00:00 Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor from Sussex Newspapers, and it's
00:06 lovely to be speaking to Jamie Monk this morning. Now Jamie, you're on the road with Greatest
00:11 Days, which I've seen twice under its own name, the band. Now it's heading back to Southampton's
00:17 Mayflower under the new name, Greatest Days. What difference does that name make, do you
00:22 think, obviously reflecting the film in the meantime?
00:24 Yes, yeah, I mean, as I said, unfortunately I didn't get to see the band, but the difference
00:31 seems to be very much in the staging. So our version is a bit simpler, I think, and focusing
00:38 on the story as much as possible. I'm really excited to go to Southampton and to see it.
00:44 I guess the main thing is, it's just such a lovely story, isn't it? It's so involving.
00:49 Just set the scene a little bit for those who haven't had the pleasure yet.
00:52 Yes, so if you haven't got to see it yet, it's beautiful. What I really love about it
00:56 is people come expecting one thing and then they get something completely different if
01:00 you don't know anything about it. People come expecting it to be maybe about Take That or
01:05 about the boys in some way, but it's actually really about the fans. So the storyline is
01:12 five young girls who bond over their love for this boy band, which lots of us can relate to.
01:21 And then you see them first when they're 16 and then something happens which I won't spoil,
01:25 but it means that they don't stay in touch. And then they reunite 25 years later to go to
01:31 a reunion concert of the same band. And it's just a really lovely story about female friendship.
01:37 And it's about growing up, isn't it? And about not going quite as you would hope as well.
01:42 Yeah, that's what I love about it. It's like everyone can relate to, you know, you have a
01:46 dream when you're younger and it doesn't quite go the way you planned or something you think you
01:51 want, you actually wanted something else. And that's just life, isn't it? And I think everyone
01:54 can relate. I remember being such a touching show, really quite poignant, wasn't it?
01:58 Yeah, it's really, it's really lovely show. I really enjoy it. And we get really lovely
02:04 comments from the audience that they can really relate to it, which is what you hope for when
02:09 you go, that people see themselves in it, you know. And it's a fabulous one for you,
02:13 doubly New Territory, first musical, first tour. This is quite something, isn't it?
02:18 Yeah, it's really exciting. It's so fun to be in a musical. It's like,
02:21 and take that. I mean, what great songs. And I'm not sick of the songs at all.
02:26 Everyone keeps asking me.
02:27 Why would you be? You've only got until November to go, haven't you?
02:31 I know. I just think it's brilliant. And it's just so nice to hear Shine every night and Relight.
02:36 And it's always exciting. So that's good.
02:39 Fantastic. And you've been on the road now for quite some time, six months or so, haven't you?
02:44 Yeah, we've done about two thirds now. So we've got one third to go, which it's felt like we've
02:49 been on the road for ages, but at the same time, it's gone really fast. So yeah.
02:53 If you're still visibly this happy, that's a very good sign, isn't it?
02:56 Yeah. And not too tired. So that's good.
02:58 Fantastic. Well, really lovely to speak to you. Thanks for your time. And so very much
03:03 looking forward to seeing you again in Southampton. Thank you.
03:06 Oh, thank you so much. That's so nice. So excited to see you in Southampton.
03:10 Thank you.
