Chookas: Recent Episodes
Neil and James
Creative Podcast. Where we interview various guest in the creative world and talk about their journeys. Hopefully, through their journeys other people can find inspiration or some type of learning that they themselves can put into practice. CHOOKAs
'An Apprentice From Western Sydney' a new show out of western Sydney which is debuting at the Sydney Fringe Festival this year. From the 1st to the 30th September.
Website (Sydney Fringe Festival):https://sydneyfringe.com/events/an-apprentice-from-western-sydney/
Lily Hayman, a director and a writer based in Sydney came in to talk to us about her upcoming show 'Your Name'. Opens 14th June 2024 at KXT Broadway.
Instagram :
Purple Tape Productions https://www.instagram.com/purpletapeproductions/
KXT on Broadway https://www.kingsxtheatre.com/
Alexander Grant is an actor based in Sydney Australia known for his work in 'Dive Club' (Netflix) and now staring led in 'The Undesirable'.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legxa/
Matt Vella is a Filmmaker and a Producer based out of Sydney who is producing 'The Undesirable'.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theundesirablesfilm/
Filmmaker, Chris Elena folks! learned so much from Chris.
INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/chris_elena49/
YOUTUBE:
Audio Guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imayDNwQquQ
CHOOKAS!!!
Rosangela (Rosie) is an actor and model based in Sydney Australia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fasano.rosi/
Tik Tok: @fasano.rosi
Alvon Junior is an actor, martial artist and a stuntman specialising in martial arts.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alvon_agustinojunior/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alvonson
Filmmaker from Western Sydney, Paul Rye.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul.k.rye/
Noel Street Productions: https://www.instagram.com/noelstreetproductions/
The cast of 'For the Love of Paper', Almitra Mavalvala, Kersherka Sivakumaran and Antony Makhlouf.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culture_shock_theatrical/
Kieran Clancy-Lowe, is a Perth man who moved to Sydney to aspire to achieve his dreams to become an Actor.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kieranclancyhigh/
Guiseppe Rotondella (Joesph), is a Sydney based actor but has performed all over Australia. Great having him and chatting to our very talented colleague.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geppetto_giovanni/
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8610487/
Linda Calgaro, an Improv actor, teacher/workshop leader/coach, director and producer of Improv shows in Sydney, Australia. Also a singer/musician.
https://improwiki.com/en/list_of_improv_groups_worldwide
https://laugh-masters.com.au/people/linda-calgaro/
Skye Paez, is an Actor and a budding writer. Skye has just finished her first piece this year and is going to appear on stage at the Short and Sweet festival in 2024. She has always been a creative but around 2020/21 she decided to really give it a shot and started acting. Skye's short play is called 'Transcendent'. Skye spoke to us about her process in writing this play and some of her challenges. She has been working closely with one and James Hartley to the play on its feet. We hope that Skye continues to write shows and acting in show. Thank you for coming on the show and it was a short conversation but we will definitely get her back in after Short and Sweet. Best Wishes Skye. CHOOKAS!!!
Edward Robert Sukulivau Frame, is an Actor and a comedian by trade. He is based in Sydney Australia at the moment. Edward is a close colleague of ours. He was worked on a show 'This Modern Coil', which was directed and written by our one and only James Hartley. Edward came on our podcast to talk about some of his journey and what he is working towards. Edward has his hands in many mediums other then Acting; he sings, he does stand up and he is also a visual artist. We had a lot of fun having our good friend don the show. We wish he continues to be more successful in the industry and I am sure we will have him on in the near future. And HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024!!!
Simon Lee, is an actor based in Sydney. Simon is a trained actor from Academy of Film Theatre and Television (2009). He became a professional Actor when he toured the show ‘The Removalists by David Williamson’ in 2013. Simon also attend the Price Morris Actors Studio in Los Angeles in 2012 and 2014. Since then Simon has been working in various shows across Sydney and NSW. The is also a Drama Teacher and teaches Kids and Adults at the ‘Arts Theatre Cronulla’. Simon is a good friend and a colleague of ours as we worked on a show in 2023 ‘Christ Almighty’, at the Seymour Theatre for the Sydney Fringe Festival. Simon’s work in the show was phenomenal and as a colleague he was always happy to help out. We got to know Simon a little bit more in this interview about his journey and the work he is trying to achieve. Simon it was great to have you on the podcast and it’s even better to have as a familiar face inner circles. Best wishes.
Kate Gaul, is a theatre and opera director, creative producer, festival director and writer based in Sydney, NSW. She is a graduate of NIDA (Directing 1996). Kate undertook a residency with SITI Company (NYC) and was Associate Director at Ensemble Theatre.
Kate has a long and distinguished resume and it spans over 30 years. Kate has also directed festivals (World Interplay, Playlist, Invisible Circus, Cabaret, and Short Play Festivals), and Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. She is also the Artistic Director of Siren Theatre Co where her passion for text-based drama challenges artists and audiences to have bold imaginative experiences. When you talk about a person who has not taken the foot of the paddle we are talking about Kate Gaul. Not only has she been an award winning Director for Stage on large productions she is also developing work from grassroots.
Kate, has mentored and guided many creatives in Sydney and Australia to achieve their own individual successes. I am one of those people who she has guided towards this beautiful art form. It is a rare to find a human being in this industry who constantly puts art before anything else. Therefore, I decided to not to included Kate’s full resume it is better for folks to google ‘Kate Gaul’, and research her body of work. We were thrilled and privileged to have her on to speak to us about her journey, some of her work and some of her future projects. Thank you Kate so much for coming on our podcast and spending some time with us out of your busy day.
CHOOKAS!!!
Natasha Cheng and Roelene Coleman, Natasha is of course my partner another great creative who is making headway in the Australian as an Actor. Natasha is a Australian//Chinese actor who has been working very hard on stage for the past 2 years working on various projects. She spoke to us about how she was inspired into becoming an actor and what she is presently working on. Which brings us to Roelene Coleman, who is a good friend of ours. Roelene is an Australian/South African Actress, she started of as a model and found herself loving to be on screen. She was our very first guest when we started Chookas in 2021. Now, these two have been very bust with a company which they started during the lockdown. Their company is called 'Well Actually Productions'. Their company has already produced a fantastic satire called "We’re All Terrible, Let’s Watch TV" and now they are moving on to bigger things. They have come up with a web series concept called "Fangs and Fur'. They are now script ready and they also have a small team that is committed and now they are at the funding stage. Nice little chat with my partner and our friend. I want to wish them all the best for the upcoming project and hope folks out here can support them. Thanks Natasha and Roelene .
CHOOKAS!!!
Andreas and Amelia, both came on the podcast to discuss about their new film that was just released called 'A Bad Influence'. The film was released on Tubi.com. A very entertaining indie film that has come out of Sydney Australia. It was great to have Andreas to come in and a have a raw conversation regarding how they got the film on to its feet. Amelia also spoke to us about how she is going in the industry. Amelia is a veteran on our podcast this is her 3rd visit. It was amazing to see Amelia doing well as an Actor and making her way to being a top actor that is coming out of Australia. We are really looking forward to seeing her doing bigger and better things. Andreas is about start another feature next year so we are also looking forward to seeing that too. Great conversation with these two. Thank you for coming past.
CHOOKAS!!!
Andy Ryan, an Australian actor based in Sydney originally from Queensland. He has been in the industry for a long time now and has quiet a CV. Andy was nominated as the Best Supporting Actor at the Australian Film Awards for his portrayal of Andrew Farris in INXS, Never Tear Us Apart (Channel 7). Andy also performs in live theatre. We where so privileged to have him on the podcast to speak to us about his journey. Starting as a Dancer to him graduting from QUT with a degree in Fine Arts (Acting). He spoke to us about his recent challenges with addiction and what helped him out to where now he is almost 4 years sober. Interesting to see how he has changed his perspective as a well-known actor in Australia. Andy Ryan has a community project that he works on called 'Theatre Sports', which he gets to create an opportunity for Kids and adults out there to improve their character in the real world through trial and error on a controlled environment. We ended this awesome interview with a little questionnaire that James Lipton did on his show "Actors Studio'. Thank you so much giving us some time in your busy schedule Andy and we look forward to woking with you again. Best wishes
Chookas
Sophie Saville and Rowan Devereux are a Sydney based producing duo, who met in a bar, and co founders of The Story Mill production company. They have produced works such as Chance Encounters At First Glance, Peach, and many more TVCs and other award winning films and podcasts. They spoke to us about their latest project Evicted! a Modern Romance and what it takes to produce a film here in Australia. They also discussed about their process of getting the film up to where it is today. As this podcast is releases they are premiering 'Evicted'. We wish the best for the journey ahead.
CHOOKAS!
Lawrence Ola, is a Sydney based Actor, Voice over artist and a Song writer. He has had an amazing journey thus far. Most of us probably first saw him on the 'Step One' underwear advertisements but then he started appearing in everything else. And sometimes if we didn't see him we could hear is soft deep gentle voice on TVCs such as BUPA Australia. Lawrence has a great little story of how he went from working at a factory to perusing his dreams. Lawrence, has shown us who think there is only one way of becoming a working actor that are other ways. He is not classically trained, he is not from a wealthy household and he is not from a family artist. For the folks out there who are relaying on courage and grit to get to there individual artistic journey then listen to my man Lawrence. He spoke to us about his decision process and the risks that he took and not to mention he was 30! whilst most of us folks started when we were still in primary school. Thank you Lawrence for coming on the show and being absolutely real with us. We loving seeing folks like you thrive. Best wishes and wish the best for the journey ahead.
Thomas Campbell (Tom), an Actor primarily based in Sydney Australia. Tom graduated National Academy of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) in 2002 and since then he has built an impressive body of work. Not only on stage but also on screen. In 2019 he was awarded 'The Leslie Walford Memorial Award: For the Most Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. He has achieved many accolades in the Sydney Theatre circles. So, we were very privileged to have Tom on and come speak to us about his story. We covered a range of topics from his latest work 'Betty is a Butcher', which is currently being shown in the 2023 Sydney Fringe Festival, Sydney theatre seen and talk about the up coming referendum. Tom was gracious enough to share a ton of information. It was absolutely amazing to have you on. Thank you so much.
CHOOKAS!!!
Tommy James Green, an actor, director, writer, and comedian based out of Sydney NSW. He is an award-winning, record-holding playwright and producer. His short play Scratch took out Best Script, Best Director, and Best Overall Production, amongst others awards, at Short+Sweet Play Festival in 2015. He graduated with a High Distinction from the Australian Film Television and Radio School in 2018, where he participated in an Advanced Diploma in Television Writing. He has also produced sell-out theatre shows, for the Sydney Fringe Festival in 2014, and independently at 107 in 2018 with Johnny Cobra; a comedy company he directs and produces. He is about to open up his biggest show 'Christ Almighty' at the Sydney Fringe Festival this year. Tommy came on the show to speak us particularly about the show but more then that to speak to us about his thoughts on how this production may change the way theatre has been seen in the past 5 to 10 years. Tommy wants to entertain folks in the audience and bring them away from their world they are living at the moment to recharge for a few hours. We love this man and we hope to get more of him in the future. Wish him the best for the Fringe and the rest of his journey. Thanks Tommy. CHOOKAS!!!
Darren Brealey, is a playwright from Melbourne who has been developing stories for the past 20 years. Darren debuted as a writer and producer in the guise of his first full-length play, The Meeting Place in the 1996 Melbourne Fringe Festival. He lived in London pursuing his writing and creative journey there. But recently Darren returned back to Australia when Covid had come to destroy our lives. Darren is now living and working out of Canberra. Darren is about put a play up on at the Melbourne Fringe Festival this year called 'Broken River'. Which is about a mother (who is battling with cancer and dementia) and her two sons relationship and exploring the meaning of love and whether it is enough. Darren was very gracious to share his journey with us and also his two books: Stage to Stardom - The Audition Handbook and Don't Waste your Audition. Thank you so much for coming on our podcast and sharing these lovely books with us which we will share on our social media. Chookas for the Melbourne Fringe .
Chookas!!!
Chè Baker, is a creative who has been in the industry for more almost 20 years. He graduated from Charles Sturt University with a BA in TV and Film Production and recently finished his PHD in Creative Industries. Chè wears many hates which include; writer, director and video editor. He has worked on project such as 'The Hobbit' films, 'Dawson's Creek'. In 2017 he released his first full feature film called 'Blue World Order' that had actors such as Billy Zane, Jack Thompson, Stephen Hunter and Jake Ryan. Since then he has mentored and lectured in the US and Australia in the Art of Film making. He is a wealth of knowledge and experience and to have him on was just an honour. We covered a lot of topics in this interview from making films in Australia and comparing it to Hollywood. And also what it takes to be a creative in the industry. He was my first ever mentor to give me guidance and I hope folks listening to the podcast have something to takeaway from it too. Chè is the process of cutting a film which is looking to coming next year in 2024 so look out for it as I have seen the trailer and it looks amazing. The film is called 'States of Mind'. Thanks Chè for taking time out of your busy schedule to support our humble Podcast. Chookas in the project.
Erica J Brennan is a writer, director and physical theatre performer . She is a proud Gamillaroi woman and grew up in the Blue Mountains on the beautiful country of the Gundengurra and Darug. She has written dozens of short plays for young people and had numerous full-length original works produced in independent Sydney venues including The Old 505 Theatre and Pact Centre for Performing Artists. Her particular fondness for leveraging classic movie genres to tell stories about Australia’s conservation efforts have led her to develop work with The ABC, AFTRS, Elbow Room Theatre, First Stories Festival, and Critical Stages. Erica came in to speak about her new project that has just opened this week 'The Hero Leaves One Tooth', but spoke about other aspects of her journey. We covered a range of topics in this interview. It was an absolute pleasure having Erica on. And we wish Erica all the best for the show and her journey . CHOOKAS!!!
Linda Nicholls-Gidley, Linda is a voice and dialect coach with over 15 year’s experience, teaching across many of the nation’s drama schools in addition to having a strong corporate training profile, including presentation skills for Channel 9, 10, the ABC, SBS and Fairfax Digital. Linda has worked as a dialect consultant and has coached actors all through Australia from Stage to Screen. We were very honoured for to come on to our humble podcast. The podcast was to talk about a show that she recently wrote called 'Ladybird Ladybird' and will be showing at the Flight Path Theatre from 29th June to 15th July 2023. The show is a very important piece that talks about postnatal depression (PPD). It is a story about love, mother and loss through the lens of depression. Linda is a wealth of knowledge and we had a great chat. Thank you Linda for coming on the podcast and speaking to us about her craft, industry and her upcoming show.
CHOOAKS!!!
Carly and Olivia, came on the podcast together to promote their show 'Broadway Diva', but it turned into a very special catch up with these amazing creatives. We Spoke about their backgrounds and how they both got into their craft. Carly being a Director and producing almost 25 shows in the past 5 years and Olivia is a performer in many forms from Piano, singing and acting. Both of them have travelled together performing all through Australia to Scotland. We spoke about their experiences in the industry and what they would like to see more of in Australia. They are both working hard to show what it is to be an Australian in the work they produce together. Broadway Diva, being their latest work which just finished up in Sydney and now traveling to Bathurst and Melbourne and then on to Edinburgh. We wish them Chookas for the show and their future projects. Thank you for supporting us and letting us support your beautiful work. Chookas
JoJo Zhou, a person of many attributes and talents. They started their journey in country NSW just outside of Sydney. JoJo made their way to studying a generalise Theatre Degree Bachelor. Communication Theatre and Media at the Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. JoJo has gone from being a country playwright to having one of their play out up in Sydney's Professional stages 'Belvoir St Theatre'. The play is called 'Porpoise Pool'. JoJo spoke to us about the play and the inspiration for the script. Porpoise Pool opened on the 1st June and ends 18th June. JoJo also surprised us with their other job which is a video game writer. It was lovely to have JoJo and we are so looking to their work at Belvoir and looking forward to seeing JoJo doing bigger and better things. Best wishes. CHOOKAS!!!
Hasin, born in Bangladesh and migrated to Australia when he was 10. His parents like many other ethnic parent would have wanted him to get a steady job and go to university but Hasin had his own plans. Hasin, has been in the music industry well over a decade now and producing primarily in Afro Beat and Hip Hop. He has worked with majoe artist such as Mathi Agu, Obi Fit, Project Peters, Melano Blac, Osayo, Mike Champion and Timomatic. He has found his home in Afro Beat but his skills and talents cross genres and industries. We discussed about how he got to where he is and where he would like to be. Fortunately, his skills speak from themselves if you listen to his music. It was an absolute pleasure to have a friend on who has paved his on way. We are really looking forward to seeing him one day work on a major feature film one day too. Best wishes Hasin. CHOOKAS!!!
Nicole Chamoun, is from the far eastern suburbs of Melbourne who found her self in love with the craft of acting. We were very lucky and fortunate to have an actor of her calibre on today. Nicole is best known for her for playing a Iraqi refugee Zahra Al Bayati in SBS's critically acclaimed Safe Harbour, for which she was nominated both for a Logie for Most Outstanding Supporting Actress and an AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama; as well as the series lead role of Amirah Al-Amir in On The Ropes, directed by Shannon Murphy, for Lingo Pictures and SBS; and for which Nicole was nominated for the Logie award for Most Outstanding Actress. Nicole's other leading TV roles include Laila in Romper Stomper for Stan network, Afina in the ABC's The Dr Blake Mysteries, Selma in City Homicide for the Seven Network, the comedy series Ronny Chieng International Student and in Esben Storm's Kick for SBS, playing a lead role, Layla. On stage Nicole has appeared as Jomana in Tales Of A City To The Sea for La Mama Theatre which was nominated for a Green Room Award. With such a great journey thus far it was a privilege to have Nicole come and speak to us about some of her roles and also further educate us about being in the industry. We also touched on some of her challenges that she had to face and how she overcome them. Nicole thank you so much for coming past on the podcast and sharing your story and supporting our podcast. We also would like to let the audience know that we had video issue so there is no video version of this podcast. We deeply apologies and thank Nicole for being so generous with her time. LEAD WITH LOVE (Nicole Chamoun). CHOOKAS!!!
Elizabeth Avery Scott, studied Mass Communication from Macquarie University then soon began working as a freelance journalist writing for a Bathrooms Quarterly, Good Planet, Christian Woman, Alive, The Northern Herald, and many others. Elizabeth moved into technical writing and human rights advocacy in Canberra. Elizabeth has always been in the creative arts and wrote her first play 'A Tree In The Forest'. Few years later she attended Charles Sturt University and completed a Master of Arts Practice. In 2009 alongside her husband James Scott (Actor and Director) decided to open a drama school in Canberra called 'Canberra Academy of Dramatic Art' (CADA) and began nationally recognised qualifications which include the 81118ACT Certificate III in Performance (Acting), the 10197NAT Certificate IV in Acting for Stage and Screen, and the 10010NAT & 10295NAT Advanced Diploma of Performance. Now, it the name has changed to 'Perform Australia'. I wanted to speak to the heads of a school that I first founded my love of the arts. We spoke about all the talent that comes out a small city and the potential Canberra has in the future. Thank you so much for coming on our podcast and speaking to us about the institution and we look forward to working together in the future. CHOOKAS!!!
Priscilla Doueihy, is a Lebanese/Australian actor. Although, she was born in Australia she spent her childhood in Lebanon. She returned to Australia with her family at the age of 13. Now, She is based in Sydney only a few months of the year and spends the rest of her time in LA. So I had to catch her in good time before she flies back to LA this month. Priscilla has been in the industry for sometime now and has been on both stage and screen. Her most recent stage performance was in 'The Cherry Orchard' in 2021. And on screen she was in 'On The Ropes' (2018), 'Suburban Wildlife' (2019), 'Babyteeth' (2019), 'Kong Vs Godzilla' (2021) and 'Thor' (2022). It was such a pleasure to have our good friend to come back on our show to catch up and see where she is on her journey. I believe she is going to be on some big projects in the future and I look forward to seeing more of her on stage and screen. Thanks Priscilla for supporting our podcast and always trying to do better for our Australian creative circle. CHOOKAS!!!
Madeleine Withington, is an actor and director from Sydney. She graduated from the Actor’s Centre Australia in 2014 and has gone on to create work as an actor on screen, stage and as an voice over artist. Recently, she has been focussing on being a Director on stage productions. Hence, came on the show to speak to us about her new show which is opening on the 5th of April at Meraki Art's called 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)'. If the title on its on does not get your attention I am not sure what will as I can project it will be an absolute cracker of a show. Furthermore, Maddie also use to work at a casting agency which talk us to an interesting chat about what casting agents are looking for during auditions. This is only the beginning for her but either way we look forward to watching her show and then seeing her on stage or on our screens again soon. Congratulations and we wish the best. CHOOKAS!!!
Barbara Hastings, she has been working in the industry for well over 30 years and teaching for atleast 20 years. She is originally from the Santa Barbara and went through most of her formal education in America. Now, she basis her self in Western Sydney Australia where she is coaching Dialects via online and one on one. Barbara is employed not only as an actor but as a Dialect consultant on set and voice over work. We were very fortunate to have her on to speak to us. She spoke to us about how she works with individual students and how she coaches folks who may also have learning challenges. We spoke about the diverse accents in our industry and how standards and expectations have changed. There alot of learnings in this podcast we hope you folks get out as much as we did. Thank you Barbara for taking so much time out for us from your busy schedule. Really appreciate it. Chookas!!!
Sam Haft, an actor who graduated from National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) in 2002, was heavily involved in the Sydney Stage seen and also travelled to the UK. He has brushed shoulders with many talented and highly successful creatives. Even though with his talent he decided to giving acting a break for the past several years and start an acting school in Redfern called Sydney Actors Association (SAA). He and several of his colleagues have been given back to the many actors across Sydney with a place to develop their craft. Sam came on today to speak to us about several challenges that he has faced and the same challenges that most of our fellow colleagues in the industry face. Furthermore, we speak about what it is to be 'Empathetical' and what it means to 'Fail', subjects that does not get discussed in our industry when its full of failure. This man is full of wisdom and it was a pleasure and an honour have him on and support us. We are looking forward to having him on a regular basis to just have a chat. Thanks for tuning in and supporting us. CHOOKAS!!
Joseph Frangi, an Actor my trade and artist right to the core. We were very privilege to have Joseph on out podcast. This man has put everything on the line so the world can see him perform his craft. This was one of our longer podcast but there was no one we were going to stop this Iron Train. Joseph was open and brave to share his personal experiences in this industry. This interview provides so much gold and so much heart that we at chookas podcast are ever so grateful to have on. Joseph represents the community out there who are giving their heart and soul to the world of acting. More then a decade of perfecting his craft and striving to be the best version of himself he finally got a break through role in the new Paramount production of 'The Last King of the Cross'. Which is based on the story of John Ibrahim. And we are so proud of Joseph finally getting his light to shine and we know that this is only just the beginning. Wish you all the best Joesph.
Chookas!!!
Lu Bradshaw, is a playwright and a creative from Wollongong who has lived in various parts of NSW and ACT. In 2021 Lu finished studying Bachelor of Performance (Dean's Scholar) and they are studying Honours. Lu's and upcoming playwright making their mark in Sydney with their various works. Lu started writing short plays which was show cased in University of Wollongong. Lu has came on the podcast to speak to us about heir process in writing and how they were inspired to write the play 'Comfort, Spin, Travel', which was presented during Sydney WorldPride at Kings Cross Theatre (KXT). This podcast has come out a week into their production but I hope folks can get out there to watch it. We are proud to support Lu's journey into using theatre to share their experiences. I am sure we will be seeing Lu Bradshaw in the future. Best wishes.
CHOOKAS!!!
Yolandi Franken, is a film maker, Tv Producer and a Presenter in Australia. She is wealth of Knowledge in this Industry functions. Apart from being a creative in the industry she is currently the Secretary of WIFT(Women in film & Television), NSW Board Member, Co-Chair of their NSW Committee and Chair of their Virtual Arm. Yolandi also organises face-to-face and virtual events and workshops with industry leaders, educators, suppliers, funding bodies and guilds. She has also worked with Disney, Niki Caro, Mandy Walker ASC ACS, Steph Power, Jill Bilcock, Bonnie Elliott, Arri, all the amazing people on the WIFT Australia Board, and many more. Yolandi also brought her beautiful Daughter on to which was so lovely. We were so blessed and privileged to have person of such status to visit us on the podcast. We are going to have a round table talk about the industry very shortly. Thank you so much Yolandi.
Stephen Hunter, a New Zealander who came across the paddock to pursue the dream of being an Actor. And we are very thankful that we have him here in Australia to grow this industry. He is best known for playing Bombur in 'The Hobbit', which has opened many doors to his career. I met Stephen when I first began acting and I was his driver on the set of 'Blue World Order' in 2015. He was open then to answer all my question as he was when he came on our podcast. On the the podcast he spoke to us about what he has been working on including his up coming project that is about to be released 'Heart Break High' and also an app that his been working that he can coach other Actors though. Stephen tells us about how the industry is changing since the pandemic and boom of the steaming services. We were incredibly privileged to have an Actor of such high status. I would highly encourage anyone who is an Actor out here who wants to learn who to be a professional actor listens to this interview. Thank you so much Stephen for supporting us and the people working hard in the industry . CHOOKAS!!
Laneikka Denne, a producers, actor and a writer. Laneikka has been industry for many years now and she is absolutely killing it. She has created a name for herself as a fantastic writer and a great producer (even though she says it's easy). Laneikka came on our podcast with so much energy and knowledge. One the most interesting projects that she runs is called 'The Monologue Collective', where teens get a chance to write monologues that can shape, change and move the culture of theatre amongst the teens. Laneikka discussed how she wants to see our industry evolve where all are accepted. It is going to be an exciting year for her as she will be opening on the 23th of February 'Feminazi' a play that she wrote and producing. She spoke to us about how she was inspired write this story. With playwrights and creatives like Laneikka we are going to be in some safe hands in the future of theatre Australia. We were blown away with your knowledge and your achievements thus far. We wish all the best for the upcoming run of 'Feminazi' and many other projects you'll be working on this year. CHOOKAS!!!
Maria Tran, wears a lot of hats in this industry from Acting on screen to producing and writing. She realised at a very young age that her interest in filming making lies in the martial art genre. Maria spoke to us about her journey through the industry as an ethnic woman who is batttling through a genre that traditionally was run by males. Martial art genre is an incredibly important genre because it introduced reality of combat on to our screens. Through its evolution the genre has impacted and changed the way combat/stunt choreography is done. Maria gives us insights in how to be absolutely truthful to yourself and find a niche for yourself. She has worked international including along side Jackie Chan. We were really lucky to have her on our podcast and share wisdom in this industry. She is about to release another film which we would like to wish her CHOOKAS on and we will be there for its premiere. Thank you once again Maria.
Alvon Junior, is an Indonesian born actor who specialises in Stunt and screen combat. He cam to Australia to study as an I.T. student and worked in various jobs including the government when he found his vocation in his late 20s. Since he has jumped into the creative world he has not looked back. After getting an agent he has been working with one of the leading Actors out Australia including Maria Tran. He has just come of working on Shang Chi and Bali. During our interview we spoke about how he got into the industry and the type of work he wants to do and the people he has be collaborating with. Alvon's journey is an interesting and a very unique one and we at Chookas wish him the best. We are looking forward to seeing him in more projects in the coming year 2023. Thanks Alvon CHOOKAS!!!
Alexandra Rigby, is an actor by trade but she wears many hats. She went full-time into acting which took her to Vancouver and New York. Along with her formal studies in Sydney she studied at the Atlantic Theatre School in New York. Aly has spent the good part of the decade in travelling between America and Australia pursing her dream in acting and also perfect her craft. She is also part of Blue Bird Theatre Company. I was blessed to have her on the podcast and get a sneak peak into an actor who is so active in her pursuit. In fact, she was only down in Australia for a few weeks and she came past and had a nice chat a few days before she went back to Vancouver. Unfortunately, James was not available for this particular session. He will be back in a few weeks. Thank you Alexandra for your time and we wish Chookas for a future endeavours.
Arshia, is an Iranian born actor based in Sydney Australia. Arshia and his family migrated here when he was younger. He was motivated by his father who said "you have a great smile you should do commercials", now many years later he is a full time actor. He went through Academy of Film, Theatre and Television and one of his first roles on the screen was in George Millers new film 'Three Thousand Years of Longing'. Recently, as and Iranian he has been out on the streets bravely protesting agains the Islamic Republic Regime in Iran. Since the death of Mahsa Amini mid this year, Arshia has changed directions for the sack of his mother land. We had him on and we spoke to him about various aspects of the protest and what it is like being an actor in Australia. He is young and focused actor we wish him all the success, I am sure we will see him on the big red carpet one day. Chookas!!
Jess Bell, is an Actor from Sydney she has worked on various shows and as this podcast airs she will be opening 'Wasp', Directed by Becks Blake and presented by Akimbo+Co. Jess came in to talk to us about her journey through the arts industry in Sydney, the lockdown and what she wants to see on our stages. This play talks about the working class and the challenges that comes with it. Not only from the financial or societal issues but how it effects the individuals ability to go through life. The play explores two individuals who have a different family upbringing but went to the same school and they both turned out very different. We are excited for this production. Jess is actor of actors and we loved how she is attacking this role. Chookas for the run of 'Wasp', and best wish for her creative journey. We wish her the very best. CHOOKAS!!!
Avneesha Martins, is an actress, singer-songwriter and radio presenter. She is ventured into social media space through TikTok and she has over 1.7 million followers. A lot of what she does is through sketch comedy and her bread and butter which is her music. On this episode we ddi not have James on as he was away for other creative work. But Avneesha is an old friend from Canberra so it was like having coffee with one of your mates after a long time. We discussed the industry, how to use social media and not letting it use you and being in a relationship with another creative whilst trying to make it. Avneesha recently released her debut EP titled Too Many Feels, a body of work that totals 5 songs with a strong alternative R&B influence. And as this podcast is coming out she is just about to release a track with Faydee 'Aaja'.
We wish her Chookas for this and rest of her projects coming up. You can catch her on CADA podcast 'Keeping up with Avneesha', at 4pm week days. Thanks Avneesha for coming on the show and supporting us. Chookas
Emma Wright, is the Associate Producer of the new initiative which was launched in October this year (2022). Emma graduated with a Bachelors of Film and Television and also hold a Diploma from The Actors Studio London. Emma is also the Co-Founder of Eye Contact Theatre Company and also a Co-Founder of Jump Start Youth Theatre. She came on the show specifically to talk to us about Australian Theatre Live (ATL), a new way of seeing theatre. We have all heard of National Theatre Live which is based in the UK but now we have it here except it is focusing on Australian work. The ATL team has come to bring us Theatre to our screens with high quality sound and film so it will feel as if we are there. We are so excited that this is happening in our own backyards as people who were not available to access theatre now will be able to. Australians in all demographics will now be able experience storytelling in their homes. Emma speaks to us about how it all work and what the future holds for ATL and the how it will change Australian Theatre landscape. We are very excited to be able to be part of such change. Thank you very much Emma for coming and we hope this grows and more people experience storytelling in all the corners of Australia.
CHOOKAS!!
Mina Asfour, an Actor out of Sydney. Who is a child of parents who are from Jordan and Palestine. This was actually the first time Mina and us have spoken and it felt like we knew each other for years. He is exactly type of person who we are trying to bring it the forefront of our industry. He came on and spoke to us about how he got into acting. How important that child imagination with films inspired him to turn into a career. As we all know how important imagination is in the arts and how it ignites our DNA so we can share stories with others. We speak about some of the challenges one has to face when you are brown skinned man and also a queer in the industry, the steps Mina has taken to make sure he is not being left behind. We truly love this man and we hope you continue to grow with all your work from being an actor to getting funding for a film. CHOOKAS!!
Nisrine Amine, is a writer by trade but she is also involved in teaching students out in Parramatta and also creating various productions and a model. We connected on social media not too long ago. It is funny when you start leaning into your own philosophies in life you attract others alike. Nisrine has been in the industry for some time now, she was own her way to studying Commerce when she found that she was going to also follow her heart which was in writing and creating. Recently, we saw one her works on our Australian screens 'Here out west'. A show about ethnics who grow up in the suburbs of Sydney but also any suburbs in Australia. This film shows the multicultural side of Australia like it never has. Goes into family issues and growing up with different inter- generational problems that come from migrating and to another country. We spoke about the many sides of what it means to be a creative in Australia and how folks out there can manage themselves as it gets very challenging for lot of minorities out there. We had a great time with this positive ball of energy. We love to keep connect with her and work together to tell more of our stories and challenge the industry for change in the right way. An absolute honour and a blessing having you on Nisrine . And CHOOKAS for the one woman show that she is about to get grants for. CHOOKAS!!
Our guest Kabir Singh, an actor and a model, he has been in the industry for a ver long time now. He has worked in Bollywood, Hollywood and here in Australia. He is deeply connected to his roots in India and art of storytelling. I first saw him in film in Sydney then a few year later on Sydney theatre stages and recently he has been a new friend. In the past 2 years he has battled cancer and other severe illnesses which has helped him to find who he is and what he wants to be. On the podcast we spoke about some of the challenges that he had to go through and how he had battled them. We also dive into what it means to be a brown or an ethnic in the Australian entertainment industry and how we can change our mentality. We had an amazing time on this podcast. To have a such a talented person who is working hard and being humble and grounded is difficult and I am honoured to have a colleague like this to learn of and have him stand next to me. We wish you the best and thank you for finally coming on. CHOOKAS!!
Our guest Clare Hennessy, writer and a decomposer, an upcoming creative who is coming with some exciting work especially in the subject of gender politics. She wrote a new play called 'Tongue Tied', which will be opening Nov 11 and closing on the 26th Nov. We had a great discussion about how she got into writing her show before Covid joined our lives. She discusses the journey for the play from 2017 to now that we are a week away from seeing it on stage. Also, what it means to be a creative when things get difficult such as what the world just went through. We also talk about what is the system doing when it comes to sexual assault here in Australia. Clare is exploring what is not happening in here in own backyards when it comes to sexual assault and gender politics. What a blessing it was to have her own and also thank you to Clare to help us two keep the peace on the show. We are lucky to have a writer like you in Sydney. We wish you the best and we look forward to the show. CHOOKAS!!
This episode of Chookas was a little bit different and something that myself and James believe in strongly. We have both been trying to find a way for Australians in the creative industry to react to what has been happening in Iran. Sadly due to the lack of media coverage on this issue there has been very little conversation and very little understanding of what is possibly one of the greatest sparks for a 'revolution' in Iran. A Kurdish Iranian girl named Mahsa Amini was arrested by the Morality Police in Iran for wearing her hijab too loosely and was beaten to death in custody which has caused outrage in the country and protests worldwide. Iranians around the world have come together as one to get rid of this Islamic Republic and one of the heads of the protest here in Australia is Shayan Askari. Shayan has been working tirelessly with the rest of his community so this flame that Mahsa Amini has started will take his people in to the light. And Delaram Ahamdi who is based in Melbourne also came on to talk to us via zoom to share what actions Melbourne has been taking and talking to us about her show that she is opening that coincidentally is very close to what is happening to women in Iran, and also how she is trying to tell the real story of her people. We were honoured to have both of them come on our show and as a creative family assist them with whatever they need and for them to share what we as a community can do to help the cause. I would heavily plead if you believe in Feminism or equality or any social change to progression please, give your support to these people like you have given to Ukraine, France, African Americans or anyone else. We will continue to support everyone equally here on Chookas Podcast.
Folks we would like to welcome MR. STEVE MARESCA! What an absolute pleasure (and pain the ass) was to have our friend Steve on the podcast. We had a great time chatting about ourselves, our colleagues, the industry and the old days when some of us grew up watching films on VHS, DVD and even VCDs. The cultural change from hiring 1 film to now having unlimited supply of films. Steve has just finished off a play called 'Deadhouse: Tales of Sydney Morgue'. He is many things including an actor (film and stage) and a writer. He and many of us in the industry who are ethnic are influenced by the people who paved the way for us such as Nick Giannopoulos, who stood up for the minorities in Australian entertainment industry to say that we are Australians too but with a different flavour. In that same vain we would like to go flowers creatives like Steve. The show was such a fun experience and we want to wish him the best and we know he is going to make some great impact. CHOOKAS!!
Auditioning can be easy for some people and for some it can be a challenging process (especially if it is something they really are interested in or want). Todays, podcast James and I spoke about some of the challenges of staying calm and being confident when putting down self tapes or even when performing. All of us are so different in the way we prepare for a role and as we are always evolving as creatives so does our methods of getting 'there'. As usual we turned into other subject matters which is the type of roles that we as actors can or should be doing. In this new environment where representation is the driving force it can feel like some of us are being left out but from our discussion we all want the same thing. But at the moment we are trying to find balance in this space. Not to say that we should stop creating but rather be aware and understand the environment that we are in and where we are heading. Post of the creative art form is a social art form because of its sharing nature so if you do not like some art that is fine but it does not make it less valuable. Keep evolving, keep accepting peoples differences and keep creating. CHOOKAS!
Jordan Shea a fantastic playwright from from Sydney who came in to talk about the many different hats he wears as a creative. He is just finished producing 'The Marriage Agency' and now he is about to open a new show at the Kings Cross Theatre 'One Hour No Oil'. We discuss how Jordan has been making his impact on the the Australian theatre scene and what he has done that took him there. We discuss how he has shares his filipino heritage in the work he does and how we can build Australia's "culture" through the multicultural lens as we are all guests in this land and it is the Indigenous community that should be at he fore front of Australian culture. Another great and exciting podcast with Jordan. We will definitely meet again. CHOOKAS!
We had Dominic come in for a chat. Dominic is a proud Italian/Lebanese/Australian actor. Dom shared his experience growing up in Australia as a man from two different cultures and then becoming the actor that he became. He is about to open as the lead at the Sydney Acting Studios in Redfern called 'Gruesome Playground Injuries'. He discuss how he prepared for the role and what people can expect. We look forward to seeing the show and also look forward to having you back on the podcast soon. CHOOKAS!
We had the wonderful pleasure to have in the fantastic creative Mel Ree! She is an Actor by trade but because of who she is deep down she is a messenger and a poet. Born in Papua New Guinea to the daughter of a chief, her ancestors sit at the base of her spine spurring her on to tell her story, hoping to spark wildfires within listeners that burn down differences, uniting us in our pain and understanding of this human condition. We speak to her about her upbringing and her healing process from the inter generational trauma that was passed down. Mel opens her motivational manifesto 'Mother May We', at the Griffin Theatre Company on the 27th September 2022. Stand out comment is "We Must!", Mel says that we must push through and work together and beat our differences and allow for the healing. Thank you Mel for coming on Chookas. CHOOKAS!!
FINALLY! We had the courage to bring our wonderfully and talented colleague on for a chat. Presenting Shayan Askari. He has just got back from the Melbourne Film circuit to trying to get funding for a film that he and his team have been working on. But Before that we speak to him about his journey from Iran to Australia in the of pursuit a dream. We get to pick his brains about the adversity that he faced coming here and starting his journey and how his going with the film that he has been working on. This man is full of wisdom and the nicest person you could meet. The biggest note that we got from our chat is; we need to work as a team and stick together when times get tough. Shayan is involved in a short film that may be turned into a TV series or a feature film. Love to see where our colleague ends up. CHOOKAS!
James and I thought we would make our 10th episode about something lot of us seem to fear in the our journey which is 'failure'. during our conversation we spoke about how our podcast has evolved through our failures and also how our craft has too. We just had a casual chat to inform you all about what is coming up in the pipeline in the next few weeks. We appreciate your support as always stayed tuned for some info coming soon. CHOOKAS
Zoren came in today to speak about a new production that he is in which is called 'Tom at The Farm'. As Zoran explains this play tackles two important subject matters: homophobia and Domestic violence. He spoke to us about how he got there. How he was able to find a character that he plays in this production. His character goes through some extreme journeys and Zoran does a beautiful job of telling the story. We also spoke about how he got into acting and the types of stories he wants to tell. It was great to have Zoran on the show to speak to us about the upcoming production and speak to us a little about his journey. We wish you the very best and love for you to come back on the show. CHOOKAS!
Amelia, first come to visit us in our last podcast. But she is back and we still love having her on. She has been working really hard in the last year that we have not seen her. She has not only been attacking all kinds of projects with her acting and modelling but also she has finally released her web series 'Roller Coaster Testers'. We spoke about how she has been able to do so much work and what she has done. We discussed the recent changes to the starnow.com website and how that has greatly affected creatives like herself and hundreds of others. She is a very humble hardworking creative from Sydney we truly appreciate her time and coming back as one of our original guests. We look forward to seeing more of her soon. Thanks Amelia
Luke Holmes is a Trailblazer in the Sydney creative community. It was so great to have him on. We spoke about his new upcoming venture which will be opening very soon. He is combining his love of the Arts and hospitality and serving it on a beautiful hearty platter that will serve to everyone's tastes buds. The big question Luke was confronted with through the years was "why isn't original Australian work sticking around?". And this is his answer to the that. This venue is called 'Meraki Arts Bar', which is located in the heart of the Sydney city Oxford street. We look forward to sending our Chookas community to perform in your venue and we look forward to supporting you. Thanks Luke.
Damien Giglietta is an Australian Film maker who is based in Sydney. We got into contact with each other through social media. After having a few discussions and looking through some of the work he was producing it was quickly evident that this guy wants more then what is being represented on our screens thus far. He is in the pursuit of true Australian stories, stories that we all grew up with. Film makers like Damien and his crew who are making real art from the heart of Australia I am sure we are going to be in safe hands. During our discussion on the podcast we spoke about how the industry is changing and what he is doing, what he would like to see from his Actors and on how one can become a film maker. We were very grateful to have Damien on and clear out a lot of the hot topics that a lot of us Actors want the answers for. CHOOKAS!
In this episode we discuss about our individual techniques when it comes to character development for a part. We also go on to the recent incident of the infamous slap and what we think that is happening to stand up comedy when it comes to offending people. CHOOKAS!!
Jessica Marchi was an absolute gem to have on our podcast. We first saw when she performed in my partners stage production and I was so impressed in the way this ethnic for go through different accents. Her background is Italian and she is an actor and a model in Australia. She has obviously been very focused and brave which has lead her to be a strong creative in this industry. I had to find out how she did all this so invited her on just before she was to leave for overseas for a holiday. So thank you so much for taking some time out of your week before you get some R and R.
We Had the wonderful pleasure to have Luke on the Podcast. He is a man of many forms of storytelling from dance, modelling, music, art and acting. He has been telling his peoples stories and sharing his love for his people to his people and anyone else who wants to educate themselves. We spoke about what it took him to get to where he is now and what other kids and anyone else who needs representation can do to start their journeys. Thank you very much for coming on to the podcast and we look forward to seeing you become more successful and see how you change the dynamics of the Australian Arts that has been run primarily through the eyes of the white person. CHOOKAS!!!
We had Bokkie Robertson with use today to talk to about how she got started as Theatre Director/Actor/Writer. Recently, she directed a show 'Much Ado About Nothing' at Flow Studios. We go into conversation about how she got in directing in Sydney and her journey from being a Director in 12 for Short and Sweet to Directing various different shows now and how adapting scripts and how she changed Shakespeare plays. Loved a having her on. CHOOKAS!!!
We are back folks! This is a nice little introduction back to doing what we love which is; chatting to all the diverse hardworking and talented creatives around Sydney and Australia.