Broke & Ambitious

In the final episode of the series, Frances speaks to Michael Keyton. Not the famous Hollywood actor but the Liverpool-born author and…you guessed it...her dad. Liverpool born and bred, Michael Keyton has worked in some of the dirtiest hotels in Wales, played in a ceilidh band, and taught in a warm and challenging school in Newport before getting off for good behaviour . His books include Clay Cross, The Gift Trilogy, Cheyney Behave, Tales from the Murenger, Phage, and Anthony Trollope: Land Power and SocietyMichael gives some wonderful insight into getting started as a writer, shares disgusting tales of working in factories and restaurants, and even tries to plug an erotic novel he wrote. Enjoy the finale of series 2!Michael Keyton's Amazon Author Page Michael Keyton's blog: Record of a Baffled SpiritArtwork: Yasemin GavaMusic: Dave GolbraichAdditional Editing: Kalle JurvanenSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/brokeandambitious. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Frances speaks to Sam Veck. Sam is an actor, musician, writer and has worked across the UK and Europe, on and off the West End. Starting as a child actor, he mostly performed in musical theatre productions (such as Oliver and the Sound of Music) before transitioning into more classical work in his late teens, following his love for Shakespeare.Nowadays, he keeps himself busy and creative as a funeral celebrant, writing and conducting non-religious ceremonies for bereaved families.Featuring: anecdotes about Rowan Atkinson, horror stories about working in a toy shop at Christmas, tips on haggling in shops!Follow Sam on InstagramCheck out his Humanist Celebrant page hereArtwork: Yasemin GavaMusic: Dave GolbraichAdditional Editing: Kalle JurvanenRecorded June 2021Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/brokeandambitious. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Frances speaks to Nalin, Chris & Gareth of The PodCrawl Pubcast. (Recorded during lockdown in March)Nalin Dissanayake is a stand-up comedian, Chris Adams is a comedian and actor, and Gareth Fox studied at university of the arts before becoming an AV technician.They discuss how they got into the arts, and their best, worst and weirdest day jobs. Chris has some great gossip on working at Wagamamas, plus some life-changing quotes. Nalin shares his grill-scrubbing woes at a chicken shop, and Gareth tells us about his passion for pottery and spotting hares in the countryside.Listen to The PodCrawl Pubcast on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts (Series 4 coming soon)Follow them on Instagram Follow them on TwitterArtwork by Yasemin GavaMusic by Dave GolbraichAdditional Editing by Kalle JurvanenSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/brokeandambitious. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lucy Brownhill is a British actress, voice artist and writer currently based in Amsterdam. She grew up in the Midlands and trained in screen acting at the Bristol Old Vic, before graduating from Drama Studio London in 2016. Lucy's theatre work includes playing the iconic science fiction writer Christine Brooke-Rose in End of the Line and Ruth in Nina Raine's Tribes. She played the lead in the short film Weekend Break which was given special recognition at the Renaissance film festival in Amsterdam. She co-founded ShyDog Productions which is most well-known for the web series The Play and she recently starred in a Lipton Iced Tea commercial. Lucy also works consistently as a voice artist. She was the commercial winner in the Mandy Voices Competition in 2019 and has narrated over 45 audiobooks. Find audiobooks narrated by Lucy on Audible Follow Lucy on Instagram Follow Lucy on TwitterShyDog Productions (co-founded by Lucy)Artwork by Yasemin GavaMusic by Dave GolbraichAdditional Editing by Kalle JurvanenSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/brokeandambitious. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joe Wiltshire Smith is a Welsh poet, playwright and screenwriter who graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2017 before pursuing an MA in Creative Writing and English at Cambridge. He represented Royal Welsh at the Sam Wanamaker Festival in his second year, received the J.O Francis Memorial Award for his debut play in 2017 and the Gareth Jones Scholarship in 2016.Joe's theatre credits include 'One Study for a Figure at the base of Oscar Gooding's Crucifixion' with Red Jay Theatre Company, Cambridge, The History Boys, Ghost About the House, and his own play 'Five Green Bottles' at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. Joe speaks to Frances about being directed by Anthony Hopkins, working as an Optometrist's Assistant and selling soap out of a briefcase.He will be playing Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream this August at The Valley of the Rocks Open Air Theatre, Lynton. Buy tickets hereFollow Joe on Instagram hereVisit Joe's Website hereWatch his Dirty Little Portraits series hereArtwork by Yasemin GavaMusic by Dave GolbraichAdditional Editing by Kalle JurvanenSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/brokeandambitious. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode Frances speaks to former theatre manager and budding stand-up comedian Rupert Holloway. After studying English at Reading University and working in Arts consultancy, Rupert ran an established London theatre from 2010-2020, firstly as manager and programmer then as director, directing 25 shows. He recently left the theatre world for a job in construction and to focus on stand-up comedy.Prepare for some fantastic stories about cleaning up sheep poo from a dressing room, musings on the beauty of making your own lunch, and the importance of not living in an arts echo chamber. Artwork by Yasemin GavaMusic by Dave GolbraichAdditional Editing by Kalle JurvanenSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/brokeandambitious. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Georgia Blizzard is an Australian actress. Born in Tasmania she moved to Sydney to train at the National Institute of Dramatic Art before gaining a speaking role in Home & Away and roles in several high profile productions including Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Emu Runner (2018) and ITV's The Singapore Grip (2020). Georgia shares her journey to becoming an actor, plus her best, worst and weirdest day jobs - (of which she has MANY!!!) If we had an award for best worst day jobs, I think she'd be the winner so far.Georgia's IMDbFollow Georgia on InstagramArtwork by Yasemin GavaMusic by Dave GolbraichSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/brokeandambitious. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Francis Augusto is a photographic artist creating honest imagery that depict our shared human experiences.His commissions include projects for Adidas, Canon, Google, Lululemon, Printworks, The Sunday Times and many more. He also provides lectures and workshops for emerging photographers.Francis talks about his time as a youth worker, gives important lessons on knowing your own worth as a creative, and discusses those weird moments where you're photographing an event and a vampire tries to suck your blood...Check out his website, follow him on Instagram and TwitterArtwork by Yasemin Gava Music by Dave Golbraich Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/brokeandambitious. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Frances speaks to actor and comedian Neal Craig.Neal tells us all about his exciting early career as a rock star, his love of acting and comedy, and his not-so-exciting day jobs including selling wooden ties...Neal trained at Manchester School of Theatre at MMU. Notable TV work includes a recurring role on “Emmerdale”, “Coronation Street” and the HBO series “A Girls Guide To Depravity”. Stage credits include ‘Captain Hook’ in Peter Pan (Derby Theatre); ‘The Entire Population of London’ in Sherlock Holmes and The Crimson Cobbles (Salisbury Playhouse/Chipping Norton); ‘Mr Peabody’ in Lost Lending Library (Punchdrunk); ‘Iago’ in Othello (English Theatre Hamburg); ‘Young Billy’ in Swallows & Amazons (The National Theatre/The Bristol Old Vic).Neal is a former member of Propeller Theatre Company and has toured nationally and internationally with the company.He has also appeared at The Globe, Keswick Theatre by The Lake, The Orange Tree Theatre, Edinburgh International Theatre and London’s West End. He is a writer, standup comedian and a founder member and associate artist of The 1623 Theatre Company.Artwork by Yasemin GavaMusic by Dave Golbraich See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Frances speaks to actor/director Richard Bunn.They discuss weird day jobs, how to stay creative on the side, and money saving tips. Plus, Richard shares his love of Rick Astley!Richard Bunn is an actor and director based in Hertfordshire and London. He studied Acting at The University of Northampton and has carved a successful career as an actor and educational practitioner. He has directed three productions for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and is an Associate Member of AlterEgo Creative Solutions. In 2015 he co-created a show about Shakespeare which was accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and he has performed Shakespeare in Russia, Iceland and all over the UK. Artwork by Yasemin Gava Music by Dave Golbraich See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Frances speaks to physical performer, director and clown Hanna Winter.They discuss day jobs, how to stay creative on the side, and money saving tips.Hanna Winter is a Hungary-born physical theatre performer, director, and clown.She lived in London for six years, where she performed theatre at the Southwark Playhouse, toured with Clowns Without Borders, featured in BBC series “The Capture” and for several years she ran the comedy night 'Lost Cabaret'—dedicated to alternative comedy.Hanna has some great stories about studying at École Philippe Gaulier, working in an escape room, and almost performing for Patricia Arquette! Artwork by Yasemin Gava Music by Dave Golbraich See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Frances speaks to actor and comedian Vanessa Hammick.They discuss day jobs, how to stay creative on the side, and money saving tips.Vanessa studied English at Sussex University and went to the International School of Corporeal Mime for three years. She has performed outdoor and street theatre at festivals including Latitude, Greenwich and Docklands International Festival and Cesis Festival in Latvia, and has produced her own work including cycle-based theatre and a 200 mile hobby horse walk from Wales to London. More recently she has dedicated her focus to stand up comedy, taking her first solo show to Edinburgh last year, running the Bullpen Comedy night at 2 Northdown and writing for 8 Out Of 10 Cats. Sara Pascoe describes Vanessa as "a truly original comedy mind and probably the most charming performer at the Fringe", and Lou Sanders says "Vanessa is the most fascinating, funny person I know". Artwork by Yasemin Gava Music by Dave Golbraich See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Frances speaks to actor Orlando Brooke.They discuss day jobs, how to stay creative on the side, and money saving tips.Orlando talks about working with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, plus gives us some brilliant money-saving tips.Orlando trained at the Arts Educational School and the Birmingham School of Acting. Graduating in 2005, his extensive CV includes TV and film credits such as “Disobedience” (with Rachel Weisz) and Neil Gaiman's “Good Omens” (BBC & Amazon Prime), as well as numerous stage, radio & commercial appearances (highlights being a tussle with a ninja chihuahua in a "Pick Up" biscuit commercial, and driving the Champions League trophy through Cardiff in a "Nissan" campaign). Other screen credits include: “The Inbetweeners” (Ch4), “The Song Of Lunch” (BBC) & “Jack Whitehall Investigates” (Ch4). Orlando writes sketches, performs stand up comedy and is writing a novel. Artwork by Yasemin Gava Music by Dave Golbraich See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Frances chats to Sunderland-born actor Lauren Waine about day jobs, how she stays creative on the side, and money saving tips.Lauren has some fantastic stories, some great money-saving tips, and some memorable mantras for life! Lauren Waine is an actor, originally from Sunderland in the North East of England. Having graduated from LIPA, she is now forming a career as an actor whilst living in London. Her notable acting credits include: VERA (ITV), THE DUMPING GROUND (BBC/CBBC), THE INFIRMARY (AMAZON AUDIBLE), THE SNOW QUEEN (NORTHERN STAGE), SKELLIG (NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE), WAR OF THE WORLDS (NORTHERN STAGE AND TOUR). Artwork by Yasemin GavaMusic by Dave Golbraich See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Frances speaks to actor, human rights activist and illustrator Yasemin Gava. They discuss day jobs, how to stay creative on the side, and money saving tips.Yasemin has some fantastic thrifty tips, and some brilliant advice for staying creative on the side. Yasemin grew up in Italy where she started acting at a local theatre company. She moved to London in 2014 and 2 years later she co-founded her own human rights & arts company, Performing Change. The company won Amnesty International's 2016 Marsh award and toured three festivals, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival In 2017 Yasemin graduated from Kingston University with a BA in Drama and Human Rights and was awarded The Human Rights prize for her humanitarian work in theatre.Artwork by Yasemin Gava Music by Dave Golbraich See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For the pilot episode Frances speaks to actor and comedian Luke Ireland. They discuss day jobs, how to stay creative on the side, and money saving tips.Luke has some killer impressions and hilarious anecdotes, plus he gives some top tips on starting out in stand-up comedy. Luke has worked as an actor for 15 years in TV, Film and Theatre. He has also worked on the stand-up comedy circuit plus TV sketches with Alan Carr and Tony Law. You might have seen him in music videos for the 1975, Durty Goodz and Big Heath, or in the recent Talkmore commercial. Artwork by Yasemin Gava Music by Dave Golbraich See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.