ben hall | 37

Ben Hall joins Takaya Honda to talk Pretty Woman: The Musical, Neighbours, Better Man and the relentless drive to keep improving. He opens up about life on tour, building chemistry with Samantha Jade, surviving live theatre disasters and the sacrifices required to make a living as an Australian actor. What we get into: · Playing Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman: The Musical · Married life and travelling Australia with his wife, Prue · Why performing eight shows a week is a marathon · Being compared to Richard Gere · Returning to musical theatre after swearing he never would · Building trust and chemistry with Samantha Jade · The backstage discipline required to protect his voice and body · Missing his entrance during a song and entering “the white room” · Samantha Jade running offstage to be sick mid-scene · Completing almost 300 performances of Pretty Woman · His upcoming role in Whispering Jack · The uncertainty of working as an Australian actor · Looking back on his years as Ned Willis in Neighbours · Working on the Robbie Williams film Better Man · Why Better Man struggled commercially despite its critical reception · Performing Robbie Williams scenes in a motion-capture suit just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why? Support Just Tak on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/justtak Promotion / Links: Follow Ben Hall on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/benhall23/ Pretty Woman: The Musical Australia https://prettywomanthemusical.com.au/ SOAPBOXED – Melbourne 15–19 September 2026 La Mama Courthouse, Melbourne Big tech has the capacity to replace human art. But does it have the power? Written by Megan Herbert Directed by Ryan Moloney Run time: 90 minutes Suitable for ages 15+ Tickets and information: https://www.lamama.com.au/whats-on/la-mama-hope-punk-climate-festival/soapboxed/ Sponsors: https://beautyboat.com/ RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good. Support: If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone. Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 offers 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000. United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. Watch just tak on YouTube (and subscribe so you don't miss special live events). Catch up with all things @justtakpod on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook