15 - Leo Sayer - Musician - The Incredible Life and Lessons of a Career in Music

15 - Leo Sayer - Musician - The Incredible Life and Lessons of a Career in Music

Leo Sayer is an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, whose success has spanned the past 6 decades, as a recording artist as well as a captivating live performer. He is best known for his 1978 hit “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”, which earned him a Grammy Award for R&B Song of the Year. His songs have been sung by other notable artists, including Cliff Richard, Roger Daltrey, and Three Dog Night. With dozens of hit singles and 18 studio albums, Leo has sold millions of records to date, has headlined concerts across the globe, and has played in some of the most iconic venues in the world. Leo began his career in the United Kingdom, but for a long time has proudly called Australia home. In this episode, Sayer joins me for an incredible chat, revisiting some of the standout stories from his life in stardom; explaining how his theatrical persona of pierrot helped him face the stage; and despairing that one of the biggest barriers facing musicians and artists (especially those starting out) is often money. He shares some of the lessons he has learnt along the way during his many years of (ongoing) success; his enthusiastic encouragement for aspiring artists to find their skill; how he continues to have inspiration and passion for this industry which he so clearly loves being part of; and why, no matter his age, he’ll continue to feel like dancing.

14 - Jamie Garner - Actor & Playwright - Explorations of Theatre and of Life, and HUNGRY JOHANNES

Jamie is a multi-hyphenate artist of many skills, many accents, and many passports. They began their career performing in children’s theatre across Australia, before performing, teaching, and writing with American regional theatres, then training and working in London as a writer, performer, and voiceover artist. Their directorial debut ‘Pieces of Us’ (EdFringe) was Offie-nominated, and they served as Movement Consultant for Lionwoman Productions, Texas. They have recently returned home to Melbourne, appearing as Touchstone in As You Like It with Melbourne Shakespeare Company in 2025. Their newest play HUNGRY JOHANNES will be performed as a work-in-progress in the upcoming Explorations season at La Mama in Melbourne. In this episode, Jamie chats with me about the rollercoaster ride of pursuing a life in theatre and arts; how their experience of acting has been different in different parts of the globe; outlines how they go from concept to creation when making a show; and, of course, delves into why they believe theatre and arts are essential in our world. Jamie shares some insights into what we can expect from their upcoming show, HUNGRY JOHANNES, which is showing at La Mama in June. Tickets to the show and more information about La Mama’s incredible Explorations Season can be found at lamama.com.au [http://lamama.com.au].

13 - Hayley Ricketson - Playwright & Poet - On Writing, Storytelling, and Stage

Hayley is a Melbourne-based creative whose creative juices flow mainly in the area of poetry and theatre. She has experience in the performing arts industry in Australia and the UK, as a writer, director, performer, stage manager, and production manager. Hayley is also an established poet, who has been a slam finalist in London and Melbourne, and was recently part of the Melbourne Slamalamadingdong Poetry Team. Playwriting is her love language but overall she loves creative writing and expression in all its forms. In this delightful chat, Hayley takes us back to how her love of writing and theatre first evolved, through porridge rituals in the family kitchen and self-driven classroom plays. We reflect on the stories that stay with us, how storytelling can enrich our lives, and how the political is often personal, and the personal is political. Hayley unpacks some of the journeys and challenges that come with taking a show to a fringe festival, how writing is about connection, and how the stage is a structured space that gives you permission to be loud and to be expressive.

12 - Hara Papoulias - Dancer & Choreographer - The Making of Spectacular Dance, and How Dance Is Part of Being Human

Hara is a dance artist and creative working in the Victorian entertainment industry, with experiences ranging from working with commercial brands to contributing creatively to large-scale live events, including the AFL Grand Final pre-game entertainment. Hara also works as a dance educator and as the Associate Dance Director for the Victorian State Schools Spectacular, where she has choreographed and mentored the next generation of young performers for over a decade. In this episode, Hara joins me to chat about how she fell in love with movement creation; the challenges of trying to suppress excitement when working in a rehearsal room with huge stars; and how she is inspired by the students she works with just as much as she inspires them. Hara outlines what the process of choreography creation and translation can look like the working on a small scale or a huge scale; the incredible work behind the scenes of bringing thousands of students together in a single performance; and how you don’t need a strict schedule or serious reason to dance, it’s just part of who we are as humans.

11 - Mathew Frank - Composer, Sound Designer, Musical Director - 'My Brilliant Career', and Mathew's Brilliant Career

Mathew Frank is an award-winning composer, sound designer, and music director who has 20+ years of experience and achievements in the Australian music theatre scene and beyond. This of course includes the recent success of My Brilliant Career, adapted into a stage musical from the Miles Franklin classic novel, with co-writers Dean Bryant and Sheridan Harbridge, and earning 5 Green Room Awards. Mathew has numerous other accolades and credits to his name, including creation of several original musicals with partner Dean Bryant; and work with some of Australia’s most highly esteemed shows, companies, and theatres. In this episode, we chat about Mathew’s musical theatre journey; what the process and craft of song-writing typically looks like for him and Dean; and their passion and commitment to the arts. We discuss the early iterations of My Brilliant Career, and reflect on the extraordinary combination of actor-musicians, orchestration, and choreography that now present the show and make it a success. We also delve into the details of some of the songs in the show; consider how magical it was to find Kala Gare as the perfect fit for Sybylla; and reflect on how Sybylla’s story can inspire us to live our best life in the arts.