High Performance Live: Tour Preview

This coming Sunday (4th Feburary) is the first night in our 2023 High Performance Tour!

In this episode Jake and Damian take you through what you can expect from the 2023 High Performance Tour. It is not your typical podcast show, each night is filled with music, audience interaction and industry leading experts.

Two of the tour’s special guests, Kye Sones and Owen O’Kane, join this episode to discuss their high performance journey. Kye went from touring the world one day to working on a building site the next. Owen O’Kane explores why it is so crucial to share stories of mental health and create a space for vulnerable discussion. 

Jake and Damian are also joined by Stephen Crocker, CEO of Norwich Theatre Royal and Creative Director of The High Performance Tour to discuss the importance of storytelling and how he approached creating a show with a high performance mindset.  

If you want to see us on tour, you can find tickets and more information here: https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/live2023

You can listen to the full episode with Owen here: 

https://pod.fo/e/1353de

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Certainly, here's an enhanced summary of the podcast episode transcript:

**Introduction**

- The High Performance Podcast is embarking on a UK tour, offering an immersive theater experience that aims to empower and inspire audiences.
- The tour features live music, audience interaction, and insights from industry experts.

**Special Guests**

- Kai Soames, a singer-songwriter and musician, shares his journey of resilience and perseverance in the entertainment industry.
- Owen O'Kane, a psychotherapist, discusses the importance of managing the mind, emotions, behaviors, self-talk, and values for high performance.

**Stephen Crocker, CEO of Norwich Theatre Royal**

- Crocker emphasizes the power of storytelling and community in theater, and how the High Performance Podcast lends itself to a captivating live show.
- He highlights the relatability of personal stories and the impact they can have on audiences.
- Crocker stresses the importance of a shared vision, commitment, and focus on quality in creating a successful show.

**Key Takeaways**

- High performance starts from within, and individuals need to manage their internal world to achieve external success.
- Storytelling is a compelling way to connect with audiences and impart messages and understanding.
- A shared vision, commitment, and focus on quality are essential for effective collaboration and successful performances.

**Call to Action**

- The High Performance Live Show tour is coming to various cities in the UK.
- Audiences are encouraged to come armed with questions and actively engage in the show.
- The goal is to create an evening that leaves attendees feeling empowered and ready to face life's challenges.

**Additional Information**

- For tickets and more information about the tour, visit thehighperformancepodcast.com.
- The full episode with Owen O'Kane is available to listen to.

**Conclusion**

- The High Performance Podcast Live Tour promises to be an immersive and transformative experience that will leave audiences feeling inspired and ready to achieve their full potential.

[00:00.000 -> 00:05.040] Well, hello everyone. Welcome along to a slightly different episode of the High Performance Podcast.
[00:05.040 -> 00:09.600] Usually on a Friday, we do a bite-sized episode where we hear a thought from one of our previous
[00:09.600 -> 00:13.120] guests and we talk about it. But we thought that we would do something a little bit different for
[00:13.120 -> 00:18.560] you today, because we are about to embark on something that puts myself and Damien well out
[00:18.560 -> 00:23.520] of our comfort zones. We're going to go on a UK tour. Now, it's not normally that scary for a
[00:23.520 -> 00:28.160] podcast to go on tour because you just do what you do on the podcast in front of a live audience, you know, which
[00:28.160 -> 00:33.080] is slightly nerve-wracking, but it's okay. However, what we've created or tried to create,
[00:33.080 -> 00:38.200] we'll wait and see whether it happens, is a proper immersive theatre experience, not
[00:38.200 -> 00:43.800] just another live podcast show. So we start in Norwich on Sunday evening, Sunday the 5th
[00:43.800 -> 00:46.780] of February, and then we head right around the UK to London,
[00:46.780 -> 00:49.740] Nottingham, Oxford, Northampton, Glasgow, Cardiff,
[00:49.740 -> 00:52.340] Guildford, Leeds, Salford.
[00:52.340 -> 00:53.940] So we're going to be going the length and breadth
[00:53.940 -> 00:54.760] of the country.
[00:54.760 -> 00:57.740] And what we're going to try and do is create an hour and a
[00:57.740 -> 01:00.380] half or a couple of hours that leaves people really
[01:00.380 -> 01:01.940] empowered, really inspired,
[01:01.940 -> 01:04.740] really uplifted to go and find their own version of high
[01:04.740 -> 01:07.760] performance. And we're doing it in a number of ways. We're going to have
[01:07.760 -> 01:12.240] live music on stage. And in a moment, you're going to hear from the musician who's going to join us,
[01:12.240 -> 01:16.720] a guy called Kai Soames, who went on The X Factor, thought it was going to change his life.
[01:16.720 -> 01:21.600] And it kind of did, but not necessarily in the way that he expected. And life was then a real
[01:21.600 -> 01:25.320] struggle. However, he now sings with Lost Frequencies,
[01:25.320 -> 01:26.840] touring around Europe.
[01:26.840 -> 01:29.000] He's also a songwriter and wrote a huge hit
[01:29.000 -> 01:30.880] for David Guetta and Becky Hill last year,
[01:30.880 -> 01:32.800] which he's going to perform on the night as well.
[01:32.800 -> 01:35.520] But he's got a really compelling story about resilience
[01:35.520 -> 01:38.000] and following your dreams and not giving up.
[01:38.000 -> 01:41.400] We're also going to be joined on the show by Owen O'Kane,
[01:41.400 -> 01:44.640] a psychotherapist who works with some of the biggest actors,
[01:44.640 -> 01:46.000] sports stars,
[01:46.000 -> 01:50.960] politicians, leaders. And he delivered a high performance episode for us a few months ago.
[01:50.960 -> 01:54.260] And it's one of the most popular, one of the most downloaded episodes because it's full
[01:54.260 -> 01:58.680] of genuine takeaways about how we can think differently in life. And Owen's going to be
[01:58.680 -> 02:02.680] on stage with us delivering an amazing talk for 20 minutes. You'll hear from him very
[02:02.680 -> 02:07.400] soon as well. There's a couple of other guests that are going to join us around the UK. I'm not going to announce them just
[02:07.400 -> 02:12.040] yet, but you'll be sure to hear about them when I do. And we're also about to hear from
[02:12.040 -> 02:16.120] Stephen Crocker, who is the CEO of the Theatre Royal in Norwich, where I live, and he's helped
[02:16.120 -> 02:19.920] us to create the show. So I hope that this is a really interesting episode for you. I
[02:19.920 -> 02:23.640] want you to learn a bit more about Kai, about Owen, but also from Stephen about just how
[02:23.640 -> 02:30.880] you go about creating a theatre show with a high performance mindset. So let's get into it. A few days ago,
[02:30.880 -> 02:34.880] Damien and I were recording some fresh episodes of the High Performance Podcast, and we were lucky
[02:34.880 -> 02:41.280] enough to be joined by Kai, who gave us his thoughts ahead of the show. Well, let's meet
[02:41.280 -> 02:50.160] then one of the special guests who will be joining us on stage at all of the high-performance live theatre shows throughout 2023. Kai Soans, a great
[02:50.160 -> 02:54.200] friend of mine and Kai can I just say mate how happy I am to finally be doing
[02:54.200 -> 02:57.080] something together we've been friends for years and now we get to share a
[02:57.080 -> 03:03.040] stage. I know I've finally given in, I've finally given in to spend and now I have
[03:03.040 -> 03:05.040] to spend time with you contractually. Yeah well what I've worked out is that's the only I'm ever gonna have friends Dam, and now I have to spend time with you contractually.
[03:05.040 -> 03:08.480] Yeah well what I've worked out is that's the only way I'm ever going to have friends, Damien.
[03:08.480 -> 03:13.520] It's like if I get them to work with me and then pay them contractually to spend time with me.
[03:13.520 -> 03:14.480] Well fair enough.
[03:14.480 -> 03:14.800] Yeah.
[03:14.800 -> 03:17.280] Well Damien knows the situation.
[03:17.280 -> 03:18.240] He's in the same situation.
[03:18.960 -> 03:19.440] Exactly.
[03:19.440 -> 03:23.040] No I'm not, I'm not. He's a great lad as you know, Kai.
[03:23.040 -> 03:29.320] Let's talk about this then Kai. So you're gonna be performing some of your songs on the live tour nights but your
[03:29.320 -> 03:33.600] story is about so much more than just being an amazing singer-songwriter, what
[03:33.600 -> 03:39.160] would you love people to know about you? I think obviously when I started out I
[03:39.160 -> 03:44.360] wanted to be this really successful singer-songwriter artist and ever since
[03:44.360 -> 03:45.100] I was like six,
[03:45.100 -> 03:47.680] I was obsessed with Michael Jackson and Prince
[03:47.680 -> 03:49.320] and all those people.
[03:49.320 -> 03:51.440] And I think, but as time's gone on,
[03:51.440 -> 03:53.480] it's gotten to a point where I've almost become
[03:53.480 -> 03:58.480] a bit more known for my resilience and I guess the drive
[04:00.200 -> 04:03.720] and the sort of perseverance and consistency.
[04:03.720 -> 04:06.880] And that's actually, now I'm a bit older,
[04:06.880 -> 04:09.600] that's almost like become a better thing
[04:09.600 -> 04:11.240] I'd like to be remembered for,
[04:11.240 -> 04:14.480] or like people to look up to you for,
[04:14.480 -> 04:16.920] or whatever, or take something from your journey.
[04:18.400 -> 04:20.000] Obviously, I still love doing music,
[04:20.000 -> 04:21.360] and that's always the main thing,
[04:21.360 -> 04:23.480] but obviously the sort of the journey
[04:23.480 -> 04:27.400] has been quite a rocky up and down, left and right,
[04:27.400 -> 04:29.880] as you know, because I've known you for so long
[04:29.880 -> 04:32.040] and you've witnessed it.
[04:32.040 -> 04:34.960] So yeah, it's just kind of like sharing your story
[04:34.960 -> 04:37.120] and like that is quite interesting
[04:37.120 -> 04:40.360] and it might inspire somebody else to just keep going
[04:40.360 -> 04:42.640] when they feel like they might be on the verge
[04:42.640 -> 04:44.160] of giving up, you know?
[04:44.160 -> 04:49.000] So give us insight into some of the highlights on that journey then Kai, for
[04:49.000 -> 04:53.960] those that are not aware of your brilliant music, tell us a bit more about
[04:53.960 -> 05:00.420] that. Well for me it's, it's, there's been like quite a lot of near misses I would
[05:00.420 -> 05:05.200] say, I always kind of thought I was the kid that almost made it like five times
[05:05.920 -> 05:09.760] So there's there's a lot of that and and along the way live
[05:09.760 -> 05:14.720] I've signed record deals various record deals and everybody thought that was the moment that you know
[05:14.720 -> 05:20.800] Everything's gonna take off and your life's gonna change and and then it doesn't materialize and then I've been on like a
[05:21.360 -> 05:26.260] Massive reality TV show and that wasn't what I wanted to do.
[05:26.260 -> 05:28.840] And it wasn't how I thought it would pan out.
[05:28.840 -> 05:31.380] And then you kind of start again after that.
[05:31.380 -> 05:35.460] And then the last couple of years have just been super successful with touring with like
[05:35.460 -> 05:37.000] a really big artist.
[05:37.000 -> 05:42.480] And I've done all these amazing festivals, which have just been like the dream come true.
[05:42.480 -> 05:47.860] And then the next goal that I really wanted to write like a hit song and that's happened as well.
[05:47.860 -> 05:51.840] So sort of, it's made all the last 20 years worth it,
[05:51.840 -> 05:54.600] but also it's given me more fire in my belly
[05:54.600 -> 05:57.000] to keep going and keep going as well.
[05:57.000 -> 05:58.760] So yeah, it's been a hell of a journey,
[05:58.760 -> 06:01.420] but it also feels like it's only halfway there.
[06:01.420 -> 06:03.860] What would you say has been the lowest point
[06:03.860 -> 06:09.600] where those reserves of resilience have been tested even for someone like you who
[06:09.600 -> 06:14.980] has clearly got bags of it? I think the lowest point is dealing with rejection
[06:14.980 -> 06:19.080] and there's so much rejection in any industry but especially the entertainment
[06:19.080 -> 06:24.580] industry. Although you can get used to it a little bit it still hurts and it can
[06:24.580 -> 06:25.600] still floor you.
[06:25.600 -> 06:32.880] So I think the first couple of times where I thought I was on the road and like when I signed
[06:32.880 -> 06:37.360] to a major record company, I thought that's all I wanted to do was sign to a major. Everyone thought
[06:37.360 -> 06:40.800] we were going to be the next Coldplay, they thought we're going to be this massive thing
[06:40.800 -> 06:45.680] and we shot like a massive video, we did all these amazing tours with these amazing
[06:45.680 -> 06:50.880] bands and then it just flopped. It just didn't go. And then you just wake up one day and
[06:50.880 -> 06:57.520] you've got no money and I went back to working on a building site and that's tough because
[06:57.520 -> 07:02.440] you kind of you're walking around there going what just happened? Was that like a mad dream
[07:02.440 -> 07:05.920] or something? And then you just have to
[07:04.680 -> 07:08.080] start again. So it's just about
[07:05.920 -> 07:10.600] rebuilding every time. It's about
[07:08.080 -> 07:12.560] rebuilding and rebuilding and it's tough.
[07:10.600 -> 07:14.320] But if you love what you do and you
[07:12.560 -> 07:16.720] really want to get there, you just have to
[07:14.320 -> 07:19.760] do it. So given that you're coming along
[07:16.720 -> 07:22.040] to the high-performance live shows, Kai,
[07:19.760 -> 07:24.640] what are the kind of key high
[07:22.040 -> 07:25.540] performance messages that our audience are gonna be lucky enough
[07:25.540 -> 07:26.380] to hear from you?
[07:27.620 -> 07:32.000] Well, I'm like a massive podcast fan.
[07:32.000 -> 07:35.780] And obviously when I saw you guys were doing this podcast,
[07:35.780 -> 07:38.520] especially I've literally soaked it up like a sponge
[07:38.520 -> 07:41.320] because it's hearing other people's journeys.
[07:41.320 -> 07:42.960] It doesn't matter what you do,
[07:42.960 -> 07:50.120] whether you're an athlete or a high-end businessman, doctor, anything, it's hearing people's journeys, it doesn't matter what you do, whether you're an athlete or a high-end businessman, doctor, anything, it's hearing people's journeys and nearly
[07:50.120 -> 07:55.680] or every single person's journey has a lot of failure in it. And it's so inspiring that
[07:55.680 -> 08:02.000] they've got there in the end, but it's usually through perseverance and that will fit any
[08:02.000 -> 08:04.120] person whatever they do in life.
[08:04.120 -> 08:08.240] You know, I'm so excited on the night so Kai's gonna perform a song that he's
[08:08.240 -> 08:12.320] written about like the challenges and the mental struggles of doing what he does
[08:12.320 -> 08:15.120] and what I'm really excited about is people will hear that song and they will
[08:15.120 -> 08:19.120] sort of think oh that was great to you know see Kai perform lovely and
[08:19.120 -> 08:23.440] then at the end of the show we invite him back and you know I
[08:23.440 -> 08:25.360] think that people might not know that
[08:25.360 -> 08:29.440] he now tours with Lost Frequencies and he's written songs like Becky Hill and
[08:29.440 -> 08:33.640] David Guetta and like you know there are millions of people every day going onto
[08:33.640 -> 08:37.040] the app on their phone listening to a song sung by someone you know who's
[08:37.040 -> 08:40.440] really famous and Kai is the power behind that song so for him then to come
[08:40.440 -> 08:44.800] out and sing that song and perform it for us I think it's like you sort of
[08:44.800 -> 08:46.680] arc the whole evening do you know what I mean?
[08:46.680 -> 08:51.040] No, thank you for asking. I'm like I said I'm so excited to be doing it and also
[08:51.040 -> 08:55.280] like the couple of songs I'm gonna do it's nice, they'll be more stripped
[08:55.280 -> 09:01.240] back than say the records and that's how they were written and it's funny you
[09:01.240 -> 09:04.480] listen to things a lot differently when you know a little bit about the story
[09:04.480 -> 09:05.360] behind them as well
[09:05.800 -> 09:09.920] So that's gonna be like that'd be a nice thing to do. Can't wait for it, mate
[09:09.920 -> 09:14.680] Thank you so much for agreeing and I just can't wait for thousands of people to get a very
[09:15.240 -> 09:20.880] Special opportunity to see you performing live as part of our show. Thank you, mate. Oh, mate. I can't wait. Thank you both so much
[09:20.880 -> 09:28.040] I'm looking forward to it. Thanks guy. You know what? I think that having known Kai for, you know, the best part of 20 years, he is
[09:28.520 -> 09:30.120] humble to a point of fault.
[09:30.160 -> 09:32.880] You know, he would never be the person to sit here and tell you how amazingly
[09:32.880 -> 09:33.520] talented he is.
[09:33.520 -> 09:34.440] So let me do it for you.
[09:34.440 -> 09:34.760] Okay.
[09:35.240 -> 09:40.760] You will be blown away by the performances that he's going to give on the live shows.
[09:40.800 -> 09:41.440] I promise you.
[09:41.520 -> 09:45.280] He's an incredible guy with a remarkable story and we've got
[09:45.280 -> 09:49.840] something pretty special lined up with him. So after we spoke to Kai, Damien and I were
[09:49.840 -> 09:55.480] then joined by Owen O'Kane. And I think what's really amazing about Owen is that he talks
[09:55.480 -> 10:01.720] about really deep stuff, but he does it in a really like open and easy to understand
[10:01.720 -> 10:05.720] way. You know, there's no psychobabble with him. It's just really good, simple stuff
[10:05.720 -> 10:07.880] that can help to change the way your mind works.
[10:07.880 -> 10:10.080] And this is what Owen told Damien and myself
[10:10.080 -> 10:12.240] when we chatted to him about the live show.
[10:13.720 -> 10:14.540] Hey Owen.
[10:14.540 -> 10:16.000] Hey Jake, how you doing?
[10:16.000 -> 10:17.160] Really well, how are you?
[10:17.160 -> 10:18.500] Yeah, I'm good, good, really good.
[10:18.500 -> 10:21.160] I get technophobic when I do technical stuff.
[10:21.160 -> 10:23.280] You know, doing wifi and stuff.
[10:23.280 -> 10:26.440] Honestly, you can put me in front of a couple of hundred people and I'm fine,
[10:26.440 -> 10:28.520] but you put me in front of a computer and a microphone.
[10:29.280 -> 10:33.200] Well, listen, we won't be asking you to do that on the High Performance Live nights.
[10:33.200 -> 10:37.000] What we will be asking you to do though, is share your knowledge and your wisdom
[10:37.000 -> 10:40.720] and your lessons with the people who are going to be in the theatres around the UK.
[10:41.480 -> 10:45.580] What do you want people to get from the section of the show that
[10:45.580 -> 10:48.540] you're going to be running for us? Yeah I've been thinking really hard about
[10:48.540 -> 10:52.240] this and you know it's a short enough segment so I think I'm doing about 20
[10:52.240 -> 10:55.180] minutes so obviously I think what you want to do is you want to get as much as
[10:55.180 -> 10:59.260] possible in there and I thought about you know I see people struggle every day
[10:59.260 -> 11:02.920] of the week and I think there's a lot of stuff out there that's quite confusing
[11:02.920 -> 11:07.480] so what I've done is I've kind of I want to talk about the five areas that I think
[11:07.480 -> 11:11.700] can help people break through, you know, and it's often the most straightforward stuff
[11:11.700 -> 11:14.160] and the stuff that they can take control of.
[11:14.160 -> 11:17.440] So I'm going to talk about managing the mind, which is the most important thing.
[11:17.440 -> 11:18.440] You've got to start there.
[11:18.440 -> 11:22.600] If you're not, if you're not managing your mind and learning how to work with it, then
[11:22.600 -> 11:23.600] you're going to struggle.
[11:23.600 -> 11:26.920] I'm going to talk about the emotional stuff and how we kind of,
[11:27.120 -> 11:30.520] we have bias towards some emotions and others we give favour to.
[11:30.520 -> 11:32.400] So I'm going to talk about how you level that out.
[11:32.480 -> 11:33.920] I'm going to talk about the behaviours
[11:34.120 -> 11:36.800] that work well for us and the ones that get in the way.
[11:37.000 -> 11:38.480] I'm going to talk about self-tone.
[11:38.480 -> 11:41.360] And I think for me, that's probably one of the most important things, you know,
[11:41.560 -> 11:45.560] that tone we have when we're talking to ourselves, when we're dealing with ourselves.
[11:45.760 -> 11:47.560] And then I'm going to talk about living
[11:47.560 -> 11:50.520] aligned to values, because I think a lot of people are going through life,
[11:50.720 -> 11:53.640] you know, operating from values that don't serve them well.
[11:53.840 -> 11:55.560] So they're kind of in a nutshell.
[11:55.760 -> 11:58.720] I won't give away too much, but it's going to be very pragmatic.
[11:58.720 -> 12:02.080] And I hopefully, hopefully by the end of the kind of the segment,
[12:02.280 -> 12:03.800] there'll be a lot of stuff to take away.
[12:04.000 -> 12:06.440] So it'll be like a crash course in therapy.
[12:06.440 -> 12:07.320] Let's put it that way.
[12:07.640 -> 12:11.940] And what you tell us Owen as well about the benefits of some of these
[12:11.940 -> 12:16.780] areas that you're going to dwell on in relation to high performance, why
[12:16.780 -> 12:18.360] they're so important for listeners.
[12:18.640 -> 12:20.120] Yeah, absolutely.
[12:20.120 -> 12:23.120] I mean, it's a great point because I think when we're talking about high
[12:23.120 -> 12:26.800] performance, when I talk to you guys in the show, one of the key things you
[12:26.800 -> 12:31.460] probably hear all the time is people get in their own way but very often they
[12:31.460 -> 12:35.380] don't realize that they're getting in their own way. So I guess you know it's
[12:35.380 -> 12:38.720] very easy for someone who does what I do to work at the assumption that people
[12:38.720 -> 12:42.680] know about this stuff but actually what you realize is in day-to-day life is
[12:42.680 -> 12:45.280] most people crash land into adulthood
[12:45.280 -> 12:49.840] and they've had no guidance whatsoever on how to manage the chaotic mind, how to deal
[12:49.840 -> 12:55.320] with the difficult emotional stuff, or how to navigate your way through tough times really.
[12:55.320 -> 12:59.520] So I think this is what's important because if you've got all of that, my argument is
[12:59.520 -> 13:05.160] if the internal world is steady, then the external world takes care of itself.
[13:05.160 -> 13:09.480] So if you're trying to perform and do well and build or grow, if the
[13:09.480 -> 13:13.560] internal world is steady and balanced, the rest will work perfectly well.
[13:13.980 -> 13:17.040] But I think what most people do is they try and sort out all the external
[13:17.040 -> 13:19.480] stuff and ignore the internal stuff.
[13:19.480 -> 13:22.520] So I can, I guess I go the opposite direction.
[13:22.920 -> 13:26.200] Well, that fits perfectly with the theme of the whole of the tour, which is that
[13:26.200 -> 13:28.280] high performance is within.
[13:28.600 -> 13:32.120] And I think what you're telling, telling our listeners Owen is that you
[13:32.120 -> 13:34.240] have to start that journey within.
[13:34.840 -> 13:38.840] And I mean, look, let's be honest, you know, as human beings, you know, it
[13:38.840 -> 13:42.200] would be much easier if we didn't have to do the work, you know, is that
[13:42.200 -> 13:47.400] brilliant expression, you know, the way it is in and very often that's the truth. You know, you kind of got
[13:47.400 -> 13:52.760] to go to that inward stuff and untangle it and make sense of it. And then the breakthroughs
[13:52.760 -> 13:56.720] happen. You know, I think when we talk about mental health and all of that, there's a danger
[13:56.720 -> 14:00.560] it becomes quite heavy and oppressive. And I think, no, this is quite exciting because
[14:00.560 -> 14:04.840] you're handing, you know, power back to people and you're helping them reclaim their life.
[14:04.840 -> 14:07.480] So there's something quite energising and exciting about this work.
[14:07.480 -> 14:13.240] Hugely looking forward to welcoming you for the first night in Norwich on Sunday the 5th,
[14:13.240 -> 14:15.960] and then you're going to be with us for quite a few of the nights after that.
[14:15.960 -> 14:19.720] So thank you so much, Owen, and let's do this, shall we?
[14:19.720 -> 14:20.960] Yeah, looking forward to it.
[14:20.960 -> 14:24.640] So that's what Owen's going to bring to the programme, but just, I don't know,
[14:24.640 -> 14:28.880] even just the way he talks, it just chills me out, calms me down. And you can actually listen
[14:28.880 -> 14:32.800] to the entire episode with Owen O'Kane if you want to. It was a really, really brilliant
[14:32.800 -> 14:37.600] conversation we had with him a few months ago, and I can't recommend his books highly enough.
[14:37.600 -> 14:41.920] So that's Kai and Owen. They're going to be on stage with us. There's a man also heavily involved
[14:41.920 -> 14:49.480] in the show who won't be on stage with myself and Damien, but he's the creative director behind the tour. And he's also the
[14:49.480 -> 14:55.920] CEO of the Theatre Royal in Norwich. He previously ran the Lowry Theatre in Salford. He's a man
[14:55.920 -> 15:00.960] who runs a big team. He's a man who is incredibly creative, but he also has to get stuff done
[15:00.960 -> 15:04.640] as well. You know, he has to manage people. He has to look after their welfare. He has
[15:04.640 -> 15:05.560] to keep, you know,
[15:05.560 -> 15:07.640] a multi-million pound business running.
[15:07.640 -> 15:09.600] And I think it's a really interesting conversation
[15:09.600 -> 15:12.200] just to speak to him about what's involved
[15:12.200 -> 15:13.400] in creating theatre.
[15:13.400 -> 15:14.280] Because I think, you know,
[15:14.280 -> 15:16.120] as we always say on high performance,
[15:16.120 -> 15:18.280] you can learn something from everyone.
[15:18.280 -> 15:20.480] So a couple of days after Damien and I
[15:20.480 -> 15:22.320] spoke with Kai and Owen,
[15:22.320 -> 15:24.740] I sat down for a quick chat with Stephen.
[15:25.880 -> 15:26.640] Hey Stephen. Hey, Stephen.
[15:27.280 -> 15:27.880] Hey, Jake.
[15:27.900 -> 15:31.000] So let's just explain to people what's happened here for those that, that,
[15:31.040 -> 15:33.240] well, basically almost everyone doesn't know what we've done.
[15:33.240 -> 15:36.960] We kind of got together, didn't we, months ago and spoke about making the
[15:36.960 -> 15:41.840] High Performance Podcast a proper theatre show, a proper spectacle, didn't we?
[15:42.200 -> 15:42.680] We did.
[15:42.720 -> 15:46.960] And when you came to me with the idea, I guess I was
[15:46.960 -> 15:53.040] instantly drawn to it for quite a number of reasons. I suppose personally, and really selfishly,
[15:53.040 -> 15:59.600] having led a theatre during a pandemic, I have regularly drawn on the podcast over that time,
[15:59.600 -> 16:06.080] just for inspiration, encouragement, because it's been quite tough for us in every sector, but in the arts
[16:06.080 -> 16:11.520] in particular. So there was that selfish draw, but also having kind of watched the podcast grow
[16:11.520 -> 16:17.680] and develop, it lends itself to theatre so very, very much. You know, what we do in the theatre
[16:17.680 -> 16:27.000] consistently is tell stories, and you guys have a story. the story of the podcast is an incredible one, but that amazing compendium of stories you've collected
[16:27.000 -> 16:36.000] just lends itself so very, very well. And I guess the other thing that really, really struck me and thought we've got to turn this into a show
[16:36.000 -> 16:42.000] is that the other thing theatres do is they bring people together to kind of feel something together.
[16:42.000 -> 16:45.200] If you come to opera, it's because you like opera
[16:45.200 -> 16:46.680] or because you like that story.
[16:46.680 -> 16:49.400] If you come to musicals, it's because you like a musical.
[16:49.400 -> 16:50.660] If you come to high performance,
[16:50.660 -> 16:53.600] it's because you buy into that mindset
[16:53.600 -> 16:54.800] and you understand that.
[16:54.800 -> 16:56.680] So what I'm most excited about,
[16:56.680 -> 16:59.160] the show's going to be incredible on the stage,
[16:59.160 -> 17:01.440] but actually that sense in the auditorium
[17:01.440 -> 17:04.040] of sharing that sense of being together,
[17:04.040 -> 17:07.320] that community united behind the concept
[17:07.320 -> 17:08.880] of high performance.
[17:08.880 -> 17:10.900] And that's, I guess, why we've put the listeners
[17:10.900 -> 17:12.360] and the viewers at the heart of what we're doing.
[17:12.360 -> 17:15.360] So, you know, a big opportunity for questions and answers.
[17:15.360 -> 17:17.860] We're speaking to a local high performer
[17:17.860 -> 17:19.840] who's got an incredible story from that area.
[17:19.840 -> 17:21.400] So we've got an amazing young lady
[17:21.400 -> 17:22.600] from Norwich called Megan,
[17:22.600 -> 17:29.120] and we'll do the same at all of our other venues. What is it about storytelling for people that are listening to this and
[17:29.120 -> 17:32.920] they don't work in theatre, they don't work in podcasting, but they want to impact the
[17:32.920 -> 17:37.160] people around them? Why is it that storytelling is such a compelling way to do that?
[17:37.160 -> 17:41.520] Paul Atkinson I think it's because it's relatable. You know,
[17:41.520 -> 17:46.880] you can hear something and, you know, kind of dismiss it one way or another, but when it's told
[17:46.880 -> 17:52.440] to you, there is something very personal about that, isn't there? And it goes back, it goes
[17:52.440 -> 17:57.480] way back in all of us. Most of our earliest memories will be the person closest to us
[17:57.480 -> 18:01.480] telling us a story when we were really little. It's one of the things that starts with us
[18:01.480 -> 18:06.360] when we're tiny. But I also think there are levels to this.
[18:06.360 -> 18:08.680] And again, I think that's what I've been considering
[18:08.680 -> 18:10.560] and think about how to make the show with you,
[18:10.560 -> 18:12.320] Jake, is people listen to the podcast
[18:12.320 -> 18:15.160] and they hear these amazing elite sports people,
[18:15.160 -> 18:17.480] business people telling their story.
[18:17.480 -> 18:20.680] For us in theatre, that's the kind of Shakespeare end
[18:20.680 -> 18:21.680] of things, isn't it?
[18:21.680 -> 18:23.280] You hear a story and it's Shakespeare.
[18:23.280 -> 18:28.020] But then what we wanted to do with the show is bring that right down to the relatability of somebody
[18:28.020 -> 18:33.120] you might pass in the street, in your city, who's similarly got a similar story to tell
[18:33.120 -> 18:38.440] with similar inspiration, but has that incredible, imminent relatability to it as well.
[18:38.440 -> 18:41.160] Jason Vale – And I think where you've got a real talent is that, you know, you've
[18:41.160 -> 18:49.600] taken a guy who was on kids' telly, who's done, you know, a little bit of kind of slightly random performing. In fact, I once starred as Dr. Lou in Dr.
[18:49.600 -> 18:55.240] Lou and the Turdus on CBBC. So I've done performing before, but then you've also taken like Professor
[18:55.240 -> 19:00.040] Damien Hughes, you know, who grew up in boxing gyms in Manchester and comes at the world
[19:00.040 -> 19:04.680] with a very different mindset and a different slant to me. But then you also, you know,
[19:04.680 -> 19:10.000] with a different hat on, you work with amazing performers like Carlos Acosta, who is so accustomed to being on
[19:10.000 -> 19:15.200] stage performing, knows his art and his craft so well. So what have you learned over the years
[19:15.200 -> 19:18.320] about how to get the best out of the people around you?
[19:18.320 -> 19:21.520] Paul McGuire I think it's about focusing in and,
[19:21.520 -> 19:26.960] and you guys and Carlos, it's been amazing to work with, you know, a whole plethora of other artists.
[19:26.960 -> 19:28.680] I think you find that connection,
[19:28.680 -> 19:30.960] and certainly I do on a personal level,
[19:30.960 -> 19:33.520] in a shared vision and a shared commitment,
[19:33.520 -> 19:36.820] whether that is to amazing storytelling through dance,
[19:36.820 -> 19:39.080] whether that's to huge visual spectacle,
[19:39.080 -> 19:41.440] whether that's to imparting, you know,
[19:41.440 -> 19:43.440] messages and understanding,
[19:43.440 -> 19:45.420] which is at the core of the high performance
[19:45.420 -> 19:50.540] show. And then for me, there's also something about a commitment to quality, which is why
[19:50.540 -> 19:53.220] high performance was such an attractive thing to me.
[19:53.220 -> 19:58.300] I love that. Brilliant. Well, look, I'm so excited. Any last minute tips before I walk
[19:58.300 -> 19:59.820] out on stage on Sunday night?
[19:59.820 -> 20:03.460] Well, I always kind of hear that when we, when we talk to, when I talk to performers
[20:03.460 -> 20:07.280] that kind of skirt between stage and TV quite a bit.
[20:07.280 -> 20:12.840] I think that sort of barrier, that sort of, you know, empty space of being behind a camera.
[20:12.840 -> 20:17.920] I think what you get back for the nervousness it brings when you hear that first response of an audience,
[20:17.920 -> 20:29.360] when you stand there and you hear a bit of applause or laughter or even some just going, Oh yeah, Jake, you're right, mate. You know, that, that gives it action and it washes it away. Nothing can beat live performance,
[20:29.360 -> 20:35.680] but I'm biased. I can't wait. Well, look, Stephen, thank you so much. Norwich is only the first of
[20:35.680 -> 20:40.400] a number of nights that we're doing right around the UK. So check out the highperformancepodcast.com
[20:40.960 -> 20:44.960] if you want to come and see what we've created and Stephen, I'll see you in a couple of days.
[20:44.960 -> 20:45.000] And if I panic at the last minute, I hopefully, you know, all of the what we've created and Stephen, I'll see you in a couple of days.
[20:45.000 -> 20:48.320] And if I panic at the last minute, I hopefully, you know, all of the things I'm going to say,
[20:48.320 -> 20:49.520] and you can stand up and do it for me.
[20:49.520 -> 20:51.320] Stephen Wickerlund Indeed. Good luck learning those lines,
[20:51.320 -> 20:51.600] Jay.
[20:51.600 -> 20:52.440] Jason Vale Thanks a lot, mate.
[20:52.440 -> 20:58.080] I'm getting excited myself. I wish I was in the audience, man. Getting ready to watch this show.
[20:58.080 -> 21:04.600] Right. What else can I tell you? In Norwich, we're going to be joined by a young lady who has the
[21:04.600 -> 21:09.480] most remarkable story. It's as heartbreaking as it is uplifting. I can't wait for that.
[21:09.480 -> 21:13.600] And if you are coming along, please come along armed with questions. The most
[21:13.600 -> 21:17.320] important thing for me is that you in the audience are at the heart of this
[21:17.320 -> 21:20.560] show. We're going to try and meet as many of you as possible. We're going to be
[21:20.560 -> 21:24.240] answering as many questions as possible. But I just think that the more you can
[21:24.240 -> 21:26.480] put into the night, the more you will get from the night.
[21:26.480 -> 21:30.960] So record what you want, make notes of what you want, you know, stick it all over social media,
[21:30.960 -> 21:36.960] tell your friends about it, create notes from it. I want this to be the proper embodiment of
[21:36.960 -> 21:41.120] all the things that we talk about on the High Performance Podcast. So there are still some
[21:41.120 -> 21:45.580] tickets available. If you want to come and see us, then you can click the link in the description to this
[21:45.580 -> 21:54.780] podcast or you can go to the highperformancepodcast.com and click on live tour 2023.
[21:54.780 -> 21:56.100] I can't wait to meet you in person.
[21:56.100 -> 21:59.460] I can't wait for you to see the high performance live show.
[21:59.460 -> 22:04.500] And I know that together we're going to have an evening that just leaves us feeling ready
[22:04.500 -> 22:05.320] to take on whatever
[22:05.320 -> 22:07.600] life throws at us. Thanks for listening.