Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Luke Kempner (Part Two)

Episode Date: February 6, 2025

It’s nearly time to take to the stage - so join us as we walk from St James’s Park to the Sondheim Theatre with the brilliant Luke Kempner! In this part of our chat, we discuss Luke’s two stints in Les Miserables, being an understudy for Gareth Gates and the experience of being married to a twin. Luke will be performing his show, ‘GRITTY POLICE DRAMA: A ONE MAN MUSICAL’, at Phoenix Arts Club on Sunday 16th and Sunday 23rd February – tickets on sale now at www.lukekempner.comFollow @lukekempner on Instagram Follow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of Walking the Dog with Luke Kempner. Do go back and listen to Part 1 if you haven't already and do go and see Luke live in his show Gritty Police Drama a one-man musical at the Phoenix Arts Club. You can book your tickets at Luke Kempner.com. I'd also love it if you gave us a like and a follow so you can catch us every week. Here's Luke and Ray Ray.

I'm really enjoying this. Oh, I'm so good. Yeah, it's really fun. I love you, Luke. Well, you're brilliant. I hope I'm been alright because I do lots of different things. I sort of get worried that I'm like, oh, I'm talking too much about it. And it's like, it's just,

it's hard to stay on one thing. You're quite self-deprecating, aren't you? I think just, I don't know, it's, do you know what it was funny? It was like, as I was looking, you know, they very kindly asked me to come on here, and I was like, oh, I'm like,

very much the least famous person you've ever had on it. But, but I don't know. I suppose you just, you never, I suppose I probably am a little bit self-deprecating, yeah. What if I said you were also one of the most talented? How does that make you feel? Good. I don't know, really.

I just guess that... Yeah, I don't know. It's weird, isn't it? I just sort of... Just keep trying to work, keep trying to earn money. And being talented is a very nice compliment. But, you know, I remember having a year out of work when I first started and it didn't matter if you were talented sort of thing. So I don't know. Does that answer your question?

Yeah. I think the fact that you do, you have all these talents. You could argue that's what makes you such a lovely person. Oh, thank you. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Because I think sometimes that white heat that comes with being totally focused on one thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's amazing, but there's a ruthlessness about that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I certainly never get bored. I think that's, I think that is one thing that I love is that I'm never, I'm never bored of what I do. Well, you need to talk about Les Mies. Yeah. So you are playing. Ternardier. Some would say the best part.

Well, I would say the best part. I mean, like, you get to be the one a show that's literally called The Miserable and you come in and you'll get to be the funny one. Even though you're the biggest villain of the piece, and for listeners who haven't, who don't know the show, you know, I play. I'm sorry, I don't even think you do it.

If you haven't seen the show, I'm sorry. It's been there for 40 years. I actually think because my parents were theatre people. We used to go every time there was a new camera, darling. Oh really, yes, okay, yeah. But it's such a brilliant show. And my parents get so excited. And the new son time, oh, when that was out.

Oh, really? Stop all the clocks. Yeah, of course. But it's a fabulous role. Yeah. And obviously you seeing the sort of bring the house down. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, master the house with my wife, Madame Ternardier,

who's absolutely amazing and hilarious called Claire Machen. You said yourself in. the past you know the likes of Sasha Baron Cohen played this in the film and Matt Lucas played it on stage yeah it's a big role isn't it yeah did you have any sense of right I'm gonna really make this my own though I'm not gonna watch just go back and watch the film and I'm gonna I think um you know like when it when it came about I was sort of I thought I was very young for it and I thought it was a bit a bit too early for me but they you know they were really keen for me to come in and so then when I sort of

started approaching it in the audition process. I was always going to be influenced by Alan Armstrong, who was the original. And because that video of the 10th anniversary they did at the Royal Albert Hall, I watched it, me and my sister watched it till it had burned out. So I knew it so well.

But I'd also been in Lamey's 15 years ago. You were understudying Gareth Gates at one point. Yeah, I was, yeah, yeah. And was he marry us? Yeah. What was Gareth like? He's great. I mean, I looked up to him a lot.

And it's funny at the, now I think he was like 26 at the time when I was 21 but he just look up to him and oh my god he's such a superstar but it was he a bit annoying though when he used to say I'm not oh I'm feeling ill I'm not going on tonight and then he would say oh actually I'm feeling okay he did used to sort of like say to me oh my my voice is fucked my voice is fucked and then be absolutely fine and the thing is I was there just like desperate for any chance to go on Garrath we love you but you're not a theatre person yeah come on you don't do that don't tease man my mom was an understudy for years.

Really, yeah. And I knew that thing, like you do not mess with that. And the same as I know it now, having been an understudy, I'd never do that to my understudies. Darling, he's not of the world. No, he's not of our world. He doesn't know. He doesn't know our kind.

So, but I think like, going back to sort of Tanardier, like, and Ashley artists who played it when I was in it originally was wonderful, but in a very different way to how Alan Armstrong was. So I definitely had those influences. Yeah. But then after that, I just, yeah, I just really, I went to the, I read the book, which is too long and just decided.

It is long and it's a hell of a lot darker. Yeah. You know, in evidence. Yeah, there's no humour in it, really. Well, it's all, yeah. And also when you think about it, it's so interesting when you think, yeah, it's not great if you're a woman or a child. No.

You know, but it's, that's why I think it works so brilliant. as a musical because you can with those, you know, like that, your character is, there's so much comic potential in it. Yes. And you need that, you know, that likeness is, we need both as part of the human experience. And that's what a musical should do, isn't it? It encapsulates the human experience. I think the reason lame is so successful in that, similar to Shakespeare, it's sort of

how, it's timeless in that all the stories are human stories and you connect them in different ways. And even though I connect to it in a different. You know, like when Fontaine has to give away her child and she's dying and to do anything to get money to her child. And now I've got a little girl. I connect to that part of the story in a different way to when I was a kid

and I connected with Marius falling in love, you know? Do you know what I connected with? Java and his sense of angry vengeance. Yeah, yeah. Are you feeling that right now? Is that because I made you walk around Central London? I want to talk because we're dropping you at the theatre where you're performing.

Yes. Would you want to tell us what you're performing? So I'm performing, well, the Sondheim Theatre to perform Le Miserables. You're doing Le Miers now. L'Amears now. And then after that. After that.

Yes, I'm doing gritty police drama, the One Man Musical, which is my one-man show that I did in Edinburgh and then at the Soho Theatre. All sold out. And now I'm going to the Phoenix arts club that I'm fitting in on Sundays around Le Miserables, which some would say is crazy, but I just have this, my urge to still do.

What are you looking at? You scared for him? He's next to me. Oh my God, I saw him. He's doing. I'd let him. He's fine. No, he's so sweet.

She loves him so dearly. She worries for him. So sweet. So gritty police drama and is, I'm hoping it's a kind of, there's lots of, you know, pastiche satires on those real cop drama tropes. Well the thing is right

it's set in the line of duty with Ted Hastings like the battle so it's sort of his story and there's been a murder of a national treasure and unfortunately James Corden has been murdered and then in comes Catherine Carewood from Appie Valley

and the title is ironic she comes in and as does Steve Arnaut who's Martin Comston from Line of Duty Lufa is in there as well and now in this my new version it's got Jackson Lamb who's Gary Oldman from the Slow Horses

if you've seen the Slow Horses? Unbelievable so Jackson Lamb's in there this horrible farting horrible gazer and he's like thank you so much for your help and he's like Jesus Christ you mean I'm zip your flies and hold it for you don't even think about it or not so it's all set within that world

But within that world, they've got lots of new cops that have joined them. So you've got, you know, D.I. Louis Siru, who says, very good at, you know, asking questions, finding things that weird. Is that okay? He's very good at that kind of thing. Do you know what I mean? Is that good? So he's there and there's Gary Barnall's there with his massive son.

And so do you, this is a one-man show? One-man musical? One-man musical. And it's... 60 impressions, 60 minutes, one-man. And you're fitting this in at the moment around LeMay Miss. Yeah. I'm sort of re-learning it and learning the new stuff during the show actually.

So I basically finish at Act 1 and I have about 30 minutes off. I'll do a bit of learning then in my dressing room. And yeah, it is sort of time. You sound like you've got a bit of a strong work ethic? Or is it something that... Is it better for your mental health when you're busier, do you think? Yeah. It's one of these things.

I do think I have a strong work ethic. But I think as well, like, I have a guilt that hits me if I'm not doing something of use. So, like, I don't feel, like, if I'm looking after my daughter, I don't sit there feeling like, oh, I've got to work, I've got to work. Yeah. But, you know, I can't just sit around on social media. Like, I get a guilt of, like, I've got to be doing something, got to be writing, got to learn. And your other half is well known in her own right, isn't she? And she's one half of the Mac Twins.

She is, yeah. I love your love story. I think it's so sweet. She's wonderful. She's great, isn't she? Yeah, so we met when she used to run a musical theatre school. And we should say the Mac Twins are the DJs and presenters and podcasters. And they run a company called The Gutstuff, which is incredible.

Like they started it. Can I just say my Jen's head producer is nodding at the gut stuff? Yeah, it's an amazing company that they've built, you know, these two working class girls from Scotland who have built this up for nothing. and gone into this monumental world. And I'm so proud of them. How did you meet? Was it a real love at first sight?

Yeah. Did you? What happened? So we, she ran this musical theatre school in Scotland. And she, I was doing South Pacific, the musical in Edinburgh. And she contacted me and said, would you come and teach a masterclass of that and lay miss to the kids? Can you imagine her? I know what you do.

I know what she was. She was like, she said, come it, it'll be great. It'll be a miss. And I'll get you a taxi. Don't worry about that. Making it sound like tag her. I know, I know, I know. She's sort of like an angry Scottish thug.

But she just, the moment she walked. Very beautiful one. Oh my God. The moment she walked towards me, I would just, I genuinely was just like, oh, she's a most beautiful person I've ever seen in my life. And then, and she just had this attitude about her walk of just confidence. A bit of Gallagher. Yeah, it is, yeah.

A bit of not, I'm going to take any fucking shit, mate. But she just had this energy of like, you're not going to fuck with me. And I just went, I. want to be with you. Were you quite sort, prior to her, had you been decisive in relationships? Not really. Did you just get the feeling?

I'd always, I'd always, I'm a big, like, fall in love. I love falling in love. So, like, even from like, 17, just like every girl I met, I was like, I am so in love with you. But then, sort of, I'd been in quite a long-term relationship, and then we'd split up for about six months. And then when I met Alana, just any girl that I was texting, fell away and I just was like

this girl was... I literally went home that night and said to my flatmate at the time I went, it's mad that I could marry that girl. Really? And crazy that one child on and a marriage and here we are. And it's a little girl you've got?

Yeah, a little girl called Ari who's just wonderful and she's three and she's into dancing and princesses but also toolboxes and play-do and yeah, she's just brilliant. So if I asked your wife, what quality of Luke's do you find most challenging? Okay. What would she say to me, do you think? My worrying. Right. I worry

about the future and Alana is like the complete opposite. She's like it'll be fine, because it's always fine, it always works out. So you'll always get a job, you'll always get something and I'm like, oh what if I don't, but what if nothing happens and then we're You know, like I'm a big warrior for that. And it comes, my mum's like it as well. It's just such, she's such a worry about, you've got to have money. You know, and like you, no one's going to give it to you. There's no one that's going to, there's no backup.

You've got to make it yourself. Yeah. Alana is just, I think it comes from being an identical twin because you've always got someone by the side of you championing you the whole time. And they're mirror twins, aren't they? Yeah, they are, yeah. Which I understand. It's funny, I've always thought, oh, identical in mirror,

but they're slightly different. Am I right, Luke? And the mirror is the same but like a reverse image. It's like a photo of you. So if you had a beauty spot, it would be on the other side. Exactly, yeah. So one's right-handed, one's left-handed. Their fingerprints are just like you say, complete mirror image of each other.

So, yeah. And you did a podcast called shit I married a twin. Yeah, I did. Yeah, we did that for a couple of years. And it was great. We get on so well me, Lisa, who's my sister-in-law, and like, we've always just got on so well, which I think has obviously always been very important to Alana that I got on so well with Lisa.

But they're not like, oh yeah, we're identical to terms of we don't hang out that much. Like they are, they talk to each other 24 hours a day, every WhatsApp group is, and it's wonderful. It's a really nice relationship. And you've said you have actually had some scenarios where you've kind of had to look twice. Is that my wife? Yeah. On your wedding day, Luke? Not on a wedding day, not on a wedding day.

It was actually at their cousin's wedding was quite a bad one where they were both bridesmaid, so they were dressed in the same dress. And as we were walking out of the chapel, I put my arm round Lisa around her waist. And she just looked around and she was like, what are you doing? I was like, oh God. And then like, it happened on Instagram once because they share an Instagram account. And one of them had posted this picture and she looked really nice. and I was like about to message and went oh you look really fit and then I went oh I don't know if that's I don't know if that's my wife now I'm doubting myself and so I think I just wrote if this is Alana you look fit if this is Lisa you look lovely and I can't remember to this day if I got the right one actually oh we're in a very busy place for Ray is Ray all right around the way he's fine but you know as a Chihuahua lover yes and former only

You all know what it's like for little dogs. Oh no. They're quite overwhelmed. Even for a big dog, it's pretty scary. Yeah. He's very good though. He's a really good boy, isn't he? You're so good.

What do you think of him? Is it made you think about getting another dog maybe? Would your daughter like it? Oh my God, would she? She would love it. I think Ari would love Ray, don't you? Oh, she would have to go around and visit the Kempner's way. Oh, she would love that.

Yeah, we would love to get another dog. We talked about it yesterday actually, wait a few more years till the area's five or six. Also, when you're doing these hours as well. Oh, God. So gritty police drama we were talking about. Can I tell you

one thing? Yes. Because I have a whole list of things that make me laugh in police dramas. Okay, great. So one of the things which sounds a bit weird is the way they're always fighting to get the investigation. They're going, hell, hell, that's our jurisdiction. This is our case. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. We all accept that

police work is largely admin. and paperwork. Yeah. So why are you fighting to get more admin, more work? And then people get sent over. I always like that people get sent over from other jurisdictions. And they're always landed there, so we've got he's been sent over from over there and now he's working with us.

And they're always nervous of this new guy that's come in. I don't know how you deal with things over there, but we do it our way. Yeah, there's always our way. Yeah. And in every squadron or in every sort of waiting room, there's always a sex worker with a cropped fur jacket chewing gum.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, she's there and she's actually just damaged. She's got a hard gold, I find. Oh, God, she might give us more clues than any of the other suspects with now. There's always that, there's always the older man who is his last job. Oh, yeah.

And he's always got an alcohol problem that no one else knows about but we see, they show us. And he's always just like on the edge, but he'll pull through in the end. I love the chase scenes. That's something I've really enjoyed with pretty police drama.

The new version I've written is I've got a chase scene with the slow horses where they have Gordon Ramsey, Gary Barlow and Liam Gallagher are chasing him down because Gordon was at the police cordon for James Corden.

So Gordon was at the Cordencorden and so I always like the chasing and there are always so many tropes of that as in like the guy that they think they've caught the guy but they've actually just grabbed his bag and he can always just wriggle out of it. There's always a fence, there's always an alley that's too tight, so they have to like to like change the way they walk through it.

So I really enjoyed picking up those tanks. Well I can't wait to come and see it. Oh, well, we enjoyed to have you. I might even sneak Raymond in. He'd be a good police dog. He's the most well-behaved dog ever. Do you think so? He's not, because Pongo was like yappy.

Really? Uh, Raymond is, he knows how to work with podcasts. Do you know? I don't know why. I think he's always been quite like this. He's just quite zen. But I think, Luke, it's because I'd had quite a tough time when I brought him into my life.

And, you know, I'd experienced quite a few losses. Yeah, yeah. I almost think dogs adapt to that. Yes. And I think he sort of knew, oh, okay, this one needs a bit of chill. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think maybe Pongo just thought, oh, these two are all sorted and they're happy.

I can do my thing. Well, they just thought they're both massive attention seeker, so I'll join him with that. Are you an attention seeker? Yes. I like, I do like being centre of attention and I don't know if that's a

I suppose it could I don't, I like other people having their time like I'm not someone that sits there and is like oh I don't please let me but but I like one of my like biggest icks or fears or anything like that is when you're a round table of

like eight people and the person next you'll try and start a private conversation when there's Oh, I hate it so much. Because I'm just like, and that doesn't mean I have to be leading here. But I get a real like, no, no, no, no, no, we're a group, we're a group. We're all going to chuck things in and have our chat. No, I hate that.

It feels like the VIP section or something. Yeah. But I always just find I'm sitting there goes, tell the group. We want to start a little conversation. Tell the group. Is Sue's your youngest or elder sister? Elder, yeah. So she's two and a half years old.

Okay, so you're younger as well. Like me, I was a younger sister. Yeah, yeah. And I think all my life I've had that slight. of being the one in the back of the car, were two people in the front, craning their heads through the middle of the seats. I can't hear you.

What is it you're laughing at? Yeah. Have you had that? Yes, there's definitely a lot of that. And definitely a lot of looking up to people and trying to emulate them. Who do you look up to? I definitely think, you know, growing up it was my sister

and my dad. And then like now, I just look at people around me or people who've given me advice like Russell Kane, I supported Russell on a couple of tours and I've always looked up to Russell and his talent and with words and his performance skills. And then like working with Steph McGovern, I really look up to Steph now. I just think she's just so bright and brilliant at what she does. Whose career? When you know when you look at people, I think it's really interesting and you think I'd like their career trajectory would suit me. Okay, yeah. Is there anyone you think about? I think for me it probably be Steve Coogan in that he, you know, started as an impressionist and comedian.

He's a brilliant actor as well now. But he gets to do these brilliant serious roles as well. And you know what? I think maybe it's because he's so bright. Yeah. Oh yeah. But just so supremely talented. That's a career I would luck to emulate.

Setting it out, setting the sights high. I can see that. girl. So, we just arrived at Lemisarabla, Son Time Theatre. It says the Tony Olivier Oscar Grammy winner.

What's that called again, Luke? The Grand Slam? No, there's a word when you get all of them. Like Elton John's got it. Oh, really? Elton John has it. Egot. Oh, it's the Egot.

Do you know what? I think you'll have an EGOT. Okay. Oh. There aren't many people capable of getting one, but it's true, you will. It is amazing to work in the West End and it's just like you just look down shafts

through Avenue, you see all these amazing shows to be part of that. And even things like when Maggie Smith died, they like dimmed the lights at seven o'clock and just to be in the theatre as they were doing that was so marvellous. Do you feel when you're about, what's your first line?

I mean, I'm not going to make you sing it outside the theatre. My first line is... Sotto Vochay. Will you shut up on trying to get some pissing sleep up here? It's actually my first line. What's your first singing line? song line is uh here try this lot guarantee to hit the spot or I'm not a nardier does it do you get us like every time you go to say those words when you think how long

they've been sung this is me I am so we get a picture with Raymond come on I'm so proud it's great okay that's all right phase a real stickler for time no no it's good The call will have just gone out and I'm due to be on stage in five minutes Do you get nervous when they give the call? Do you know what? I did it for the first year but now I'm in my second year of it now

and I have started to get nervous on stage a bit because I find I just doubt myself that I know it because I know it too well and it's really annoying like I could sing it for you now without even thinking about it This is here yeah

These are your kids We've arrived at the stage store And all the children of course Because there are children in ladies Yes, they are. Little gas with six, about the nine rotating kids. Do you know what? I think I've got the height for it to play Gavroche.

Yeah, you can go in a hat. Absolutely. I could rock it in a hat. We do have one girl that has to be emergency Gavroche. She's at 25. They don't have conceal. I can get away. Yeah, you'd be fine.

Luke, I have loved this walk. Thank you, so much. It's been really, really great. Thank you for asking me. And I really recommend that you go and see, Luke, because I'm going to go in Gritty Police drummer, The One Man musical. It's on at the Phoenix Arts Club.

And you can go to... Is there a website already? Yeah, just go to Luke Kempner.com. It's all on there. Well, we will be. Marvelous. Nice to meet you, Ray. We have to let Luke go now

because he's about to put all his Tenardier costume on. Yeah. And we're going to say goodbye. Raven's going to say goodbye. We're going to have a nice... Oh, look good boy. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

Bye-bye. I really hope you enjoyed that episode. episode of Walking the Dog. We'd love it if you subscribed and do join us next time on Walking the Dog wherever you get your podcasts.