Acting Up (Megan Alderson & Jordan Skidmore)

Meet your hosts, Megan & Jordan, two broke 23 year olds trying to be actors and learning to be podcasters in real time.
We get into where we come from, how we met and why are we doing anything of this. Discussions include imaginary games, Megan not liking Jordan, a two person book club and a mandatory draft for hospitality work. Just a cute and cosy chat between friends. 
Welcome to Acting Up! 

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

It had to be done… this week the girls unpack DRAMA SCHOOL.
Featuring stories from you!
Why did we go? What did we get out of it? Are any of us okay? Highlights include Jordan almost dying, an improvised cartwheel and nepotism pantomimes. Trigger warnings included in the episode, please look after yourselves, resources for support below <3
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/get-help-for-myself/i-need-support-now/helplines/
https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool/
https://www.spotlight.com/news-and-advice/the-essentials/charities-for-performers/
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

Megan and Jordan answer the dreaded question:
‘Oh, so you’re an actor? What are you in?’ 
It’s time to be candid about credits! From short films to long films and the crippling reality of being on a film set one day and behind a till the next. 
Side notes include having tattoos, the Monday Morning Debrief and more jokes about Megan’s dad.
We are actually actors!!! We promise!!!!

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This isn’t a ‘how to’ podcast… or is it? 
This week Megan and Jordan delve into the audition process. From casting to self tapes and the elusive in-person recall, we get real about the highs and lows of auditioning - including but not limited to:
Kicking over tripods, sticking lines onto walls and sending a casting director pictures of your pubes.
Diversions include Megan’s greasy hair, getting ID’d buying a pipeline punch monster and intense dependency on fantasy escapism.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

It’s time to re-download Subway Surfers, this week we’re off to REDDIT.
A podcast classic for children of the internet, Megan & Jordan delve into the depths of the Am I The Asshole & Acting Subreddits. From cats ruining self tapes to gay Shakespeare and spectacularly unsupportive parents, the Jury of podcasters is out. 
Diversions include being 50% chips, a Skidmore Veganuary and Varjak shouting.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week… RHYS TINNEY IS ACTING UPS FIRST GUEST! 
Close and personal friend of the pod Rhys Tinney joins us to discuss their journey into the industry from working class beginnings, starting “late” and navigating the industry as a non-binary individual. They get candid about auditions, dance classes, cruise ship contracts, “boy day!” and the realities of representation.
Megan and Jordan contribute womb discussion, saying WOO 28 times in the introduction and inappropriate laughter.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan discuss children in Hollywood, from the incredible performances to the tragic exploitation. 
Child actors have been around as long as films have. Do we wish we had done it? How are the children protected? Is it even necessary to have children in the industry?  
Taking on a case study each and discussing the incredible stories of Brooke Shields and Drew Barrymore, we explore the harsh realities of being a child in the public eye. 
Side notes include the coming out as a tumblr user, an Acting Up excursion and getting rejected for roles again !!! 
Trigger warnings are included in the episode, please look after your brains x

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by friend of the podcast and fellow drama school survivor: Kizzi Kitchener. Kizzi comes clean about one of the biggest decisions you can make in the industry… the decision to quit. 
From being raised as dancer and going to drama school to ultimately deciding it’s not for you and running away to sea. 
We can only apologise for the diversions which include Glee, rose toys and being victims of the patriarchy.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan outs Jordan as an actor/model.
The prequel to Acting Ups Manchester excursion: Jordan reveals how she fell into modelling (Megan pushed her), how it’s going and how it compares to the wonderful (woeful) world of acting. 
From Megan’s photography career to headshots vs modelling shots. To pay or not to pay? 
Tangents include getting licked at The Box, wearing fangs to a graduation ceremony and that Jordan won’t be friends with you if you’re ugly.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Jordan and Megan sit and chat with 1st Assistant Director Brad Yorke.
Brad is here to enlighten us all on the secret world of Assistant Directors, the sometimes under-appreciated and always essential schedulers of the film world.
Having chosen films over planes, Brad has worked in the industry for two years and though his projects are mostly too exciting to name, we can in fact reveal he was 1st AD on a very special film starring the very special Megan ;)
Make sure to check out Brads production company, Colossal Productions (@filmsbycolossal) to keep up to date on his projects and to see if Megan and Jordan will ever make an appearance ;)
Also including: Ben 10, Liverpool vs Chelsea and Jordan literally vomiting (sorry).

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by actor/director Morgan Chalmers!
A fellow graduate of Musical Theatre and colleague of Megan, Morgan walks us through her life in the industry - from using your acting skills to pretend you like customers to playing a page 3 model when you can’t see.
Tune in for tales of hotel adverts, vocal haemorrhages and the journey into directing as an actor.
Diversions include unwelcome yoga retreat posters, The Willy Wonka Experience and, once again, fairy porn!

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are graced by the presence of Nathan Francis! And this Kens job… is Film! 
Nathan enlightens us on the wonderful world of the 3rd Assistant Crowd Director (professional vibe crafter), from breaking into the industry fresh out of college to addressing the masses on set. And the sets? CRAZY ;) 
Nathan also discusses the friendly push that lead him to creating his own work and the leaps of faith that followed. 
Tangents include hot gifs of Henry Cavill, walking into strangers hotel rooms and watching yourself die on screen.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by actor and long time bestie of the pod Ben Donovan!
A career that began thanks to Kiera Knightleys stunts and led Ben into the drama school class of Acting Up, Ben delves into his life in the industry!
Including: the perks of being a twin, the dark time (post graduating), improvising on investment banking and accepting your place in the industry.
Tangents include dying and leaving behind only a podcast, the perfect audition lockscreen and the infamous yellow sofa cushions.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Acting Up is graced by the presence of actor (muso?) Matt Wake!
From cricket to creating, Matt explores his journey into the acting industry, from a secondary school where it was actually cool to do drama and eventually  into the professional arms of our very own Megan.
Discussions include the Straight Acting Drama School Experience and the impact of covid, agent relationships and devising your own work - “If you can act, you can write”.
Tangents include don’t talk to Jordan until she’s had her coffee, the dissertation that never was and making an action movie in year 5 (with flamethrowers).

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

What a treat we have this week! Megan and Jordan are joined by the mother of models, Jordans actual agent and founder of Vauhaus Model Agency - the incredible Toria Brightside.
Toria reveals the origin story of Vauhaus, a revolutionary modelling agency founded 10 years ago on principles of ethics, personality and sustainability, and shares invaluable wisdom on how to catch the eye of an agent and what makes a good model.
Tune in for discussions of Vauhaus HQ, the developing industry and to discover the inner machinations of an agency championing diversity, creativity and (Jordans favourite part) creating an incredible community.
Diversions include a TikTok mystery,  our lack of legal responsibility for any accidents you may have at the gym,  a very suggestive clothes steamer and an infamous night out.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week we are back to just two besties in bed, and Megan and Jordan are diving under the covers and into the infamous and controversial - Method Acting.
Everyone has an idea of what it is, from sending your coworkers dead rats to the spirit of Elvis living in your accent - but is that truly The Method? 
From how it began and is implemented into actors practice to the infamous actors who just took it too far, Megan and Jordan consider their own position on the technique.
Tangents include, Jordans Soliloquy on a stagnant career, are veneers ruining Hollywood? and Megan re-entering the education system.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

Today Megan and Jordan are joined by the the dramatic, operatic and potentially aromatic Jenny Perry!
Opera singer and actor and model and in a band (stream Brand New Legs!) AND the list goes ON - Jenny is, was, and will be busy.
From climbing through musical grades to starting a band at Uni and finding your agent in a Tim Hortons, Jenny spills on their experience navigating the industry as someone working class, non-binary and an ex-weener.
Tangents include women playing Peter-Pan, driving like a Pisces and that time Jordan butchered Megan’s hair.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

Leading on from the discussion of The Method, this week Megan and Jordan are now asking: why is Hollywood so obsessed with Biopics?
Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis, Priscilla, Oppenheimer, Blonde and most recently Amy to name but a few - the film industry is well and truly saturated with Biopics, but seemingly never without controversy. But why? 
And how do we as actors fit into this body of work? Who could you play and how do you accurately replicate them? 
Lengthy tangents include Jordan’s green hand, Megan bringing forth the Snapchat renaissance, relapsing on Vinted and Jordan doing a body shot off of Megan. 

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by our first stranger! Brought to Acting Up by the podcast itself, introducing actor Ollie James Smith.
From being naughty at school to boxing for England and then finding acting when you needed it most - Ollie gets candid about how he turned his life around and began an exciting career that started with a talent for mixology and has taken him onto some incredible sets and into rooms with his heroes.
Tangents include the awful t-shirt Jordan bought Megan, using a sneaky wee to meet Jordan Peele and that one self tape that you’d fake your own death if it got leaked.
Trigger warning for mentions of suicide and discussions of weight loss, look after yourselves x 

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan (your favourite lowborn actors) are joined by founder, director & writer Meghan Loughran and co-director & director Gray Enever from Lowborn Theatre!
From university project to Edinburgh Fringe to a full on theatre company, Lowborn Theatre is dedicated to creating meaningful, nuanced and accurate depictions of working class life, told by working class voices.
Gray discusses their journey into directing, from finding acting in their late teens to discovering an approach to directing that values detail, improvisation, lore and a trusting relationship between actor and director.
Meghan reveals the origins of Lowborn and how she became a writer, drawing from lived experience and channeling it into her notes app where her plays that disrupt working class stereotypes all begin.
This episode includes four people talking over one another about things such as: scaring the children of today, genetic predisposition to maths, rate my meal deal and a live performance from Ant & Seb from the X-Factor.
Apologies for the technical issues with the sound, our resident tech wench is on the case.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

Another episode coming at you from Vauhaus HQ, this week Megan and Jordan are joined by certified gorgeous gorgeous girl Adela Mortimer! 
Trans hottie and fellow Vauhaus model who also (of course) dabbles in acting, Adela talks us through her journey in the industry - from a young diva who always had to play the lead to her involvement with the incredible Take Back Theatre Company and finally how an open casting brought her to model with Vauhaus. 
Adela gets candid about dealing with anxiety during the lulls, the importance of valuing creatives, acknowledging nepotism and please just mind your business and let trans people live!
Tangents include a latex skirt bringing Megan and Jordan closer than ever before, Adela where the hell you been loca? and how we will be expensing our feet pics.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Jordan and Megan are graced by a guest that Megan scouted in a smoking area. You may recall how Morgan directed a one woman show called Fuckboy Fairytales - well,  introducing the one woman herself: the wonderful Eleanor Chilton-Sutton.
A career sparked by watching Narnia - Eleanor trained at BRIT School, went on to study English and Theatre at university, ended up doing stand-up comedy and of course wrote and starred in her debut work ‘Fuckboy Fairytales’.
Eleanor discusses how the show came to be, from the actual writing of it to how she has channelled her relationships and experiences into a show that is intimate, hilarious and reflective. She also prompts your hosts to discuss their own love languages, the types of love and some of their own tragic fairytales.
Tangents include Dramione fanfiction (hear us out!), HMRC doing girl math, why is panto like that, explaining pineapple and Jordans lost letter from an ex.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan were meant to talk about pieces of theatre they’ve seen and the experience of watching things as an actor yourself. Which, between multiple tangents and questionable singing, they kind of do?
Conversations include having two very different experiences at the same audition, an Acting Up trip to Spirited Away at the London Coliseum, the theatrical experience of seeing Mitski and… WATCHING THE PREMIERE OF MEGANS FILM!!! 
They delve into the influential productions that shaped them into the performers that they are (including a lovely segment on the wonder that is the secondary school musical) and the impact that a lack of theatre due to inaccessibility can have when it comes to being at drama school.
Tangents include future plans to rode horse, meeting a shark and shaking its hand, live reacting one another’s naked bodies, Joseph and His Gay Pride Coat and our coming out stories (happy pride to all our clowns x).

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by the incredible Vissey Elliot Safavi, Iranian/Bristolian, MOTHER, colleague of Megan and incredible actor - Vis has been Acting Up longer than your hosts have been a thought.
Pushed towards drama as a child to help her learn English, Vis started acting so a lady called Edwina could live vicariously through her, and thankfully she did - as it lead Vis to attend the prestigious RADA (in the 90’s!). 
Vis gets candid about how she’s navigated the industry as an Iranian woman (picking your equity name - nightmare!) and sustained a career that’s spanned decades, encompassed all the milestones of her life and has included some incredible work in theatre, TV & film and voice acting. 
Side notes include little puffball Jordan, discombobulating a cat, school reports and Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

Life is well and truly battering Megan and Jordan, so what else is there to do but the classic Q&A? You asked and they answered. Questions and answers… Q and A…  
The fans (friends) asked questions such as:
What would we do with unlimited funding? Who would win in a fight? Who would we cast one another as?  Wildest Auditions? What would we be doing if we weren’t actors? 
Also including (of course) more soliloquies on drama school - including the grand theft of Jordan’s uniform - and discussions on how we can expand the Acting Up community.
Side notes include battling egotism now the pod has 206 followers, @daisybootybig3, Master Oogway has been CANCELLED, and probably Megan and Jordan too after they reveal their least favourite celebrity...

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

It’s finally here: the episode that attempts to tackle the immense subject that is being a working class actor in the industry. A historic episode indeed, as Megan and Jordan both shed actual, real tears on the pod.
The episode includes a dumb beginners (Jordan) guide to the class system, private school privilege,  cosplaying the poor for funsies, talking proper and the horrifying statistics that make the dream seem impossible.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, we of course have to celebrate the actors who have made it despite the odds and the organisations working to bridge the gap for the working class talent of tomorrow. Megan and Jordan also reflect on the privileges (and subsequently cry) that have allowed them to keep flying the flag - after all, we owe ourselves the right to make it.
Tangents include Jordan’s apology video with tears, showing your agent the inside of your ear hole, and a celebrity on the doorstep.
Stay tuned to find out the incredible news of the friends of the pod and the Spotlight vs Equity beef ;)
TRIGGER WARNING POVERTY AND SHOUTOUT TO OUR MUMS X

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan discuss two of the most essential pillars of the industry: the casting directory - Spotlight and the performers union - Equity, who are taking action against Spotlights “Tax on Hope”.
This episode includes discussions on what Equity is, the things they are fighting for, how it can benefit you and how it is has helped members previously. Megan and Jordan also debrief on Spotlight and its undeniable monopoly on the industry, how essential it is in their own careers and expose what they think their playing age is and the questionable skills they have listed on the site, including things such as accents and sports. Not to mention having to bagsy your own name! 
So what’s the tea? Equity believes Spotlight is taking advantage of its position and overcharging members, which would not be legal or cool…
Side notes include Brittany Broski in the flesh, stinky nose rings, summoning with an iced latte and donatella VERSACE 💜
Don’t forget to check out Birthday Fish Theatre! 

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

Did you miss us? This week Megan and Jordan are on a mountain in Corfu! So the audio is dodge… Sorry :/
Welcome to the holiday special, what’s special about it you ask? How much less depressed we are! 
Tune in to hear tales of Acting Up abroad such as: adding horse riding to our spotlight skills, little German boys and hermit crabs, holiday reading material, taking shots in matching fits and please don’t fart on planes.
But inevitably the question arises - are you ever truly on a break from acting? From holiday self tapes to the unending checking of emails, when you’re self employed the work seems to follow you everywhere…
Welcome back to Acting Up!

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are back on topic with an episode for you on none other than stage combat.
Starting as usual with Jordans ‘a brief history’ segment, going back to the literal beginning of humanity and working its way up through Gladiators, Samurais and Shakespeare, it seems stage combat has existed for as long as performance has.
Your hosts reflect on their own experience with stage combat, from workshops and auditions to training in drama school - an iconic experience (cut tragically short by lockdown) with a teacher who for the sake of the podcast will be referred to as Combat Kevin. If you know you know.
Discussions include why aren’t stunt artists recognised? The tragic yet inspiring story of a stunt gone wrong and how far are you willing to go before you let the experts step in.
Tangents include committing Seppuku (relevant), Chappel Roan in the new Gladiator film, men are guilty and the M slur (M*cb#th). 

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week a very giggly and tired Megan and Jordan have a discussion on voice acting. Something they don’t (or didn’t!) know all that much about. 
Discussions include the Acting Up home studio, Indeed’s (?) guide to becoming a voice actor, Rob Wiethoffs story, more on Dungeons and Dragons and SAG-AFTRAs current video game strike. 
Jordan has plans to be an audio-erotica voice actor while Megan may be in the market to be the new Ralph Wiggum.
Tune in for many impressions, including but not limited to: the Wilhelm scream, the Shark Tale shrimp, R2D2, Shaggy and almost the entire cast of SpongeBob and The Simpsons. Also a bonus poetry reading of ‘Does Marge Have Friends’ by Raphael Bob-Waksberg.
Tangents include not pressing record, a questionable impression of Megan, farts, a dying lime bike and how to cure a hangover. Featuring scary Harry.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by friend of the pod, the wonderful Owen Dennis! From freaky fringe performances to frightening French directors - Owen spills on his time in the industry.
A career sparked by watching Doctor Who behind the scenes (her influence!), it’s the classic bossy child to performer pipeline, including after school clubs and the wonderful world of drama school.
Owen gets candid about his experience booking a one man fringe show before even graduating, doing a photo shoot in a sex shop on Easter Sunday, being naked on stage, dealing with inappropriate audience members, the Polar Express and tales of touring around tiny towns in Italy.
Tangents include coffee deliveries, graduation suffragettes, twink Pinocchio, Megan’s murder mystery and a live recording of the beef on Megan’s street.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by the incredible Erin and Steph (and a fish) - the founders of Birthday Fish Theatre - before they head up to Edinburgh Fringe!
Erin and Steph discuss the birth of the surrealist wonder that is Birthday Fish, starting with conversations in contemporary class and developing into a creatively, collaborative friendship - they get candid about what it takes to get a show to fringe, from conception to completion.
Steph discusses her decision to leave dance school to pursue other interests and how she found her way back to theatre. Erin comes out as a songwriter and gets candid about her relationship with dance and moving into physical theatre, acting and writing. 
Birthday Fish is a surreal, hilarious and absurd story that any fellow fish out of water will find utterly relatable. Details on their run can be found @birthdayfishtheatre 🐟
Side notes include Jenna Marbles, Jordan’s deceased dance Instagram, developing a frontal lobe, more impressions and handstand competitions.
RIP Jordans microphone, sorry for the noises, we try our best and we lost a real one.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by the Marvellous Molly Griffin-Jones to discuss all things graduating, dancing and navigating the industry.
Molly spills on her time at the BRIT School, dancing her way to the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent! and her journey into the industry since. Including as always a meaty chat on drama school, favouritism, agent showcase flops and identity.
Mollys introspection is infectious and discussions turn to curating training that serves you post-graduating, separating your ego from your work, battling the expectations you have set on yourself, menstruation as a dancer and managing a healthy relationship with food and your body as an athlete.
Molly also hits your hosts with a belter of a question, tune in to hear some deep chats and thunderstorm ASMR.
Tangents include semi-supine to a lamp, the flat white mums vs Megan, Mollys best pickup line, pole dancing, 5 minutes of Instagram and the SKY BREAKING.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by the fabulous Honey Holder! Fresh into the industry having studied performance design and film costume, Honey is here to shed light onto what goes into what goes on you.
Honey discusses her work as a prop supervisor, prop etiquette, designing theatre vs film, battling budgets, the grey area that is hats, costuming student films, stop-motion, where are all the women? and of course, being an ex theatre kid. 
Talks also turn to puppetry: the creation and theatre of puppets and creating consciousness and breath. Using our show of the year, Spirited Away, as the prime example.
Tune in for the tragic tale of the stab wound trousers and the birth of a Goose.
Tangents include Khloe Kardashians magic hair, DRILL GIRLS, my character is a vegetarian libra, Bridgerton and no is one is safe from life drawing.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by long time bestie of the pod, class of Acting Up, Megan’s ex housemate and Scottish lass: the incredible Mia Coffield! It’s been a long time coming and tears are shed… 
From wardrobe department to ensemble/1st cover Sophie, Acting Up are so proud to finally be able to share the news that Mia will be joining the cast of Mamma Mia! on the West End! It’s incredibly deserved, but Mias journey certainly hasn’t been orthodox. From drama club to the Dance School of Scotland, to Drama school and the industry, Mia gets candid about how she got to where she is today and how it feels to be on the precipice of your dreams coming true.
Tune in for tales of being an amorphous blob, coming from a creative family, assistant directing and ASMing, cruise ship health crises, leaving your agent, being a casting assistant and writing a musical with yer da.
Tangents include singing Skinny Love on YouTube, going back to Korea in your memories, purring and the affected anime voice.
TRIGGER WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF GENITAL INJURY (at the end you’ll know when it’s coming!) :)

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan (and Elvis the dog) are reunited, after their longest time apart since the pod began! Did they miss one another? What’s happened since? Tune in to get caught up.
Jordan spills on her recent commercial (#bookedandblessed, #cheekynandos) and Megan talks on tattoo removals, secret crochet and being depressed.
Jordan also brings forward a list of travel thoughts, including the club from the Cat in the Hat, do I believe in tarot now and are we witches? private healthcare, a formal apology on recall fees, French animals, book reviews, surveillance, TikTok and topless sunbathing, fruit merge, a GSCE tournament and secret fan art Twitter.
Thanks for reuniting with Acting Up!
Like, follow, subscribe, review xox

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are completing the set of Acting Up Alumni Twins - today they are joined by the wonderful Conor Donovan! 
Conor is here to give his side of the origin story, to reflect on his year post graduating drama school, his time during and to tell the tale of how he came to play Quentin on the Netflix hit show - Sex Education. From extra to credited cast member! 
Discussions include talent equating identity, first times on set, queerness in casting and naturalism, what do Producers actually do (whatever it is Conor has done it), agent relationships, yearning for theatre, the challenges of playing a real person and attractiveness, boundaries and being commodified as an actor.
Tangents include absorbing your twin, don’t ask me for a full body picture, running Sainsbury’s like the navy, she got a first but she DIED, ruminating on the pod itself, body neutrality, smear tests and of course star signs.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are quickly hopping on to share the exciting news that they will be attending Gloucester Independent Film Festival (GIFF) and they want to hear from YOU!
GIFF hosts local and international filmmakers for premieres, Q&As and networking opportunities, and your hosts are going to be on the scene asking the questions you want the answers to. So send in your questions! 
The categories include Feature Film, Short Film, Animated Film, Music Video and so much more, and Acting Up will be hosting the panel Q&A for Colossal Film’s How to Build a Life, directed by Matty Reese: "A young man with Asperger's talks candidly about the bullying that nearly ended his life, and about finding hope through his new focus on Lego and his dog."
Megan and Jordan wax poetic on the community and opportunities this silly little podcast has created, they couldn’t be more grateful and more excited to see what’s to come.
Tangents include a BAFTA watching you pee, Starlight Express, farting at a casting director, actual singing, we aren’t haters of women’s enjoyment and Jordan still can’t drive.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are once again blessed with the presence of the Lowborn Theatre Company Directors: Meghan Loughran and Gray Enever! They are back and they are back with news…
YOU CAN CATCH ALL FUR COAT ON THE BLOODY WEST END FROM THE 14th TO THE 19TH OF OCTOBER 2024! 
We hope you enjoy this episode of celebration and introspection.
Discussions include extending the original material, recasting (or not), the dreaded merge of your work and your WORK, the logistics of scheduling literally everyone’s debut, print vs performance, the symbiosis of writer and director, down with theatre hierarchy, the future of Lowborn, first reviews and dealing with imposter syndrome.
Photographers DM us ;)
Tangents include BIRTH, RIP an anonymous DM, mathematical nightmares, the Irish singing gene, Hannah Montana, best friend time and  Grandmas lies.
Yes all that yapping did probably break the microphone so sorry for the tech issues ! <3

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are back with a research episode! This time unpacking their very own logo and its symbolism, it’s time to talk about Jesters and Clowns! 
Megan delves into the silly yet sinister history of Jesters, from their role in courts to Shakespeare appearances, their power and influence, the great Jester Wars and the concept of Jester’s Privilege and how this podcast is attempting to utilise it. You can’t backlist us if we are funny yet insignificant enough! 
Jordan then discusses the difference between clowns and jesters, Coulrophobia - the fear of clowns and the psychology behind it, the Sad Clown Paradox, clown history and commedia dell’Arte, clown school then and now and the Clown Egg Registry.
Tangents include Lasagna at Christmas, being trans is not new, I’m so sorry we can’t pronounce Stańczyk, crochet prodigy Megan Alderson, boycott McDonalds but like we do kind of miss Ronald, have I ever seen a Mime in real life and being KILLED BY THE NUT CLOWN.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by West-End Veteran, Essex gal, musical theatre queen and another of Megan’s co-workers: the incredible Amy Louise Everett!
From pretending to be an aeroplane in baby ballet to an illustrious career across the musical theatre industry, Amy is here to tell the story of her life as a performer and how she’s come to have a career to be proud of.
Amy unpacks the pressures of starting drama school at age 16, the nuances of sexuality and dance, Cats and cruise ship contracts, developing selectiveness in the work you do and learning to say no, content vs prestige, agent relationships, the reality of the West-End, playing age and the ensemble vs lead mindset.
Amy also discusses her latest venture - opening her own dance school with her sisters! She spills on the trials and tribulations involved and how good of a reality TV show it would make. Amy also gets candid about feeling lost and navigating balancing your personal goals and professionals goals.
Tangents include vanilla milk, Ryan Gosling’s hip hop moves and having a family! 

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan invite you to join them at the inaugural Gloucester Independent Film Festival, where they were Acting Up live on stage! Tune in to hear the panel interviews (hosted by Megan, Jordan, Joshy and Oscar, including questions from the audience too!) with the award winning directors of the festivals headlining short films: Matty Reese and and Tom Berkeley.
Megan and Jordan sit down with Matty Reese - of multi award winning production company Colossal Films - the director of ‘How to Build a Life’. A deeply personal film about Matty’s brother Louis and his personal journey as a person with Asperger’s, dealing with bullying and poor mental health and finding hope through it all. They delve into both the technical and emotional process of making such an incredibly touching and beautiful film.
Oscar Wenman-Hyde and Joshy Lee (the founders and organisers of GIFF) then sit down with BAFTA and Academy Award winner Tom Berkeley to discuss his and his writing and directing partner, Ross Whites latest film ‘The Golden West’. A gripping black comedy following the strained relationship of two sisters, who having fled the Irish famine are desperately seeking their fortune in gold. They discuss everything from having a donkey on set to casting and the creation of a film which perfectly balances darkness and cruelty with humour and relatability.
Thank you to everyone who made this incredible opportunity possible, what a night it was!

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

Welcome back to Gloucester Independent Film Festival! This week Megan and Jordan invite you to join them as they run around the beautiful venue, microphones in hand, to converse with the attendees of the evening.
Tune in as they gather intel, insight and inspiration at the very beginning and very end of the night. They speak to everyone from locals to photographers, costume designers to graphic designers, Actors to Producers, family members to filmmakers and students to Academy Award Winners! The Podcast for people in all aspects of industry, truly found them all. Not to mention some familiar faces (voices).
They catch up with many of the people who were involved with the making of the short films screened at the festival - ‘How to Build a Life’ and ‘Golden West’ chatting with the boys from Colossal Films on their work present and upcoming and stealing the wonderful BAFTA and Academy Award winner Tom Berkeley to ask him about cruelty and if he gets enough best friend time.
They of course also steal time with many of the evenings talented winners, asking them about their brilliant new work and the journey to the esteemed Laurel.
If you are featured in this episode, please reach out so we can tag you and promote your work further!
Happy Halloween! Because what’s scarier than a career in the arts x

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Acting Up has, along with many of you, been deeply saddened, angered and disappointed to be reminded of the hate fuelled dystopia we find ourselves living in.
This podcast has and will always be a safe space to build community and uplift your voices. For the working class, the LGBTQIA+ community and especially our trans friends, for POC, for women and femmes and anyone who’s safety and body autonomy is threatened by politics. Though it’s so important to stay informed and to keep fighting for freedom and safety for all, it’s also okay to take a break when it all starts to feel too heavy.
So, in that vein, pulled from the archives today you have quite possibly the stupidest episode we have ever done - getting mashed and explaining Shakespeare. Take 45 minutes to look away from the darkness, and have a laugh at two drunk, unemployed actors. Megan throws it back to drama school and takes on Macbeth (but she can’t remember his name) and Jordan infects Twelfth Night with the woke mind virus. It also appears Jordans microphone wire was also drunk, so apologies for weird sounds, Megan’s breathing and a general lack of any composure or education value.
Megan and Jordan are both adults and do not condone drinking x
Tangents include tattoo removal, bum tattoos & modelling in Barcelona, sore rejections, lego hair and missing the proposal!

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by another dynamic duo, Melodrive megaminds and the founders of Gloucester Independant Film Festival; the wonderful Joshy Lee and Oscar Wenman-Hyde!
Joshy and Oscar delve into the inspiration and process behind founding a film festival in a community previously lacking one, nurturing a creative partnership, highlights from the evening itself and taking inspiration from authenticity.
Joshy reveals the formative media that kickstarted his career (Transformers 2) and his journey into the industry from college  to writing, directing, producing and editing his own feature length film.
Oscar admits to sneaking into Devon holiday parks to make films as a child, finding music while trying to avoid football and running with it all the way into university. However, the itch to tell stories persisted and Oscar found himself as a writer/director! 
They both spill on casting for your own writing (it’s a vibe check), the conception of Melodrive, the life cycle of a film, curating the perfect crew and what’s to come.
Tangents include getting kicked off the Cannes red carpet, nacho madness, REBRANDS, 8 follow up episodes, I think Coolsville sucks and CATS!!!!
Also we are so sorry we are still having tech issues, we are working on it but please do remember we are poor and equipment is expensive!!!

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan sit down to talk about their new favourite hobby, Pole Dance! From personal experience to a perplex history, this week it’s time to delve into the wonderful world of pole. Guest starring Jordan’s mum!
Megan discusses how the film ‘Anora’ inspired her to start, while Jordan discusses how she followed the ballet-aerial-pole pipeline and how it’s healing her relationship with dance.
Megan goes into the nuanced and contested origin story of pole dance and how it became the art form/sport we know today and how sex workers brought it into the mainstream. Jordan delves deeper into the association between pole dance and sex work and whether or not you can honour the origin of the art without sexualising its practitioners. An Acting Up journalistic trip to the strip club may well be in order? 
Discussion also turns to whether or not we could ever see pole dance included in the Olympics and why we haven’t thus far.
Apologies for the late release, as you will hear Jordan has been super busy moving house so tune in for an enormous catch up too!
Tangents include forgetting you’re an agent, a year in review teasers, being a victim of the crime of doing admin, why is moving the worst thing ever, chatty kitties and PS this is a PRO GRIP PODCAST! 

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are revisiting a question that haunted them during drama school - why do I cry when I sing?!
They each unpack their relationship with singing pre, during and post drama school, having both suffered with panic attacks while singing. Jordan spills on doing everything she could not to sing in first year and the time she had to relive being cheated on in Acting through Song, while Megan tells her past self to stop caring what other people think of her! Of course while acknowledging both the environment and external factors (being mentally ill anyway!), they ask themselves when and how can something you love become something you fear so intensely?
They then delve into the psychology of singing, and the impact of music and singing on the brain - where the research largely states it should make you feel GOOD! Though of course singing is extremely vulnerable and acting can cause a genuine emotional response, singing itself is proven to actually relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression! Ending with some wise words from a wonderful clown. 
Mega shoutout to the wonderful woman that is @hannahpreecesingingteacher !
Tangents include Christmas in hospitality and retail, casting commercials, moving forward into the new year and Megan gets cancelled by the ballet community. 
Obviously we are not mental health professionals and can only speak from our own experience, if you are struggling with anxiety whether it be singing based or not please seek professional support x
https://nopanic.org.uk/

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Acting Up are joined once again by the original guest and bestie of the pod - Rhys Tinney. Rhys returns for chatty discussion on a special interest, welcome to three besties on a sofa talking about horror! 
Rhys discusses their relationship with horror and how they came to be (in Jordan’s words) ‘an infinite well of knowledge’, spills some history and gifts you all a wonderful guide to getting into horror. Jordan laments again on the death of the medium budget film and remembers the horror that was her cortisol levels while watching queer icon, The Babadook. Megan delves into the media that turned her from nightmare haver to into a fearless fan of the genre and the iconic performances that stayed have with her. 
Discussions include the relationship between societal fears, homosexuality, eroticism and vampirism, the fine line between method acting and exploitation, pillars of the genre and the formula of fear, becoming the horror vs becoming the victim and remembering the iconic talent that is Shelley Duvall. 
By the way the song Megan is looking for is Tubular Bells (which Jordan was saying!) from THE EXORCIST not Halloween!   
Tangents include Grandpa Megan, the kittens origin story, apology with tears for inconsistency and Bill Skarsgårds tesco meal deal.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

1 year, 1 podcast, 2 besties, 2 countries, 4 counties, 25 guests, 49 episodes, a million train journeys and a whole film festival later?! We're so back.
Welcome to Acting Up in 2025!
In this episode we take a moment to reflect on and celebrate one more year of the podcast, one more year of friendship and one more year traversing the industry. Discussions include the Spotify Creators Wrapped and the statistics that blew our minds and warmed our hearts (we hit the charts and didn't even know about it?!), learning to pod as we go along, we did a film festival?! the friends we made along the way and you guys - the incredible community of guests and listeners who make Acting Up what it is. We remember the highs, the lows, the many groundhog days in between and the media (dramione fanfic apparently) and hobbies that got us through it! So what's next?! We set some goals, make a game plan but really you'll just have to wait and see! 
Thank you for spending this year with us, we are truly so grateful for every opportunity and every one of you. All we ever wanted was to feel like a part of the industry, to stay creative when all the doors seem closed and to let other working class creatives know that they aren't alone, that it is difficult and that it's okay if you can't afford it right now. We are so proud of ourselves, we are so proud of you and we can't wait to spend another year together. 
Thanks for everything. 
Love,
         Megan & Jordan x
Tangents include the art of smear tests, vampire threesomes, outing Megan, the power of acrylics, we heart WWE, getting assaulted, 37p refunds, death by a thousand paper cuts and KITTENS!

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are reuniting with another of their drama school classmates - they are joined by the wonderful, bilingual and certainly not too serious Sophia Cordell! 
Sophia gets off to a cracking start by telling a tale of Megan in contemporary, but soon rewinds to recount her journey from growing up and singing in Germany to upping and moving country to study Musical Theatre in the UK. Sophia spills on the flights, auditions and lessons learnt that led to her foundation course, diploma course and thus to Acting Up! Discussions include lockdown, expiring and age differences (classmate edition), discipline and taking it serious, crying during pirouettes, why am I playing the old one? and casting bubbles. 
Sophia then delves into post-grad life - from London life, auditions and learning to balance your time to professional debuts and international contracts, Sophia gets candid about her career. She spills on working in holiday entertainment and not smiling in the mascot costume, chaotic Christmas contracts, auditioning abroad, cruise contracts and breaking up with the boat. What ever could be next? 
Tangents include Lea Michelle’s illiteracy, the contextual studies basement, borrowing showers, foot necrosis sun burn, sobbing at 8:45am and Berlin vs Inthebin.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

You thought they were done interviewing Megan’s coworkers? Think again! This week Megan and Jordan are joined by the fiercely funny Actor/comedian Madelaine Crabb!
Maddie joins Acting Up to discuss all things her life and career (try to listen past the accent will you?). A Scottish child of Actor parents, Maddie delves into when your parent is your teacher, maybe I could have skipped drama school? leaving for London and winding up in the DUNGEONS with Ruth Jones and threatening yourself into becoming a stand-up comedian.
Discussions include comedy courses and competitions, writing, partnerships and diva moves, agent relations, Scottish identity and accents, crowd cultures and class, paternal hecklers, auditioning to be Megan’s mother, financing Fringe and how stand-up can inform your acting practices.
Tangents include charity shop hauls, 0 jobs from the pod, Willy out in the bible, clown scams and more outrageous women please.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week on Acting Up,  Megan and Jordan sit down with another face from their drama school days, the incredibly talented, not Spanish speaking, dance virtuoso that is Eli Follant! 

Eli opens up about their experiences within drama school and the industry, including the pressure to be a triple threat and moving away from expectations, moving out at 16, queerness, class clowning, coming out, changing your name, zoom pronouns and effective allyship. Eli gets candid about their experiences navigating institutions as a gender non-conforming person, from being made to choose gendered uniform to asserting yourself in the face of disrespect.

Discussions include being outed on open day, individuality and style in drama school, being a human before being a dancer, dissertations and graduations, can you be a choreographer and a performer? a rant on the headshot industry, professional dance contracts, collaborations across the arts and a sweet message to a future self. 

Tangents include blackheads, Jordan and Megan were like so cool and gay in college, hungover beans, the 100th episode party, where was Zoe Kravitz? Megan’s photography page and forcing Megan to dance.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are joined by the wonderful performing, milk drinking, dog loving, plant father that is Thomas Walton! Thomas is here to discuss his journey into the musical theatre industry and how he’s giving back to his community.

Thomas tells his story from being a young working class lad in ‘Alifax, pursuing theatre despite the all too common lack of opportunity in his area. Discussing the importance of school trips to the theatre, Pantomime and its accessibility, reach, culture and tradition and how it upholds regional theatres, the value and quality of work that is produced by regional theatres, the journey of some of those shows to the West End and how perception of a show can change based on location alone. 

Thomas also discusses his experience at drama school, casting types and height restrictions, choreographing against those archetypes, partnering, sports massage, muggle jobs and his professional credits - including his experience with puppetry, rightfully likening it to holding an SAS stress position!

He then tells the incredible story of how he chose to give back to his community and fill gaps he felt as a child by founding his Community Interest Company - Theatre North. A platform designed to support and celebrate Northern theatre, with hopes to host the North's own version of West End Live! Acting Up could not be more in favour! Thomas shares the companies five goals and the ethos, make sure to check it out @theatre.north !

Tangents include Britney the houseplant, our mutual Mia, Borrow my Doggy Jordans rant on height misogyny, Kenyan pen-pals, sustainability and cutting down on dairy!

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are asking themselves the age old question - is wrestling real? Why? Because Rhea Ripley that’s why.

Inspired by their newfound love for one particular wrestler, Megan and Jordan slam into the world of wrestling, starting with Megan’s brief history of the WWE and Jordan’s honourable mention to oily naked wrestling in Ancient Greece.

Discussions include films about wrestlers and the industry, wrestlers who became actors, fakery and nuance, the real dangers of safe stunts, getting hit by a car but the car is Rhea Ripley, can wrestlers break “character”, the concept of Kayfabe, Babyfaces, Heels and the language of wrestling and Divas to Champions; the women of wrestling.

Tangents include Dramione fanfiction with real tears from Megan, career updates and new headshots, vet trips, CJ and the Pokemon in Japan, kittens and cuteness aggression.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

This week Megan and Jordan are immersing themselves in the world of immersive theatre, from the history to personal experiences recent and historic - it’s time to go beyond breaking the fourth wall.

Jordan covers the basics of Immersive Theatre for actors, what it is, expectations for actors, Equity standards, how it’s been commercialised, what the future holds and the Post-Immersive Manifesto. Megan enlightens us on the pioneers of the genre such as Punchdrunk Theatre, Fruit for the Apocalypse and more. Touching on the political origins, the rise of site specific theatre and successful shows around the world.

Discussions include improvisation, celebrating Megan at the Moonshine Saloon, You Me Bum Bum Train, scare acting and assaulting nuns, Disneyland, Dismaland, the Willy Wonka Experience and so much NUANCE.

Tangents include Megan’s babadook birthday, Jordan’s tuberculosis, pro-library, a twilight ep, did you light a candle or is your house on fire? and seams where there shouldn’t be seams.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏

Megan and Jordan both recently celebrated their 25th Birthdays! And by celebrated they mean crashed out about their impending expiration from an industry famously unkind to older women! Yippee! So here it is - the long awaited and truly infuriating episode about ageism and misogyny in Hollywood. Buckle up because we’ve all been indoctrinated…

Jordan confronts the idea of the ‘expiration date’, anti-aging culture and paradoxical procedures to prolong careers, villainous hags and youth as a type-cast. Megan discusses the women of Hollywood that are fighting the odds and showing us there’s nothing brave about simply existing. They also explore the all too common experience of being “too old” to play the love interest of a much older man and how this can impact audiences and why an actress may choose to conceal her age.

Jordan then takes things to a place of data, discussing the infamous OkCupid study that exposed the preferred dating age of men and women and the graphs that have haunted her since she saw them, and an article from The Guardian which provides data that shows the older women get, the less they are heard - literally! But it’s not all doom and gloom, things are getting better - we just aren’t there yet.

And of course they couldn’t end the episode without a discussion on The Substance.

A heavy episode, look after yourselves! <3

Tangents include a trip to the vets, warm bread, Megan’s armpits and Jordan’s lazy eye, not getting your hopes up but envisioning your life, a surprise appearance and Magpie shagging.

You can find us as @actingupthepodcast on all socials ;)
We are @megan_alderson_ & @jordan.skids
Artwork by @those_who.try
Wanna be on the pod? Email actingupthepodcast@gmail.com 🃏