The Creative Pod

por Leya Mackus

21 - Sam Siddiqui - Theatre Enthusiast and Professional - How Networking, Self-care, and Persistence are Important for a Career in The Arts

Sam Siddiqui is a therapist-turned-theatre-worker, who started with stage management but has since done almost every offstage theatre role there is! From rehearsal rooms to production managing to backstage, Sam has fast-tracked a high level of experience in a short space of time, working almost 30 contracts over the last 3 years, including internships with Michael Cassel Group on the Australian national tours of Hamilton and & Juliet. Sam is passionate about supporting mental health in the arts, working as a performance and wellbeing mentor as well as running her own performance coaching business ‘The Broadway Mindset’. In this episode, Sam shares how she forged her own pathway into working in theatre; reflects on the variety of roles she has experienced in theatre so far; and discusses the importance of supporting wellbeing in arts spaces. Sam also shares her perspectives on the importance of representation and diversity in the arts; we chat about musicals, directing, and the shows we love most (and have seen 30+ times?!); and of course consider how theatre and arts make our worlds and lives better.

E21

13 ago 2026

45:15

20 - Lincoln Elliott - Actor, Writer, Composer, etc. - The Makings of Artefact (or, Repatriation: The Musical) and Why We Should Support New Australian Works

Lincoln Elliott is an actor, singer, voiceover artist, instrumentalist, writer, composer, and researcher, proudly of Wiradjuri heritage. A graduate of NIDA, he also holds a Bachelor of Music and is currently undertaking a PhD (Creative Practice). Through his doctoral research, Lincoln is writing and composing his own new Australian musical, Artefact (or, Repatriation: The Musical). Lincoln has a huge number of theatre credits to his name, including being part of the premiere cast of My Brilliant Career, earning a Green Room Award for Best Ensemble. Lincoln regularly joins development workshops for new works as well as appearing in established theatre productions, with credits including Ride the Cyclone (Hayes Theatre Co), Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Hayes Theatre Co), The Dismissal (Squabbalogic) and Sunshine Super Girl (Melbourne Theatre Company/State Theatre Company South Australia/Performing Lines). In this episode, Lincoln shares some (spoiler-free) insights into the makings of his emo-rock heist musical ‘Artefact’; reveals how the results of a colouring competition at 4 years old was a future-defining moment for his life/career; and delves into the importance of arts in our lives, for careers or for love. We laugh; we despair; we encourage you to buy up all the tickets to his upcoming show and support new musical theatre in Australia; and we make a combination of quality and trash jokes that we’ll let you be the judge of. Join us and enjoy!

E20

5 ago 2026

55:40

19 - Clara Harrison - Performer & Artist - Creativity for joy as well as a job, plus the vulnerable and wonderful sides of acting

Explícito

Clara Harrison is a performer, creator, and artist, with a love for playful ideas and a powerhouse voice. Clara is based in Sydney, but their versatility and incredible vocals have taken them around the world, performing with several major cruise lines and across various local and international stages. Some of Clara’s recent credits include performances in Saturday Night Fever at the Athenaeum in Melbourne, and starring as Also Brendan in Fuccbois: Live in Concert. Clara has also worked in voice-over for projects with MTV, Sesame Street Live, and the ABC, and appeared as a multimedia actor with Sydney Theatre Company’s Dear Evan Hansen. Passionate about creating, Clara wrote and performed their original cabaret ‘Divas Through the Decades’ which they have presented internationally, and was named top 3 in the 2022 Brent Street Artist Fund for their original writing. Clara has appeared in two independent Australian feature films this year, and has also launched visual art business ‘Haus of Clara’, selling original artworks that are an extension of her creative energy and skill. In this episode, Clara joins me as we chat about their array of creative pursuits and many of the ups and downs that come along with a career in the performing arts. We talk about the success of satire-musical-comedy-drag-concert Fuccbois; the beauty of live theatre and the differences when working in film; Clara’s unlikely pathway into musical theatre; and the important life skill that is improvisation. We also touch on topics including mental health awareness and support within the industry; balancing boundaries and vulnerabilities in performance; our shared passion of supporting new works; and the importance of finding joy and creativity outside of paid work (even when, and especially when, that is part of creativity and joy, too!)

E19

17 jul 2026

55:08

18 - Christine Pearsall, Marcus Galic, Johanna Chan, and Katie Kremin - Performers - Diversity in Theatre and How the Arts Make Life Worth Living

Christine Pearsall, Marcus Galic, Johanna Chan, and Katie Kremin are all Melbourne-based performers and cast members of upcoming stage show ‘Murder at the Theatre’, where retro Bollywood meets Broadway in a musical-theatre-turned-real-life-mystery show. For this episode, they joined me in the studio for a group chat about the importance of diversity and representation in performing arts; the challenges that can come with the pursuit of arts careers; and how arts and creativity are important in our world and make life worth living. We also spoke a bit about their upcoming show ‘Murder at the Theatre’, which you can find more information and details ticket details for at https://mattmusical.com

E18

2 jul 2026

39:29

17 - Hannah McKinlay - Artist - The Importance and Beauty of Making Art and Making Time for Art

Hannah McKinlay is a New Zealand-born Melbourne-based artist and secondary art teacher. Primarily a painter, her works are often of local street scenes, with a focus on particular buildings that have significance to her, or have a distinctive look about them, such as cafes, street corners, pubs, and other old buildings. Hannah’s paintings often have pink or bright undertones with transparent washes of colour, detailing the buildings and giving them a faint appearance that plays into the idea of memory, passing of time, and happy or nostalgic feelings about home or community. In this episode, Hannah joins me to chat about the importance of finding time for your own artistic practice, despite how busy our we may get when juggling all the other parts of life. We reflect on the nature of kids to play and explore materials without the fear of mess; the tubs of childhood paintings that get passed on from parents; the magic of cyanotype; and how art can be a refreshing form of restoration and help us feel more life ourselves. Hannah also gives us some insight into her creative process and personal style, the beautiful connection between artist and audience, and her perspective on building habits to make more art.

E17

18 jun 2026

40:09

16 - Amusing Musings from the Muses - Liz Violi

Explícito

This episode is the first instalment of some casual creative chats, where we take turns answering questions about various aspects of creativity and life. In this chat, Liz and I ponder what makes us feel most inspired, reminisce about our first musical experiences, relive some creative projects, and share many laughs along the way. Join us!

E16

12 jun 2026

31:23

15 - Leo Sayer - Musician - The Incredible Life and Lessons of a Career in Music

Leo Sayer is an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, whose success has spanned the past 6 decades, as a recording artist as well as a captivating live performer. He is best known for his 1978 hit “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”, which earned him a Grammy Award for R&B Song of the Year. His songs have been sung by other notable artists, including Cliff Richard, Roger Daltrey, and Three Dog Night. With dozens of hit singles and 18 studio albums, Leo has sold millions of records to date, has headlined concerts across the globe, and has played in some of the most iconic venues in the world. Leo began his career in the United Kingdom, but for a long time has proudly called Australia home. In this episode, Sayer joins me for an incredible chat, revisiting some of the standout stories from his life in stardom; explaining how his theatrical persona of pierrot helped him face the stage; and despairing that one of the biggest barriers facing musicians and artists (especially those starting out) is often money. He shares some of the lessons he has learnt along the way during his many years of (ongoing) success; his enthusiastic encouragement for aspiring artists to find their skill; how he continues to have inspiration and passion for this industry which he so clearly loves being part of; and why, no matter his age, he’ll continue to feel like dancing.

E15

4 jun 2026

1:18:20

14 - Jamie Garner - Actor & Playwright - Explorations of Theatre and of Life, and HUNGRY JOHANNES

Jamie is a multi-hyphenate artist of many skills, many accents, and many passports. They began their career performing in children’s theatre across Australia, before performing, teaching, and writing with American regional theatres, then training and working in London as a writer, performer, and voiceover artist. Their directorial debut ‘Pieces of Us’ (EdFringe) was Oﬃe-nominated, and they served as Movement Consultant for Lionwoman Productions, Texas. They have recently returned home to Melbourne, appearing as Touchstone in As You Like It with Melbourne Shakespeare Company in 2025. Their newest play HUNGRY JOHANNES will be performed as a work-in-progress in the upcoming Explorations season at La Mama in Melbourne. In this episode, Jamie chats with me about the rollercoaster ride of pursuing a life in theatre and arts; how their experience of acting has been different in different parts of the globe; outlines how they go from concept to creation when making a show; and, of course, delves into why they believe theatre and arts are essential in our world. Jamie shares some insights into what we can expect from their upcoming show, HUNGRY JOHANNES, which is showing at La Mama in June. Tickets to the show and more information about La Mama’s incredible Explorations Season can be found at lamama.com.au.

E14

28 may 2026

36:49

13 - Hayley Ricketson - Playwright & Poet - On Writing, Storytelling, and Stage

Hayley is a Melbourne-based creative whose creative juices flow mainly in the area of poetry and theatre. She has experience in the performing arts industry in Australia and the UK, as a writer, director, performer, stage manager, and production manager. Hayley is also an established poet, who has been a slam finalist in London and Melbourne, and was recently part of the Melbourne Slamalamadingdong Poetry Team. Playwriting is her love language but overall she loves creative writing and expression in all its forms. In this delightful chat, Hayley takes us back to how her love of writing and theatre first evolved, through porridge rituals in the family kitchen and self-driven classroom plays. We reflect on the stories that stay with us, how storytelling can enrich our lives, and how the political is often personal, and the personal is political. Hayley unpacks some of the journeys and challenges that come with taking a show to a fringe festival, how writing is about connection, and how the stage is a structured space that gives you permission to be loud and to be expressive.

E13

21 may 2026

51:47

12 - Hara Papoulias - Dancer & Choreographer - The Making of Spectacular Dance, and How Dance Is Part of Being Human

Hara is a dance artist and creative working in the Victorian entertainment industry, with experiences ranging from working with commercial brands to contributing creatively to large-scale live events, including the AFL Grand Final pre-game entertainment. Hara also works as a dance educator and as the Associate Dance Director for the Victorian State Schools Spectacular, where she has choreographed and mentored the next generation of young performers for over a decade. In this episode, Hara joins me to chat about how she fell in love with movement creation; the challenges of trying to suppress excitement when working in a rehearsal room with huge stars; and how she is inspired by the students she works with just as much as she inspires them. Hara outlines what the process of choreography creation and translation can look like the working on a small scale or a huge scale; the incredible work behind the scenes of bringing thousands of students together in a single performance; and how you don’t need a strict schedule or serious reason to dance, it’s just part of who we are as humans.

E12

14 may 2026

46:24

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