Marina Prior on Follies, Midsumma Festival 2025, Red Stitch 2025, TarraWarra's Intimate Imaginaries & ACCA’s new CEO and Artistic Director Myles Russell Cook

Join Richard Watts for his penultimate episode before he closes out 2024 with his 20th anniversary next week! Details for the live event happening on Thursday 19th can be found here: https://www.rrr.org.au/events/smartarts-20th-anniversary-special

Whether you’re a Midsumma Festival veteran or you’re wanting to go for the first time, Chief Executive and Creative Director, Karen Bryant, is here to give us a 2025 program overview. The theme for 2025 is Collective Identities, and the festival runs from 19 January - 9 February at various locations around the city and the regions. Full program here: https://www.midsumma.org.au/info/program-guides/

We’ve been showcasing the 2025 programs of theatres around Melbourne for a few weeks and now it is time to hear from Red Stitch!! Artistic director, Ella Caldwell, tells us all about what to expect (perhaps the unexpected) next year and a bit about their fundraising campaign, Long Live Big Little Theatre - which you can donate to now to help them get to their multi-year goal of $2 million.

TarraWarra Museum of Art Curator, Anthony Fitzpatrick, tells us about the current exhibition, Intimate Imaginaries. Get along to the picturesque gallery in Healesville from now until March 10 to see contemporary and lively art from a collection of 13 artists. Tickets available here.

Australian soprano, musical theatre royalty and actress, Marina Prior AM, joins Richard to talk about her latest project with Victorian Opera, Follies. They talk about her character (Phyllis Rogers Stone), what it’s like to be a legend among legends, and performing at The Palais! You can catch Follies from February 1-6 at The Palais Theatre in St Kilda.

Was ACCA’s new CEO and Artistic Director Myles Russell Cook always destined for the job? Myles joins Richard to talk about taking on the role, and The Art of Lazy – an evening with Lady Susan, showing Saturday December 14th, plus gives us some highlights for the year to come at ACCA.