Beyond the Stage: The Careers You Never Expected Musical Theatre to Lead To

What if the skills you build in youth theatre don't just prepare you for the stage — but for a life you never saw coming?In this episode of Open House, the official NYMT podcast, host David and NYMT Young Company member Tash Werblow are joined by three NYMT alumni who've each carved out a remarkable path beyond performance.Robin Franklin is completing his PhD in American history at Princeton University, where his love of musical theatre led him to specialise in the cultural history of LGBT life. Adam Hepworth is the Singing Physio — a professional performer turned vocal physiotherapist who has just completed a year on the Mary Poppins UK tour. And Cathy Tate is a wardrobe and costume designer with decades of experience across theatre, film and television, including work on the Matilda film.Together, they explore the crossroads that so many young performers face — and why following more than one passion might just be the best decision you ever make.In this episode: How Robin went from NYMT stages to Princeton's lecture halls — via American musical theatre Adam's journey from performer to specialist vocal physiotherapist, and why he retrained at 30 Cathy's 40+ years in theatrical costume and what the industry has lost since she started Why the skills you build in theatre — resilience, empathy, collaboration — travel further than you think The impact of COVID on backstage careers and the freelance workforce Why theatre isn't just for performers, and the huge range of roles that surround a production Honest advice for young people at a career crossroadsGuests:Robin Franklin – NYMT alumnus and PhD candidate in American history at Princeton UniversityAdam Hepworth – NYMT alumnus, performer and specialist vocal physiotherapist (The Singing Physio) Cathy Tate – NYMT alumna, wardrobe and costume designer across theatre, film and TVHosts:David Grant – NYMT Associate Producer Tash Werblow – NYMT Young Company member and co-hostFollow / find out more:NYMT: nymt.org.uk | Instagram & TikTok: @NYMTuk Tash: @tashwerblowDavid: @david.z.ukAdam: @singingphysio

What this episode covers

What if the skills you build in youth theatre don't just prepare you for the stage — but for a life you never saw coming? In this episode of Open House, the official NYMT podcast, host David and NYMT Young Company member Tash Werblow are joined by three NYMT alumni who've each carved out a remarkable path beyond performance. Robin Franklin is completing his PhD in American history at Princeton University, where his love of musical theatre led him to specialise in the cultural history of LGBT life. Adam Hepworth is the Singing Physio — a professional performer turned vocal physiotherapist who has just completed a year on the Mary Poppins UK tour. And Cathy Tate is a wardrobe and costume designer with decades of experience across theatre, film and television, including work on the Matilda film. Together, they explore the crossroads that so many young performers face — and why following more than one passion might just be the best decision you ever make. In this episode: * How Robin went from NYMT stages to Princeton's lecture halls — via American musical theatre * Adam's journey from performer to specialist vocal physiotherapist, and why he retrained at 30 * Cathy's 40+ years in theatrical costume and what the industry has lost since she started * Why the skills you build in theatre — resilience, empathy, collaboration — travel further than you think * The impact of COVID on backstage careers and the freelance workforce * Why theatre isn't just for performers, and the huge range of roles that surround a production * Honest advice for young people at a career crossroads Guests: Robin Franklin – NYMT alumnus and PhD candidate in American history at Princeton University Adam Hepworth – NYMT alumnus, performer and specialist vocal physiotherapist (The Singing Physio) Cathy Tate – NYMT alumna, wardrobe and costume designer across theatre, film and TV Hosts: David Grant – NYMT Associate Producer Tash Werblow – NYMT Young Company member and co-host Follow / find out more: NYMT: nymt.org.uk | Instagram & TikTok: @NYMTuk Tash: @tashwerblow David: @david.z.uk Adam: @singingphysio

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This episode is 42 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 30, 2026.

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