Bravewords

With Adrienne Ferreira and Rob Carlton
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Performing Arts
  • Updated Daily

Created and hosted by Adrienne Ferreira and Rob Carlton on the NSW Central Coast, Bravewords gathers true stories of everyday people with extraordinary honesty. Recorded at their monthly sell-out show, Bravewords Live, each episode captures courage, humour and the electricity of a room leaning in to listen. Expect Australian storytelling with comedy and heart — big laughs, tender moments, and the reminder that everyone has a story worth sharing. From first-time storytellers to seasoned writers, Bravewords brings you personal stories told with craft and courage.

  1. 2 days ago

    134 Susan Hampton – My Mother's Boyfriend

    Susan's 96 year old mum met Stan. This is their story. Susan Hampton is a writer and a poet. She’s taught writing at manyAustralian universities.  She Co-edited The Penguin Book of AustralianWomen Poets. Surly Girls, performance pieces and short stories, won the Steele Rudd Award in 1990. The Kindly Ones, a long narrative poem, won the 2006 Judith Wright Award. Last year, her memoir Anything Can Happen won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award forNon-Fiction. Susan grew up in Inverell and Newcastle and now she lives on the Central Coast. Music courtesy of Sean Peter

    20 min

  2. 16 June

    133 Darren Gilshenan - That Guy

    A recently separated man 'enjoys' his new found freedom at a friend's wedding in Koh Samui, Thailand. DARREN GILSHENAN. After graduating from NIDA in 1988, Darren began his career in musical theatre before spending 10 years with The Bell Shakespeare Company. He followed this up with three years on the sketch comedy Full Frontal, and along with starring in high-profile roles on Australian television.  Darren’s television credits include: Sunny Nights (Stan, Jungle Entertainment), Ten Pound Poms S2 (BBC, Stan), Bay of Fires S2 (Fremantle), Thou Shalt Not Steal (Stan), Colin from Accounts S1-2 (Easy Tiger Productions), Population 11 (Stan), Nautilus (Disney+), Upright S2 (Lingo Pictures), Darby and Joan (Acorn), Joe vs. Carole (NBC, Matchbox Pictures), Troppo (Playmaker, EQ Media, Beyond), The Science of Harrow S1-2 (Hoodlum Productions), Harrow S1-3 (Hoodlum Productions), Stateless (ABC, Matchbox Pictures), How To Stay Married S1-3 (Princess Productions, Network Ten), Get Krack!n S2 (ABC), No Activity S1 (US Version) (Jungle Entertainment), True Story with Hamish and Andy (Nine Network), Here Come the Habibs! S1-2 (Jungle Entertainment), No Activity S1-2 (Jungle Entertainment), Maximum Choppage (Matchbox Pictures), The Killing Field (Seven Network), Devils Playground (Matchbox Pictures), The Moodys (Jungle Entertainment), Rake S3 (ABC), The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting (Jungle Entertainment), Janet King (ABC), Top of the Lake (See-Saw Films), A Moody Christmas (Jungle Entertainment) and Chandon Pictures S1-2 (Movie Extra).  Darren’s film credits include Audrey, Take My Hand, A Savage Christmas, The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race, Carnifex, Never Too Late, June Again, Dying for a Laugh, A Few Less Men, Women He’s Undressed directed by Gillian Armstrong, Save Your Legs and Dark City.  He also starred in the web series Plausible Deniability produced by Random Pictures. For his work he won Best Actor at IndieX Film Festival. The web series also won the Outstanding Achievement: Best Web Series / TV Pilot at IndieX Film Festival.  Select theatre credits include The Caretaker (Ensemble Theatre), The Hypochondriac (Darlinghurst Theatre Co.), Who’s Afraid of Viginia Woolf? (Ensemble Theatre) for which he received a Best Actor nomination at the Sydney Theatre Awards, Tartuffe (Black Swan State Theatre Co.), Machu Picchu, Fool’s Island, Loot and Our Town (Sydney Theatre Company), Elling, Don Parties On (Melbourne Theatre Company), Mother and Son (national tour) and Strictly Ballroom: The Musical directed by Baz Luhrmann.  Darren won the 2020 AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama Series for Stateless. He won the Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play for The Servant of Two Masters. The Moodys and A Moody Christmas both won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy at the 5th and 3rd Annual Equity Ensemble Awards respectively.  Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

    18 min

  3. 9 June

    132 Anna Downes – Reunion

    To Be Or Not to Be, will he love me? Anna Downes is invited to an acting school reunion. Anna Downes is the internationally bestselling author of The Safe Place, The Shadow House, and Red River Road (shortlisted for the 2025 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year), as well as the Penguin Voices audio exclusive Break Me Down. Born and raised in Sheffield, UK, she studied Drama at the University of Manchester and acting at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before working professionally until 2011, when she moved to Australia and turned her hand to writing. She now lives on the NSW Central Coast with her husband and two children. Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

    20 min

  4. 2 June

    131 Lesley Nord – Where are the Clowns?

    Lesley remembers a time when, with 3 kids under three, life got tough. Some notes from Lesley: Being the end of mental health month, I thought my story would be relevant.    After a long admission to a mental health unit and a lot of work on myself.  I became a volunteer then was employed by Gosford Mental health Centre, at the time it was Mandala,  I worked for seventeen years at both Gosford and Wyong Mental health units as an advocate.  My role was to help people through the system and put forward the needs of these people.  I had the trust of both patients and staff, as I felt that we all needed to work together to get the best outcomes for patients. At the time patients didn’t have a voice. I wanted to give them a voice and make a difference in their lives. I started to read at the age of fourteen and was sent out to work that same year.  Through Adrienne’s program I have gained more confidence in reading and writing my story. She has helped so many people put pen to paper. Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

    19 min

  5. 26 May

    130 Brenton Johnson – The Deposit

    One hand, one jar, one job! Brenton Johnson is a local to the central coast. This is his first time writing, and reading a story. Brenton discovered Bravewords through an introductory course with Adrienne that his wife recommended. He's now hoping to one day complete a memoir. We think he should! Music courtesy of Sean Peter

    21 min

  6. 19 May

    129 Nadia Townsend – Living the Dream

    A young actor and their side hustle - playing fairies at parties isn't always magic! Nadia Townsend is a director, writer, and dramaturg with over 20 years experience across film and theatre. She began her career as an actor, training through a run of independent theatre productions before moving into screen work, where she became part of the main cast of Head Start, City Homicide, and Fireflies, as well as the feature film Knowing. She is a sought-after screen dramaturg, with credits including Mad Max: Fury Road, Boy Swallows Universe, Black Snow, My Brilliant Career, and Mortal Kombat II. Her latest short film, The Great Divide, which she wrote and directed, recently won Best Film at the Berlin Indie Film Festival. Her upcoming short documentary, The Christmas House, is set for release. She is currently co-writing the new play Better Half with Luke Carman, supported by The Art House Wyong. Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

    18 min

  7. 12 May

    128 Luke Carman – A Dreamer Dancin'

    Luke's great mate helps him with a break up... Luke Carman’s debut work of fiction, An Elegant Young Man, won the 2014 NSW Premier’s New Writing Award and was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal, the Steele Rudd Short Story Prize and the Readings New Writing Award. His essay collection, Intimate Antipathies, was published in June 2019. His collection of stories, An Ordinary Ecstasy, was published in July 2022. Luke is the 2025 Judy Harris Writer-in-Residence Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre.

    17 min

  8. 5 May

    127 Stephanie East - Skipping School

    Sometimes straight A students have to skip school. Stephanie was brought up in Penrith – when it was still a semi-rural town, rather than an outer suburb of Sydney. Stephanie left school at 15, doing a variety of jobs while trying to complete my education: cleaning, nursing aide, process worker. Most of Steph's working life was spent in Sydney courts andtribunals, as a transcription typist, then training court typists and recording monitors. Steph moved to Wyong 15 years ago. It reminds her of the Penrith she grew up in. Music courtesy of Sean Peter.

    24 min
See All (34)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Created and hosted by Adrienne Ferreira and Rob Carlton on the NSW Central Coast, Bravewords gathers true stories of everyday people with extraordinary honesty. Recorded at their monthly sell-out show, Bravewords Live, each episode captures courage, humour and the electricity of a room leaning in to listen. Expect Australian storytelling with comedy and heart — big laughs, tender moments, and the reminder that everyone has a story worth sharing. From first-time storytellers to seasoned writers, Bravewords brings you personal stories told with craft and courage.

Information

  • Creator
    With Adrienne Ferreira and Rob Carlton
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © With Adrienne Ferreira and Rob Carlton
  • Show Website
    Bravewords

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