Time away from the stage is a good opportunity to keep those creative juices flowing.

David Hunter: I’m always buzzing around with some creative idea or another, I can’t help it! I get a bit obsessed with things. Being a songwriter helps because you can always grab your guitar and fire something out, even in isolation. I’ve got so many songs I want to write at the moment, but Songs For a New World is keeping me very busy!

…Plus it gave time to learn a lot.

DH: I’m not sure it’s something I’ve learnt, but I’ve been able to spend so much quality time with my kids. When we first went into lockdown, the thought of 24/7 childcare was terrifying…and then exhausting! We lost all the help from childminders, preschool and willing grandparents, so it was pretty daunting. But we adjusted, found a new rhythm and ended up really valuing the extra time. The kids have no idea about the scale of the pandemic and that’s kept us really grounded to be honest. Their world is a simpler place.

On stage, David’s been a doctor and a shoemaker to name a couple. But if he wasn’t a performer, what job would he take on?

DH: I always wanted to be a cartoonist and work for Aardman Animation, sculpting little Wallaces and Gromits and bringing them to life! I was all set to go to art college until I realised girls fancied me more when I wrote songs. So, Wallace got dumped and I went to drama school.

And now that takes him to The London Palladium, as he joins the cast for Songs For a New World.

DH: I feel incredibly lucky to join the cast! I saw the streamed performance a few months back and they absolutely smashed it! The whole thing was exceptional – the performances, the direction, the music, the sound, the editing. It was just wonderful. I couldn’t believe my luck when they asked me to step in. The cast are phenomenal and I’ve wanted to work with (Director) Seímí Campbell for a while now. Plus it’s at The London Palladium with a real audience! I’m chuffed to bits!

There’s a lot more to expect from taking a streamed performance to a live one on stage.

DH: There’s hopefully a bit more applause! I’ve been involved with a few streamed performances during lockdown and I can’t wait to work with an audience again. We all know the beauty of live theatre is found in that immediate relationship with an audience, the energy in the room, that feeling that anything can happen and when it does, we’ll be experiencing it together. I can’t wait to feel that again – I’ll even try and enjoy the pre-show nerves!

Songs For a New World comes to The London Palladium for two shows on Sunday 11 October 2020. Find out more here.