Laura Tyrer: 'Big Audition did me a favour. I just needed to get in the room and be taken seriously for a role'

The Big Audition is ITV’s latest talent show, and sees performers audition for all sorts of jobs in the hope of landing their big break. With plenty of standby and understudy work under her belt in shows such as Ruthless!, Matilda, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, performer Laura Tyrer went on the programme in hope of becoming the West End’s next Velma Kelly in the musical Chicago. She speaks to Ollie Cole about the audition process, being in front of the cameras, and landing her dream role…

How did you get involved with The Big Audition?

It began with a regular audition. I was called in to be seen for the role, and the casting directors asked if I wouldn’t mind being filmed. That happens a lot in the industry if an overseas producer is away and needs to make the final decision, or if certain members of the creative team can’t be there. So I agreed and thought nothing of it. It was only after agreeing that they explained it was going to be a fly-on-the-wall documentary.

How did you feel about that?

I was not sure about it at all to be honest. It made me very worried because obviously auditions are so stressful and intense, and can make you feel very vulnerable a lot of the time. However, when it began, ITV were so respectful and were sure to stay on the outskirts looking in. It got to a point where I didn’t even know that the cameras were there – they looked like little tiny spaceships stuck on the wall. I was very nervous, but Velma is such a dream role of mine. If the choice was between auditioning that way or not auditioning at all, I was always going to pick the audition.

What was the audition like?

When you went into the room, it was genuinely like a normal audition. You’d learnt the routines, been sent your material, and performed it to the same creative team you would expect to see in any other audition. In fact, unlike a normal audition where you’re kind of fending for yourself and waiting outside, they were bringing us water and asking if we needed anything so I really did feel taken care of. That was a luxury compared with some other auditions!

In terms of your career, how was the timing of the audition?

I’ve covered a lot of roles, and so that was kind of my natural progression and path up the ladder. I got to the point a couple of years ago where I thought I really just want to play a role in my own right. A lot of the time when you’re thrown on for a role, or you only have a short time to play it as a cover, you don’t really feel like you get the chance to immerse yourself in the characters, and if you are thrown on halfway through a show you don’t even have enough time to get ready properly.

To actually be able to sink my teeth into a role was something that I just desperately wanted to do. And to do that, I had to take a step away from covering. I’m known in the industry for being a reliable cover, and because of that, you don’t necessarily get seen for the role itself. You sometimes have to take a bit of a risk and get yourself to start saying ‘no’ if you’re offered cover work.

I was at that stage just before the Chicago auditions, and I just needed to get in the room and be taken seriously for a role. So, this show did me a huge favour, because it meant I had the chance to not just show people in the room what I could do, but also anyone tuning in.

You got the role – what has playing Velma Kelly in Chicago been like?

It’s such a dream role. I’ve covered it before, but this is completely different and I’m absolutely loving my life at the moment. It’s been so much fun, with a brilliant cast. It’s such an iconic musical, and it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen it I still find it so witty and slick and sexy. It’s just one of those shows that I can’t get enough of. It’s the only show I’ve ever gone back to.

Duncan [James playing Billy Flynn] and Alex [Alexandra Burke who is Roxie Hart] really do make those characters their own, and working with these brilliant people is fascinating. When I joined the cast they just welcomed me with open arms.

Has the experience helped you out at all when it comes to your confidence in auditions?

I get very nervous before auditions, sometimes I can’t sleep before them. As a performer, you put so much pressure on yourself, and we’re all our own worst critics. I know that when I watch this one back on the programme, I’ll be thinking: ‘Oh God, why did I do that? That was a terrible acting choice…’ and so on, but at the end of the day that forces you to keep on learning and progressing.

Before I go into the room now I just think to myself: ‘Look, they want to find the right person for the job. You might be that person, just do your best’. I walked away from the Chicago audition thinking: ‘If I can cope with that situation of feeling watched by cameras and a big TV audience then I can do anything.’ That was a big deal and a big hurdle for me, because of how I feel about auditions.

There’s been a big discussion this year about auditions, and getting casting directors to give a yes or no answer whether you’ve got the part or not. What are your thoughts on the #YesOrNo Campaign?

Without sounding crazy, I’m still waiting for a no from some jobs and they were years ago. You know, it’s been five years, I’m assuming I didn’t get it. I am fully for the Yes or No Campaign, I think that it’s courtesy. I think it’s just some consideration that makes you feel, as a performer, that you’ve been valued for putting a lot of yourself on the line during that process.

It can be complicated because sometimes they don’t tell you anything because they genuinely don’t know, or because they’re waiting to see if they can fit you in somewhere else or down the line if somebody drops out. There is that element, which I fully understand, but if they know you didn’t get the job it would be nice to get that courtesy of a phone call or message. It would be one less thing to be anxious about really, that waiting that comes at the end of it. It’s closure, and you can move on without it in the back of your mind. It can use up a lot of nervous energy waiting for that answer, which can all be sorted with a little extra effort and consideration.

The Big Audition is on ITV tonight (October 26) at 9pm

Chicago is playing at the Phoenix Theatre, London, until 5 January 2019