Do It Again But Better

On this episode of Do It Again But Better , Jess chats to actor Monty Burgess about their vast array of procedural roles, the Heartbreak High experience that almost came full circle, and the raunchy audiobook line that takes the cake—and speaking of, Monty shares stories of his love for baked treats and where to find them, the real-life Party Down job that brought gratitude, and the audition they...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better , Jess chats to a true artistic all sort: actor, educator, director, marketing whizz, and gal about town, Bridget Sweeney. Working tirelessly in the Melbourne theatre scene, Bridge shares some of her stories—including her pitch perfect go-to audition song, the savage feedback an acting teacher once had for her, and how she rewrote a very popular magical ta...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better , (an increasingly drunk) Jess chats to actor, singer, non-dancer, and State of Origin's number one fan, Jackson McGovern. Jack spills the beans on his infamous drama school audition, what it was like joining the cast of Paw Patrol , and the role he never seems to be able to escape from, John Proctor. Having toured together for many years, Jackson and Jess...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better , Jess chats to actor, theatre maker, educator, improv pro and hair chameleon, John Marc Desengano. Not too long off their season of Rhinoceros at fortyfivedownstairs, Jess gets all the juice from ex-castmate and ex-celebrant John Marc as he shares his incredible Hamilton audition stories, relives his heartthrob roles as Jacob Coote and Big Youth One, and...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better , Jess chats to actor, dancer, theatre maker, film producer and burlesque/cabaret/drag artist extraordinaire, Shamita Siva. Bonding over the theatre-making skills they respectively picked up back in the day at Monash University, Sham shares some performance triumphs and disasters, like the time they accidentally turned up blue at an audition, the time they...

On the first episode of Do It Again But Better for 2025, Jess chats to actor, acting coach, lecturer, improv-er, and owner of boutique acting studio Joy Studio, Emily Joy. An absolute wealth of knowledge on all things audition-related, Em shares some tales of her own experiences, including her very first audition as inspired by Britney Spears, how she came to eat apples on-screen for Human Error,...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better , Jess chats to actors and co-directors Eve Morey and Claire Frost, following their recent Fringe show Instructions not Included, written by Claire. Tune in as they share notes on writing, intimacy coordination, the joys of producing, being asked to audition inside a fast food chain, blowing your NIDA callback, and discovering your own Wikipedia page. Clai...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better , Jess chats to actor, writer, theatre maker, audiobook narrator and Shakespearean star, Elizabeth Brennan, as they recall their early days at Monash University, a shared audition experience involving a whole lot of making out, their mutual love of Blue Heelers, and Lizzie's various transport-related auditions that ended in disaster. There's a whole bunch...

On a Do It Again But Better first, Jess hosts two actors at once as Libby Brockman and Juliet Hindmarsh drop by for a chat. As well as acting, Libby is a producer, writer, youth worker and drama teacher, while Juliet is a self tape studio owner, drag king, and production manager. Between this vast array of creative roles, the three women discuss Libby and Juliet's upcoming show, Roaring Immersive...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better, Jess chats to actor, producer, writer and wardrobe warrior Sally Cheng. Fresh from St Kilda Film Festival, Sally and Jess discuss Sally's Septimius Award-nominated role in the apocalyptic Remi , on set dos and don'ts from a seasoned costume assistant, and attempt to quote passages from some of their favourite books and acting teachers at the same time. Sa...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better, Jess chats to actor, voice artist, dragon rider, spider whisperer, and everyone's favourite Slytherin, Louis Corbett. Louis had some amazing stories and advice to share from his decades-long acting career as he tells Jess about his years spent on The Cursed Child, as well as the gig where he ate his weight in lollies, the unlikely role that he got recogni...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better, Jess chats to actor, singer, dancer, fellow marriage celebrant and radiant improv gal Alexia May Brinsley. Ever inspiring and full of energy, this chat took place on top of two pilates reformer machines as Alexia shares some incredible audition stories, including the "yoga retreat" that was actually full of lap dances, the time that she didn't quite make...

On this episode of Do it Again But Better , Jess chats to actor, voice artist, writer and beer connoisseur, Lord Dominic Gruenewald. Having spent the last several years in very close proximity as they regularly tour several shows around the state, Jess and Dom let you in on their secret sisterhood as they swap stories about auditioning for fake audition panels but still booking the role, their sur...

On this episode of Do it Again But Better , Jess chats to actor, stunt performer, podcast host, model and itchy boi, Seb Muirhead. Not too long returned from shooting a feature film together in Tasmania, they chat about the audition that began their bestie narrative and set them on an ancestral journey that somehow includes frogs, some of Seb's childhood gigs back in his native Scotland, and bond...

On this episode of Do it Again But Better , Jess chats to actor, writer, marriage celebrant, comedian and one woman show machine, Emily Carr, as they compare notes on the joys of marrying people for a living, the hilarious insults people hurl at you when they see you in a TV commercial, and Em's tendency to be cast as the 'Miss Honey' type. As more drinks are consumed, the discussion veers far and...

On this episode of Do It Again But Better, Jess chats to long-time friend, YouTuber, actor, writer, and favourite combatant Elliot Roberts, as they recall their times of studying Performing Arts together, El's persistently food-related TVC career, the joys of being a *famous* YouTuber, and his secret passion for a long-running reality TV show. Elliot is a YouTuber who makes videos about music and...

On the first episode of Do it Again But Better , Jess chats to actor, audiobook narrator, director, yoga teacher and all-around darling Annabelle Tudor about some of her audition highs and lows, including that time she auditioned in a garden bed, inadvertently going a little bit method in preparation for playing the Courtesan, and a mysterious case of the Snookies. Since completing her BA (Acting)...

Join Naarm/Melbourne-based actor, writer, voice artist, producer & marriage celebrant Jess Stanley as she chats to her fellow creatives about their audition experiences—the good, the bad and the pure cringe—as well as acting and life in general. You can find your host, Jess Stanley, on Instagram at @jstanny or at www.jessicastanleyactor.com You can check out Jess's theatre company, Spinning Pl...