My first job was in 2022, playing Sonny in Grease the Musical on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. I heard about cruise ship musicals through one of my agent’s other clients. I never thought it was something I would end up doing. They originally weren’t able to see me, but then the night before, my agent called me while I was at my pub job and said they’d managed to squeeze me in the next morning. I spent the rest of my shift trying to learn the lines and the songs.

Once I got the job, I flew to Miami for rehearsals, and eventually got on the second-largest cruise ship in the world. I was terrified. But after trusting the guidance of our amazing director, I realised I wouldn’t be there in the first place if I wasn’t able to do the job. A big lesson I learned from that job was the power of trusting myself and the only thing I would change looking back is that I’d love to go into it with more belief in my abilities. That said, the contract was a fantastic learning experience and helped build my confidence in a big way.

In addition to my current role as Nate in The Devil Wears Prada musical at the Dominion Theatre in the West End, I’m excited to be getting ready for Lyrics, with Love: Once Upon a Song, the latest in the series of concerts that raise awareness of mental health in the industry and is in support of Mind. This concert is an opportunity for me and my cast mates to share the stories and experiences behind the songs with the Other Palace audience, as well as giving me the chance to sing songs from shows that were turning points in my life, such as Grease and Heathers the Musical, which gave me my West End debut.

I love doing collaborative things such as the Once Upon a Song event because it’s a chance to perform with amazing people and to keep learning. If I could give any advice to people starting out in this industry, it would be to try to do as many different types of performance opportunities as possible – from voice teacher recitals to high school drama classes. Any chance to perform is a chance to improve.

Keelan McAuley

Age: Undisclosed
Training: Guildford School of Acting
Theatre includes: Heathers the Musical (West End and UK tour); Clueless the Musical (original cast – development run and West End); Grease, Columbus (Royal Caribbean); The Devil Wears Prada (West End)
Agent: Jackie Nicholson Associates

Lyrics, with Love: Once Upon a Song is at the Other Palace Studio on November 9