Ryan Kopel and Vivian Panka (Breaking Character)

After a successful run of starring in the UK and Ireland tour of Dear Evan Hansen, Ryan Kopel and Vivian Panka reunite for an evening of mischief and mayhem as they perform some of their favourite songs as well as giving audiences an insight into their time performing together. Their show, Breaking Character, will take place at the Crazy Coqs in London this November for one night only, and we took the opportunity to speak with Ryan and Vivian to tell us more.

Q) So before we dive into it, please can you tell us a little bit more about your concert Breaking Character and how the collaboration came about?

Ryan: Yeah, so the concert is called Breaking Character. I mean, the collaboration came about, for anyone who doesn't know, Vivian and I have just finished doing the UK tour of Dear Evan Hansen together. Vivian played Alana, I played Evan and we had such a good time on that tour and throughout the year we kind of just really casually discussed one day doing a concert together and what that would be like. It was always very hypothetical and we discussed the songs we'd want to do and what the vibe would be. And then not even that long ago, Vivian just texted and was like, would you actually want to do it? And I said yes and then she had the venue booked and everything started in 24 hours. So that's kind of how it came about.

Vivian: Yeah and then a week later, we were taking pictures and then the next day, it was done. Everything was done and we told everyone, it was crazy. It went really fast and we were so aligned as well on the ideas that we have. Like obviously we have a little bit of back and forth, but we have a very similar idea of what we want this concert to be. So that's super exciting.

Ryan: And Breaking Character came about quite easily. We had a few titles in there that we were kind of choosing between, but Breaking Character seemed to be the one that encompassed the kind of night we wanted to give. We want it to be light-hearted, we want it to be funny, we want it to be kind of a peek behind the curtain of what the shows that we've been in have been like and just to tell people our experiences. Because we know, as fans of theatre, like I certainly know especially growing up, that's kind of what I wanted to hear from actors. What it was like to make those characters and be in that show.

Q) With a show as emotionally exhausting as Dear Evan Hansen, I assume that having these backstage antics lifted the spirit off stage amongst the cast and crew. What other strategies did you have to protect your mental health during such an extensive tour?

Ryan: Good question. I mean, for me personally, I came back to London most weekends to see my partner and my friends. That was really important because touring can be hard, especially if you're just going from venue to venue. It's that feeling of not being settled anywhere, especially because we were doing weekly touring. So you would arrive on a Tuesday, you would leave on a Sunday and it was just a lot in that sense. So yeah, coming to London and being lucky enough to have a base here was really important for me. And I've spoken about this a little bit before, but I really like mind numbingly stupid reality TV as well. So I love just belting out Words Fail and then coming home and putting on Real Housewives. That was the best thing in the world.

Vivian: I mean, we were obviously, I keep saying this, like Ryan and I, we're not in the same boat in that show. Because he's going through all of that and I feel like Alana's part is more like, I mean, it's not like Jared, but it is kind of to relieve some of that tension. We do have a more serious scene, in act two it gets more serious, but I think the backstage banter and all the jokes and everything made it so that we, as a company, didn't always feel so heavy. And I think that will happen on a lot of shows. It's not like, we're not serious actors, but I think we just recognise that if you stay in that feeling, just everything will become super, super heavy. And we were pretty good with balancing that, I think.

Q) Audiences can expect stories of music and mischief as behind the scene stories will be shared in between performances - do you have a standout backstage antic from your time on Dear Evan Hansen?

Ryan: I've got one and I really should, I'm sorry Viv, I really should save this for the concert. I will save the details for the concert. So, I don't know if anyone remembers in You Will Be Found, Vivian comes on with a phone. And she's like, look, all at these people in the Connor project. Bear in mind, I have just sang a verse and I'm very emotional, all that stuff. Vivian, towards the end of the contract, would come on with a phone and it would have different pictures on it that maybe weren't super appropriate. So then she would come up to me and say, look, look at the Connor project and it would be some crazy photo that I'd be like, oh my God, and I'd have to hold it together.

Vivian: I just want to say one thing. Tom (Dickerson) started this and it was not, we're not going to get fired now, it was not towards the end of the contract. It was from the start. And Tom would come on stage and have a picture that, oh my God at the end, he had pictures that he would have taken of us during the show. I think those phones that actually work were like an extra layer for us to like play with. Ryan's phone was off though, because Ryan, do you want to tell us why your phone was off at the end of the contract?

Ryan: Are you talking about So Big, So Small? in Bristol. I remember it so well. So, and to be fair, that's the only antic I can really think of in Dear Evan Hansen for me, because I actually didn't have a lot of time. But that one was quite funny. And I always used to look forward to see what picture they would bring on. But in Bristol, I had just done Words Fail and I got onto the bed with Alice and I'm crying and she's hugging me. And you know an emergency alarm, when if you hold your phone and it holds for like five seconds, it starts ringing. Well that happened. So then I tried to take my phone out and hide it under the bed covers while she's still trying to do this scene, and it wouldn't go off. So then I just throw it off the side of the stage. It was honestly the worst thing. So from that day forward, the phones got switched off.

Vivian: His phone got switched off, just to be clear. His phone got switched off, all of ours stayed on. We have so many pictures on our phones. I wish we could have taken the phones.

Q) Vivian — having done your solo concert recently and now collaborating on Breaking Character, how did working alone differ from working with someone else (in terms of creative input and emotional energy?

Vivian: Ooh, that's a great question. It's different because I've already done it which makes everything just so much easier. But also, I would speak to Michelle (Payne), our associate director, who helped me with my concert. And now I can just speak directly to Ryan. Whereas, and with Michelle, obviously, it was my choice in the end. Whereas now it's kind of like 50-50. I can't do something if Ryan really doesn't agree with me.

Ryan: She's lying. Viv's the complete boss. There's no difference because she's making all the decisions. She's the brains.

Vivian: No, Ryan is really chill to work with. Like, let me just be so clear. He's really chill to work with and he has really good ideas. And then we can actually bounce off of each other with ideas, like the title, you know, and for the pictures and stuff like that. Sure, I will come up with an idea but then Ryan can be like, oh, would it work if we do this, and this and that? And I think it's actually way more fun. So it's really fun, it's fun to do it with a friend, I think.

Q) And is there anything you’ve learnt from your first concert ‘What’s Next?’ that you’ll be bringing forward to this next concert?

Vivian: Yeah, to not really stress about the sales so much. Really guys, get your tickets because it's selling actually really, really, really well. But also, I'm very aware that people will still buy last minute tickets and stuff like that. So I'm really chill this time. Like, it's definitely going to be so fine and it's going to be so much fun. I know how everything works, our sound check and all of that. So like, I don't know, I'm just a bit more confident in that. And I think also because we're not doing Dear Evan Hansen literally right now, it takes a lot of pressure off of me and we can just like, play and like, have fun.

Q) Ryan - this is the first time that you're doing this sort of an intimate concert that focuses on you on a personal level - how do you approach the prospect of being your most authentic self on stage rather than stepping into a character?

Ryan: Ooh, good question. I mean, I don't know. It has been a shift for me that I'm not fully sure that I've gotten to come to terms with yet. Like, when we were discussing, Viv and I, about the concert and what the vibe would be, there were times where I was like, I can't tell that and I can't say that because that's too much. Like, I think I have to have a mask on of some sort. But Viv has been really encouraging and really helpful in finding that there's something rewarding about getting up there and just performing as yourself.And there's people out there who want that as well. As much as we have the best job in the world, getting to play these characters, there's people that now also want to hear what it was like to play those characters. I think that's probably been the part that I'm grappling with, is that in this industry, it's just going to drama school and training. The method is kind of like get work, do it, and don't complain. No one needs to hear about the hard work of it all. But actually, there's something quite nice in the sharing of that.

Q) The setlist teases everything from Mean Girls and Dear Evan Hansen to Lady Gaga. How did you both go about choosing songs and stories to tell for your concert; when you've both already had varied and successful careers?

Vivian: Well, this was another thing that was very easy for us. If we did have discussions about it, they came very easy. Let me also just say, a lot of this stuff I learned from Alice Fearn. She knows exactly how long a concert should be, how much talking time there should be and all of that stuff. So, she really helped me with the first one. This time, I was ready thinking we need this many songs and we should do this many duets. Then also, we really want to do songs from shows that, this is a big teaser, that each of us has done. So, Ryan will do a song from a show that I've done and the the other way around. Not necessarily, if it's a Heathers song that he will do a Heather Duke song. It might be something else. Do you know what I mean?

Ryan: I think the idea of stepping into each other's shows was really fun for us and really exciting.

Q) The concert will take place at the Crazy Coqs, which is an intimate cabaret style venue. How does that shape the experience you want to create for the audience?

Ryan: Well, it's just, it's just so intimate and I think that helped us with the type of show that we wanted to put on. The idea of taking that mask off and just talking to the audience and not just talking in between songs, but that's something we are thinking about in our performance style. Some of these songs are huge songs in musicals and what's been really fun is thinking about the arrangements of them and stripping them right back so it's like a monologue that we're putting to music. You can't hide in the Crazy Coqs, the audience are right there, so it really does feel like you're just talking to them.

Vivian: Yeah, maybe there'll be some audience participation. We'll chat to people, I don't know, it's gonna be fun.

Q) You both have creative talents beyond performing - Vivian, you’re in the process of writing your own musical and Ryan, you’ve previously written your own music. Do you have any further dreams or aspirations beyond performing within this industry that you’re aspiring to?

Vivian: I can certainly answer that if you want. I have so many goals and dreams, like I have a million. I've always had like a million projects running. But I really, eventually, outside of the industry, I would really just want to start my own business. I think that would be amazing. And I think, I mean, both of us would love to do some more TV and film, and stuff like that. So we're always like, while being grateful for where we are right now, always thinking about what's next and what opportunities we can grab, right?

Ryan: No, I'm the opposite. I have no aspiration. I'm very happy being an actor. I don't really, but I think it's really interesting, you know, when people ask if I have aspirations to direct or to write, and I just don't. I'm just really, really happy being an actor and I love that part of it.

Q) The concert title Breaking Character suggests the notion of stepping out of your typical roles. If you could take on any role, who would it be and why?

Ryan: Well, I saw Oliver recently and Nancy is such a good role. The songs that she gets to sing, It's a Fine Life, I'd Do Anything, As Long As He Needs Me, that is an unbelievable roster of songs. And it was the first musical I'd seen. So taking away gender, I think I would say Nancy. And Oliver, it's such a British classic musical, I think it's like a rite of passage for any young musical theatre kid in Britain.

Vivian: So I've never seen Oliver. Well, that's the reason why, because I'm not British, you see. But maybe I should see it at some point. I don't really know. Like, this is hard. I love all of the tenor characters. So like Newsies and Jack Kelly. But oh my God, Santa Fe, imagine. And like Evan, 100%. You know what I mean? I would love to play all of those roles. But I can't and I won't. And that's okay.

Q) Why should the fans come along to Breaking Character?

Vivian: Okay, well, you should come to see our show because we have amazing songs planned and there'll be like amazing out of context moments. We'll share some things that we've never shared before, like Ryan was just teasing. And it will just be such a nice evening where you can really like see us as humans. And it's Ryan's first solo concert and he's brilliant. So yeah, definitely come and see us. And be quick, because tickets are selling out quite fast.

Q) Just a fun question to finish off - who would be your dream special guests for this concert?

Vivian: Lady Gaga

Ryan: Well, I should stop mentioning her in interviews.

Vivian: I keep doing it.

Ryan: But it would be her.

Ryan: Oh my God, the reign. If we're being like realistic, right? Who would I love to have as a special guest? Vivian's already said it but Alice Fearn would be amazing. Like getting Alice to sing No Good Deed would be my dream.

Vivian: honestly, we haven't asked her. Just to be clear.

Ryan: No, we actually haven't. And that was our conversation we had. We were like, oh, should we have guests? And then we were like, we're actually singing quite a lot already. So like we need to cut it down.

Vivian: Yeah, and it's the two of us singing. So like, but you know, you never know.

Ryan: For your questions sake, I think we're going to say Alice Fern.

Breaking Character will take place at the Crazy Coqs in London for one night only, with two performances on Monday 10th November at 6:30pm and 8:45pm with tickets selling quickly.

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