Game of Life with Dan and Harman

Dan is joined by actor, dancer, singer, Devon Braithwaite fresh from finishing off a run in the Australian production of Chicago and currently prepping for Hadestown!

We chat about the fulfilling experience working on such an iconic show like Chicago, surrealness of post show life, preparation before starting up on a new show, staying ready, putting your best foot forward, getting into the rhythm of a show, gaining a sense of humour when mistakes happen, opening nights, a love for space and science fiction, moving back to Australia permanently, getting the job on Moulin Rouge, working on Moulin Rogue during the height of COVID, always being drawn to dancing, applying for schools, forgiving your younger self, finding confidence to sing in front of people, knowing what's in your wheelhouse, needing to be better than just fine, the Australian work ethic, thriving in discomfort, stage door, the way you conduct yourself, balancing a social life, behind the scenes of a tech day, and a whole lot more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by the extraordinarily talented actress and singer who has extensive musical theatre credits to her name, Lucy Maunder!

We chat about her recent run playing Roxie in Chicago, touring for four years straight, having time to herself, the tears that came from finishing Chicago, the love of live theatre and performing, keeping up with the wellness during a show's run, making the decision to take a show off, the most exhausting point of a show, always being surrounded by music, going to WAAPA, being a perfectionist, constructive criticism, not having enough time to mourn a show's end, balancing the social life outside a show, auditioning, feeling the pressure when loved when see you, seeing Jack Chambers & Stefanie Jones perform Mary Poppins in the UK & Ireland, the craziness of working through the height of COVID, and a whole lot more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by musical theatre sensations Patrick Volpe and Jake Ameduri, who went to high school together in Perth. Flash forward years later, and now they have just made their first professional debut together in Sister Act! 

This one is a lot of fun!

We chat about the first leg of the Sister Act tour in Sydney, figuring out the eight show week, taking in the first performances, having their first bow filmed, performing musicals in high school together, what people back home think, the incredible lighting, music and pace of Sister Act, being inspired by working with legends, learning on the job, finding out they booked the job on Sister Act, the pains of having to keep the job secret, working regular jobs in between auditions, expecting the unexpected, speaking Spanish, the collaborative nature of working on the show, trying not to corpse on stage, what they appreciate about each other's performances, the moment they fell in love with performing, finding a side hustle, receiving praise, looking at musicals in a new light, and a whole lot more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by musical theatre superstar and more recently Pilates instructor, Jake O'Brien! Jake just came off a massive run on the Australian production of & Juliet.

We chat about being part of & Juliet, the creative process of working on the show, positive fan encounters, the humbling experience of going back to regular jobs, the difficulties of tour life, post show blues, becoming a Pilates instructor, shining in auditions, not looking at the audience, anxiety sometimes getting in the way, growing up wanting to be a VET, auditioning for Neighbours, always being a sensitive kid, working on Aladdin, having a break, getting in your own head, Inside Out 2, struggles to connect with others, the hard moment of saying goodbye to & Juliet, resetting your body during a show, the spontaneity of becoming a dancer, playing rugby league, family, West Side Story, sustaining a serious injury, having too many emotions, and so much more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by actress, writer, and director, Jayne Brook! You may have seen Jayne in various television shows over the years including Boston Legal, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Brothers & Sisters, and Star Trek: Discovery to name a few. Jayne has also directed and written a short film called Flip Side.

We chat about her work on Boston Legal, playing a character struggling with drug addiction, working with Mark Valley & René Auberjonois, always wanting to write a book, dreams fading away, the rhythm of life, giving back, the self employed creative life, the not so straight forward creative path at forging a career, the humbling experience of becoming a model, accepting that she didn't like auditioning, feeling isolated in doubt, being satisfied artistically, segueing into writing & directing, creating a regular time where nothing happens, sometimes feeling ill at ease on guest starring jobs, a nice moment creating a scene with Anthony LaPaglia, the need for community, entering into the world of Star Trek, and so much more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by actor and military veteran, Mark Valley! You may have seen Mark in TV shows including Boston Legal, Human Target, Fringe, Harry's Law, Body of Proof, Law and Order: SVU, and The Flash to name a few. Mark was also a platoon leader who saw action in Operation Desert Storm.

We chat about working on Boston Legal, asking to leave Boston Legal, being a series regular on multiple shows, taking precautions for Human Target, taking advice from Lee Majors, the time spent waiting around on set as an actor, being fully engaged with Human Target, wanting to be a pro football player, coming from a military family, serving in the military as an engineer, leading small unit troops, finding acting through extra work on a film in Berlin, going to German night acting classes, working in the wild west of coffee shops, developing a tolerance to rejection, receiving hate mail while he was on Days of Our Lives, working as a location assistant, holding your ground, learning to be sure of yourself, getting grief with Denzel Washington, retiring from acting, and a whole lot more!

*Apologies for the audio quality. I only realised afterwards that the mic was not turned on*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by actor and artist, Andrew J. West who most notably played Gareth on The Walking Dead!

We chat about working on The Walking Dead, getting an action figure, the pressure of working on TV pilots, learning from failed pilots, moving out to LA with no plan, putting yourself out there, getting the first co-star job on a TV show, knowing everything would work out, the humbling experience of waiting tables, not thinking success would come quickly, the non-linear career in the arts, a love of painting, learning to live a self directed life, being comfortable knowing you're not right for certain roles, working with Jim O'Heir on Middle Man, not winning over everyone, being a shy kid, not drifting along in life, and a whole lot more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by actor and Bill Oakley himself from Better Call Saul, Peter Diseth!

We chat about working on Better Call Saul, the responsibility he took in the series finale of Better Call Saul, initially auditioning for Breaking Bad, having good work environments, struggling with self confidence, servicing the story, the love of auditioning, not being able to watch back every self tape, wanting to be the people in the movies, the Albuquerque acting scene, getting the first TV gig, being well prepared to stay comfortable, having a sense of ownership over a moment, getting to the point where you can't turn back, box breathing to overcome stage fright, getting his nose broken half way through a show, the incredible experienced gained from teaching, pushing through social anxiety, and a whole lot more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by singer, actor, songwriter who most recently played Riff Raff in the Australian production of Rocky Horror, Henry Rollo!

We chat about not being a pure blood musical theatre person, working on Rocky Horror, exploring body type, hiding where you naturally fit, self awareness being a powerful weapon, getting the creative freedom in independent theatre, winning a walk on role in Wicked as a kid, meeting Bert Newton, working hospitality with the Marriner Group, not being ashamed of the work you're doing, getting a lead role in a show at The Hayes, loosing who you are as a performer, not currently having an agent, trying to meet your own standards eight shows a week, respecting and taking time with fans at stage door, working with comedians, dealing with the heckles on Rocky Horror, loosing control on stage, mapping things out, getting Jagged Little Pill, and a whole lot more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is joined by phenomenally talented writer and performer, Maverick Newman who was pretty fresh after finishing a run of Murder for Two a few weeks prior to recording.

We chat about Maverick's name, working on Murder for Two, playing twelve characters, being spontaneous on stage, Gabbi Bolt, preparing for shows, knee and neck injuries, the pride of having done Murder for Two, coming from a sporty family, being cast in The King and I for The Production Company at a young age, the shock of being able to work in the industry, writing for yourself, Maverick's favourite piece of work, the initial trepidation of putting on solo shows for the first time, comedy, collaborating with others, being on the other side of the casting table, thinking about longevity, and a whole lot more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.