#34 - Tropes, Cliches and Stereotypes

This week we have a catch up with what we're working on, drop some big news, and do possibly the greatest muppet casting ever. We're taking a short break, but we'll be back next year with more episodes! In the meantime, please follow us on our socials, and chuck us an email some time at [email protected]

This week, Amber interviews New York based lyricist, librettist, singer, and theatre journalist Shoshana Greenberg. Shoshana also hosts the musical theatre podcast "Scene to Song". We dig into Shoshanas primary work as writing for musical theatre, approaches to writing lyrics and music, differences between theatre in New York and Los Angeles, as well as her work as a journalist. Check out Shoshana's work at shoshanagreenberg.com.

It's been a big year for the performing arts industries! This week Amber and Cole discuss some updates that have happened. There are some unexpected download statistics, a countrywide shortage affecting album sales, plays to see in London and some pet peeves from the casting process.   @RiffsandScriptsPod [email protected]

This week it's Part 2 of our interview with Rob Tognoni, featuring the delicious Nath Digman. We talk about Rob's influences, his rig, what makes him stand out, and what AC/DC means to all of us. Plus you can expect some pretty amazing trivia about the greatest band Australia ever produced. Cant say fairer than that! Check out Rob's music at www.robtog.com

This week, Amber and Cole get us stuck in with the importance of fun in music, before Cole is joined by previous guest Nath Digman of Hell's Gazelles to interview Australian Blues Rocker Rob Tognoni. What's it like to play across cultural borders? What was Rob's journey into music? How did Rob and Cole meet? Enjoy Part 1, and stick around for more next week with Part 2! Check out Rob's esteemed guitar twiddling at www.robtog.com

This week is all about criticism! We chat about the job of a reviewer, critique over nastiness, whose reviews you should take on board, and whose you should take with a pinch of salt. We also talk about how important it is to let bad reviews land, and the ability to take criticism. All this and more on this week's Riffs and Scripts!

This episode is all about the people we've come across in our personal lives who've inspired us, from family members and teachers, to friends and peers. We talk about what we admire about them, and some of the things we've learned from them. We also make a little time for pet peeves! What bout of twitter-flavoured injustice got on Amber's nerves? What trope made Cole angry enough to start throwing stationery? Find out on this week's Riffs and Scripts!

This week we're returning to the subject of 'Muggle jobs', the day to day grind you do to support yourself when creativity isn't quite paying the bills. What sums up the antithesis of the creative process more than boring admin jobs?   What makes an admin job bearable? What drives us nuts? And who, WHO we ask you, keeps putting fish in the microwave? All this and more on this weeks episode of Riffs and Scripts!

On this weeks episode we enter the mirror-verse, revisiting our ranked episode on musicals and albums but switching it up: What are Cole's top 5 favourite musicals? What are Ambers top 5 albums? What band did Amber and her partner bond over? And... wait... did Cole try out for X-factor?

This episode is all about tropes! What daft trope has Amber been asked to perform? How do pop songwriters make a moment sound more intense? Is there any truth to performer stereotypes? Find out on riffs and scripts! Please direct all questions, ideas, and hate mail to [email protected], and follow us on alllllll the socials (except Twitter, we hate Twitter) *SPOILER ALERT* This episode contains spoilers for Endgame, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, and Loki.