Kirsten Vangsness is an actor, YouTuber, podcaster, graphic novelist & playwright. She is most known for playing Penelope Garcia on the long running CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, for which she co-wrote 5 episodes, including the series finale. In 2020, Kirsten launched her YouTube series KIRSTEN'S AGENDA as a way to promote mental health, wellness and civic duty. Her first season featured such guests as Aisha Tyler, Pauley Perrette and Karen David. She enjoyed the interviews so much she decided to spin them off into the KIRSTEN'S AGENDA Podcast, available wherever podcasts live.

Kirsten has long been deeply involved in the L.A. theatre scene, scoring two Ovation Best Actress nominations (for "FAT PIG" at the Geffen and "Everything You Touch" at Boston Court), LA Weekly Best Playwright of the Year nomination (For her Theatre of NOTE production of "Potential Space") and winning the Los Angeles Drama Circle Best Comedic Actress. She is a long-time member of Hollywood’s Theatre of NOTE where she serves on the Art Board.

In the summer of 2019, Kirsten took her one-woman show "Mess" (which Neil Gaiman has called his "favorite one person show") and her space romp, time travel, women in history, musical "Cleo, Theo and Wu" to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was greeted with 5 star reviews and sold out shows. She is the star and executive producer of the film noir spoof “Kill Me, Deadly” which can be found on many streaming platforms, she can currently be heard on season two of the comedy podcast “Voyage to the Stars” as well as a sometimes host of PRI's "Selected Shorts".

In 2020, her animated short "Curtains" based on a short story she penned, was accepted in film festivals around the globe and she created a "Cleo, Theo and Wu" graphic novel with illustrator Kaitlin Bruder. She is the recipient of the HRC Visibility Award, the Open Fist Excellence in Arts Award and has been honored for her work with many charities including The Wildlife Learning Center, The Jacaranda Foundation, and The Unusual Suspects. In her spare time Kirsten can be found washing dishes at the Blinking Owl Distillery, which she co-owns in Santa Ana, California.

We chat about Criminal Minds, embracing success, love of acting, zone of incompetence and excellence, imposter syndrome, interventions, dyslexia, creativity, ideas and nurturing them, writing plus plenty more.

For the Criminal Minds fans out there, I’ve also been fortunate to chat with AJ Cook, Paget Brewster and Joe Mantegna who are all incredible in their own right.

Check Kirsten out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenvangsness/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirstenVangsnessOfficial/ Website: https://www.kirstenvangsness.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/KirstenVangsnessOfficial Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vangsness.bsky.social -------------------------------------------

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Cam Knight is a standup comedian, actor and presenter. He was the co-host of the Channel 9 show called Unreal Estate alongside Kate Langbroek in 2016. He has regularly appeared on the Today show, co-hosted Studio 10 on Channel 10 and could be heard as a weekly co-host on Triple M’s Merrickville and The Weekenders with Dan Ginane in Sydney.

As well as performing sell out shows across the country, performing around London and receiving 5 star reviews and award nominations, Cam featured on the televised Montreal Just for Laughs Festival Stand Up Series at the Sydney Opera House in 2015, 2019 and 2023 as well as hosting the televised Sydney Comedy Festival Gala on the Comedy Channel.

He has guest starred on ABC’s Tonightly, Skit Box, Soul Mates, Comedy Up Late & How Not To Behave, the second series of The Other Guy on Stan and also the upcoming series of Drunk History on Network 10.

In 2024 he landed the key role of Funny Steve Farley in the Last King of the Cross S2. He also hosted a variety of shows on Foxtel for 5 years in the mid 2000’s. Most notably Stand Up Australia on The Comedy Channel.  Cam is performing his new shows in Sydney (7th May -10th May) and at the Newcastle Comedy Festival (in July) - check them out before they sell out (ticket links below)

We chat about his time with Foxtel, acting, comedy, his new comedy shows coming out very soon (tickets in episoe notes), 1.5-star misprints in the paper, performing new material every day, sobriety and learnings, hate mail, imposter syndrome, burn out, breath work, the last King of the Cross + plenty more! Check Cam out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcamknight

Sydney comedy tickets 7-10th May Sydney: https://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/cam-knight-7-10th-may-2025/176836

Newcastle Comedy Festival: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/cvddi/cam_knight__unbothered_moisturised_happy_in_my_lane_focused_flourishing_%40_newcastle_comedy_festival.aspx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camknightcomedy/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamcamknight Website: www.camknight.com.au -------------------------------------------

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Genevieve Hegney is an actor, writer and performer. She has performed extensively in theatre, film and television. You probably recognise her from her role as Chiara in the groundbreaking and award-winning comedy ‘Colin From Accounts’.

Her other television credits include All Her Fault (Peacock), Sunny Nights (Stan), In Our Blood (ABC), Pieces of Her (Netflix), Young Rock (CBS) Diary of an Uber Driver (ABC), Tim Minchin’s Upright (Foxtel) Kinne Tonight (Ten), The Commons (STAN), Doctor Doctor (Series 2-3), Janet King (Series 2), The Kettering Incident, Here Come the Habibs! (Series 1-2), The Moodys (ABC), Camp (NBC), Bedhead, Devil’s Dust, Rake, Spirited, All Saints, Home and Away, The Alice, and Out There (Series 1 & 2).

Her film roles include Rip Tide, The Little Death, Burning Man, Preservation, and Happy Feet. Short films include Red Ink, Outbreak Generation, and Desirable for which she won Best Actress at the Kaleidoscope Film Festival.

Genevieve’s theatre credits include credits include; Tot Mum (dir by Steven Soderbergh) and Influence, Parramatta Girls for Belvoir, Twelfth Night, Antony & Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Much Ado About Nothing for the Bell Shakespeare Company, Some Explicit Polaroids for Darlinghurst Theatre and Love for Downstairs Belvoir, both nominated for ‘Best Independent Production’ at the Sydney Theatre Awards.

She is currently in the Troy Kinne show, ‘Full House’, which is available on Youtube.

As a writer Genevieve and co-writer Catherine Moore wrote the plays, Unqualified and Still Unqualified for the Ensemble Theatre. They have recently received funding from Screen West and Screen Australia to adapt Unqualified for television. Genevieve also co-wrote, produced and acted in the short film The Amber Amulet. This adaptation of the Craig Silvey novella won numerous awards worldwide, including the 2013 Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival & won her an AWGIE for ‘Best Screenplay in a Short Film’.

We chat about Colin from Accounts, the industry (tell all), her brand-new show (tickets in episode notes), being still, her latest comedy nomination, Unqualified, drama vs comedies, getting into NIDA and competitiveness, accidentally manifesting, pilot season + so much more!

Gen also has some shows coming out in October called ‘Fly Girl’ (tickets below). Check Genevieve out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegenevievehegney/ Fly Girl (tickets): 

https://www.ensemble.com.au/shows/fly-girl/?utm_source=NEWSLETTER&utm_campaign=f235295500-email_2025+single+tickets+gp_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_58621e4cf6-f235295500-50023043&mc_cid=f235295500&mc_eid=bbc5f0e1b2

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Beth Broderick is a thirty -plus year veteran of stage and screen as well as a writer, model and chef. She is widely known for her portrayal of Aunt Zelda in the long running hit TV series “Sabrina the teenage Witch”.

Beth has appeared in over forty seven feature and made for television films including the “The Merry Gentlemen” which recently debuted at No. 1 on NETFLIX and “Holiday Mismatch” a new Hallmark hit. Others include: “Bonfire of the Vanities”, “Stealing Home”, “Psycho Beach Party”, “Christmas Town”, “When I Think of Christmas”, “Revenge of the Bridesmaids” and many others as well the soon to be released Hulu feature, “The Nana Project”. She recently completed filming on “The Prince”.

She has also starred in numerous series such as “Heart’s Afire”, “Glory Days”, The Five Mrs. Buchanans” and has been a featured recurring character on “Lost” “Under the Dome” “Love and Death” and many others.

Beth has an extensive background in fundraising and community outreach. She has was the co-founder of MOMENTUM a program for persons with AIDS in 1985 and has been working with the Good Shepherd Home for women in Los Angeles for over 34 years. She is a major advocate for Los Angeles Metro and was recently featured as keynote speaker for the “On the Move” convention. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of “The Realm Company”.

Beth also writes a column on SUBSTACK which boasts over 5 thousand subscribers. “Wit and Wisdom for the Ages from the Aged”. She is a dedicated home cook who also loves to travel and experience new cultures and cuisines.

We chat about her love of cooking, recently becoming a model, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The profound experiences from working as an AIDS activist, grief, ego, rejection & moving forward, Substack articles, ageism (thriving with age), graduating early (basically being a genius) + plenty more!

Check Beth out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethabroderick/ Substack: https://substack.com/@bethbroderick Twitter / X: https://x.com/BethBroderick -------------------------------------------

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Pierre Novellie is a stand-up comedian, writer, radio host and podcaster. He is co-host of The Frank Skinner Show on Absolute Radio, and recent TV appearances include World’s Most Dangerous Roads (Dave), The Mash Report (BBC2), and Stand Up Central (Comedy Central). On the radio, Pierre has performed on The Now Show (Radio 4), hosts the BBC Sounds podcast series Obsessed With… SAS: Rogue Heroes and co-hosts the hit podcast Budpod with Phil Wang. As a writer, Pierre was one of the regular writers on the rebooted Spitting Image (ITV/Britbox) and has also written on shows including Mock the Week (BBC2), The News Quiz (Radio 4) and The Mash Report (BBC2).

​One of the UK’s most acclaimed live acts, Pierre‘s previous show Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things? saw a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and was his third show to have been placed in the top 20 best-reviewed comedy shows across the entire festival. His first special, Quiet Ones, was distributed by US comedy label 800 Pound Gorilla Records and has amassed over 250,000 views online.

Pierre will debut his show Must We? on Australian shores. Off the back of a sold-out Edinburgh Festival Fringe run, his new show is about life, fairness and expectations. He simply must! Pierre has established himself as a comedian's comedian who doesn't sacrifice accessibility for intelligence. His book Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? A Comedian's Guide to Autism was inspired by an unexpected diagnosis from a heckler – and this show delivers the same incisive commentary and clever observations that have earned him critical acclaim across the UK comedy scene.

Performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 27 March - 18 April at The Westin, Three

We chat about autism, his brand new shows in Melbourne (currently out now), The Cambridge Footlights, The English class system, life changing heckles, his many identities, his new book, embracing your clown + plenty more!

Check Pierre out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pierrenovellie Melbourne Comedy tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/pierre-novellie/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pierrenovellie Book (Why Can't I Just Enjoy Thinhs? A Comedian's guide to Autism): https://geni.us/pierrenovelliepb Comedy special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiM8PwMzENg Website: https://www.pierrenovellie.com/ -------------------------------------------

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Ivan Aristeguieta is an award-winning stand-up comedian, writer and performer.

Originally from Venezuela, Ivan moved to Australia after he was carjacked at gunpoint (true story!). He has performed all over the world, from South America to the US, Canada, Japan, NZ and the UK, featuring on and headlining some of the biggest comedy festivals and rooms.

You may have seen him on the telly or online, performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala (2016-2022), as well as the Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival, or as guest panellist on shows including Have You Been Paying Attention?, The Project, The Weekly, Hughesy, We Have A Problem and The Living Room. In 2016, his Australian immigration experience was fictionalised in a short form series, Lost in Pronunciation (ABC iView), which he co-created, co-wrote and performed in.

In 2021, his live show, Pinata, was nominated for the biggest award in Australian comedy – Most Outstanding Comedy, at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Ivan has released three full length comedy specials to date, Chorizo Sizzle (ABC iView), The Fourth Floor and Happy Papi, which was recently released on Paramount+.

He is also a trained cook, food technologist and brewer. During the pandemic he created and hosted the online sensation, About This Much – Live, a ‘follow-along’ cooking party where Ivan brought his kitchen to yours, via Zoom.

He is the winner of Best Comedy Weekly Award 2017, 2022 & 2023 Adelaide Fringe and a nominee in 2021 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award for Most Outstanding Show.

He is currently touring around Australia his new show, All Bangers, No Mash! Now at Melbourne. Check it out before they sell out!

We chat about leaving Venezuela and starting again in Australia, performing in his second language, what keeps me up at night, death and rebirth, premise, the hero’s journey, not having a home address for 4 years, bull fighting, identity and divorce plus so much more!

Check Ivan out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivancomedy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IvanComedy/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IvanAristeguieta Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ivan_comedy

Website: https://ivancomedy.com.au/

Comedy tickets: https://linktr.ee/Ivancomedy.com.au

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Ray O’Leary is a comedian and writer. The Kiwi comic known for his deadpan delivery and iconic grey suit, Ray has been nominated two years running for Best Male Comedian by the New Zealand Comedy Guild, and in 2022 he picked up a win for Best Joke and Best TV Comedy Performance, after being nominated for Best TV Comedy Performance the previous three years. Additionally, he has been twice nominated for New Zealand Comedy Festival’s prestigious Billy T James Award.

His razor-sharp wit has seen him perform across both sides of the Tasman and tour sold-out runs in Christchurch, and Auckland & Wellington as part of the New Zealand Comedy Festival. He has also performed alongside top comedic talent including Flight of the Conchords and Rhys Darby.

Ray is a staple on Australasian television screens and can be seen on Ten’s Have You Been Paying Attention?, Thank God You’re Here, Cheap Seats, and SBS’ Patriot Brains, hosted by the UK’s Bill Bailey and Sue Perkins. He is a regular writer for Cheap Seats, Have You Been Paying Attention? and in NZ, Ray regularly appears and writes for 7 Days, Have You Been Paying Attention and much more.

Ray can be heard on the philosophy podcast Socrates Walks Into A Bar, which won Best Comedy Podcast at the NZ Podcast Awards in 2022. He was also a regular on The Spinoff’s hit Dungeons and Dragons podcast Waterdeep Mountain High.

In 2023, Ray made his Australian debut to sold out audiences with his new show, Everything Funny All The Time Always and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Ray continued a string of sold out shows throughout New Zealand and added to his TV credits as a contestant on season 4 of Taskmaster NZ.

In 2024, Ray returned to the live stage, touring the UK with Melanie Bracewell and followed up with his new show, Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger, throughout Australia, New Zealand and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

He is currently touring his new show throughout the UK, Australia and New Zealand. ‘Laughter? I Hardly Know Her’ is sure to be another smash hit for the comedy legend in the two-piece suit and then, he can get back to passing on the message he promised to keep.

We chat about being a part of the new wave of NZ comedy, Thank God You’re Here, his magical suit, moving to Australia, jealousy and insecurity, success, working in prison correction policy, Wil Anderon’s kindness, nerves & anxiety, his comedy voice and his master’s in philosophy.

Check Ray out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayolearycomedy

https://www.facebook.com/rayolearycomedy

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjNiWfFOMy0K9Ukzo5RAwrA  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rayolearycomedy  X/ Twitter: https://x.com/rayolearycomedy Comedy tickets: https://www.livenation.com.au/ray-o-leary-tickets-adp1406844 -------------------------------------------

Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Akmal Saleh is a stand-up comedian, actor, voice over artist, author and writer.

He’s done it all - appeared in movies, sketch, TV appearances, radio, talk show host and is a published author. Akmal is one of Australia’s most respected, successful and accomplished comics. Lightning quick and a master of unscripted comedy gold, Akmal has an incredible ability to deal with hot topics in an hilarious and slightly offensive way. Don’t miss this avalanche of laughs that’s going to hit the Comedy Festival. He is currently touring in Australia, so check out his shows, links in episode notes.

As Seen on Thank God You’re Here, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Just For Laughs, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala, Rove, Spicks and Specks, Good News Week and was even a script consultant for Superwog.

We chat about his love of comedy, opening for $tripper$, his doco, bad gigs, regrets and radio, cab driver to stand up, perspective, dodgy tax accountants, learnings from I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, almost being sued, Marty Sheargold, comedy safety nets plenty more!

Check Akmal out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akmalcomedy/ Website: https://www.akmal.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAkmal Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AkmalComedy

Egyptian Doco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFjVbmbX3KM&t=1215s Comedy tickets: https://alist.com.au/tours/akmal/ Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Life-Akmal-Saleh-ebook/dp/B004T6E1YC

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Cameron James is an award-winning stand-up comedian, musician and storyteller across stages, screens, boomboxes and podcasts. 

As seen on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala, Spicks & Specks, Guy Mont-Spelling Bee, Bump and more. He’s won countless rave reviews for his completely unique “rockstar without a band” comedy style; blending songs as catchy as they are funny, painfully true stories and sharp improvisation. 

In 2024, Cam partnered up with Aussie music legend Ben Lee’s indie record label to release his own comedy music, with his single “Medium D*ck” racking up tens of thousands of Spotify streams and over 9 million views on Instagram and YouTube. His most recent one-hour solo shows, Electric Dreams and Mixtape have sold out around the country, earning him the Director’s Choice Award at Sydney Comedy Festival and a nomination for the highly coveted Most Outstanding Show Award at Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He’s won multiple awards including the Raw Comedy National Runner Up in 2012, multiple AWGIE Awards for Best Comedy Writing, and an APA Award for Best Entertainment Podcast. Cam has appeared on TV screens in Bump, Utopia, WTFAQ, Question Everything, At Home Alone Together, and his own comedy special on ABC’s Comedy Next Gen in 2018.

As a sought-after comedy writer, Cam has served multiple seasons on Gruen, Take 5, We Interrupt This Broadcast, At Home Alone Together, Win The Week and Channel Seven’s Celebrity Roasts. As head comedy writer on The Feed he’s won multiple AWG awards. Whilst all of this is impressive, Cameron’s passion is creating his own comedy projects, from his beloved cult sketch series with Becky Lucas, The Becky & Cam Show, to the hit YouTube/Screen Australia series Finding Yeezus and the podcasts Finding Drago and Finding Desperado. The Finding series has amassed an audience of over 1.5 million around the globe, and has been described by The Australian as “tremendously bonkers” and by The AV Club as “brilliantly silly”.

He is currently touring his new show “Broken Records” across Australia. Cameron James has been in just about every kind of band you can imagine from reggae to punk to rock and more making Broken Records the perfect show for the comic to bust his rock n roll and comedy chops on. Get ready to dig into Cam’s record crate of his life, pinballing from hilariously true stories to cutting cultural commentary to full-blown pop songs.

Following a sell-out 2024 season, Melbourne International Comedy Festival Most Outstanding Show nominee, Sydney Comedy Festival Director’s Choice winner and Bad Boy of Musical Comedy* (*self-proclaimed), Cameron James is back with his biggest rock ‘n’ roll show yet. Cam will tour Broken Records across Australia with songs and stories sure to crack audiences up.

We chat about his love of Mike Myers, being stabbed and giving up being in a band, full circle moment with music, embracing his voice and authenticity, new shows coming up, collaborating buddies and thriving together, working with Ben Lee, getting a pilot made, rejection, trying new things plus plenty more!

Check Cam out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcameronjames Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamcameronjames Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/whoiscameronjames

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4l1R6LtudMUtfjJLUL35Jn?si=yqs8FWvSR-qcH7bXVXAYzQ  Comedy tickets: https://www.livenation.com.au/cameron-james-tickets-adp1448822

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and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Chris Parker is an award winning comedian, actor, writer, show-runner and podcaster. 

This past year Chris hosted the New Zealand Comedy Festival Gala, and toured his latest show, Give Me One Good Reason Why I Shouldn’t Throw My Phone Off This Bridge, to full houses throughout Australia and New Zealand. He also made his prime-time Australian TV debut on Thank God You’re Here (where he won the episode) and released the highly anticipated second season of Double Parked. Chris Parker is most commonly known for his funny Instagram and TikTok videos which built him a huge social media audience over the last few years. His legendary win on the hit New Zealand TV show Celebrity Treasure Island made history!

His 2018 New Zealand International Comedy Festival show Camp Binch, was awarded the prestigious Fred Award for Best Show in the Festival and went on to play to 5-star reviews and sell-out crowds at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Fun fact, the felt hat he made during the 2020 nationwide lockdown was acquired by and is on display at The Auckland Museum and Te Papa the National Museum of New Zealand. Kinda dramatic – don’t you agree? Chris is a theatre graduate from the renowned drama school Toi Whakaari O Aotearoa and he has appeared in and written multiple theatre shows across New Zealand, most notably Hudson and Halls Live! Where Chris played one-half of the famous gay cooking duo, David Halls and won best actor at the 2017 Wellington Theatre Awards.

Chris has appeared in feature films such as Baby Done, The Breaker Upperers and Nude Tuesday and has two feature films of his own currently in development. As a comedian and writer Chris is a regular face on New Zealand television appearing on 7 Days, Have You Been Paying Attention NZ, Jono and Ben, Funny Girls, Season 3 of Taskmaster New Zealand and the sitcom Golden Boy. Chris also co-hosts the podcast The Male Gays with fellow comedian Eli Matthewson, which has an upcoming digital video series in production. Chris was listed as The Herald’s top 5 Entertainment Heroes of 2020 and in 2021, was nominated for Television Personality of the Year. In 2022, Chris was the recipient of the inaugural Topp Prize awarded by the New Zealand Comedy Trust for Aotearoa’s most generous and gifted comedian. That same year released the comedy/documentary special Chris Parker: Back To School, about all boy schools in Christchurch. Chris embarked on an Australian and New Zealand national tour of his show Gentle Man to sold-out crowds and 5-star reviews and his debut novel Here for a Good Time was released through Allen & Unwin.

In 2023, Chris toured his new show, Lots of Love, Chris Parker, to sold-out audiences in Australia and New Zealand. Chris’s new comedy series, Double Parked, premiered in June and was created and written with Alice Snedden. He was the show runner and writer for the narrative comedy series Double Parked and is currently touring his live stand up (Stop Being So Dramatic) shows across New Zealand and Australia.

Stop Being So Dramatic are four words the self-proclaimed People’s Princess of Aotearoa Chris Parker has heard his whole life. Now those words also happen to be the name of his show touring Australia and New Zealand in 2025. At the culturally relevant age of 34, Chris is ready to address the drama queen allegations head-on. Stop Being So Dramatic promises to be an hour of high-intensity, feverishly paced and dizzyingly expressive comedy, it’s a one-man variety spectacle, chill, stand-up hour of laughs. That doesn’t sound dramatic at all – does it? Chris admits, there is some merit to the accusations, such as crying in every speech he’s ever delivered publicly, and there may have been a situation this year where he slept on his neck weirdly resulting in a neck brace. Still, Chris is sure he’s just a chilled guy, down to Earth and he’s ready to prove it to you in Stop Being So Dramatic.

We chat about his evolving voice, performing on a broken foot (multiple times), being an improv king and his 10 hour improv day, being the felting guy, his upcoming tour, being a show runner and leadership, thriving on celebrity treasure island plus plenty more!

Check Chris out on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisparker11 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisparkernz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itschrisparker

Website: https://www.chrisparkercomedy.com Melbourne comedy tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/stop-being-so-dramatic/

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Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/

and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan