wearing was in Japan and I remember saying there was a girl who came into rehearsals she was um not in the cast and I said oh are you worried about catching something she said oh no no she's I've got a cold I don't want to give it to anyone I thought I love that that's a like a beautiful mindset to be like oh god I never want to get on sick and I do feel like maybe the mask wearing helps you with the colds and stuff not get because I've not got illnesses like I normally would one thing I do think it helps especially in dry winter days that you get that humidity.

[27:00] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, I love especially when I'm in Japan I would wear them anyways on when so dry we got some we got a pack a few and then when we heard about the news grab a couple more grab a couple more I had like a full draw when I came back just because I was like yes fully stocked and this is the time you couldn't even get masks here so I was lucky we yeah people love the hoard here.

[27:18] Samantha Barks: Oh absolutely I remember leading up to Christmas we're gonna run out of turkeys well who's stockpiling turkeys I know but it's like they go right we're gonna run out of Christmas presents I was like we've got to buy more Christmas presents and it's but we do we hoard things here it's it's an awful thing but I do find it fun I feel like we're fed lies all the time because there was this outrage of like there's not gonna be enough turkeys for Christmas this will come November and then you couldn't not buy enough turkeys there's so many turkeys how did they make us forget about that what like they keep feeding us different things I was like wasn't there a turkey shortage what happened and didn't more people buying turkeys and they were like rancid and like rotten that was a thing was it a thing where's the thing yeah was it it was like a trending thing and it was like what was it like rotten oh oh my god now when do you find out it's rotten after you cook it and cut it or do you know once you open it I don't know I mean obviously you didn't see it as you bought it well were you buying these not me I'm a vegetarian there was no turkey in my house I can tell you that there's no turkey problem yeah thankfully maybe it was rotten and you didn't know now we had good ones no it was I think people probably smell and stuff like that oh my god it was a thing I think I don't know I don't know how that happened but it's quite funny how I'm putting hair in my hair um yeah that was a thing let me ask you a minute so now you're in a long run again it's probably hard to say because it's abnormal condition still as an artist you do eight shows a week how do you keep yourself inspired what do you do to keep yourself fresh to keep your skills better than yesterday I always wonder about that with friends who do long runs as well yeah I know what I do but what do you do?

[29:09] Ramin Karimloo: Do you know what I do? It probably sounds very uninspiring. I absolutely relax. Like I, on my days off, if I'm, for instance, if I feel like a bit tired vocally or something, I just do exactly what my body needs. So if I just want to sit and have two days, that's our schedule is two days off and then like five show weekends.

[29:34] Samantha Barks: What are your dark days?

[29:35] Ramin Karimloo: Monday, Tuesday.

[29:36] Samantha Barks: Very nice. How does that feel for you?

[29:38] Ramin Karimloo: I love it. I love it so much. It's like the dream schedule for me. I'm Monday and Tuesday off. Wednesday night, two Thursday, Friday, two Saturday, two Sunday. So it does mean...

[29:48] Samantha Barks: Wait, two Thursday?

[29:50] Ramin Karimloo: No. Yeah, two Thursday. Sorry.

[29:52] Samantha Barks: One Friday?

[29:53] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[29:54] Samantha Barks: Two Saturday?

[29:55] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah. Two Sunday.

[29:56] Samantha Barks: Oh. How do you feel about Sunday night?

[30:00] Ramin Karimloo: Well, good. I do because I think for me, having those two days off mentally is a good thing. Vocally, physically, I come back and I'm like excited to be back in work.

[30:11] Samantha Barks: Oh, I love that.

[30:12] Ramin Karimloo: Whereas often I feel with one day, by the time I come back, I sort of, and it's what everyone says, one day is not enough, don't they? It's always the thing.

[30:20] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[30:21] Ramin Karimloo: Because you kind of, you have the chance, I don't know, I just don't know if you ever recover. It never feels like you actually...

[30:27] Samantha Barks: I always find if you're trying to re-energize, you have to go a little bit worse to get better.

[30:32] Ramin Karimloo: Yes.

[30:33] Samantha Barks: You take that dip.

[30:34] Ramin Karimloo: And your day off, you definitely get worse. And by today, Tuesday, I'm like, oh. And now I'm like, oh, I'm excited to do the show tomorrow. So I think it's a dream schedule. And having done this schedule, I think I will find it a shock to the system doing a different schedule where I get one day off.

[30:50] Samantha Barks: Right.

[30:51] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah. So the process of building, because I loved how you worked as an actress and the way you wrote things down and the sort of cerebral approach you did to the part, as well as your instinctive, once it's action or once the show starts.

[31:04] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[31:05] Ramin Karimloo: All that work you just trust is there, then you can play.

[31:07] Samantha Barks: Yes.

[31:08] Ramin Karimloo: How many times with the stop and starts of Frozen did you have a rehearsal process to start?

[31:13] Samantha Barks: Never.

[31:15] Ramin Karimloo: No.

[31:16] Samantha Barks: No, we never did.

[31:17] Ramin Karimloo: So once you had the first rehearsal, that was the process.

[31:19] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[31:20] Ramin Karimloo: And so I sometimes you feel a bit like out of control or helpless because it's like you can't work towards this thing. So we didn't have the scripts and stuff like that. So for me, it was about I wanted to work on what I could work on, which was the music. And I did a lot of work on that.

[31:37] Samantha Barks: And I did a lot of work on that.

[31:39] Ramin Karimloo: So by the time I got to rehearsals, I was like, oh. And actually, I felt the same for every member of the cast, like every single person. We were like, OK, books down. And by a couple of days in, no one had scripts anymore. Everyone knew their music. And it was just a brilliant feeling of like, oh, this is the attitude. This is like everyone was excited to be there and feeling lucky to be there.

[32:02] Samantha Barks: And there still isn't like the kind of, oh, there's none of that attitude. People are aware of how lucky we are to be in a show right now.

[32:12] Ramin Karimloo: And the show like Frozen. And that was so clear in the room. The scripts were down. Everyone was like, yeah. Like next day, they went, yeah, this scene. We got to do this bit today and this song. And you could see all the hard work that had gone into getting everybody like in the right headspace. And everyone really was.

[32:29] Samantha Barks: See, I like that. That's why I don't feel fully comfortable if I'm not off book before rehearsals start. Because I don't want to spend rehearsals learning. I want to play.

[32:35] Ramin Karimloo: Well.

[32:37] Samantha Barks: It's easier said than done.

[32:38] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, but I remember one director said, do not be off book. He's like, I hate people being off book. And I do understand his point. We could have been still do the work. You can do that. You can still.

[32:49] Samantha Barks: Yeah, but don't be off book. Because.

[32:52] Ramin Karimloo: And some directors want you to be off book. So give me the reason why you think.

[32:56] Samantha Barks: Because. And I do see this point. People learn things in a certain way. And you can see like there are some actors who you meet on the first day. They've made their decisions. They've got a performance. Okay.

[33:09] Ramin Karimloo: I wouldn't.

[33:10] Samantha Barks: Yeah. I don't like that. But you sometimes go, we're 20 days in. And I know that decision hasn't changed. But what I've given to you has changed. Or this person's given has changed. But your delivery is still. You're not listening then, right?

[33:22] Ramin Karimloo: In the same.

[33:23] Samantha Barks: You're not listening because you've. And I remember someone said to me, I thought, oh, that's good. So I like somewhere in the middle. So you're still like.

[33:27] Ramin Karimloo: A sponge ready to soak it up.

[33:31] Samantha Barks: Just learn half of it.

[33:32] Ramin Karimloo: Exactly.

[33:33] Samantha Barks: Yeah. But be really familiar. And that's what, that's what I think everyone was, was really familiar. But not locked in. And I think there's a midway point.

[33:44] Ramin Karimloo: So what else is going on these days? You're busy doing some.

[33:48] Samantha Barks: Or some musicals.

[33:49] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[33:50] Samantha Barks: Did that.

[33:51] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah. Jesus.

[33:53] Samantha Barks: How was that?

[33:54] Ramin Karimloo: That was fun.

[33:55] Samantha Barks: Yeah. It's really fun. We've got another one coming up in spring.

[33:58] Ramin Karimloo: One off?

[33:59] Samantha Barks: No. Yeah.

[34:01] Ramin Karimloo: What?

[34:02] Samantha Barks: Another one. We did the Christmas one and then like a spring one.

[34:05] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, sorry.

[34:07] Samantha Barks: And they're just really fun to do. Because it's really nice for me to see like people who. And some people are actors in there. But some people are like never done anything like this. And it's just, I think it's really cool seeing people give it a go. And by the end of it, especially this time because now I'm mentoring. You see them the first time they've ever sung the song. And sometimes they're like so nervous. They're just like literally shaking. And then by the end of it, this like whole new person. And I'm like completely emotional watching it. It's just a really cool thing to witness. Because I think people often have the idea of like, oh, yeah, well, they're celebrities. So it's fine. They sing and dance. And it's like, no, they don't. Stay off Twitter.

[35:00] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah. But, you know, it's like a beautiful thing. And I also think in a time like this, like celebrating musical theatre. And giving musical theatre exposure is an exciting thing. Because I grew up in the Isle of Man where we had great amateur dramatics. Like amazing and so much fun. But I couldn't like nip into the West End to watch a show. I'd watch anything that I could that was happening locally. But like I loved TV shows about musical theatre. And like how you solve a problem like Maria. Because it was my access to a little bit of musical theatre. And I remember doing those shows when I was young and it was.

[35:36] Samantha Barks: That's how we met.

[35:37] Ramin Karimloo: Yes. From that to Love Never Dies.

[35:38] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[35:39] Ramin Karimloo: The first workshop.

[35:40] Samantha Barks: That was fun. So go on.

[35:42] Ramin Karimloo: So I want to ask you and I don't know if I can ask whether I'll get like the ITV answer.

[35:49] Samantha Barks: So you're a judge and also a mentor.

[35:51] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah.

[35:52] Samantha Barks: How long, how many sessions you get with these people? How long do the celebrities get to work on the song?

[35:57] Ramin Karimloo: So I have one session. I'm only allowed like one session. And I get in really early. They have their first sort of singing lesson and then I'll come in. And it's good to start early because then, like we were saying about the script, they don't get locked into a decision. It's like let's play with stuff. Let's try new stuff. And from the start of the session to the end, it's amazing the transformation that they go through because they're really eager. They want to do an amazing performance. And, yeah, so it's and then they have like quite a lot of sessions with like choreography and to get it to where it is.

[36:40] Samantha Barks: And then when you see them, do you watch the dress rehearsal and then do the live performance?

[36:45] Ramin Karimloo: No.

[36:46] Samantha Barks: You don't do the dress rehearsal?

[36:47] Ramin Karimloo: No, we watch.

[36:48] Samantha Barks: For the first time?

[36:49] Ramin Karimloo: The main.

[36:50] Samantha Barks: Yeah. How do you get your soundbites so quick and narrowed down? Do they help you with that? Do they say what you want to say? Like, OK, but then just say this because of TV times. I know it's not them telling you what to say, but surely there's.

[37:03] Ramin Karimloo: No, I mean, you all you have to be aware of is you don't want to be saying the same thing that someone else has said. So while making notes.

[37:10] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[37:11] Ramin Karimloo: Make I make notes. So while someone's performing, it's a tricky one because you want to be writing notes. But I also want to be fully taking in everything and every single moment. So I'm writing things that just probably wouldn't make sense if you read it. But I know what I want to say. But then it might be that Trevor said that and Elaine said that. It might be that none of them have said that. So I want to mention it.

[37:32] Samantha Barks: Yeah, you just want to be like, you're going to throw one of those in.

[37:35] Ramin Karimloo: You've charmed me.

[37:36] Samantha Barks: You've charmed me.

[37:37] Ramin Karimloo: And that's what I ended.

[37:38] Samantha Barks: Yeah, you tell me.

[37:39] Ramin Karimloo: No, because I think for me, we are different roles on the panel, definitely, and bring our different experiences to it. I always want to, I want them to feel supported because I know how hard it is getting up there and did it. I did it. And it's so I want to be firm but fair. I do want to, you know, mention things if it's like that was not as weak. That's not as strong as it could have been. It was, you know, a little bit weak there. But the point of the show is not to tear someone apart. It's not, you know, we're not doing it again next week. You're there to celebrate our industry, celebrate the songs, have some fun. To celebrate.

[38:15] Samantha Barks: And so it's a positive space. And that's why I love it. It's about, you know, some people might say, well, that bit was rubbish. And I'm like, that is not what this is about. It is about celebrating what they did do and how far someone has come.

[38:29] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, getting out of their comfort zone.

[38:30] Samantha Barks: Yeah. And sometimes it, because sometimes I think someone might have singing experience and acting experience and their performance is phenomenal. And then you put it next to someone who has no singing, dancing, acting stage experience ever. And yes, their performance might not be as good. But I give them extreme, like, kudos for giving it a go. And they've never done anything like this. So I think you can't really judge it against, it's just, you know, and that's why we don't mark anymore, like do the scores, which is right. Because you can't really judge it. It's just about like how, you know, everyone in the audience voting.

[39:07] Ramin Karimloo: And you have to say, you look fabulous on that thing.

[39:09] Samantha Barks: Oh, thank you. Man, that's stunning.

[39:11] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, thank you. Okay, because we're running out of time and I'll be killed if we don't bring it up because we're both working with Westway Records. Your album, it's out now.

[39:20] Samantha Barks: Yes.

[39:21] Ramin Karimloo: Available. It's called Into the Unknown.

[39:23] Samantha Barks: Yes.

[39:24] Ramin Karimloo: Phenomenal tracks on there.

[39:25] Samantha Barks: Oh, yay.

[39:26] Ramin Karimloo: Wonderful duets, if memory serves me correctly.

[39:28] Samantha Barks: Amazing duets.

[39:29] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, thank you so much for coming and doing that. How much fun was that to record together?

[39:33] Samantha Barks: So much fun.

[39:35] Ramin Karimloo: Have you heard? It's still in there, that bit at the end.

[39:38] Samantha Barks: No, what do you mean?

[39:39] Ramin Karimloo: It's still on there.

[39:41] Samantha Barks: Why haven't I heard that?

[39:46] Ramin Karimloo: Like no one's commented on it because no one's like heard it.

[39:49] Samantha Barks: Brilliant.

[39:50] Ramin Karimloo: You've got to like leave it playing. And then you go.

[39:53] Samantha Barks: Well, that means they just skip our track.

[39:55] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah. I think people, because you go.

[39:57] Samantha Barks: He's too old to be there.

[39:58] Ramin Karimloo: Okay. I go, okay.

[40:00] Samantha Barks: You go, is it? Is it?

[40:03] Ramin Karimloo: I'm glad they left that in. And you do this like laugh that's like.

[40:06] Samantha Barks: And that's available online.

[40:08] Ramin Karimloo: Online, get on my website. Does HMV still exist? Is that a thing?

[40:12] Samantha Barks: HMV, it is.

[40:13] Ramin Karimloo: You can buy it in there?

[40:14] Samantha Barks: Amazing.

[40:15] Ramin Karimloo: Get on Amazon. Front of house.

[40:17] Samantha Barks: Front of house signed.

[40:18] Ramin Karimloo: The ones, front of house is signed.

[40:19] Samantha Barks: Good, because that's probably a lot more expensive than normal anyways.

[40:20] Ramin Karimloo: Because it's front of house. They take so much of it.

[40:22] Samantha Barks: Let's be honest.

[40:23] Ramin Karimloo: But you've signed it, so good.

[40:25] Samantha Barks: Signed, yep.

[40:26] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, amazing. I had so much fun doing that because that came in lockdown.

[40:30] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[40:31] Ramin Karimloo: And we started talking about it. And it's, you talk about an album for a long time. You get the tracks right. You get it. And then recorded it really quite quickly over about a week. And then, as we're saying now, like the theater's open. We're like doing shows. And to be doing this thing, it was in a depressing time of lockdown, honestly. When I was just thinking about, I had so many ideas of songs I wanted to do. Shows I'd recently loved. And it all just kind of started to make sense and be like, this is the list. The list sort of comes and makes sense. Because you want everything to work with each other on the album.

[41:11] Samantha Barks: There's no good in having.

[41:12] Ramin Karimloo: Correct. Yeah. So that was a bit of a process to get that right. And I'm really proud of it. It's, again, another celebration of theater. Shows that I've been inspired by recently, seen recently, or want to see. So yeah, it was good fun.

[41:28] Samantha Barks: Well, you should be proud of it. Because it's amazing. It's doing really well.

[41:31] Ramin Karimloo: Yeah, thank you. So Frozen till September. All Star Musicals again in the spring.

[41:35] Samantha Barks: Yes.

[41:36] Ramin Karimloo: And your album's out now.

[41:37] Samantha Barks: Yay.

[41:38] Ramin Karimloo: And hopefully our film.

[41:39] Samantha Barks: And our film.

[41:40] Ramin Karimloo: After our send up of it.

[41:41] Samantha Barks: Right. People are killing to watch that.

[41:44] Ramin Karimloo: It's going to be great.

[41:45] Samantha Barks: It is going to be great. We need to plug that better.

[41:48] Ramin Karimloo: Yes. Well, we need to see it first.

[41:50] Samantha Barks: We need to see it first.

[41:52] Ramin Karimloo: But no, I actually had so much fun. Again, every job I do with you, I have so much fun.

[41:57] Samantha Barks: Well, let's hope it's as good as it was, as fun it was.

[42:00] Ramin Karimloo: Yes. That's not even a sentence, but you know what I'm saying.

[42:03] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[42:04] Ramin Karimloo: Good as it was, as it fun, as it was. Do you know what I mean? Put that on the poster.

[42:08] Samantha Barks: Very quickly, what made you smile yesterday?

[42:11] Ramin Karimloo: Oh.

[42:13] Samantha Barks: Remember when I said very quickly?

[42:15] Ramin Karimloo: What?

[42:16] Samantha Barks: I tried on wedding dresses.

[42:22] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, baby.

[42:24] Samantha Barks: Yeah.

[42:25] Ramin Karimloo: Oh, awesome. That was fun.

[42:27] Samantha Barks: That made me smile. And I can't really dive into that more because I'm out of time.

[42:30] Ramin Karimloo: So wedding, amazing. Congrats.

[42:32] Samantha Barks: Yes.

[42:33] Ramin Karimloo: Thank you. What's the first childhood memory that comes to your mind? Hopefully a positive one and very quickly.

[42:38] Samantha Barks: Don't ask that quickly.

[42:40] Ramin Karimloo: A first memory.

[42:42] Samantha Barks: Oh, no, that's hard.

[42:44] Ramin Karimloo: You don't see yourself as a kid right now?

[42:46] Samantha Barks: No, but a childhood memory.

[42:48] Ramin Karimloo: Where are you standing right now?

[42:50] Samantha Barks: In your head.

[42:52] Ramin Karimloo: I'm going to tell you my earliest memory. It's a long-winded story.

[42:57] Samantha Barks: Where are you?

[42:58] Ramin Karimloo: Nursery.

[42:59] Samantha Barks: Beautiful.

[43:00] Ramin Karimloo: Right. I love it. Love you, Sam.

[43:04] Samantha Barks: Thanks for hanging.

[43:05] Ramin Karimloo: You're the best. Honestly, you are the greatest to work with.

[43:09] Samantha Barks: Thank you.

[43:10] Ramin Karimloo: Thanks for having me. You've been listening to The Hang. I am Ramin Karimloo. The Hang is produced by Mercy Productions and recorded at Soho Live Studios. Check out my new app. Go to ramin.fan.direct where you can find brand new content, giveaways, and exclusive news. Thanks for listening.