Soul-sapping auditions, toe-sucking hostage scenes and one very lost contact lens… An Ode to the Casting Director is a razor-sharp solo comedy lifting the lid on the chaos of chasing an acting dream. From former high-fashion model turned screen actor Sophie Fisher (Netflix’s Project Rabbit), this cinematic one-woman show fuses stage and screen to reveal the raw, ridiculous reality behind the scenes. With live-feed auditions, gut-punch honesty and laugh-out-loud lows, it’s a love letter to every performer who’s ever been ghosted by a casting call.
The show’s basically a love letter to the chaos of auditions – how do you stay motivated when it all feels a bit ridiculous?
I remember that at the end of the day, the reason I wanted to become an actor was to entertain people, to share stories and connect with audiences. I’ve become comfortable with throwing myself headfirst into the chaos of auditions because it all serves that goal. Its only embarrassing if you choose to let it be embarrassing!
Did you ever think your weirdest audition stories would be something people would pay to watch?
Not in my wildest dreams. Never did I think getting my toes sucked during an acting class would be something I would recreate on stage for the world to see.
How much of you is in the version of Sophie we see on stage?
A lot! I’ve essentially crammed all of my most embarrassing stories, my weaknesses, my strengths and all of my vulnerabilities into a show to lay out for a room full of people to see. I find that terrifying but also exciting to be able to show that to audiences and share those feelings.
What would you say to young people who feel stuck between what they want to do and what they feel they should do?
As someone who spent too much of their life doing what I felt I should do I would say you should always go with your gut. Go with what you want to do, play it smart and a bit tactical if you need to, but you will always regret not chasing your dreams. You will never know if it works until you try it. Don’t be afraid to try things out, I used to get locked in a real fear of commitment and a feeling of finality but you can change your mind as many times as you want. Don’t get so locked up on making the right decision, make the decision right. Trust you have the ability to make your decisions work and follow them through.
If someone walks out of An Ode to the Casting Director feeling fired up, what do you hope they go and do next?
I hope that they go and do the big scary thing that they’ve always dreamed of doing. That they take the big leap and trust that they have the ability to figure it out along the way. And I hope they tell their friends to come and see the show!
Gilded Balloon Patter House (The Penny) from Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th) at 11:40. Tickets are available here.