Coffee Chat Podcast

Hello Cuties!  Another episode! This time I had a lovely chat with Martin Quinn - actor in French Letters and Leather Cleaner part of Fruitbox Theatre World Pride Season which has just less than a week left! We chatted about all things queer joy, best part of the show, why you should see the work and I think we might start a movie podcast??  So, grab a coffee and enjoy!!  BIO: Since graduating with a Bachelor of Performance from the Australian Institute of Music, Martin Quinn has taken every opportunity to further develop his skills as a storyteller. In 2019 he trained with the Atlantic Theatre Company and performed in The Cherry Orchard (dir. Victor Kalka at Chippen Street Theatre) and produced and performed in Ditch (dir. Kim Hardwick at Limelight Theatre). During 2020, Martin spent marvellous amounts of time reading all sorts of literature and hosting one man discos in his room. In 2021 and 2022, he performed in Fuente Ovejuna! (dir. Angus Evans) and Much Ado (dir. Madeleine Withington) at Flight Path Theatre.

Hello Cuties! The podcast is back with short snappy episodes with queer artists in celebration of Sydney World Pride!! First episode of season five is with Laneikka Denne and Ziggy Resnick where we chatted all things Feminazi, why queer stories are important, experiences being a queer creative and some fun rapid fire questions! So, grab a coffee and enjoy!!  BIOS: Laneikka is a queer writer and actor from Western Sydney. At seventeen, Laneikka wrote DEAD SKIN which premiered at KXT to a sold-out season, published by Australian Plays and the winner of SA State Theatre Company’s Young Playwrights Award. Laneikka’s second play FEMINAZI premieres as part of Belvoir Theatre’s Sydney World Pride Programming in 2023. Laneikka was the recipient of the Diversity Entertainment Creative Mentorship 2022, her play DEAD SKIN was performed in LA, to be developed into a feature film adaption of the play. Laneikka’s short screenplay Oi was awarded Open Screenplay’s Best Short Drama Award and is in pre-production in Sydney. Laneikka acted in the national tour of FOLLOW ME HOME with ATYP and is currently Sally in Netflix’s ‘Wellmania’. Laneikka created THE MONOLOGUE COLLECTIVE where teenagers write monologues for teenagers to perform for the HSC to sold-out seasons and was nominated for Best Production for Young People at the Sydney Theatre Awards 2023. Young, queer humans are at the heart of all of Laneikka’s work.A queer, Jewish, Greek, first generation “Australian” clown, Ziggy graduated from NIDA with a BFA (Acting) in 2020. During this time she worked with Leticia Caceres on SIX, Priscilla Jackman on Ibsen’s Ghosts and Jim Sharman on Twelfth Night, and debuted the role of Amélie in the first Australian stage adaptation of the film Amélie (dir. Miranda Middleton). After graduating from NIDA, Ziggy debuted the role of Shoshana in A is for Apple by Jessica Bellamy at Griffin Theatre Company, worked as a clown on Opera Australia’s Ernani, starred in a new Australian show Trash Pop Butterflies Dance Dance Paradise as part of Midsumma Festival and directed Much Stuff at Kings Cross Theatre. She will perform her new play Pear-Shaped in 2023 at TheatreWorks Melbourne. Ziggy is proud to be a member of the 2022/23 SheWrites Collective at TheatreWorks and the RIPE Development Program at Fruit Box Theatre.

Before I begin I do want to acknowledge the gadigal people of the eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which I work and live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and future. Welcome to the Coffee Chat Podcast. On today's episode I chatted to Jackie Diamond an acting coach based in LA who I was lucky to work with at the beginning of this year! She is an amazing acting coach and inspiring human! We chatted about all things acting, her teaching journey, tips for actors and some fun rapid fire questions! So, grab a coffee and enjoy! BIO: Over the years Jackie studied and admired the work of many insightful Master teachers such as Ivana Chubbuck, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, Larry Moss and Elizabeth Kemp but her home is at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio in Hollywood where she continues to teach classes both in-studio and via zoom. Although she is California born and raised and Los Angeles is home. She has lived and worked between LA and Australia throughout her life. For several years she had the privilege of serving as a teacher at the prestigious 16th Street Actors Studio in Melbourne, Australia. In 2020 she began teaching zoom classes for AAFTA, and back in Los Angeles she developed her own FTA classes where she has loved working with some amazing students! In 2018 she co-developed and co-produced two LA and NYC workshops with Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer prize winning writer/director, John Patrick Shanley, and in 2019 co-produced and directed one of his short plays right here in Hollywood. Jackie is the Founding Co-Artistic Director and was the Head of Talent in charge of casting and training over 5 years for Australian Theatre Company, based in LA. In 2019 she was proud to be the Program Director for one of the biggest short play festivals in the world, Short+Sweet Hollywood Latino. She was responsible for initiating the partnership with NBC UNIVERSAL and ARGENTUM STUDIOS. Instagram: @for_the_actor

Before I begin I do want to acknowledge the gadigal people of the eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which I work and live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and future. Welcome to the Coffee Chat Podcast. On today's episode I chatted to Amelia Ryan. I found Amelia through instagram and instantly fell in love with her inspiring posts and hilarious stories most being from her cabaret shows. We chatted about her journey studying at VCA, finding the world of cabaret, her coaching business and some fun rapid fire questions! So, grab a coffee and enjoy! BIO: Amelia Ryan is a multi-award-winning Cabaret Artist, Writer, Curator, Coach, and Mum. A Musical Theatre Actress by trade (Victorian College of the Arts), she swapped ‘song & dance’ for ‘comedy & cabaret’, when she realised her ability to do a time-step (or ANY step) paled in comparison to her knack for cracking a quip. Since co-winning the 2012 Your Theatrics International Cabaret Contest, her critically acclaimed shows have traversed the Australian Festival circuit, as well as New York City, London, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, playing to 5-star reviews and standing ovations. In 2019 Amelia received the Adelaide Cabaret Festivals inaugural ‘Frank Ford Commission’ (selected by Artistic Director Julia Zamiro) and created UNSUNG - an homage to Australia’s female singers from the 1960s and 1970s. It’s a loud and proud celebration of Australia’s pioneering women of pop and rock, and is co-performed with Libby O’Donovan. It's touring Australia in 2021-2023, represented by Nicholas Clark Management. In 2021, Amelia and her husband Zac Tyler (Release Creative), along with Torben & Richelle Brookman (GWB Entertainment) launched THE QUEENS; Adelaide Fringe's newest Fringe Hub, in mainland Australia's oldest theatre. It was a central hub for all things music and cabaret, and certainly lived up to being 'Fringe At Its Finest'. In addition to running her production company, 2021 saw the launch of AMPLIFIED with Amelia Ryan; a coaching and consulting business to help coaches, creatives and consultants hone their voice and amplify their message on the page, stage and screen. Through both the spoken and written word, on stage and on camera, Amelia is incredibly excited about working with brands and businesses who desire to move the world with their message. Instagram: @ameliaryan

Before I begin I do want to acknowledge the gadigal people of the eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which I work and live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and future. Welcome to the Coffee Chat Podcast. On today's episode I chatted to Natashia Telfer an amazing woman who is making waves in the business world. We talked about her business ventures, overcoming cancer, her cameo on the today show and some fun rapid fire questions. So, grab a coffee and enjoy!  BIO: Up until the age of 18, Natashia believed the purpose of life was ‘the circle of life’. This purpose was lost when she was diagnosed with Cancer. This adversity would be one of many, however it did set Natashia on a life altering course. Less than 2 weeks after completing chemotherapy, Natashia enrolled herself in a Healthcare apprenticeship and started her new path within the Healthcare sector. Natashia went on the spend her early 20’s with professional perspective, however lacked when it came to personal perspective. Today Natashia is married, running a 24/7 multimillion-dollar community nursing business, 3 other side hustles, raising 2 IVF babies, just finished further studies, and publishing a book by the end of this year. On the surface, it would seem she has it all, however she is a self-confessed life juggler and people pleaser. It wasn’t until 2020, Natashia had an epiphany, and began to realise her self-worth and the endless possibilities when you finally let go of the opinions of others and simply back yourself. This would lead Natashia to go on to promote this message with the sole aim of helping others. Instagram: @kindness.and.courage.co @sista.sista.events @juggling_mumma

Before I begin I do want to acknowledge the gadigal people of the eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which I work and live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and future. Welcome to the Coffee Chat Podcast. On today's episode I chatted to Jess Fisher, a Melbourne based screenwriter. I heard her on The Screenwriting Life podcast which she interns for and I was like “I must know her!” We chatted about all things writing and the process, being creative, mindset and some fun rapid fire questions! So, grab a coffee and enjoy! BIO: Originally from Queensland, Jess Fisher is a screenwriter and digital communications specialist living in Melbourne. After a decade of working in politics, Jess took the leap and left behind this career in order to focus more on the craft of screenwriting. Now in her final year of an Advanced Diploma of Professional Screenwriting at RMIT and about to shoot her third short film, Jess currently Interns for The Screenwriting Life podcast with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna. To date, she has also served as Producer for two episodes. Jess is driven to share stories, collaborate with other creators, and make friends with very, very large or very, very small dogs, as well as every furry friend in between. Instagram: @jess.t.fisher

Before I begin I do want to acknowledge the gadigal people of the eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which I work and live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and future. Welcome to the Coffee Chat Podcast. On today's episode I chatted to Kya Stewart a Sydney based actress and writer. We chatted about her current passion project 'cognitive' her acting journey, writing and creative process and some fun rapid fire questions! So, grab a coffee and enjoy! :) BIO: Kya Stewart has appeared in several film and television roles and is currently in the science-fiction thriller RISEN, written and directed by Eddie Arya. She plays the role of Rachel Stermon. RISEN is currently screening in US cinemas and On Demand around the globe. Kya also just recently finished filming the feature film, BEAT, written and directed by Jye Currie. Thefilm stars Rachel Carpani, John Wood and Brendan Bacon and is set to be released in late 2021. Based in Sydney, Kya has trained at a wide variety of acting Institutions. She has studied at Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop in Sydney, where she learned the non-method way of acting and has also studied with Jessica Orcsik at AFFTA LA. Currently, in pre-production for her debut short film, COGNITIVE, Kya plays the lead role of Abbie Sullivan in the psychological drama, which is set to be released in 2022. The film is being made to raise awareness on trauma and mental health. Cognitive explores the idea of reshaping memories from your past in order to change your future and was inspired by the film The Butterfly Effect. Kya has a personal drive "to change the world through truth and art" and works to "help give a voice to those who have been cast aside or forgotten by society". She loves to meditate, read books on self-development, watch movies and go to the beach. She is currently rewatching Schitts Creek for the third time. "Obsessed and not ashamed. Alexis is Queen!". Instagram: @kya_stewart_

Before I begin I do want to acknowledge the gadigal people of the eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which I work and live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and future. Welcome to the Coffee Chat Podcast. On today's episode I chatted to Maya, Jacob and Almitra who I have had the pleasure of working with this year on an amazing project the breaths in between. We chatted about the project, a deep dive into imposter syndrome, the creative process, casting and some fun rapid fire questions! So, grab a coffee and enjoy! :) BIOS: Maya Britbart Ellazam Maya (she/her) is an independent producer, director and photographer based in Melbourne. She is a proud queer, Israeli woman who is passionate about exploring the potential of the musical theatre medium to tell diverse stories. Her directing credits include Heathers: The Musical (Assistant Director, UMMTA, 2017) and Parade (Assistant Director, UMMTA, 2019). Her producing credits include The Drowsy Chaperone (UMMTA, 2018), which won Best Musical at the 2018 Union House Theatre Awards, ‘The Sitzprobe’ (Co-Producer, UMMTA, 2018), and Fran & Leni (Seemingly Wholesome Productions, 2019). She was also the President of UMMTA in 2018, acting as an executive producer of a five-show musical season, including three new work initiatives. Her photography has recently been exhibited as part of MUDFest (University of Melbourne, 2019) and Mutualism (a collaboration between the University of Melbourne School of Biomedical Sciences and the Australian Government). Maya holds a Bachelor of Arts (University of Melbourne, Psychology / Criminology) and is a mental health worker who is passionate about improving wellbeing outcomes for marginalised populations. Maya is super excited to be establishing Eleven O'Clock Theatre and developing new work with such a spectacular group of people. Jacob Kuek Jacob (he/him) has experience in a variety of disciplines. In Australia, Jacob has had the pleasure to be in various amateur musicals with the University of Melbourne Music Theatre Association, be a backing vocalist for Broadway Unplugged, and be a performing member of both the Improv Conspiracy Theatre (Fresh Blood program) and Impromptunes: The Completely Improvised Musical. He has also been a part of the directing team for Melbourne University Modern Theatre’s productions of The Flick and The Metamorphosis. He is passionate about diversity in the performing arts, and is excited to work on a project that puts diverse stories at the forefront. Almitra Mavalvala  Almitra Mavalvala is a Sydney based Performing Artist/ Writer/ Composer. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Almitra has graduated from the Australian Institute of Music with a Bachelor in Music (Music Theater). She has not only worked as a performer in Sydney ,but also in Pakistan where she started her theater journey. After her completion of High school in Pakistan, she did a Production of Ira Levin’s Death Trap (Helga Ten Dorp-Psychic). In 2013 she was affiliated with Nida Butt’s musical, 'Grease' where she played the role of ‘Frenchie’.  She then left to study Special Effects Make-up in 2015 which furthered her knowledge about theater and film. In 2016 she returned home to Direct/Produce her first ever Music Video from Concept to execution. The music and lyrics were composed and written by her.   After graduating from AIM, Almitra appeared in Willoughby Theater Company’s ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ (Ensemble). Almitra was 8 years old when she wrote her first set of Lyrics. Almitra is extremely excited to be joining the team as head composer and passionate about telling the stories and shining light on topics that are otherwise overlooked. She hopes that the stories she tells, stay with you for a long time to come.

Before I begin I do want to acknowledge the gadigal people of the eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which I work and live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and future. Welcome to the Coffee Chat Podcast. On today's episode I chatted to Tegan Verheul a now London based actress. We chatted about her start in acting in Vancouver, what led her to study in London, what roles inspire her and some fun rapid fire questions! So, grab a coffee and enjoy! BIO: Tegan Verheul (she/her) is a London-based actor and comedian of dubious moral character. Originally hailing from Vancouver, Canada, Tegan is studying at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in their MA Acting program. Her current hobbies include smashing swords together, trying to beat her own personal record for caffeine consumption, and wearing all black. Past theatre credits include Catherine in A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE (Peninsula Productions), Hannah in BELFAST GIRLS (Peninsula Productions), Gretchen in BOEING BOEING (WRPC), and Sue Snell in CARRIE: THE MUSICAL (FCP). Past film and television credits include ARROW (The CW), MAUX MYSTÈRES (Canal Vie), and EXILE (VFS). You have probably seen her in a commercial. Tegan is also an established sketch comedy writer and emerging playwright. She is currently developing her first full-length play, using characters from a beloved Victorian novel to expose the failures of white liberal feminism and faux allyship. Instagram: @teganver

I want to acknowledge the gadigal people of the eora nation, the traditional custodians of this land on which I work and live on. I pay respect to elders past, present and future. Welcome to the Coffee Chat Podcast. On today's episode I chatted to Teniola Komolafe a portrait photographer based in Sydney. I met Teniola earlier this year on a project and immediately was like I must know her! Her passion for photography is infectious. We chatted about her journey, her creative process what keeps her inspired and some fun rapid fire questions. So, grab a coffee and enjoy! BIO: Teniola Komolafe is portrait photographer who lives in Sydney, Australia. However, more than just portraits she enjoys building relationships, authentic conversations and being able to tell the stories of those she photographs. Her love of her career stems from her multicultural upbringing and her faith. She was born in Nigeria and  raised in America and Australia. Teniola has lived all over the world, but that is not to boast. She says that because her worldly travels have given her numerous opportunities to work for many individuals, companies and brands. It’s through all that, her love for people and  the stories they share has grown immensely.  She continually desires to better her craft for the sake of the stories untold. If Teniola is not behind the camera you can probably find her planning her next shoot or people watching… to get inspiration for her next shoot. Instagram: @tenikomo