STAGES with Peter Eyers

Peter Eyers
  • 4.8 (4)
  • Performing Arts

STAGES is the podcast that accesses a variety of professional life connecting with an audience. A host of creative artists reflect on their career, their process and what matters – to them. Some have made the arts a lifetime pursuit, some explain how their career became a happy accident … but all describe the challenges and demands – and ultimately celebrate why there’s no business like show business! STAGES talks to talent from front of house and backstage - directors, designers, drag artists and doormen … performers, producers and publicists ... teachers, technicians and talent! Whatever stages it takes to engage and affect an audience – or whatever it takes to carve out a career in the arts – we’ll examine it in STAGES. STAGES is the recipient of the Best New Podcaster Award at The Australian Podcast Awards in 2019.

  1. 13h ago

    STAGES Episode 647: VICTORIA FALCONER

    Victoria Falconer is a cross-genre theatre-maker, musical director, performer, multi-instrumentalist, writer, composer and mentor whose work spans cabaret, musical theatre, live music and performance. Born in Australia and of Filipino and British heritage, she is currently in her fourth year as co-Artistic Director of Hayes Theatre Co. on Gadigal land. In 2024, she was recognised with the Asian-Australian Leadership Award for Arts & Culture. Her recent music direction credits include the new Australian production of Hedwig & The Angry Inch, In the Heights at the Sydney Opera House, Ride the Cyclone for Hayes Theatre Co., My Brilliant Career and a queer reimagining of Oklahoma! for Black Swan State Theatre. In 2025, she was Music Supervisor for Bright Star, Music Associate Director on The Shiralee for Sydney Theatre Company, and performed as Susan/Adelaide Adams in Calamity Jane at the Sydney Opera House. Earlier credits include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Lizzie, Godspell, Leap, Insane Animals, Courtney Act’s Under The Covers and Sasquatch The Opera. As a creator and cabaret performer, Victoria has developed original work across theatre, music, circus and live performance. Her commissions include Smashed: The Nightcap, presented at Sydney Festival and Auckland Arts Festival, and The Sight for Dark Mofo. She is also developing a reworking of The Beggars Opera, created with fellow Hayes co-Artistic Director Richard Carroll and playwright Jordan Shea, and scheduled for 2027. In 2022, Victoria received the Frank Ford Commission from Adelaide Cabaret Festival to develop And Then You Go: The Vali Myers Project. Co-composed with Jarrad Payne and the ensemble, the multi-genre work combined theatre, cabaret, circus and dance to explore the extraordinary life and legacy of Australian cult arts figure Vali Myers. Her international career has taken her to stages including Soho Theatre and the Barbican in London, Club Cumming in New York, Glastonbury, Edinburgh Fringe, Sydney Mardi Gras and London Pride. As a multi-instrumentalist, she has performed on theremin, violin, accordion and musical saw, appearing at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, National Theatre and Abbey Road Studios. Advocacy and mentorship are central to Victoria’s practice. She is a founding executive member of The People of Cabaret, an initiative amplifying Indigenous, Bla(c)k and people of colour working across cabaret, circus, burlesque and related disciplines. She leads its national Mentorship Programme and has also mentored artists through Midsumma’s Pathways program for LGBTQIA+ artists with disability. A two-time Best Cabaret winner at Adelaide Fringe and recipient of two Green Room Awards, Victoria Falconer continues to occupy a distinctive space in Australian performance: an artist equally at home behind the musical direction desk, centre stage, in a recording studio or championing the next generation of diverse performers. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

  2. Oct 28

    STAGES Episode 646: SIMON PARRIS & IAN PHIPPS - GLOBAL THEATRE ROUNDUP

    Reviewer and devoted theatre enthusiast Simon Parris — better known to many as Man in Chair — and uber publicist and theatre aficionado Ian Phipps return to the podcast to give us an insight into the shows currently playing in global theatres. They’ve each recently undertaken their annual theatrical pilgrimages to London and New York, where they’ve been filling their days — and presumably their notebooks, phones and heads — with the sights, sounds and sensations of what’s currently playing on some of the world’s great stages. And there’s plenty to talk about: the productions that dazzled, surprised and perhaps disappointed; the performers and creative teams making waves; the shows generating conversation; and the trends and theatrical ideas that are travelling across the globe. But this isn’t simply a travelogue of Broadway and the West End. Simon and Ian are also turning their attention homeward — looking at what these international theatre seasons might tell us about the future, and what Australian audiences can anticipate when our stages come alive in 2027. So, prepare for opinions, observations, discoveries and, no doubt, a healthy dose of theatrical gossip and enthusiasm. It’s wonderful to have them both back on STAGES…….  Man in Chair Simon Parris and publicist extraordinaire Ian Phipps! The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

  3. Oct 21

    STAGES Episode 645: EDDIE PERFECT RETURNS

    STAGES welcomes back the enormously talented Eddie Perfect — composer, lyricist, performer, actor and one of Australia’s most distinctive theatrical voices. Eddie is the Tony-nominated creator of Beetlejuice The Musical, and in 2025 he also donned the iconic stripy suit himself, starring as the mischievous, macabre and thoroughly irresistible Beetlejuice in the Melbourne season at the Regent Theatre. Now that extraordinary Australian production is being preserved for posterity — and for your headphones — with the release of Beetlejuice The Musical Live at the Regent Theatre Melbourne, arriving this Halloween, October 31st. The album captures the energy of the live production, with Eddie joined by a stellar Australian cast including Karis Oka, Rob Johnson, Erin Claire, Elise McCann, Tom Wren, Angelique Cassimatis, Rebecca Ordiz, Noni McCallum and Adam Lyon. But this recording represents something even bigger. It marks the launch of Excited Animal Records, a new label founded by Eddie with a very clear mission: to record, release and champion Australian music theatre and the extraordinary artists who create it. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

  4. Oct 17

    STAGES Episode 644: JONATHAN BIGGINS RETURNS

    Jonathan Biggins is one of Australia’s most versatile and distinctive theatre practitioners, with an accomplished career spanning acting, directing and writing. He is also a sought-after corporate speaker, MC and entertainer, bringing the same intelligence, wit and theatrical flair to every aspect of his work. As an actor, Jonathan is renowned for his versatility and finely observed character work. He has performed with all of Australia’s major state theatre companies, with notable Sydney Theatre Company appearances including Peter Sellers in Ying Tong and Henry Carr in Tom Stoppard’s Travesties. His work with Opera Australia includes the role of Ko-Ko in The Mikado, while his performance career has also extended to musical comedy and touring, including Three Men and a Baby Grand. On screen, his credits include the films Thank God He Met Lizzie and A Few Best Men, among numerous television appearances. Jonathan’s talents as a director are equally impressive. Since 2000, he was a co-director of the Sydney Theatre Company’s much-loved Wharf Revue, helping shape its distinctive blend of satire, music, comedy and political observation across more than two decades. His other directing credits include Opera Australia’s Orpheus in the Underworld, as well as The Republic of Myopia, Noises Off and Talk for the Sydney Theatre Company. He also directed the Australian touring production of the Broadway musical Avenue Q in 2009–10. His work for younger audiences includes directing the award-winning productions Pete the Sheep, Josephine Wants to Dance and Mr Stink. As a writer, Jonathan has demonstrated an equally sharp ear for comedy and an astute understanding of Australian life and politics. His fortnightly column for Good Weekend ran for seven years, while his journalism and commentary have appeared in publications including The Age, Australian Traveller and Wine Selector Magazine. His extensive theatre writing includes collaborations on sixteen editions of The Wharf Revue, among them Pennies from Kevin, Sunday in Iraq with George and Waiting for Garnaut. For Opera Australia, he created a new libretto adaptation of Orpheus in the Underworld, while his musical theatre credits include Living in the 70s and The Republic of Myopia. His first full-length play, Australia Day, premiered in 2012, followed by Talk for the Sydney Theatre Company in 2017 and the acclaimed one-man show The Gospel According to Paul in 2019. Jonathan is also the author of four books: As It Were, The 700 Habits of Highly Ineffective People, The 700 Habits of Highly Ineffective Parents and The Gospel According to Paul. He is presently touring in his acclaimed one-man show, The Gospel According to Paul, and later this month releases a new book tiled Near Death in Venice. Across the stage, page and screen, Jonathan Biggins has built a career defined by versatility, comic precision and an enduring ability to find the humour, humanity and absurdity in contemporary Australian life. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

  5. Oct 14

    STAGES Episode 641: MARNEY MCQUEEN

    Marney McQueen is one of Australia’s most versatile performers, weaving together a formidable talent for musical theatre, comedy, cabaret and character performance. A graduate of NIDA, Marney has built a career distinguished by its energy, comic intelligence and extraordinary vocal ability. McQueen made her professional theatre debut as Marion in the original Australian production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical, before going on to play the deliciously devious Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray. She subsequently appeared as Nina in Dream Lover – The Bobby Darin Musical alongside David Campbell, and as Princess Zeena in Moonshadow. Her theatre credits also include Into the Woods, The Dismissal, Scarlett O’Hara at the Crimson Parrot and The Give & Take. Comedy and cabaret have been equally important to McQueen’s career. She created the outrageous Rosa Waxoffski, a Russian beautician whose adventures have taken her to comedy festivals and stages in Australia and internationally. The character began during her NIDA training and developed into a celebrated cabaret creation, demonstrating McQueen’s particular gift for impersonation, character comedy and audience interaction. On screen, her credits include Neighbours, Home and Away, Bogan Pride, The Wedge, The Chinaboy Show, The Mule, Matching Jack and Maya the Bee: The Honey Games. She has also worked extensively as a presenter, MC and cabaret artist. More recently, Marney took centre stage as Céline Dion in the Australian production of Titanique, a role that showcased both her powerhouse vocals and impeccable comic timing. She returns to musical theatre as The Lady of the Lake, in Monty Python’s Spamalot, bringing her abundant gifts to this gloriously comic musical. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

  6. Oct 7

    STAGES Episode 643: SHARON MILLERCHIP

    Sharon Millerchip is one of the busiest actor/creatives on the Australian stage with three prestigious Helpmann Awards to her name. Sharon most recently played Ingrid Treloar in BORN ON A THURSDAY By Jack Kearney at the Old Fitz Theatre for which she was nominated for the 2026 Sydney Theatre Award for Leading Actor in an Independent Play. Sharon was Creative Producer for PUTTING IT TOGETHER at the Foundation Theatre and is set to resume her role as the Associate Director for SIX THE MUSICAL in Australia which begins it’s fourth national tour in July 2026 For the Sydney Theatre Company, Sharon was Assistant Director to Priscilla Jackman in Suzie Miller’s smash hit RBG; OF MANY ONE starring Heather Mitchell and directed the one woman show BECOMING ELIZA starring Anna O’Byrne at the Sydney Opera House.  Sharon played Caroline in the original company of Yve Blake’s FANGIRLS for Belvoir and QTC and was the Associate Choreographer for it’s return season at the Sydney Opera House Other recent performances include The Queen Mother in THE QUEENS NANNY, Louise Daley in A BROADCAST COUP, Penny in Melanie Tait’s smash hit THE APPLETON LADIES POTATO RACE all for Ensemble, Simon Phillips’ NORTH BY NORTHWEST, Joan in SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS for Darlinghurst Theatre and acclaimed performances as the eponymous heroine SHIRLEY VALENTINE and Johanna Murray-Smith’s iconic BOMBSHELLS which earned her Sydney Theatre Award nomination for Leading Actress in a Play.  Sharon is part of an elite group of women worldwide who have played both Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart in CHICAGO. Sharon received Helpmann Awards for both roles as well as the Sydney Theatre Award for Roxie Hart.  Sharon played Meg Giry in the Australian premier of Andrew Lloyd Webber's LOVE NEVER DIES (Sydney Theatre Award nom) the spectacular sequel to THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in which Sharon also played Meg Giry in the original Australian production.  Her other leading roles include Belle in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Mo Award), Columbia in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Helpmann Award) Anita in WEST SIDE STORY, Demeter in CATS, Catherine in PIPPIN (Helpmann nomination), May in Lippa’s THE WILD PARTY, Sofia in SATANGO (Australian Dance Award), Sonia Walsk in THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG, Charity Hope Valentine in SWEET CHARITY (Helpmann Award nomination)  For the Sydney Theatre Company Sharon played Cordelia in FALSETTOS and Little Red Riding Hood in INTO THE WOODS for which she received the Mo Award and Sydney Theatre Award for best Supporting Actress.  Away from the stage Sharon was Resident Director and Resident Choreographer on the Disney Theatricals blockbuster ALADDIN at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney and Resident Director on Baz Luhrmann's extravagant production of STRICTLY BALLROOM at The Lyric Sydney and Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne.  Sharon comprised one third of the popular cabaret trio COMBO FIASCO who performed extensively throughout Australia and the USA where they received a MAC Award nomination for Best New York Vocal Comedy Act and recorded their live album, HERE.  Her television credits include Daliance for Roadshow, Home and Away, Spicks and Specks, Cops LAC, The Circle, Willing and Able. Her feature film credits include Gretel Kileen's JIMMY AND GRET DON'T DO SEX and as Wendy Patterson in the Kath and Kim Filum KATH AND KIMDERELLA. Other recent theatre performances include AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS for Ellis Productions,  A PICASSO and LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS at the Ensemble Theatre, and Nora Ephron's LOVE LOSS AND WHAT I WORE  and MY FIRST TIME, both for Liza McLean at The Sydney Opera House. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

  7. Sep 30

    STAGES Episode 642: NATALIE JONES & ANTOINETTE HALLORAN

    Two of Australia’s most accomplished and celebrated operatic performers, soprano Natalie Jones and mezzo-soprano Antoinette Halloran, come together for the highly anticipated world premiere of Jane Hammond and Therésa Borg’s The Spare Room - a production of Monstrous Theatre and Victorian Opera. Natalie Jones has enjoyed an acclaimed career spanning more than three decades, performing with leading opera companies and orchestras throughout Australia and internationally.  A graduate of the University of Melbourne, Jones was awarded the Wenkart Singing Scholarship and the prestigious Herald-Sun Aria. Her repertoire encompasses an extraordinary range, from the dazzling coloratura of Zerbinetta, Queen of the Night and Gilda to the lyricism of Manon, Juliette, Violetta, Donna Anna and Konstanze. Her performance of Musetta in La bohème earned a Green Room Award and Helpmann Award nomination, while her creation of Bubba in Richard Mills’ Summer of the Seventeenth Doll demonstrated her commitment to Australian contemporary opera. Antoinette Halloran is similarly one of Australia’s best-loved and most versatile singers, with an extensive career across opera, concert and contemporary repertoire. Her major roles with Opera Australia include Madama Butterfly, Rusalka, Mimì in La bohème, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. She has performed leading roles with Victorian Opera, West Australian Opera, State Opera South Australia, Opera Queensland and New Zealand Opera. Now these two formidable artists share the stage in The Spare Room, bringing their considerable experience, dramatic insight and vocal artistry to a brand-new Australian work.  As Victorian Opera prepares to unveil the Hammond/Borg compelling new opera, Jones and Halloran promise to make this world premiere a significant addition to the Australian operatic landscape. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

  8. Sep 16

    STAGES Episode 640: SPOTLIGHT - CARMEN PAVLOVIC

    In 2022, STAGES presented a series of ‘live’ conversations at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, as a part of the IDEAS program for the annual VIVID Festival. We were delighted that our first guest in that series was Director/CEO of GLOBAL CREATURES; the dynamic and divine Carmen Pavlovic. Carmen is also the Executive Producer for the global theatrical juggernaut Moulin Rouge! – The Musical. Inspired by the Baz Luhrmann film, Moulin Rouge! opened on Broadway in July 2019, recently completing a run of 2,297 performances at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. On Broadway the show garnered 10 Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and has been staged in cities around the world. Moulin Rouge! The Musical will return to Australian stages in 2027. To celebrate the Broadway run of Moulin Rouge! – the Musical, we present this spotlight episode of the STAGES podcast. An episode in which Carmen Pavlovic details the challenge and ultimate triumph of developing the show, and subsequently conquering stages around the world. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

See All (578)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

STAGES is the podcast that accesses a variety of professional life connecting with an audience. A host of creative artists reflect on their career, their process and what matters – to them. Some have made the arts a lifetime pursuit, some explain how their career became a happy accident … but all describe the challenges and demands – and ultimately celebrate why there’s no business like show business! STAGES talks to talent from front of house and backstage - directors, designers, drag artists and doormen … performers, producers and publicists ... teachers, technicians and talent! Whatever stages it takes to engage and affect an audience – or whatever it takes to carve out a career in the arts – we’ll examine it in STAGES. STAGES is the recipient of the Best New Podcaster Award at The Australian Podcast Awards in 2019.

Information

  • Creator
    Peter Eyers
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    578
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Peter Eyers
  • Show Website
    STAGES with Peter Eyers

You Might Also Like