S5E19 - "People wanted to believe that West End Producer was somebody really important"

In 2010 a new theatre producer hit the twitter scene. But this wasn't like any other producer, this was a persona and he was talking the talk. After swiftly gaining popularity for his tongue-in-cheek relatable showbiz musings, it was time for 'West End Producer' to walk the walk. Which he did..donning a mask, sticking a pillow down his trousers and adopting a voice that is now so synonymous with the character he portrayed. For 14 years the real identity of 'WEP' has been a secret...until now. After writing two books, being a columnist for The Stage, appearing at countless press nights and industry events and amassing a cult following, it was time for the man behind the mask to be revealed. With rumours swirling and some steadfastly believing it was really a producer akin to Sir Cameron Mackintosh, actors across the country (including Alexa and Katie) were delighted to discover that the genius behind this character was, in fact, a "jobbing actor" in the 98%. Christian Edwards started posing as West End Producer all those years ago partly out of frustration at the industry and all it entails for actors, and partly as a need for a creative outlet he was in control of. He had no idea when he sent that first tweet that he'd gain 60,000 followers, be a voice of guidance for many, have a sell out show at the Edinburgh Fringe, become an author, and be the centre of London's best kept theatre secret for over a decade. In today's episode you'll hear from West End Producer himself, as well as Christian who shares the times he was almost at breaking point, the imposter syndrome he faced as WEP, close calls of people finding out, why he is unmasking now and more classic 98% actor stories than you can imagine (including how going from the red carpet as WEP to a promo work shift the next morning really puts a new spin on #actorslife!) Follow West End Producer @westendproducer And Christian @chrisedwards79 . Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. . If you've benefitted from and enjoyed the podcast and want to give a little back, we have a ko-fi where every penny thrown in our hat goes straight into contributing towards the costs of running the podcast and creating helpful content online for actors. Every little helps and is so appreciated! https://ko-fi.com/the98percent  . Want to connect with other actors around the world, be coached, see castings, read in for self tapes or earn money reading for others? You can do all this and more at https://www.weaudition.com with 25% off your monthly subscription with the discount code 9825!