STAGES with Peter Eyers

Ho! Ho! Ho! It's episode 359. The final episode of season 5 - from the STAGES podcast. It's that time of year again when we haul out the holly, stuff the stockings and trim the turkey … have you been naughty or nice? Kate Fitzpatrick drops in for our annual lunch and reflections. We are also visited by Rhonda Burchmore, Tony Sheldon, Ron Creager, Lauren Schmutter, and Geraldine Turner - sprinkling their Christmas cheer and spicing up the festive period with mirth and music. It's been another wonderful year for the podcast, recording and preserving precious stories and experiences from a diverse range of creatives, performers and essential supporting roles, who all contribute to the arts and entertainment, on and around our stages. We've lots planned in this episode; a perfect accompaniment as you wrap your gifts, decorate the tree or pour that first glass of Christmas cheer! Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! And best wishes for the New Year!

Though the shops seem to commence their yuletide spruiking earlier with each passing year, the Christmas period is fleeting. It begins to look a lot like Christmas when carollers stalk our shopping centres and actors in jolly red suits beckon little ones to approach and impart their festive wish list. Christmas is time to replay our favourite Christmas movies; to revisit that miracle on 54th street or relate to the Griswolds family as they navigate their stressful Christmas. It might mean your annual intake of plum pudding, egg nog; or that singular opportunity to pull a Christmas cracker. It's a merry time that beckons us to haul out the holy and to put up the tree, before our spirits fall … again! But in the worlds of the Broadway musical, Christmas is a setting, a period, a backdrop, a location, a moment; that is called upon to elicit an emotional engagement. STAGES was recently spinning some show tunes and was caught by the magnificent Christmas sequence (The Twelve Days to Christmas) in the jewel box musical, She Loves Me. A golden age musical that takes place over the Christmas period, providing an enchanting backdrop for the two protagonists to slowly realise that they are destined for each other. This show tune set off a challenge to compile a list of musicals that are set at Christmas time or feature a Christmas themed song. The show might even feature a scene set at Christmas time. The challenge became obsessive. Then it dawned that the the best source to seek out, to satisfy the search for Santas and snow in the show tune, would be none other than our favourite showbiz oracle, Tony Sheldon. Sheldon is one of our favourite Australian actors and theatre-makers. Show business is the family business and he has tread the boards on national and global stages for several decades. His respect, passion and investigation of the entertainment industry has equipped him with an infinite knowledge of all things show. So, the challenge to provide STAGES with a stocking stuffed with shows and show tunes celebrating and set during the festive season was met with the excitement of Old Saint Nick delivering toys on Christmas morning. This is the perfect episode to indulge as you wrap your gifts and get in the Christmas mood. We may be rushing things but deck the halls again now! Merry Christmas from Sheldy, and STAGES. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

This is STAGES companion episode to our conversation with Entertainment Entrepreneur - Kevin Jacobsen. In part 1, we learned of Kevin's early days as a musician - forming and guiding bands that included the KJ Quintet and Col Joy and the Joy Boys. A triumphant career in music, that saw national acclaim for the band and many chart topping hits. In part 2 Kevin takes us on a journey through some of his trials and triumphs as a promoter of artists that include The Bee Gees, Evel Knievel, The Three Tenors, Barbra Streisand and Michael Jackson; and his success as a producer developing the home-grown musical - Shout! - The Legend of the Wild One - Johnny O'Keefe. It is a fascinating career and a conversation that reveals much of the negotiation, collaboration and frustration that goes into securing and presenting such iconic entertainment experiences. In 1985 Kevin received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in recognition of his services to the performing arts. He has also garnered numerous ARIA, Mo and Green Room Awards for his theatrical productions. In 2002 Live Performance Australia honoured his contribution to the industry with its James Cassius Williamson Award. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Born in Sydney in 1937, Kevin Jacobsen began his working life in a chartered accountant's practice. An adept piano player, he devoted all his spare moments to music. In 1957, he and his brother Colin, joined with John Bogle, Lawrie Erwin and Dave Bridge to form the KJ Quintet. After some success changed their name to Col Joye and the Joy Boys, adding younger brother Keith. Almost immediately they scored a booking on Bill McColl's Jazzarama concert in October 1957. After this came an engagement to play at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney as a curtain raiser for the film The Tommy Steele Story, an appearance on TV's Bandstand and a recording contract. While Col Joye went on to become a ‘teen idol' and an enduring pop legend, Kevin left the band and began managing artists and promoting concerts. He and Col set up Col Joye enterprises and their own publishing company. In 1965, with Col and Tony Brady, Jacobsen founded ATA Allstar Artists, which encompassed a record label, a recording studio, event promotion and production, and artist representation. Initially Jacobsen presented local acts – including, of course, Col Joye and the Joy Boys – but before long he began importing overseas attractions. It was to mark this change of direction, that ‘Kevin Jacobsen Productions' was created. He claims that in the 1970s and 1980s he toured more artists than any other Australian promoter. Eventually he started producing theatrical shows and arena spectaculars, frequently working in partnership with other promoters. Among his early successes was a tour by the affable Irish comedian Dave Allen; one of his disasters was The Evil Knievel Thrill Spectacular, whose infamous American daredevil star failed to deliver either thrills or spectacle. In 1987 Jacobsen presented Michael Jackson's first Australian tour. In 1988 he was commissioned by the Queensland Government to mastermind ‘Queensland Day' celebrations in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and by the Federal Government to produce the Royal Bicentennial Concert in the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales. In 1989 he presented the sell-out concert event Legends of Rock. In 1995 he was the first promoter outside the USA to be invited by the Disney organization to present the stage version of Beauty and the Beast. Its run of two years in Melbourne and 15 months in Sydney grossed $58 million. Also that year he produced the television series Gladiators for the Seven Network. The gross takings for his 1997 presentation of The Three Tenors at the Melbourne Cricket Ground were the largest in Australian history for a single concert – $15 million. In 1999 he presented The Bee Gees – One Night Only, the first live performance at Stadium Australia – the Olympic Stadium. In 2000 Barbra Streisand's four stadium concerts in Sydney and Melbourne achieved the highest grosses anywhere in the world for this artist, more than $23 million. The year 2001 brought Shout! – The Legend of the Wild One, an all-Australian production based on the life of Jacobsen's old friend, Johnny O'Keefe. It toured Australia to record crowds, winning Mo and Green Room Awards and an ARIA for Best Cast Album. In 2002 Jacobsen presented a sell-out Elton John concert tour, plus Fame – The Musical, which toured throughout Asia, and two sensationally successful arena shows: the classic Australian rock anthology Long Way to the Top and the brilliantly innovative The Man from Snowy River Arena Spectacular. Other Jacobsen theatrical ventures have included Oscar Wilde's Diversions and Delights, Girls' Night Out, A Chorus Line, Camelot (with Richard Harris), Lend Me a Tenor, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Walt Disney's World on Ice and Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet, as well as massive open-air productions of Aida and Turandot. Among the many artists who have toured under the Jacobsen banner are Slim Whitman, KISS, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Marley, Shania Twain, Billy Joel, John Denver, Pearl Jam, Cyndi Lauper, Julio Iglesias, Ba

Christine Dunstan was awarded an OAM in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours for Services to the Performing Arts as a Producer and as a Mentor. In 2016 Christine Dunstan was the recipient of the Sydney Theatre Critics ‘Lifetime Achievement Award'. Christine has spent 50 + years working continuously in the Australian theatre industry and is one of Australia's most experienced independent theatre producers. Commencing in 1966 as an Assistant Stage Manager at Sydney's Independent Theatre, Christine moved on to Canberra Repertory Society and then Melbourne Theatre Company, where she was the first ever female stage manager. Christine's other 'female firsts' include Stage Director at Sydney's Marian Street Theatre, Production Manager at Nimrod Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company. In 1975 she was awarded an International Theatre Institute Scholarship to observe staging techniques in Europe and North America and on her return to Australia in 1976 she founded the Stagewright Group of Companies, comprising Stagewright Constructions, Stagewright Scenery, Anthony Phillips Costumes, Donn Byrnes Lighting, Stagewright Productions and Stagewright Designs. The group was a unique concept at the time and provided entertainment and production services to the theatre, advertising and corporate industries. Stagewright quickly became the 'go to' company for technical services and Christine was engaged as Production Manager on some of the country's major productions, including the original Australian productions of 42nd Street, Anything Goes; AIDA at the Montreal Olympic and Sydney Football Stadiums, the NSW Bicentennial Royal Command Concert, the EXPO Australia Week Concerts in Japan (1985) and Brisbane (1988), as well as many others. During this time Christine was Production Manager for the Sydney Theatre Company, from 1980 until 1984. In 1990 she sold Stagewright and moved to Alice Springs to be Director and CEO of the Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment in Alice Springs. Returning to Sydney in 1993 she joined Barry Humphries for two years as his Production Director, and formed Christine Dunstan Productions. As a producer, Christine always strives to deliver the highest quality work which is true to the concept and which has a broad appeal to the audience. Her work includes drama, contemporary music, comedy, and family entertainment. Her productions have been seen in literally hundreds of regional centres throughout Australia as well as in every capital city. Christine's productions have also toured to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, London International Theatre Festival and to New Zealand. Christine's practical theatre knowledge was utilised by then Nimrod Theatre Company in 1976 when the former tomato sauce factory was converted to what is now the Belvoir Street Theatre. She was the Design Project Manager for the construction of the Showroom at Jupiters Casino at Queensland's Gold Coast and for the ABC TV Australian Information Media Studios in Sydney. Christine was General Manager of the annual National Performance Conferences (1999-2002) and Executive Director for the Australian Performing Arts Centres Association (2003-2008). She has sat on a number of boards, and has Chaired the Australian Theatre for Young People, Belvoir Street Theatre and the Arts Industry Training Council. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Mariette Rups-Donnelly has transferred her extensive experience on stages around Australia to guide the corporate world in effective communication and establishing a firm rapport with their audience. Essentials, she knows only too well; garnered from extensive forays into musical theatre, plays and cabaret. A graduate in languages from Sydney University, Mariette was intended for a career in the diplomatic corps but fate took a hand when she auditioned and was cast in the musical Godspell. Her career in the theatre was off to a promising start and subsequent work in children's theatre and pantomime (including the role of the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and with Ashton's Circus, extended her theatrical experience. Several other musical productions followed, including The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band and Paint Your Wagon, before Mariette landed the role of Val in the original Australian production of A Chorus Line. She played another iconic role in the musical theatre cannon when cast as the alternate ‘Evita Peron' in the original Australian production of Evita. Following Evita she went on to appear in Company, The Sentimental Bloke, Side By Side By Sondheim, Big River, and the national tour of Forbidden Broadway. Roles in Annie, The Seagull, Hamlet, Emerald City and Away are further credits with companies that include the Sydney Theatre Company, Hole in the Wall Theatre, (Perth), JC Williamson's, The Q Theatre (Penrith), the Gordon Frost Organisation and the Melbourne Theatre Company. Mariette has taught at tertiary level in some of Australia's leading acting schools including Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, The Actor's College of Theatre and Television, Sydney; the Actors' Centre, Sydney; The University of Western Sydney; The Sydney Institute of TAFE and in The National Institute of Dramatic Art's Actor's Program, Open Program and Corporate Program. Taking her experience as a leading actor and teacher of actors, she has combined this knowledge with an astute business understanding to create programs that go to the core of business performance. She develops and expands her client's ability to create personal presence, engage on an emotional as well as an intellectual level, run meetings with authority, pitch persuasively and to deliver dynamic presentations. Her clients particularly value her understanding of how to use the voice and body to create maximum impact and her ability to specifically target what each person needs, to take their speaking performance to the next level. Her company, Powerhouse Presentation devises one-on-one programs and customised workshops for business owners, professional speakers, senior executives, and corporations. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Claire de Lune is the alter ego of Restaurateur and Chef, Marc Kuzma. Claire has been a mainstay in Sydney's Gay life for several decades while Marc has been a celebrated mainstay of our food scene. Claire de Lune gained fast notoriety after her 17 cooking segments on Channel 9 “The Midday Show” with Kerrie Anne. She then did her Drag apprenticeship by working in most of Sydney Gay and Lesbian venues. Renowned for her kooky sense of humour, Claire was often in demand on TV, radio and for corporate functions. Claire career peeked in 2000 by winning 3 DIVA (drag industry variety award) including entertainer of the year, best cast 3 & under for Lady Penelope's Baby with Verushka Darling, and an award for her charity work, particularly for the AIDS Trust of Australia, an award also won in 2001. Claire also took part in the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games and was part of the entertainment at the Olympic village during the Paralympic games. 2001 was a great year with From D'Rags To Riches, Claire de Lune The Musical selling out during the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, followed by a 4 week season of The Tempest, a major part in a Lipton Tea television commercial, a guest spot on Beauty and the Beast (channel 10) and as a guest judge on SBS broadcast of the Eurovision song contest. Claire has been featured many times on television: Food Lover's Guide to Australia, Young Lions, White Collar Blue, Fresh, Georges Negus Tonight, Queer TV, Faut pas Rever, Voyage, Mondo Thingo, Good Morning Australia and a Virgin Blue Mobile and Vodaphone ad campaign and the launch of Virgin Atlantic in Sydney. Marc was the general manager at Slide in Oxford street, Sydney and created two highly successful weekly shows: El'Circo and Vampire stories. He now delights patrons at a very special venue that combines exquisite French culinary excellence and stellar cabaret performance at Claire's Kitchen at Le Salon. The restaurant is a favourite destination for diners and connoisseurs of classic cabaret performance. A weekly line-up or artists complements the artistry of Marc and his staff who deliver a superb experience - merging Marc's three great personas - performance, food and fabulousness! The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Tony Sattler possesses a comic brain that has served audiences a vast helping of laughter, via a healthy diet of sketch and situation comedy on Australian television. Through classic programs such as The Naked Vicar Show and Kingswood Country he has created a legacy of television that has not only caused mirth but has left an indelible cultural mark. It is this impact that lead the Sound & Film Archive to label him, ‘socially significant'. It is a description he laughs off, but these highly popular programs gave us permission to laugh at ourselves, and influenced a colloquial language as folk borrowed the iconic catchphrases invented by the writers for the characters. Who hasn't uttered, ‘Leave the money on the fridge', ‘You're not wrong Narelle' or ‘Pickle me Grandmother'? Tony Sattler was working as a creative director for the advertising agency George Patterson Y&R in Brisbane in 1972, when he met fellow copywriter Gary Reilly. They worked on the production of commercials and jingles in Sydney. Reilly and Sattler began to collaborate on writing longer scripts for radio and television. They contributed satirical “anti-ads” to Sydney radio station 2JJ, and followed this by creating the successful parody radio serial for 2JJ entitled Chuck Chunder and the Space Patrol; which attracted a cult following on both 2JJ and Radio One. They wrote other parody radio serials including The Novels of Fiona Wintergreen and Doctors and Nurses. Based on the success of their work the ABC commissioned Sattler and Reilly to write two hour-long scripts for Grahame Bond's Flash Nick from Jindivick in 1974. They were subsequently asked to write a half-hour sketch comedy series for Radio One (now Radio National) which would become The Naked Vicar Show. The success of this program on radio encouraged them to develop a television concept for it in 1976, featuring the same performers - Noeline Brown, Ross Higgins and Kevin Golsby. When the ABC turned it down, the Seven Network in Sydney took up the option. The Naked Vicar Show ran on radio, television and in theatre between 1975 and 1978. Reilly and Sattler met Graham Kennedy in 1977 and they were asked to write a tonight show for him. He subsequently asked to feature in one of their radio serials. They created seven radio plays for him entitled Graham Kennedy's R.S. Playhouse, with him as the lead performer. The series won a number of awards and led to Reilly and Sattler continuing to contribute writing for Kennedy in his hosting and variety show appearances. Exhausted by the pace of sketch writing, Reilly and Sattler moved into the situation comedy format. They submitted four scripts to the Seven Network and their work on Kingswood Country was ultimately selected for a full series. Kingswood Country featured the character Ted Bullpitt, who had been introduced in The Naked Vicar Show, and starred the same actor, Ross Higgins. In 1981, Sattler and Reilly created a sitcom set in a newspaper office, Daily at Dawn and also developed a sitcom set in Antarctica, Brass Monkeys. They worked together again in 1997 to write a sequel to Kingswood Country: Bullpitt! It was an absolute treat for STAGES to access Sattler's brilliant comic mind; to analyse the craft of comedy and evaluate what is funny. A fascinating conversation which also reflects on Tony's Sattler's enormous comedy output, alongside writing and creative partner Gary Reilly. For fans of The Naked Vicar Show and Kingswood Country it is great nostalgia, and to students of comedy, you shall be rewarded with much amusement. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Carlotta is an Australian cabaret performer and television celebrity. She began her career as an original member of the long-running Les Girls cabaret show, performed entirely by heavily costumed males, which started in 1963 in the purpose built Les Girls building which stood on a prominent corner in the heart of Sydney's Kings Cross, New South Wales. The building was owned by Sydney identity Abe Saffron. Carlotta rose through the ranks of the show to eventually become the show's compere and its most famous member. Les Girls and Carlotta soon became must-see attractions for visitors to Sydney and the show was popular with visiting international celebrities. The show continued in the Les Girls building until 1993, the Les Girls show went on-the-road, touring Australia, which inspired the film "Priscilla Queen of the Desert". The Les Girls building, which was still standing intact with original 1960s features, throughout the 1990s was the venue for alternative cabaret, including the much loved Sunday night club The Tender Trap (club). Carlotta was featured in the soap opera Number 96 in 1973 as Robyn Ross, the new girlfriend of Arnold Feather. In the story it was soon revealed that Robyn was in fact a transsexual showgirl, a revelation that led to the character's quick departure from the show. To preserve the shock ending to this storyline the true identity of Robyn's portrayer was kept secret from all but a few central cast and crew members of the series, her scenes were shot on a closed set, and Carlotta was credited as "Carolle Lea". Carlotta's sex-change operation in the early 1970s was not the first such procedure in Australia, but due to her celebrity status it became the first to receive publicity there. Carlotta was also one of the inspirations for the film Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. She had a few short breaks from Les Girls for international tours, but overall by the time she left the show for the final time in 1992 she had spent a total of 26 years performing with the troupe. In 2005, she featured in her own half a million dollar stage production, "Carlotta's Kings X", presented at the Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney. Produced by Brett Elliott and Richard Bernardo, the 90 minute show delivered classic storytelling, stand up comedy, lavish costumes, and team of 'Les Girls' dance performances throughout. Carlotta has toured Australia with her "Carlotta - Queen of the Cross; show and regularly features at all sorts of festivals and gala premieres, including Melbourne's Midsumma, Gold Coast's Glitter and Brisbane's Melt festivals. On 26 January 2020, Carlotta was the recipient of Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) for significant service to the performing arts, and to the LGBTIQ community. Carlotta returns to the stage in Trevor Ashley's Christmas panto, Moulin Scrooge. The annual entertainment is a much anticipated indulgence on Sydney's theatrical calendar. This follows a triumphant turn earlier in the year, performing in Priscilla; Queen of the Desert at The Star on The Gold Coast. We cannot wait to have her back on the boards in Sydney. Like Dolly Levi returning to Harmonia Gardens - “It's so great to have you back where you belong!” Moulin Scrooge plays the Seymour Centre from December 1st. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Adam Mada has been entertaining audiences and creating custom magic and Illusion shows internationally for more than 20 years. As a leading magician, entertainer and Magic / Illusions consultant Adam Mada has his audiences spellbound with spectacular stage shows and cutting edge magic performances with an affectionate nod to the golden era of magic. He was the Magic and Illusions coach to the Australian production of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – parts 1 and 2, and the magic & illusion consultant and coach for the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art. Adam is also the magic/illusion designer for the highly anticipated stage adaptation of Mem Fox's Australian classic ‘Possum Magic'. Adam's highly sought after live and digital performances are in demand throughout the world, playing everywhere from the Sydney Opera House to The Royal Bombay Yacht Club. He is the founder and director of Magic Inc. a company that creates bespoke custom magic illusions and performances for advertising and special events. Magic Inc. also fosters emerging magic talent including Australian and New Zealand Junior champions “The Cardistry Boys” as well as Tik-Tok Magic sensation Ash Magic. Among his many other achievements, Adam Mada has supported the Starlight Children's Foundation as National Magic Coach for the Captain Starlight Program and is a member of Band Of Magicians – the world's first supergroup of magicians. He was also magician in residence at experimental cabaret show El Circo. Whether wowing high-end, private parties or massive-scale corporate events, Adam mixes his signature blend of wit, spectacle and invention and delivers the slickest of interactive experiences, stealing away the breath of each and every audience member and keeping it safely up his sleeve until the final curtain. The art and craft of magic and illusion has fascinated me for a lifetime. The craft has been practiced on stages around the globe for centuries. As an entertainment it always inspires awe and delightful confusion. As an art, it requires incredible discipline and skill. I can't wait to investigate the artistry further with Adam Mada. STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Tobin Saunders is a freelance performer, writer, choreographer, dancer, actor, DJ and events Co-ordinator/producer. Combining elements of contemporary dance, expressive movement, popular culture, social comment and satire, Tobin's work could be described as - Pastiche! Over the past 30 years he has been involved in theatre works, production and performance at Mardi Gras, in fashion parades, film, and dance variety at Belvoir St Theatre. Tobin is now working solo with the Vanessa Wagner character and is also freelancing as an actor. He appears on TV as a social commentator and contemporary icon. His eclectic experience and skills have enabled Tobin to produce work that is fresh, challenging and innovative. Avoiding the labels of “Dance”, “Theatre” or “Comedy”, he combines all into a vibrant hybrid. Vanessa Wagner is one of Australia's most colourful and entertaining identities. She started as a dedicated housewife and part time hostess. Vanessa was crowned Sydney Mardi Gras Miss Fair Day 1993 and for seven years she coordinated and hosted the spectacularly successful Drag Race Meet at Bondi Beach for the Sydney Fringe Festival. From early 1993 till 1996 Vanessa captivated audiences with ‘Jamie and Vanessa' parties and stage shows. Vanessa now produces her own parties, events and shows. She is proud dance mistress of her very own Crystal Stepz Dance Company, creating works of a kind rarely seen! Her sell out hit dance show, Vanessa Wagner's History of Dance broke box office records during its premiere season. She Co-hosted the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade telecasts on Channel Ten for 5 years. She also had a regular appearance as talk back host, on national youth radio station Triple J. Vanessa's intelligent, opinionated and funny repartee is a sure crowd pleaser. She was the most colourful and loved entrant in Celebrity Big Brother, has made Australia laugh featuring in a saucy Snickers TV commercial and keeps Australia laughing with TV and Cable appearances. As a tireless advocate for HIV health education and safe practice, Tobin's work has had far reach in many communities. In July 2022, Academic Daniel Reeders commented - “Tobin's ground-breaking work as Vanessa Wagner with Kath Albury as Nurse Nancy was a key inspiration for Michael Hurley's theory of cultures of care that has had a sustained and powerful influence on HIV health promotion practice in Australia. Vanessa and Nancy used glamour and humour to bring audiences on a journey through sensitive topics like having a positive sex life and managing complicated medication regimes in the emerging era of antiretroviral treatments.” With a myriad of corporate speaking & charity works across Australia, Vanessa has proved her flexibility and has cemented her position as a loveable Australian icon. As has Tobin! It is always an absolute treat to catch up with this icon(s). Always genuine. Always passionate. Always opinionated. And always inspiring! The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

As a teen I religiously tuned into a weekly program broadcast nationally on ABC radio. This program, was the ‘go to' source for everyone to learn the latest theatre news. This treasure trove program was called ‘The Showman' and was hosted by a celebrated announcer called John West. Demonstrating an enormous appreciation for the theatre and the arts, West was able to combine his profession and passion through ‘The Showman'. Other than subscribing to monthly theatre magazines, and without the existence of the www, this much anticipated weekly radio broadcast was our window to what was happening on stages around Australia; and also carried news from New York and London. Correspondents such as Terry Hughes and Stan Pretty would enthusiastically provide details and description of what was ‘the latest' from Broadway and West End theatres. Via the platform of radio, and through informed and passionate announcers, the show ignited imagination and informed intensely to those listening from afar. Two of STAGES favourite Arts workers have recently returned from pilgrimages to New York and London and delved into the latest in musicals and plays on the Broadway and West End stages. And they join us in this episode to provide first-hand insight and some degrees of envy in their descriptions of what we could expect, if finding ourselves in these theatre meccas over coming months. Simon Parris is a theatre reviewer based in Melbourne. His review blog ‘Man in Chair' regularly reviews musicals, plays, opera and the arts. Access to these reviews can be found at simonparrismaninchair.com Ian Phipps is one of Australia's leading publicists, promoting theatre and its stars around Australia. If you know that a show is happening, no doubt it's because Ian has communicated this to you via a myriad of masterful means. This episode of STAGES is dedicated to ‘The Showman' program, and John West, for inspiring, informing and igniting the imagination of theatre fans, around the country, from 1964 to 1990. While also being a terrific round-up of present production around the globe, and what we can expect on Australian stages in 2023. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

With episodes nearing 350 in the STAGES archive, it's time to revisit conversations featured in our previous seasons. STAGES spotlights such episodes, in case you missed them the first time ‘round - or so you can simply savour, a second listen. Either way, you'll be accessing precious oral histories from the people who were there, on and around our stages. In February 2020 we lost a great artist. Maureen Howard was a star across many platforms - radio, television, musical theatre, operetta and opera. STAGES was enraptured to be in her company and record a conversation of such extraordinary history, contagious humour and fierce reflection. Long after the recording stopped, Maureen entertained with anecdote and cheeky reminiscence. It was a thrill to be in her audience - even in her kitchen! A brief stint as a hairdresser lead Maureen Howard to a career in musical theatre and then Opera, after a customer enquired if she'd planned to do anything with her singing. Maureen had been a regular performer on Channel 7's Sunnyside Up in the early years of television in Australia. Roles in The Music Man, Man of La Mancha and The Most Happy Fella for the Garnett Carroll organisation quickly followed, allowing her to explore the dynamic quality of her voice. Proving that she had an instrument that could extend to Opera, she soon established herself as one of the country's leading voices, singing roles in Madama Butterfly, Tosca and La Boheme during the 1970's. In recent years she returned to Opera Australia to perform in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and as The Witch in Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel. Her final performance was that of Old Heidi in Sondheim's Follies - in Concert, singing the ethereal ‘One More Kiss'. Maureen was a wonderful human being. She was also a very fine artist of whichever form she chose to interpret. Please enjoy this treasured memory from the STAGES archive. The Stages podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify, and where you find your favourite podcasts. www.stagespodcast.com.au

With episodes nearing 350 in the STAGES archive, it's time to revisit conversations featured in our previous seasons. STAGES spotlights such episodes, in case you missed them the first time ‘round - or so you can simply savour, a second listen. Either way, you'll be accessing precious oral histories from the people who were there, on and around our stages. The Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company is Australia's leading Aboriginal theatre company, based in Perth, WA, in the heart of the Nyoongar Nation. Formed in 1993, Yirra Yaakin provides the means and environment to assist the nurturing of Aboriginal community cultural development. Yirra Yaakin means ‘stand tall' in the Nyoongar language. At the commencement of 2019, Yamaji woman, Eva Grace Mullaley was appointed as Artistic Director. Eva Grace grew up predominantly in the South West of Western Australia and moved to Perth in 2002. She is a graduate of the Aboriginal Theatre course at WAAPA. She soon joined Yirra Yaakin as an actor performing in Whaloo is That You?, and with Black Swan in the production, Tear From a Glass Eye. In 2005 Eva Grace lectured the Aboriginal students at WAAPA on script writing and directed the collaborative piece Black Tracks. She assisted David Milroy during the Windmill Baby creative development for Yirra Yaakin and was Stage manager during its first public season. She has keenly embraced the extensive roles existing in the theatre. Such work has included roles as a tour manager, producer, event manager, dramaturge, actor and extensive time in administration - essential experiences that have informed her work as a director. At her appointment, Eva Grace was looking forward “to continuing such an inspirational legacy and building on the shoulders of those that came before (her) to lead Yirra Yaakin to a new era.” Four years on, it is a delight to return to an early conversation with Yirra Yaakin Artistic Director, Eva Grace Mullaley. The Stages podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify, and where you find your favourite podcasts. www.stagespodcast.com.au

The role of the Intimacy Coordinator is to support a screen or stage production by providing a safe, professional environment and clear structure and process for the choreography of intimate content. In the same way a stunt coordinator is engaged to realise a scene with physical risk, the Intimacy Coordinator is engaged to realise a creative, repeatable, and safe intimate scene. They are someone who works with the director, creatives, and actors to ensure that any scenes that require a certain level of intimacy are done so safely and respectfully, with everyone's comfort levels and consent being addressed. It is a new role that observers of, and participants in the Industry, are still becoming familiar with. To enlighten us and to dispel any of the mystery, STAGES welcomes to this episode an old friend and champion of the entertainment industry in Australia, Chloe Dallimore. Chloe is known to audiences for a swag of stage triumphs in Musical Theatre including Crazy For You, Chicago, The Wizard of Oz, The Producers and The Addams Family. She is also known to the industry as a fierce and dedicated leader in her role as national president of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance; a role she navigated with elegant style and committed focus, for seven years. She is now a recognised and .much sought after presence on television and film sets; and in rehearsal rooms, as an Intimacy Coordinator. With a passion for dance, movement and choreography, and with a career spanning over 20 years, it would appear that Chloe is an ideal ally to assist in the management of such content, making the workplace a safer and efficient place for everyone. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Elaine Hudson is an actor/director/producer/teacher. She trained at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) and has worked in theatre, film and television. Directing credits include Endgame (Lookout Theatre); The Lady from Dubuque (Downstairs Belvoir); Poles Apart (Stables Theatre); The Death of Peter Pan; After the Fall (Associate Director), Relative Comfort, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Gross Indecency/The Importance of Being Earnest and Seven Little Australians (new theatre); The Man Who Came to Dinner (Genesian Theatre), A Touch of Paradise (Downstairs Belvoir) and Young Dramatists – Page to Stage (Co-Artistic Director 1999 – 2013 ), Heir Raising for Mardi Gras 2009 and Associate Director on Trapped in Mykonos, Downstairs Seymour 2013. Acting credits include roles for Sydney Theatre Company, including a celebrated Elizabeth Proctor in Richard Wherret's often mentioned The Crucible; new theatre; Company B; Griffin Theatre ; Queensize Productions (Dacia Maraini's Mary Stuart –Excellence Award from International New York Fringe Festival); Cumulus Productions (Mother Teresa is Dead, The Women of Lockerbie, Box and Quotations from Mao Tse-Tung). In 2009 Elaine performed in A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Liv Ullmann, for the Sydney Theatre Company, touring to Washington and New York. In 2010, at Teatro Cortile in Bolzano, Italy, Elaine premiered a group devised solo performance inspired by life and work of Emily Dickinson. A residency at Bundanon was followed by a second performance of this work at the Adelaide Fringe in 2012. In 2012, Elaine took part in a performance of poems of Miyazama Kenji at Theatre X (Cai) in Ryogoku, Tokyo, directed by Roger Pulvers. Film and Television work as an actor includes Cross-Life (Sydney Film Festival), Dying Breed (Tribeca), The Disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain, Joh's Jury (AFI Best Actress Nomination), All Saints, White Collar Blue, Grassroots, Heartbreak High, Chandon Pictures and Rake. It is indeed a rich tapestry which Elaine has woven in her pursuit of artistic endeavour. She is passionate about all forms and her academic investigation of each equips her with extensive knowledge and a broad experience of theatre-making. I adore any encounter with Elaine, so I cannot wait to share this STAGES conversation with you, so you can see exactly what I mean. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

With episodes nearing 350 in the STAGES archive, it's time to revisit conversations featured in our previous seasons. STAGES spotlights such episodes, in case you missed them the first time ‘round - or so you can simply savour, a second listen. Either way, you'll be accessing precious oral histories from the people who were there, on and around our stages. Dolores Dunbar possesses an energy that has equalled that of her teenage students. In her role as Head of Musical Theatre at the McDonald College of Performing Arts she has contributed to the development of the next generation of performers with a knowledge garnered from extensive industry experience in a variety of roles. After several decades as nurturer, guide and mentor, Dolores is stepping down from her teaching role; but is certainly not stepping away from the industry she adores. She made her professional stage debut in the Australian company of Funny Girl for J.C. Williamson's. A stack of shows followed for Dolores, including My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Les Miserables and Shout. Other creative roles have seen her choreograph the immensely successful production of Nunsense, serve as Company Management and direct productions of Eurovision, Copacabana and Grease. Always ready with an amusing anecdote that serves as a brilliant history lesson, Dolores is a walking encyclopaedia of our musical theatre past and the many characters who have inhabited its stage. We should all maintain the optimism, energy and passion of Dolores. She is a great champion for all of us to aspire toward. It is a joy and honour to revisit this conversation with Dolores and celebrate her immense contributions as Performer and Teacher. Bravo Dord!

With episodes nearing 350 in the STAGES archive, it's time to revisit conversations featured in our previous seasons. STAGES spotlights such episodes, in case you missed them the first time ‘round - or so you can simply savour, a second listen. Either way, you'll be accessing precious oral histories from the people who were there, on and around our stages. In February 2019 we lost a stalwart of the musical theatre fraternity in Australia. Rod Dunbar was a gentleman who relished a life on the boards, navigating a career over five decades. STAGES was honoured that he consented to be featured in our very first series. And a privilege to revisit his extensive career and life in showbiz in this Spotlight episode. Growing up in Rockhampton in Queensland, Rod made the piano his instrument of choice. But he soon discovered he had a decent ‘set of pipes' and promptly pursued a career fronting bands. It was a move hastened by his viewing of Blackboard Jungle, a film celebrated for its innovative use of rock and roll in its soundtrack. His taste for entertaining an audience prompted a venture south to Sydney where he quickly established himself as an in-demand vocalist. An enthusiastic beginning saw him perform with the Petersham Musical Society guided by Helen de Paul and working alongside her daughter, a young Trisha Noble. He became a regular on Channel Seven's Sing Sing Sing hosted by Johnny O'Keefe (it aired from 1962 to 1965), and launched a pop career that saw recordings such as ‘Break Down', ‘Dare I Say It Again', ‘Little Girl It's Time We Parted' and ‘What Do You Want from Me?'. Rod toured the country, doing gigs with other high-profile entertainers including The Bee Gees, Digger Revell and the Denvermen, Lee Sellars and Jimmy Little. They attracted attention everywhere, due to their national exposure through the new medium of television. At a time when he was looking to expand the possibilities of his career, Rod was spotted by J.C. Williamson's Betty Pounder, who encouraged him to pursue a career in musical theatre. His celebrity made him an ideal candidate to join Noel Ferrier's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. Rod was cast as a featured courtier and worked alongside John Meillon, Gwen Plumb, Tony Bonner and Max Phipps. This was followed by performances in The Boys From Syracuse, Oliver!, and his renowned turn in 1967 as The Fiddler in the original staging of Fiddler on the Roof in Australia, with Hayes Gordon and Brigid Lenihan. He experienced personal triumphs in the original Australian productions of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown as Snoopy, and in Godspell in 1972 in a magnetic performance as Jesus. The production also toured New Zealand. His extensive career included the celebrated production of Chicago directed by Richard Wherrett for the Sydney Theatre Company. Other work for the STC included Company and Merrily We Roll Along. He completed tours of Dirty Dancing for Kevin Jacobsen and Are You Lonesome Tonight, South Pacific and Big River for GFO. His arrival on stage as Mark Twain at the beginning of Big River is still vivid. Dressed immaculately in a white suit, centre stage in a solo spot, drawing on a cigar and releasing a smoke plume that billowed high above into the flys, he was an actor at one with a character and held the audience poised, ready for a great story. Whether on stage or off, Rod was always a gifted storyteller. He leaves behind a legacy of wonderful performances and professionalism as a colleague, mentor and mate. It is a privilege to revisit this conversation with Rod Dunbar. The Stages podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify, and where you find your favourite podcasts. www.stagespodcast.com.au

The opportunity to view ‘live' theatrical performance from the comfort of home is an experience to which many of us have given indulgent thought. Competing with the ordeal of travel, parking and audience, especially in the time of Covid, is never an attractive proposition. However, we do so, because nothing can replace the visceral engagement of witnessing a company of performers and creatives conjure stories right there in front of us. Living in the big cities can make this ritual commonplace; but it is a practice that is not available to many keen theatre-goers. Patrons in regional centres, immunocompromised viewers and those looking for affordable and accessible tickets are likely to miss out on the work presented by our national theatre, dance, music and opera companies. Australian Theatre Live is a new experience of performance allowing us to see quality theatre on digital platforms while also preserving for eternity what is an ephemeral night in the theatre. Australian Theatre Live has just launched a subscription platform for digital theatre experiences, making Australian art more accessible to all. With a growing content library of mainstage and independent theatre, opera, dance, acrobatics and music, Australian Theatre Live captures live performance for you to enjoy on your schedule. Their fast-growing digital library is designed with everyone in mind. The Australian Theatre Live catalogue includes theatrical experiences from Sydney Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Sydney Festival, Kings Cross Theatre, the Old Fitz and more. “People often have this perception that recorded theatre is not as enjoyable as the live thing. However, due to the beautiful camera angles and crisp sound quality, our films offer a level of intimacy beyond that of the usual audience member's experience. Watching an Australian Theatre Live film is like watching a play from on the stage” – Grant Dodwell, Creative Director Australian Theatre Live Home audiences are able gain access to some of the best of what Australian theatre has to offer, regardless of your location, income, or access needs. Australian Theatre Live grants all Australians the opportunity to enjoy, critique and participate in the development of our artistic heritage. Emma Wright is an Associate Producer with the company and joins STAGES to provide insight into this fascinating alternative to experiencing and preserving, our great performances. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Tahu Matheson has worked for Opera Australia since 2007. He became Head of Music for the company in 2017. He studied piano with Kalle Randalu in Germany, and with Oleg Stepanov and Natasha Vlassenko at the Queensland Conservatorium, where he completed his Master of Music. He is a frequent accompanist for international artists including Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Anthony Dean Griffey, Yvonne Kenny and Emma Matthews. His Opera Australia repertoire includes - Conductor of Tosca, L'elisir d'amore, The Magic Flute and The Pearlfishers at Sydney Opera House; Aida on the Beach and tours of Don Giovanni. Tahu was Assistant Conductor of the Ring Cycle, Bliss, Falstaff, Otello, Rigoletto, Carmen, Capriccio, Of Mice and Men, The Barber of Seville, Lucia di Lammermoor, Werther, The Magic Flute, La Bohème, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, La sonnambula, Orpheus in the Underworld, A Streetcar Named Desire, Billy Budd and Don Giovanni. For other companies Tahu has conducted Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins for Victorian Opera. This work was paired with the premiere of a new work by four Australian Composers, of the same name, but with updated subject matter and music. Tahu has conducted many concerts including a concert performance of a new opera, Nelson, by Stuart Greenbaum in London, and a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for 4MBS Radio in Brisbane. He recently made his debut with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Tahu performed the Rachmaninov Preludes Op 23 and the world premiere of Ten Concert Studies for Piano, written for him by Edwin Carr (New Zealand International Festival of the Arts – recorded on CD for international release by Kiwi Pacific Records). Tahu has been a soloist in the major concert venues throughout Australia and New Zealand, toured for Musica Viva and Chamber Music New Zealand, and been broadcast on New Zealand and Australian radio and television. Through November and December Tahu Matheson conducts Opera Australia's brand new, Sydney-exclusive open-air event, Opera on Cockatoo Island, with a gritty new production of Bizet's much-loved Carmen, giving visitors a thrilling opportunity to experience world-class opera under the stars with stunning harbour views. STAGES caught up with Tahu at his place of work - Opera Australia - to discover what's in store for audiences attending Carmen, and the gateway through which he discovered his passion for telling big stories on the Operatic stage. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

With episodes nearing 350 in the STAGES archive, it's time to revisit conversations featured in our previous seasons. STAGES spotlights such episodes, in case you missed them the first time ‘round - or so you can simply savour, a second listen. Either way, you'll be accessing precious oral histories from the people who were there, on and around our stages. Nancye Hayes is synonymous with Australian show business and her presence in any show guarantees a consummate artist determined to engage, with vast skill and an extensive joy she invests in to every performance. In October, the great lady celebrated 60 years of a life ‘on the boards'. Nancye Hayes started her professional career as a dancer in My Fair Lady. She then progressed through roles in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hello Dolly! and The Boys from Syracuse. She scored tremendous personal success as Charity Hope Valentine in her break-out performance in Sweet Charity, establishing herself as a bright new star. The accolades came thick and fast, leading Nancye to great acclaim and on to a career that has seen her conquer all genres and theatrical roles; on and off the stage. She has contributed dynamically to the industry in creative roles too; as Director, Choreographer, Mentor and Teacher. Her vast repertoire of leading and character roles has given us memorable performances as Miss Adelaide, Miss Hannigan, Madame Armfeldt, Mrs Higgins, Mrs Potts, Mrs Lovett, Aunt Eller and Lady Hotham. Her vast repertoire of plays and musicals has given us dynamic performances in Sweeney Todd, Nine, Showboat, Pippin, The Importance of Being Earnest, Same Time Next Year, Steel Magnolias, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks and Mary Poppins. Nancye Hayes is one of our great elders. Her tremendous warmth, star quality and enormous contribution to the Arts in Australia, have made her universally adored. STAGES salutes her six decades as a leading lady by revisiting this sparkling 2-episode conversation from 2020, when she visited the podcast to record her remarkable story.

With episodes nearing 350 in the STAGES archive, it's time to revisit conversations featured in our previous seasons. STAGES spotlights such episodes, in case you missed them the first time ‘round - or so you can simply savour, a second listen. Either way, you'll be accessing precious oral histories from the people who were there, on and around our stages. Nancye Hayes is synonymous with Australian show business and her presence in any show guarantees a consummate artist determined to engage, with vast skill and an extensive joy she invests in to every performance. In October, the great lady celebrated 60 years of a life ‘on the boards'. Nancye Hayes started her professional career as a dancer in My Fair Lady. She then progressed through roles in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hello Dolly! and The Boys from Syracuse. She scored tremendous personal success as Charity Hope Valentine in her break-out performance in Sweet Charity, establishing herself as a bright new star. The accolades came thick and fast, leading Nancye to great acclaim and on to a career that has seen her conquer all genres and theatrical roles; on and off the stage. She has contributed dynamically to the industry in creative roles too; as Director, Choreographer, Mentor and Teacher. Her vast repertoire of leading and character roles has given us memorable performances as Miss Adelaide, Miss Hannigan, Madame Armfeldt, Mrs Higgins, Mrs Potts, Mrs Lovett, Aunt Eller and Lady Hotham. Her vast repertoire of plays and musicals has given us dynamic performances in Sweeney Todd, Nine, Showboat, Pippin, The Importance of Being Earnest, Same Time Next Year, Steel Magnolias, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks and Mary Poppins. Nancye Hayes is one of our great elders. Her tremendous warmth, star quality and enormous contribution to the Arts in Australia, have made her universally adored. STAGES salutes her six decades as a leading lady by revisiting this sparkling 2-episode conversation from 2020, when she visited the podcast to record her remarkable story.

Sal Sharah is an actor and singer who studied at the Actors Conservatory under the tutelage of Brian Syron and Henry Bannister. He trained in singing with Dot Mendoza and Dance with Keith Bain. Sal's Theatre credits include the role of Sahir in Jump for Jordan (Griffin), Miss Julie (STC), Les Enfants du Paradis (Belvoir), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (STC), Hakawati (National Theatre of Parramatta/Sydney Festival), Felliniada (Belvoir/Auto de Fe); Salome (Crossroads); My Son the Lawyer is Drowning (Ensemble Theatre); Alex & Eve (Bulldog Theatre Company) and Grace Under Pressure. Musical theatre forays include Guys and Dolls, Aladdin, Grease, Sunset Boulevard and My Fair Lady. Sal originated the role of Riff Raff in Australia, in Harry M. Millar's celebrated production of The Rocky Horror Show. Sal's Television credits include a host of classic and groundbreaking programs; The Code, Rake, Major Crime, East West 101, Water Rats, All Saints, Wildside, Heartbreak High, Mission Impossible, GP, A Country Practice and The Restless Years. His film credits include the role of Nick in The Boys (Arenafilms), Chain Reaction (Palm Beach Pictures), Iman in Alex and Eve, Section 29, Hostage and The Custodian. Sal has navigated a rich variety of theatrical experience on stage and behind the scenes. He generously charts his career and provides unique insight of a wondrous profession, in a challenging industry, in this fascinating 2-episode conversation of the STAGES podcast. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Amelia Cormack is a New York based singer, actor, musician, voice over artist and songwriter. She is currently Fate 1 in Hadestown on Broadway. Originally from Australia, she has credits in theatre, film, television, voice over, and cabaret in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and US. She was an original Diva in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical, and performed the role in Australia and New Zealand for nearly 2 years, then went on to reprise the role on London's West End. Most recently in Australia she performed the role of Tilly Devine in Razorhurst for the Hayes Theatre Company. She has toured the US with Kinky Boots, Les Miserables and Come From Away, and originated the role of Raven Johnson in Douglas Lyons and Ethan Pakchar's Beau. Most recently, she appeared in the world premiere of the online musical Your Musical is Cancelled - The Musical. As a singer and songwriter, Amelia has released 2 self-titled albums, and is featured on the original cast recordings of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert The Musical, LOVEBiTEs and Lyons & Pakchar - Beau (World Premiere Recording). She is one half of folk/bluegrass duo ‘Cormack & Guinn' with fellow Les Mis Tour alum Allison Guinn, and covers band ‘Pull Up the Covers' with her husband Roger Plotz. Amelia plays violin, piano, guitar and mandolin, and has played all her instruments in a number of concerts and actor-musician shows. STAGES caught up with Amelia, live from New York City, to celebrate her Broadway debut. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Sal Sharah is an actor and singer who studied at the Actors Conservatory under the tutelage of Brian Syron and Henry Bannister. He trained in singing with Dot Mendoza and Dance with Keith Bain. Sal's Theatre credits include the role of Sahir in Jump for Jordan (Griffin), Miss Julie (STC), Les Enfants du Paradis (Belvoir), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (STC), Hakawati (National Theatre of Parramatta/Sydney Festival), Felliniada (Belvoir/Auto de Fe); Salome (Crossroads); My Son the Lawyer is Drowning (Ensemble Theatre); Alex & Eve (Bulldog Theatre Company) and Grace Under Pressure. Musical theatre forays include Guys and Dolls, Aladdin, Grease, Sunset Boulevard and My Fair Lady. Sal originated the role of Riff Raff in Australia, in Harry M. Millar's celebrated production of The Rocky Horror Show. Sal's Television credits include a host of classic and groundbreaking programs; The Code, Rake, Major Crime, East West 101, Water Rats, All Saints, Wildside, Heartbreak High, Mission Impossible, GP, A Country Practice and The Restless Years. His film credits include the role of Nick in The Boys (Arenafilms), Chain Reaction (Palm Beach Pictures), Iman in Alex and Eve, Section 29, Hostage and The Custodian. Sal has navigated a rich variety of theatrical experience on stage and behind the scenes. He generously charts his career and provides unique insight of a wondrous profession, in a challenging industry, in this fascinating 2-episode conversation of the STAGES podcast. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Mandy Bishop is a graduate of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Known and revered for her deft impersonation of Australia's first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard; Mandy is also an actor, comedian, musician and writer of considerable accomplishment. Commencing her career with the celebrated A cappella group Bite My Chilli, Mandy toured Australia performing concert and corporate entertainment, while also developing skills in producing and arts management. Her theatre credits are extensive and include a variety of of repertoire; The Pillowman, Boston Marriage, Fallen Angels, Vicious Streaks, Angry Penguins and Withering Heights. On television she has been seen in Heartbreak High, Blue Heelers, All Saints, Big Sky, My Place, Rake and Drop Dead Weird. Most recently she appeared in Anyone Can Whistle for Neglected Musicals. Mandy has collaborated with producer Michael Bourchier on two children's television series; The Upside Down Show, on which she played the role of Mrs. Foil in every episode, and Penelope K, by the Way, on which she played the title role. In 2011 Mandy co-wrote and created the four-part sitcom, At Home With Julia, in which she portrayed the sitting PM. She has acted in Sydney's legendary Wharf Revue since 2008, inhabiting a vast array of political and pop-culture characters. Each demonstrating a penetrating examination and superlative execution. Mandy joins the Wharf Revue team of Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phil Scott once again as Soft Tread Enterprises presents Looking for Albanese. This much anticipated event on our calendars commences its Sydney season at The Seymour Centre from November 12th and through December. “The world is grim - what better time to have a laugh?” Mandy examines the craft of humour, her artistic relationship with ‘Julia' and the joy of satire and revue in this sparkling episode of the STAGES podcast. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Lisa Maza is a singer, actor, writer and film-maker. It is no surprise that she has accomplished such vast artistic endeavour, growing up surrounded by theatre-makers; her father being the legendary trailblazer, Robert Maza. Lisa made her stage debut at the age of eight, playing a little boy called ‘Pumpkinhead' in Robert Merritt's The Cakeman. It was the first all Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander-run production performed at the newly formed National Black Theatre, and was directed by Robert Maza. In 2007 she began co-writing with her sister, their autographically inspired theatre show Sisters of Gelam, which premiered at Malthouse Theatre in 2009. In 2011 Lisa travelled to London to perform in Belvoir's Production of The Sapphires. In 2016, Lisa performed in Kate Miller-Heidke's award-winning ‘The Rabbits', a collaboration between Opera Australia and Perth-based Barking Gecko Theatre Company, adapted from the picture book by John Marsden and Shaun Tan by librettist Lally Katz. In addition to her eclectic performance career, her theatre writing and documentary-making, Lisa has expanded her skill set along the way in a range of other areas that include theatre administration, tour managing, project management, MC work, and associate producing. Lisa performs in the triple Oliver Award winning stage show of Emilia which is making its Australian debut at Art Centre Melbourne from 10-27 November. The production will then tour to Canberra. Written by British playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm in the midst of the Me Too movement, this Australian production features a team entirely made up of women and non-binary creatives from diverse cultural backgrounds as they unite to celebrate women's voices through the story of this trailblazing forgotten woman. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify, Apple podcasts or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

With episodes nearing 350 in the STAGES archive, it's time to revisit conversations featured in our previous seasons. STAGES spotlights such episodes, in case you missed them the first time ‘round - or so you can simply savour, a second listen. Either way, you'll accessing precious oral histories from the people who were there, on and around our stages. Iain Grandage is a composer, conductor and Festival Director. He has previously been at the helm of the Port Fairy Music Festival. When he joined STAGES in 2019, he was preparing to launch his first program as Artistic Director at The Perth Festival. He recently announced the program for the 2023 Perth Festival - another exciting celebration of the Arts, headlined by Icelandic singer Björk in an exclusive season of her dazzling live concert experience, Cornucopia. Born and bred in Perth, his excitement at steering this festival was palpable. He knows his audience and the responsibility of celebrating local and indigenous art forms, whilst also delivering unique and stimulating experiences drawn from an international canvas. As a composer, Iain's concert works have been performed by the ACO, Brodsky String Quartet, Australian String Quartet, Australian Brass Quintet and choirs and orchestras around Australia. As music director he has conducted orchestras for Kate Miller-Heidke, Katie Noonan and Tim Minchin, and led the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also conducted and presented the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Education program. His scores have covered a broad range of genres and cover diverse subjects; Opera with The Rabbits and The Riders, Theatre with Cloudstreet and The Secret River, Dance with When Time Stops and Film with Satan Jawa. On this day of recording, Iain greeted me armed with a block of chocolate and a peppermint tea, eager to generously share his vision for the 2020 festival and an insight into his incredible instinct and ethos as an artist. The Stages podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify, and where you find your favourite podcasts. www.stagespodcast.com.au

Julia Moody has a Graduate Diploma in Voice Studies from NIDA (Sydney), a BA from Curtin University (Perth), is a fully accredited Associate teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework (New York), and did her actor training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (UK). She has performed as an actor in Theatre, Film, TV, and Radio with companies across Australia. Julia has been voice and accent coach on over 300 professional theatre productions. She has worked as a Voice trainer and Consultant in the professional media with SBS TV and Radio since 1994, and with ABC TV, Channel 10, Open Channel, Public Radio News, RTRFM, 5UV, and 6PR. She works internationally, running bespoke voice training sessions for professional speakers in all domains: the corporate arena, the professional media, education, theatre and film; with politicians, legal professionals, medical professionals, sporting professionals, and many others. Julia has lectured in Voice at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Victorian College of the Arts School of Drama, the University of Ballarat Academy of Performing Arts, and was Head of Voice in the Acting Department of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University for 21 years. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

Deborah Galanos is an Australian actress of Greek heritage and a National Institute of Dramatic Art acting degree graduate. Before NIDA, Galanos attended Sydney University and UNSW studying Arts & Law. She has appeared in many theatre, television and film roles and is best known for her role as Dr Meredith George in ABC's Children's Hospital. However, since 1990, most of her work has been in the theatre, and through years of touring has performed on most stages all over Australia. Deborah recently completed a season of the stage adaptation of Anne Deveson's Tell Me I'm Here. The adaptation by Veronica Nadine Gleeson, was presented as part of Belvoir theatre's 2022 season. Other work on the Belvoir stage includes Stop Girl, The Boomkak Panto and 25A's Son of Byblos. Her other theatre credits include Greek Tragedy (Belvoir Company B), Bonnie & Clyde (Hayes Theatre Company), Wicked Sisters (Griffin), Lady Tabouli (National Theatre Of Parramatta/Sydney Festival), Gods of Strangers (State Theatre Company South Australia), The God Committee, Heartbreak Kid (Ensemble), I'm With Her, The Mystery of Love & Sex (Darlinghurst Theatre Company), Antigone (Sport For Jove), Metamorphoses (Apocalypse/Old Fitz), Unfinished Works, Homesick (Bontom/Seymour/505), Seagull (Secret House), Dropped (The Goods Theatre Company/Old Fitz), House of Ramon Iglesia (MopHead/Old Fitz), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (theatrongroup), Mum's the Word (Burberry Productions/Australian tours/SOH Playhouse/Glen Street), A Kind of Alaska, Suddenly Last Summer, Hotel Hibiscus (NIDA company), Boswell for the Defence (Sydney Festival), The Shearston Shift (STC/Australian People's Theatre). Her television credits include My Place, Police Rescue, G.P., Pulse, Rake, Redfern Now (ABC); Camp (NBC/Matchbox); Murder Call (Nine Network); A Country Practice, All Saints, Home & Away (Seven Network). Deborah's film credits include Chasing Comets, Balls, Boys from the Bush, Cavity, Inside Out, No Worries, The Premonition, and Razzle Dazzle. Deborah's been nominated for several Sydney Theatre Awards and is a proud MEAA Member since 1990. From October 23rd to November 6th she appears in Danny Ball's The Italians, at 25A Belvoir Theatre. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au