Well, this is a very special episode! Dan is joined by someone that he has looked up to for inspiration for quite some time now. It's the one and only Osher Günsberg!

We cover Osher's newfound work in the comedy arena, facing fears, the art of conducting, taking creative risks, the importance of trying everything, going from working as a roadie to working in radio, self belief, being ready for the scary thing, working in television, turning a passion for music into a career, why you should try as many things as you can, the journey of creating a comedy show, how our brains & bodies work, turning 50, and a whole lot more!

Catch Osher's show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival while you can! Link below.

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/osher-guensberg-ntnnnn

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Dan is joined by actor, and writer, Declan Clifford. This episode is another fine example of why I'm doing this podcast. It's all about hearing from people like Declan who make a leap and take a gamble on themselves to follow their passion even though they're letting go of security, and going into the unknown. Loved hearing Declan's story!

We talk about Declan's work in Holding the Man, being bullied, self criticism, overcoming self doubt, making the dramatic life change to chase an acting career, meeting former guest of the show, Riley, regrets, escaping into characters, finding strength, what makes up a good life, auditioning, the acting pool in Australia, the power of accountability, the close-knit acting community, exploring America, Declan's Melbourne Comedy Festival Show, Necrophilia, and a whole lot more!

Go see Declan's Melbourne Comedy Festival show. Link below.

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/necrophilia

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Dan and Harman are joined by legendary comedian, Arj Barker. This one was a real trip and we were totally there for it!

We talk about an encounter in Petbarn, why Arj doesn't do too many podcasts, America, meditation, work, drinking, consciousness, drugs, Akmal, philosophy, life's big questions, what makes his new show different from the others, and a whole lot more! This was a weird one in the best way possible!

Go see Arj's new Melbourne Comedy Festival show. Link below.

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/arj-barker-the-mind-field

Keep up to date with Arj's work and other tour dates. Link to his website below.

https://www.arjbarker.com/

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Dan is joined by comedian and podcaster, Bron Lewis. Bron is one of the best people you'll ever meet, and I loved having her in to let off some steam about some former jobs we've both had in our lives.

We talk about her podcast Workhates with Brett Blake, what she's learnt working with Brett, unloading some frustrations with previous forms of employment, Brett Blake's ADHD, how many jobs she's worked, living in Canberra, the highs and lows of Bron's teaching career, being a drama teacher, the depressing reality of teaching, the moment she was done with teaching, finding comedy, the nerves and anxiety of doing comedy, not trusting jokes, the power of consistency, and a whole lot more!

Check out Bron's Melbourne Comedy Festival show. Link below.

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/obviously

Also, keep up to date with all of Bron's other work/tour dates. Link below.

https://linktr.ee/bronlewis

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Dan and Harman are joined by comedian, actor, writer, and pretty good dancer, Damian Callinan. This was quite the heartfelt, charming, funny, and loving conversation we were lucky to have with Damian.

We discuss Damian's film The Merger, uncovering his Mum & Dad's diaries, throwing a footy with other creatives, the importance of connection within a community, writing silly fictional historical stories around country town community sport, Damian's fascination with the fabric of country town sporting teams, not wanting to give up playing sport, the moment he knew he wanted to perform, Damian's earliest memory, the power of his sense of humour, trauma, realising he had access to new memories of his Mum & Dad through their diary entries, the tragic passing of his Mum, telling the beautiful story of his parents' life, adapting Double Feature into a film, the moment Damian's Mum & Dad first met, the idea of Damian's Mum & Dad talking to him from the past, and a whole lot more!

We were so grateful for Damian sharing beautiful stories he unearthed from his Mum & Dad's diaries. This episode is a dedication to the way Damian's Mum & Dad lived their lives and we loved it!

You can catch Damian at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Ticket link below.

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/damian-callinan-unlikely-friends

You can also keep up with Damian's work on his website below.

https://damiancallinan.com.au/

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Dan is joined by actress, dancer, singer, and the woman behind Rita in Groundhog Day, Elise McCann! That's right, I'm continuing my podcast within a podcast as I talk to as many of the creatives from the show as I possibly can throughout the rest of the year.

It goes without saying that we talk about Groundhog Day. We also talk about Elise's work on Matilda, shifting perspective through anxiety, being an active participant in life, the love of telling stories, questioning her capabilities, being consumed in what other people thought, rebuilding resilience, stuff ups on stage, becoming calmer, building a community in the theatre world, being able to separate identify from the show, becoming better at saying goodbye, Hey Lemonade, Tim Minchin's amazing lyrics, just having yourself to look after, saying yes to every opportunity, redefining failure, struggling with perfection, and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by comedian and actor Firdi Billimoria in a very honest and open conversation about comedy. This was an enthralling chat.

We talk about why some people need to quit, the importance of self awareness, standing out in the crowd, flyering, writing, drinking at gigs, the challenging landscape of work, working on Thank God You're Here, an audience encounter with former guests of the show Riley & Declan, working regular jobs, being more than just a comedian, how to get people to a show, bombing at a gig then going to a regular job the next day, the hard realities of having a career in comedy, crowd work, freeing up your time, and a whole lot more!

Check out Firdi's Melbourne Comedy Festival. Link below.

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/a-little-firdi-told-me

And Sydney!

https://www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au/event/firdi-billimoria-a-little-firdi-told-me/

Firdi also runs a comedy room every Tuesday night! Link below

https://www.lidocinemas.com.au/events/lido-comedy

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Dan is joined by Davey Willett (Host of Treksperts Quiz) and Ben Russell (Comedian, Thank God You're Here, Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe).

This episode is a little different.... I indulge in my love for all things Star Trek, so I invited two people on the podcast I know love the franchise. We talk about the first time we discovered Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds, favourite episodes, conventions, some of the issues we have with the new iterations, what we love, what we hate, the movies, characters we love, and Davey even gives us a quiz. Such a fun episode!

You can find out more about Treksperts Quiz, the first and only Star Trek inspired game show below.

https://trekspertsquiz.com/

Link to Davey's creative writing website below.

https://daveywrites.com/

Link to Ben's work and upcoming comedy festival show below.

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2024/shows/ben-russell

https://linktr.ee/benrussells

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Dan is joined by the one and only Blake Bowden! Blake's stage credits include Book of Mormon, Phantom of the Opera, and Rocky Horror Picture Show to name a few. Blake's outlook on career aspirations and life really stuck with me long after the podcast ended. This one was such a treat!

We talk about the Rocky Horror Picture Show, alternating between Brad & Frank N Furter, taking on new challenges, working with a comedian, singing lessons, the moment Blake realised he became a better singer, being introverted, networking, the importance of family, being highly aware of what he is doing, appreciating life beyond career, becoming the first Australian to take over the lead role in Book of Mormon full time, and a whole lot more!

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Dan is joined by comedian, writer, director, actor, and magic nerd, Lawrence Leung. Strap in for a very magic heavy conversation!

We talk about Lawrence's love for magic, the fascinating world of mentalism, hypnotism, pickpocketing, Apollo Robbins, studying psychology, filming Lawrence Leung's Unbelievable, being driven around by a blindfolded Banachek, a call to the ABC lawyers, fooling Tim Ellis, ruining magic tricks, raw comedy, Edinburgh, working on WTFAQ, the excitement of the Melbourne Comedy Festival season, favourite comedians, trying different things, and a whole lot more!

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