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Artist bio

Laura Wyatt O’Keeffe is a multi-award-nominated Irish theatre-maker, actor, drag king and DJ whose work spans theatre, cabaret, live art and immersive performance. Raised in Cork and trained at East 15 Acting School, she has built a career creating and performing work that blends storytelling, ritual, humour and audience interaction. Her practice moves between conventional acting, devised theatre and drag performance, often exploring identity, community, belief and connection. Through her drag king character Father Jesse, Laura reimagines Irish Catholic ritual through a queer, comic and deeply human lens, bringing performance into theatres, clubs and other unexpected spaces.

Episode summary

In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg speaks with Laura Wyatt O’Keeffe about her path from childhood theatre in Cork to acting, theatre-making and drag performance. Surrounded by rehearsal rooms from an early age through her playwright and director aunt, Laura grew up watching stories being built from the inside and began performing herself while still very young. She reflects on how those early experiences shaped her understanding not only of acting, but of audience, structure and the wider world of performance.

The conversation follows her journey through university and drama school, where she trained as an actor while also beginning to make her own work. Laura speaks candidly about ambition, fame, funding and the difficult balance between artistic vision and practical survival, as well as the privileges that time, money and access can bring to making great work.

A major turning point came during and after the pandemic, when Laura found herself drawn more strongly to drag and cabaret than to traditional theatre. Through her drag king character Father Jesse, an Irish Catholic priest delivering mass in unexpected settings, she discovered a form that allowed for deeper audience interaction, humour, ritual and shared experience. Together, Adam and Laura explore religion, performance, community, queer identity and the power of art to help audiences recognise themselves in unfamiliar worlds. The episode closes with an Irish language lesson and a discussion of Laura’s work beyond performance, including an opera-based breathing programme supporting people with long Covid.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Father Jesse and the themes of ritual, identity and connection

00:01 Laura Wyatt O’Keeffe’s career across theatre, drag and DJing

00:02 Growing up in Cork and being surrounded by theatre from childhood

00:04 Early performing experiences and learning by watching rehearsal rooms

00:09 The Irish arts scene, cultural identity and support for artists

00:11 University, East 15 and developing as an actor and maker

00:17 Fame, resources and the realities of sustaining an artistic career

00:19 The pandemic, drag, cabaret and discovering a new performance language

00:23 Audience impact, live connection and why interaction matters

00:26 Creating Father Jesse and using drag to explore religion, ritual and queerness

00:31 Performing for different audiences and challenging assumptions

00:38 Returning to acting and balancing long-form theatre with drag

00:39 Irish language lesson and lighter moments

00:40 Work beyond the stage, including opera and long Covid breathing sessions

00:44 Artistic influences, storytelling and what performance can do

If you want, I can also reduce these timestamps to 10 to match the format you used for the other episode.

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Artist bio

Jon is a Cornwall-born stand-up comedian and juggler whose work combines technical circus skill with sharp comic timing, improvisation and audience interaction. He began juggling at the age of six after becoming obsessed with diabolo, balance tricks and circus props, and soon turned that passion into performances, workshops and paid work while still a child. After initially training as an electrician, Jon took the leap into performance full-time as a teenager and built a career across street shows, cabaret, comedy clubs, theatres, cruise ships and international touring. Known for blending virtuoso juggling with warmth, risk and self-aware humour, he has developed a style that challenges assumptions about what a juggling show can be.

Episode summary

In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with comedian and juggler Jon about growing up in Cornwall, discovering juggling as a child, and turning an unusual obsession into a full-time career. Jon reflects on learning diabolo, juggling clubs and balance tricks from a young age, practicing through school lunchtimes, and performing in assemblies long before he had any real sense of what a professional life in juggling might look like.

He shares stories of growing up as the “oddball” who was happy to spend hours practicing while others played football, being encouraged by supportive parents, and learning from local clowns, magicians and street performers. The conversation traces his path from early paid workshop jobs and a brief apprenticeship as an electrician to a life-changing opportunity with Gandini Juggling that pushed him to move to London and try performing professionally.

Along the way, Jon discusses the difference between technical skill and building a genuinely entertaining show, why comedy and juggling belong together, and how mistakes, drops and jeopardy can actually strengthen live performance. He also talks about the misconceptions people have about juggling, the grind behind the glamour, and the strange realities of life on the road. The episode ends with Jon teaching Adam a simple juggling-based fork-and-apple trick, which becomes one of the podcast’s most satisfying small victories.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro, Jon’s comic style, and a preview of performance disasters

00:01 Growing up in Cornwall and starting juggling at six

00:03 Diabolos, juggling props, school performances and becoming the “oddball”

00:08 Supportive parents, early paid workshops, and learning from local clowns and magicians

00:18 Leaving an electrical apprenticeship and taking the leap into full-time performing

00:21 How Jon built a show, found his voice, and learned that personality matters more than tricks alone

00:24 Deliberate drops, live jeopardy, and why failure can make performance better

00:27 Inspirations, juggling’s image problem, and some of Jon’s wildest performance stories

00:35 The A–Z tour, performing in unusual places, and Jon teaches Adam a fork-and-apple trick

00:41 Practice, world records, women in juggling, advice for performers, and the realities of the job

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Artist bio

Ashley Luke Lloyd is a Blackpool-born actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and writer whose career began in childhood on major UK stages and has since spanned West End musicals, touring productions, film, teaching and choreography. He started performing professionally at a young age after being cast in Whistle Down the Wind, touring the UK for four years, and later joined the original cast of Billy Elliot as Michael. Since then, his theatre credits have included Dreamgirls, Jesus Christ Superstar, Saturday Night Fever and Legally Blonde, alongside screen work in films including I Could Never Be Your Woman, working with names such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Sissy Spacek, Elton John and Tim Curry. Alongside performing, Ashley continues to teach young people in Blackpool and remains a passionate advocate for arts access, regional talent and the power of storytelling.

Episode summary

In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with Ashley Luke Lloyd about growing up in Blackpool, discovering theatre through sheer childhood energy, and building a career that has taken him from child stardom to West End productions, film sets and choreography. Ashley reflects on his first break in Whistle Down the Wind, the unusual realities of being a child performer, and what it was like to appear in the original stage production of Billy Elliot at a time when the show was reshaping conversations around masculinity, class and dance.

He shares vivid stories from backstage life, including performing eight shows a week as a child, learning from theatre impresario Bill Kenwright, meeting Elton John, and later working on film projects with Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd and Tim Curry. The conversation moves beyond career highlights into bigger questions about auditions, rejection, live performance, why theatre remains different from film, and why storytelling matters more to Ashley than fame.

Ashley also speaks passionately about arts education, the class barriers facing young performers, and the need to keep creative opportunities open to children from working-class backgrounds and regional communities. The episode closes with a playful segment in which Ashley teaches Adam a small piece of Billy Elliot-inspired choreography and a dramatic line reading from one of his horror films.

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Artist bio

Helen Nash is a Cornish-born pianist and cellist whose career spans live television, orchestral performance, crossover string work, and high-profile collaborations across classical and popular music. Raised in rural Cornwall, she began piano and cello as a child and later studied cello at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. After an early break playing for Robbie Williams, Helen built a varied freelance career performing with artists including Andrea Bocelli and Cher, while also appearing on major television shows such as The Graham Norton Show and Britain’s Got Talent. As a member of Escala, she has helped bring string music to wider audiences through inventive arrangements and outreach work, while continuing to reflect on arts access, education, and the realities of sustaining a life in music.

Episode summary

In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with pianist and cellist Helen Nash about growing up in rural Cornwall, finding music early, and building a career that moves between classical training, live television, and crossover performance. Helen shares how an unusual combination of family influences, countryside life, and a chance encounter with a local cello teacher led her into music, even though no one in her immediate family was a professional performer.

She reflects on studying cello seriously, stepping away from it after music college, and then being drawn back in through an unexpected mix of songwriting, freelance opportunities, and high-profile gigs. From playing for Robbie Williams at the Royal Variety Performance to joining Escala and working across television and live events, Helen describes a career that has often developed organically rather than through one fixed plan. The conversation also explores the pressures of practice, the realities behind the glamour of performance, the value of music education, and the growing barriers facing young people who want to enter the arts. Helen closes by arguing that the arts remain essential to human life, even in an age shaped by AI and rapid technological change.

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Artist bio

Rhys’ Pieces is an East London cabaret performer, drag artist, and host known for high-energy, genre-blending performances that combine lip sync, spoken word, movement, comedy, and political commentary. Born in Romford and raised in Hackney by a single mother, Rhys grew up navigating intersecting identities as a mixed-race, queer, working-class performer who also attended a more privileged school environment. Beginning with spoken word and rap performance before moving into drag and cabaret, Rhys became part of London’s alternative queer performance scene through institutions such as Duckie, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and The Glory. Over more than a decade on stage, they have performed across cabaret clubs, theatre venues, drag competitions, and community events, developing a distinctive style that plays with gender, identity, satire, and audience interaction.

Episode summary

In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with cabaret performer and drag artist Rhys’s Pieces about identity, performance, and finding a creative voice in London’s queer nightlife scene. Rhys shares their upbringing in East London, growing up mixed-race with a white mother and absent father, and how early interests in drama, literature, and performance helped shape their artistic outlook.

The conversation traces Rhys’s unconventional journey into cabaret. After early ambitions in acting, struggles with auditions, and a period of feeling lost during university, a workshop with the legendary queer club night Duckie introduced them to the world of cabaret performance. From there Rhys began developing acts that mixed spoken word, rap, lip sync, dance, and performance art, eventually creating the persona Rhys’s Pieces as a way to express the many parts of their identity.

They discuss the history and meaning of cabaret as an art form rooted in satire, community, and audience interaction, as well as the importance of spaces like the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in nurturing alternative performance scenes. The conversation also explores wider topics including class and opportunity in the arts, the impact of drag culture and shows like Drag Race, and how live performance remains uniquely human in a world increasingly shaped by technology and AI.

The episode closes with a light-hearted moment as Rhys attempts to teach Adam how to twerk, before offering advice to young performers about confidence, self-belief, and creating work that reflects who you truly are.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and meeting Rhys’s Pieces

00:01:24 Growing up in East London and early performance interests

00:03:25 Identity, school life, and navigating race, class, and queerness

00:05:22 Early cultural influences from Riverdance to pop music

00:07:43 From acting ambitions to spoken word and rap performance

00:12:49 Discovering cabaret through Duckie and London’s queer nightlife

00:15:02 What cabaret means and its roots in satire and audience interaction

00:18:18 The drag journey and creating the persona Rhys’s Pieces

00:26:36 Class, identity, and opportunities in the arts

00:32:01 Twerking lesson and advice for young performers

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Artist bio

Harry the Piano is a West London–born pianist, improviser, and musical director known for his virtuosic, genre-blending live performances. Raised in Shepherd’s Bush in a vicarage household with no television, he began playing piano at four after an upright was donated to his family. Classically trained to Grade 8 by 14, Harry developed a parallel obsession with improvisation and jazz, inspired by Oscar Peterson. Over a varied career he has performed with artists including David Bowie, Will Smith, and Beyoncé, appeared as a resident pianist on major UK television shows including The Big Breakfast and Johnny Vaughan Tonight, and built a reputation for spontaneous audience-request performances that fuse classical, jazz, pop, and film music in any style. His YouTube channel has attracted millions of views, and he regularly works as a composer, arranger, and educator in schools.

Episode summary

In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg sits down with pianist and improviser Harry the Piano to explore a career built on spontaneity, skill, and versatility. Harry reflects on growing up in Shepherd’s Bush with no television, discovering the piano at four, and developing perfect pitch while balancing classical training with a love of jazz improvisation. He shares how early gigs in West End restaurants and clubs led to television work, performing alongside global stars, and becoming a resident pianist on major chat shows.

Harry explains how his signature live act evolved from club performances where guests would challenge him to play any tune in any style, a format that became the foundation of his theatre shows. The conversation moves through encounters with Hugh Laurie and Dame Edna, the realities of fame, and why he prefers a creative life without celebrity pressure. They also discuss AI in music, the importance of live performance, the decline of arts funding in state schools, and why improvisation unlocks confidence in young musicians. Harry closes with practical advice for aspiring performers, from identifying your strengths to understanding how the industry really works.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and Harry’s upbringing in Shepherd’s Bush

00:02 Early piano lessons, improvisation, and perfect pitch

00:04 School shows and discovering a love for arranging

00:06 University in Sheffield, jazz bands, and musical direction

00:09 Oscar Peterson inspiration and learning by ear

00:12 First paid gigs in the West End and club circuit

00:16 TV work, The Big Breakfast, and playing with global stars

00:20 Hugh Laurie, Dame Edna, and celebrity encounters

00:26 AI, live performance, and the future of music

00:30 Arts education, improvisation in schools, and career advice

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Artist bio

Richard Enion is a Midlands-based drummer and entrepreneur who blends live percussion with facilitation and business. Raised in a small village near Burton on Trent, he started drumming after being inspired by a school assembly performance and later trained formally for several years in Derby. Alongside playing drum kit in bands, Richard built a career delivering large-scale drumming workshops for companies, using rhythm as a tool for connection, stress relief, and shared achievement. He appeared on Dragon’s Den, accepted an on-air offer, and later chose not to take the deal, while still benefiting from the experience and exposure.

Episode summary

In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with drummer and entrepreneur Richard Enion about how rhythm became both a musical path and a business. Richard shares his early life near Burton on Trent, his first drum kit at 12, and the school assembly moment that sparked everything. He explains how he moved from playing in bands to running corporate drumming workshops, building sessions that take groups from zero to a full performance and helping people feel safe, energised, and present. Richard also tells the story of travelling in the Caribbean, trusting a gut instinct that landed him a drumming gig, and how that period led directly to buying djembe drums and launching the team-building side of his work. The conversation covers why drumming can feel meditative and communal, what happens when participants are hesitant or have been drinking, and why arts access in schools matters. Richard then talks through his Dragon’s Den journey, including pushing back after being told there was no slot, the eventual pitch, the offer, and the decision not to sign. The episode ends with Richard teaching Adam basic stick rudiments and sharing advice for young musicians on starting with whatever you have, then doing the practice that builds real skill.

00:00 Intro and Richard’s background near Burton on Trent

00:02 First drum kit and the school assembly inspiration

00:04 Lessons, rudiments, and learning the fundamentals

00:08 Caribbean drumming detour and trusting the instinct to ask

00:10 From bands to djembe workshops and the start of team building

00:11 What a corporate drumming session looks like and why it works

00:14 Handling reluctant participants and the alcohol factor

00:15 Drumming as focus, stress relief, and shared “medicine”

00:21 Arts in schools and inspiring young people through music

00:21 Dragon’s Den, the offer, and why Richard walked away

00:27 Adam learns stick basics: singles, doubles, and paradiddles

00:33 Human energy vs electronic tools and AI concerns

00:36 Advice for young drummers: start anywhere, then practice hard

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Laura Wright is a British singer and recording artist best known for classical and choral repertoire, crossover performances, and live appearances at major sporting events. She began singing young, learning by ear and developing a natural instinct for harmony through family car journeys. Laura won BBC Songs of Praise Young Chorister of the Year as a teenager, which led to national performances and recording opportunities, including being in the classical-crossover group All Angels. She later trained at the Royal College of Music, building the technique and stamina needed for a long career. Alongside concerts and recordings, Laura is closely associated with stadium anthems and ceremonial performances, and she supports the growth of women’s sport through music.

Episode summary

In this episode of The Variety Show, Adam Sternberg talks with singer Laura Wright about the early moments that shaped her voice, from harmonising in the car as a child to performing in high-pressure live settings. Laura shares how winning Young Chorister of the Year opened doors to broadcast performances and major opportunities, then led into All Angels and eventually formal training at the Royal College of Music. They discuss nerves and breath control, what happens when live performances go wrong, and how emotion and grief can affect the voice over time. Laura also explains how her love of sport became part of her career, from singing at landmark matches to supporting women’s sport, and she reflects on fame, reviews, and staying grounded.

00:00 Intro to Laura Wright

00:01:04 Early memories of singing, harmonies, and musical upbringing

00:04:10 The moment Laura realised singing could move people emotionally

00:07:40 Young Chorister of the Year and the first big break

00:12:25 Nerves, breath control, and the risk of live performance

00:15:00 When things go wrong: mic failures and adapting in the moment

00:18:34 All Angels, touring young, and the realities of the industry

00:22:00 Royal College of Music, training, and the opera question

00:31:04 Sport, stadium anthems, and women’s sport

00:46:15 Vocal warm-ups, Adam’s lesson, and advice for young performers

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Artist bio

Laura London is a Westminster-born magician and close-up performer known for sharp sleight of hand, storytelling-led shows, and deep knowledge of magic history. Diagnosed with ADD (now ADHD) as a child, she found focus through performance—first inspired by a kids’ party trick at eight, then shaped by formative mentorships including Hungarian legend George Kovari, iconic British magician Fay Presto, and manager Jenny Dunster. A former youngest female member of The Magic Circle at the time of her admission, Laura works internationally across theatres, private events, and corporate settings, and is passionate about advancing magic through study, practice, and respect for the craft rather than labels or shortcuts.

Episode summary

In this episode of Variety, Adam Sternberg meets magician Laura London at The Magician’s Table in Bermondsey for a candid, funny, and wide-ranging conversation about how a chaotic childhood in London’s nightlife world led to a life in magic. Laura talks about being born in Westminster, spending early years around entertainers and rock ’n’ roll energy through her mum’s nightclub, and the shock of losing that world as a child. Diagnosed young with ADD/ADHD and told she might struggle in conventional school and work, Laura explains how creativity became her anchor—after seeing the classic “Run Rabbit Run” at age eight and realizing it wasn’t the trick that mattered, but the joy it created.

Laura traces the path from magic-shop afternoons at Davenports to meeting George Kovari, across the road, then leaving school and home at 15 and using magic to survive—sometimes literally trading performances for food. She shares what it felt like entering The Magic Circle as a young punk-looking newcomer, and the moment Fay Presto intervened, mentored her, and opened doors to her first serious paid work. The conversation turns to women in magic: the long history of overlooked pioneers, why Laura avoids the label “female magician,” and how representation is shifting through TV, the internet, and changing expectations for what girls can do.

They also dig into the difference between close-up and stage magic, why presentation matters more than method, and the idea of “real magic”—not supernatural belief, but the rare performance moment that stays with someone forever. Laura describes performing internationally and how audiences vary by culture, why reading a room matters at corporate events, and how a nightmare Edinburgh Fringe malfunction forced her to improvise in front of some of the world’s best magicians. The episode ends with Adam attempting a card spring under Laura’s instruction, followed by a tease of Laura’s upcoming new show (not all cards this time), developed with Jonathan Goodwin.

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Artist bio

Coco Sato is a Tokyo-born origami artist, educator, and performer who reimagines traditional paper folding as large-scale sculpture, installation, and live performance. With a background in printmaking and photo media, she approaches origami as both a visual art form and a choreographed, audience-driven experience. Her work spans workshops for children and families, festival performances using giant paper and full-body movement, and collaborations that connect origami with STEM ideas like geometry and engineering.

Episode summary

In this episode of Variety, Adam Sternberg sits down with origami artist Coco Sato to explore how a simple sheet of paper can become sculpture, performance, and even a tool for teaching maths. Coco shares origami’s roots in Japanese history, from folded poetic letters and gift-wrapping traditions to its modern identity as a widely taught childhood pastime in Japan.

Coco traces her own path from studying paper-based art and photography to building a career after becoming a mother, when she shifted toward teaching and discovered that scaling up origami made it more visible, physical, and performative. She describes moving from small demonstrations to giant outdoor festival work, where the folding itself became the art. They also discuss the difference between precision sculpture and live performance, the minimal tools required, and the real-world problems origami faces, including weather, soggy paper, and the challenges of giving clear instructions in the moment.

Adam learns two simple folds on camera, a butterfly and a cat, and Coco explains why origami can be therapeutic, how it trains focus and concentration, and how it can reshape how people see creativity in everyday materials. The conversation also touches on origami’s links to STEM, including geometry basics, collaborations with mathematicians, and real-world engineering applications like compact folding methods used in space-related design. Finally, Coco reflects on AI, where it can mimic the look of folds in advertising without being physically possible, and offers advice for young artists: stay flexible, say yes to opportunities, take risks, and do the scary thing that leads somewhere new.

00:00 Behind the scenes setup and intro to Coco Sato

00:00:42 What origami is and its origins in Japanese poetic letters

00:02:24 Coco’s background, Tokyo and Yokohama, creativity at home

00:03:55 From childhood play to paper-based art and 3D folded photo work

00:07:08 Motherhood, teaching, and discovering large-scale origami

00:08:18 Giant origami, choreography, performance vs sculpture

00:11:18 Minimal tools and Coco makes Adam a paper bow tie

00:17:47 Origami butterfly tutorial on camera

00:22:30 Adam learns an origami cat and Coco’s philosophy on perception

00:28:00 STEM links, folding limits, things going wrong, AI, and advice for artists