Everybody has a story. What's yours?
Dial M for Murder is a modern adaption of the play made famous by the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name. In this episode I talk to the producer, Josh Sanders, and director, Dean Drieberg about the Smoke and Mirrors Production the creative process in its development.
Pauline Calme is a french performer who defines herself as a jester or clown. She is performing her show "Unleash the Beast" or in French "La Bete De Scene" at The Butterfly Club in March. As a native of France she will be performing different dates in either English or French. I loved hearing about how she developed the show but was totally fascinated about her workshop The Joyful School that is not only helping other improvisers build their technique but also helping people on the spectrum with different life skills.
Whoop Dee Doo - Another Late Night Review is a Melbourne based variety show that performs at a number of different festivals, and is part of Midsumma 2020. The show's acts are burlesque, drag, comedy and ALOT of sexy fun. So have a listen and come along and support local artists AND local wildlife as all profits from the season will be donated to Wildlife Victoria to help with their bushfire relief efforts. This season is at The Butterfly Club so you can get tickets from their website.
Amore e Morte: All Original Cabaret, A new musical performed by pianist Riccardo Barone and sung by Nikki Elli Souvertjis. "A tale of love and hardship, a deep bond broken by unperceived circumstance. He is witness to an unfortunate crime, a brutal murder. Both flee their home land to seek refuge in a foreign place. They find peace for a time. But the haunting ghost of witness is still upon them. He is called back to his country and demanded to give trial, he fears the consequences of his testimony. A writer and an editor, she records his tale in in pursuit of writing a prolific exposé." In this episode we discussion how the is collaboration was initiated and the process Nikki and Riccardo for the shows creation.
Seth Drury has created and is performing the cabaret show "Unmasking Prince Charming" as part of the 2020 Midsummer Festival. Seth and I talk about the creation of the show, his path to getting here and the importance of living a creative life.
Elevan O'Clock #53 Josephine Searles - Bon Bon by Evan Cooper
Elevan O'Clock #52 Siobhan Judge - Born Again by Evan Cooper
Lauren Innis-Youren calls herself a "Stubborn Soprano", but that stubbornness has meant that she has been able to conquer the adversity that "life" has put in her path. Thankfully she is stubborn and also very talented. Her show "Hold my Hummus - The Secret Life of Stubborn Soprano" is part of the 2019 Melbourne Cabaret Fringe Festival and you can catch it at The Butterfly Club between June 24 to 29. If her Stubbornness got her this far, I'm really excited about where it is going to take her!
In this mini-episode I talk to another of the Mr Boylesque 2019 finalists -Astro. We met at the Miss Burlesque Victoria 2019 finals as the doors were opening so there is some background noise, but you still hear Astro's artistic intentions loud and clear.
Mr Boylesque Australia is an annual competition to determine who will wear the crown for the next year. This years competition is an extremely diverse group of performers, all of whom have something unique to say. In Part 1, I talk to three of the performers (with a follow-up episode to be released soon. While they may be very different in their styles, they all celebrate the expression of self and most importantly want to entertain.
The Trio of Dips are friends who met at work and bonded over their love of musical theatre. They decided to turn their late night game of parodying musicals into a show that mines their dating life for all to enjoy. We not only chat about the development of the show but also about our mutual love of the Andrew Lloyd Webber's show CATS.
Elevan O'Clock #47 - Just Joshing - Sugarbabies A Boylesque Musical by Evan Cooper
Neil Triffett is a Melbourne based creative who has a show in the 2019 Melbourne Comedy Festival. His show explores the concept of Misery, it may not seem like the cheeriest of topics but when you mix humour with songs played on the ukulele you know you're onto a winner (ok I'm a sucker for anything with a ukuele) In our chat we discuss his show, his film, EMO - the Musical (which you can watch on Netflix), queer politics and our love of musicals.
Loretta Smith is an author who has written "A Spanner in the Works" The story of Alice Anderson and Australia's first all-girl garage. Alice Anderson was an entrepreneur and pioneer who established the first motor service in Australia run entirely by women. Alice's story has never been widely told, UNTIL NOW. And Loretta, who faced her own challenges during the decade long research and writing , has ensure that this woman will not be forgotten.
Jamie Boiskin is a menstrual activist! She has taken her own experience and turned it into a show as she is determined to get more conversation to be had by everyone. She wants us all (yes men included) to talk about Menstruation, endometriosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. The sooner we talk, the sooner we can get the conversation into the 21st century. So have a listen and then go see her Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2019 show and you too can be a menstrual activist!
You remember Sophie Joske from an interview about her 2018 Melbourne Comedy Festival Show "Almost Lesbians" well she is back this year with a one woman show called "Woman of the Hour". We chat about the development of the show, the development of the over 30 characters she plays and the fact for every "one woman" show there is a whole lot of supportive people behind her.
Nikki Viveca is a Melbourne-based comedian. Her latest show, The Lazy Show, is on at The Butterfly Club Feb 11 - 16. But Nikki also has three different shows coming up at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Maybe her definition of "lazy" is different to mine, as that actually sounds like a lot of work.
In this episode I talk to Caz, the creator and performer of the femme fatale - Cazeleon. We discuss how she and the show were created and how telling the story of your own life's journey can stimulate your audience to maybe re-evaluate their own.
I probably can't describe Courtney's show any better than her poster - its about " Growing up in the 90s with lesbian mums and finding her own Queer in her heteronormative being" . Yes there is a lot to unpack in that, and through our conversation we do. I think the biggest lesson I took from meeting Courtney is don't let other's define you. Figure out your own definition and be proud of it!
In this episode I talk to playwright Adam Fawcett about the development of his play "Become the One". The play looks at the burgeoning relationship become and Australian Rules Footballer and the young man who has captured his attention. "Become the One" won the 2018 Midsumma Staged reading competition and this year returns to the Midsumma Festival with a fully staged production. Adam, and the show's director Lyall, discuss the development of the show and what it takes to be an independent theatre company in Australia.
Col and Fil are a sketch comedy creating couple. They have shows coming up in the 2019 Midsumma and Melbourne Comedy Festivals. If there shows are like them (witty, quirky, and very funny) they are going to be a hit.
Gavin Roach is a Melbourne based writer and performer. He has two different shows in the Melbourne Midsumma 2019 festival. Here we discuss the genesis for his shows as well as his performance practice and how to make it work as a independent artist.
After a sell-out season at the 2018 Melbourne Comedy Festival, Tinder Tales is back for a second season. And it is coming back with my songs, more characters, more dancing and most importantly MORE FUN. So have a listen and get some tickets and support a new Australian work. The season is at Chapel off Chapel in Prahan and you can book tickets here https://chapeloffchapel.com.au/show/tinder-tales/
Creatrix Tiara is a Queer Lady Magician and is launching their own first full length magic show at the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2018. I'm personally a sucker for a magic show as I still want to believe in magic. Maybe you will too after having a listen to our chat AND coming to see the show.
Here is the last part of the episodes with the amazing Mama Alto. Here we talk about Mama's personal art and music practice. I would like to thank Mama for the sheer honesty and bravery in our conversation.
Elevan O'Clock #32 Mama Alto part 2 by Evan Cooper
The best description for Mama Alto comes directly from the biography on Mama's website - "Mama Alto is a gender transcendent diva, cabaret artiste, jazz singer and community activist." Mama is also extremely fascinating to converse with. Our chat went for over two hours and so there are three episodes of our conversation. We discuss art, politics and Mama's inspirations. Mama is joy to spend time with, and I hope you enjoy the time you get to spend listening to her.
In this episode, I talk to the amazing Ruby Slippers. She is a stunning gender clown burlesque performer. We talk about performing, body politics and the wonders of mix and match fashion - she dressed me in a fez and a kimono - and I was super happy to wear them.
Anna is the second member of the Almost Lesbian comedy show. Her and Sophie are at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In this episode we gender, transitioning and where she developed her quick wit.
Elevan O'Clock #28 Irene and Budi - AGMC by Evan Cooper
Sophie Joske is a (now) Melbourne-based comedian. Her and her comedy partner Anna's latest show "Almost Lesbians" is playing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2018. "Sophie’s not completely gay. Anna's not completely a woman. Each of them is almost a gay woman, but not quite. Together, they’re Australia’s ninth-favourite queer comedy duo, Almost Lesbians and they’re on a mission to create the perfect Melbourne International Comedy Festival show." Get in touch with the lesbian that's inside all of us.
Orla Howard was the Deputy Chair of the Irish Marriage Equality Campaign. She was in Australia to introduce the documentary about the campaign called "The 34th". "The 34th’ tells the story of the driven and dedicated people who formed Marriage Equality in Ireland, and developed it into a highly effective grassroots force with one clear goal in mind - the extension of Civil Marriage to same sex couples." Hear about the love story that ignited the campaign and how successful the campaign was. Orla is a passionate fighter for making Ireland a better place for all and currently working on the campaign to amended the Irish constitution a second time, this time to grant Irish women the access to legal abortions.
Tinder Tales – A New Musical, a new show from writing duo Mattie Mcleod and Thomas Bradford, is about Abby, a woman who is so stuck in her own head that she can’t simply date a guy. While trying to navigate the online dating scene her insecurities, doubts and other psychological crutches manifest themselves into characters in her mind and her mother is constantly preaching at her from the heavens as the voice of God. In this episode, Tom and I talk about the development process of the show. As someone who loves supporting up and coming artists and musicals, I can't wait to see this. If you want to check out the show you can get tickets here https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2018/shows/tinder-tales-a-new-australian-musical-1
Mikko Makela is the writer/director of A Moment in the Reeds which is one of the first Finnish films with a queer narrative. It tells the story Leevi, a Finn returning home to help his father renovate the family lake house and Tareq a aslymn seeker from Syria
Daniel Monks is a writer, actor, producer and disability rights activist. He works in both film and stage. The film he wrote and starred in "Pulse" was screened at the Queerscreen's 25th Mardi Gras Film Festival. In 2017 he starred in The Real and Imagined History of The Elephant Man at the Malthouse Theatre. It was my personal favourite theatre production of 2017.
Julie Kalceff is a filmmaker that has already had notiable
Su Goldfish has made a documentary that looks into the past that her father never spoke about to find out if she really was The Last Goldfish.
Elevan O'Clock #20 Ian Thomas Ash by Evan Cooper
Bina is a bundle of positive energy. Her enthusiasm is infectious and her dedciation to
Derek Dodge and Will C. Sullivan are filmmaking husbands. They specialise in making "improv" films. Their latest dramatic collaboration "The Ring Thing" is showing at Queerscreen's 25th Mardi Gras Film Festival and at Melbourne Queer Film Festival in 2018. Here we talk about filmmaking, creative and life partnerships. My favourite piece of advice is "Don't wait for someone to give you permission" if you want to make a film (or any creative pursuit).
Joel is a Brisbane based photographer that specialises in capturing the images of burlesque performers. His enthusiasm, not only for his own art, but also the motto of just giving things a go is truly inspiring.
William Elm is a multi-instrument composer whose work will take you on an aural journey unlike one that many people have travelled.
Sebastian Zagarella is an artist. His Inside / Out exhibition explores and stimulates conversation around what is it to live (and thrive) with HIV today.
Tim Chappel is a multiaward winning costume designer
Elevan OClock #13 Phillip Lee Curtis - Putting on the Ego Jacket by Evan Cooper
Dr Catherine Barrett is the driving force behind a project that advocates for LGBTI elders "Alice's Garage". While she may be the driver, the direction the project takes comes from the stakeholders.
Michael Dalton is a performer and the man who created the singing superstar artiste "Dolly Diamond". His community work has been recognised for him (and her) by being awarded the Stonnington Council Citzen of the Year.
Elevan OClock #10 Timothy Brown by Evan Cooper
Nick is an archivist at the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archive. Here we talk about why archives are important and how they not only ensure we preserve the stories of the past but also help us to discover the stories we don't know yet.
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