How Very Hannah

S3 Ep18: Jordan Luke Gage: Writing His Own Musical, the Original Romeo & Queer Stories on the Main Stage

How Very Hannah

Show Notes

I have been so excited for this one!! Jordan Luke Gage is one of the most multi-talented humans I know… original Romeo in &Juliet, Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde, Cal in Titanic, and now he's written his own musical. Yeah. His own musical (!!!) 🎭 In this ep, we get into his insane career trajectory, from four years of not being able to book a job after drama school, to Max Martin coming to watch him in Bat Out of Hell and calling him in the next day, to being the original Romeo in &Juliet. We also talk about what it's actually like being an onstage alternate, why he thinks that's harder than doing the role every night, and the roles he'd go back and play in a heartbeat. But the real heart of this episode is Redcliffe - Jordan's own musical which he has written, composed and poured four years of his life into. It's the story of two men who fell in love in 18th century Britain at a time when being gay was punishable by death, and it's a story that has never been told on the main stage before. He tells me about finding the real archive documents in Bristol, the women at the archive who said "we've been expecting you", and why he genuinely wept when he first read about these two men. I cannot wait for you to hear this ep… it’s giving goosebumps! Redcliffe runs at the Southwark Playhouse Borough from 22nd May to 4th July - get your tickets now!! 🎟️ https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/redcliffe/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23736403918&gbraid=0AAAAAosxaomhb3hYJ31ZpsflO6jCizH-a&gclid=CjwKCAjwqubPBhBOEiwAzgZX2opCnbwCgNao6KeNZaIwH11NV-GX0VIyP3ZBYgM3gYPs2cG0sB13WxoCsn4QAvD_BwE#book-tickets

New episodes every Thursday at 7am! Hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an ep ✨ 💌 Send your Confessions, hotline questions and stagey dares to [email protected] or slide into the DMs @howvery_hannah 🎟️ And come see HOW VERY HANNAH LIVE for one night only in the West End!! I’m heading to The Garrick Theatre on Sunday 24th May for a very special evening... There are still some tickets left, so get yours right now 👉🏼 ⁠https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/how-very-hannah/⁠

🎟️ See Legally Blonde on tour!! Book your tickets 👉🏼 https://legallyblondeshow.com/⁠

And make sure to follow the pod EVERYWHERE! Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/howvery_hannah TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@howvery_hannah

ps BUY MY BOOK - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/476785/les-quizerables-by-lowther-hannah/9781529978964

— Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️ Music by Joe Truscott 🎵

More from How Very Hannah

Oct 22, 2026

This month’s throwback will have you singing from the rooftops… cause I’m bringing back not one but three iconic guests!! 🎶 Remember Monday — Lauren, Holly and Charlotte, our 2025 UK Eurovision girls — joined me in the studio last year just before their headline tour. A lot has happened since. We revisit the Eurovision zero televote moment, Holly’s secret nine-show Les Mis career, and the time I tried to harmonise with them live (perfect stagey chaos, as always tehe). Get tickets for their 2027 tour HERE: https://www.livenation.co.uk/remember-monday-tickets-adp1428784?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAafOHDNHfrvl9nuHiQIGTVgoFBRvoND6mCNyqacPnbxDHJT1YMpAGHRbVm7PAQ_aem_kAH6WUrnsrk8FeyY2lVxTQ

Oct 15, 2026

She poked me in the brain with her wig, and we still had to walk on stage. That is on the Divina De Campo experience! 🤪 This week I’m joined by my on-stage husband from the SpongeBob Musical UK tour — the iconic Divina De Campo. Drag Race UK Series 1 runner-up, four-octave vocal range, Ride the Cyclone, Amanda at the Bridge House Theatre, and now about to play Hugo/Loco Chanelle in the 10th Anniversary UK Tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie from January 2027. Oh, and she auditioned for that exact role straight after Drag Race finished…seven years ago!! Full circle doesn’t even cover it 🥹 We get into all of it — the SpongeBob memories, the Drag Race UK audition process, and her very first drag show failure that saw her never look back. You can catch Divina De Campo as Hugo/Loco Chanelle in the 10th Anniversary UK Tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie from January 2027 — tickets here: https://www.everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk/

Oct 8, 2026

Happy Halloweeeen 👻👻 well… almost This week How Very Hannah is going full spooky kooky, and I am not sorry!! Forget the career chat. This week I'm telling you the real ghost stories of the West End — and I mean real. I’m going full true crime podcaster with FOUR STORIES from Theatre Royal Drury Lane, His Majesty's Theatre, and the Adelphi stage door. Content warning: we do talk about murder. If that's not for you, skip this one — but if you’re up for some spooky kooky creepiness, DIVE RIGHT IN! 🎃 New episodes every Thursday at 7am! Hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an ep ✨ 💌 Send your Confessions, hotline questions and stagey dares to [email protected] or slide into the DMs @howvery_hannah And make sure to follow the pod EVERYWHERE, it really helps us grow the show. Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/howvery_hannah TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@howvery_hannah

Oct 1, 2026

It’s a family affair in the studio this week, and it was absolutely chaotic! It’s Max, Harvey and Tilly!! ✨ The twins started performing as babies and went on to build one of the UK's biggest social media followings — all while being, by their own admission, completely annihilated at school for it. Their little sister Tilly, 15, is along for the ride too, doing GSA on weekends and building her own platform. We get into all of it, including their favourite and least favourite musicals (tea was SPILT), what it's really like to work with your family, and why being crushed creatively at school made them who they are today. You can catch Max and Harvey on their ‘A Decade’ Tour — London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Cardiff from October. Get tickets here: ⁠https://www.maxandharveyofficial.com/⁠

Sep 24, 2026

Guys... we're throwing it back!! and for our very first Throwback Thursday we're going all the way to the beginning... 🎭 This is the episode that started it all - our very first guest episode of How Very Hannah, with the one and only Layton Williams. (listen to the full ep!!) When we filmed this, Layton hadn't had his Olivier nomination yet, let alone won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for playing the iceberg in Titanique. His career is something to be studied honestly. We revisit the episode, Layton tests how well I actually know him (spoiler: not well lol), and we get into audition disasters. New episodes every Thursday at 7am! Hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an ep ✨ 💌 Send your Confessions, hotline questions and stagey dares to ⁠[email protected]⁠ or slide into the DMs @howvery_hannah Make sure to follow the pod EVERYWHERE!

See all episodes →