Game of Life Podcast

Groundhog Day Week(s) continues on Day 2 as Dan is joined by Andrew Coshan (Billy) & Conor Neylon (Gus) who use to live together! We talk about performing during a heatwave, the quick changes in Groundhog Day, the rapid pace casting experience, the complexities of learning the show, what makes the show special, trying to rise to Andy's level, Australian's loving the darkness & subtlety of...

Groundhog Day Week(s) officially kicks off as we begin on Day One with the delightful, and very talented Ashleigh Rubenach who of course played Nancy in the Melbourne production of the show. We discuss the plans to do a podcast within a podcast, the surprising reactions to Groundhog Day, Andy Karl's embrace of the Australian company, performing Groundhog Day by night and rehearsing Sunset Boulevar...

Dan is joined by a veteran, indeed, a legend in the industry, Simon Burke! Simon has been working as an actor for 50 years! It was an absolute privilege having the opportunity to sit down for this chat. We talk about Simon's dresser Lorraine, the audience responses for Wicked, taking on the role of the Wizard, finding a profession in acting early, learning on the job, seeing acting as a trade, the...

Dan is joined by actor, singer, dancer, and musical theatre superstar, Morgan Palmer! This was such a fun filled episode, and it's Morgan's first ever podcast! Absolutely nailed it! We talk about the ongoing rehearsals for Sunset Boulevard, the lucky break in between Moulin Rogue and Sunset Boulevard, upcoming performances at the Sydney Opera House, letting go of the fear of worrying about the nex...

Dan is joined by the sensationally talented performer originally from Australia and now quickly making a name for himself on Broadway, Daniel Assetta! I really enjoyed this chat with Daniel! He is such an inspiration for a lot of people out there! We talk about about Daniel's adventure of starting over on Broadway, the first week in New York, an emotional moment knowing exactly where he should be,...

Dan is joined by phenomenal human being and theatre legend, Josh Piterman. This was a very cathartic, open, and honest chat, and I was left feeling way more lighter after this recording. One of my favourite conversations I've had on the podcast! We chat about returning to the West End, Phantom of the Opera, singing on live television, fear of failing in public, a transformative performance, experi...

Dan is joined by actress, singer, dancer, and all round supercalifragilisticexpialidocious talent in the industry, Stefanie Jones! We talk about Stefanie's return to Mary Poppins in an upcoming UK & Ireland tour, getting the role of Mary, working with former guest of the show, Jack Chambers, the demands of Mary Poppins, travelling with a show, publicity, recovery after a show's run, Zombie! Th...

Dan is joined by actress, Debra Lawrance, an absolute legend in the industry. This was such a wonderful conversation with one of Australia's best! We talk about Debra's work in Please Like Me, the importance of storytelling, authenticity in mental health portrayal, wanting to be a doctor, discovering where she wanted to be, NIDA's vintage year, a Mad Max story, exploring the fear of performing, th...

Dan is joined by immensely talented author, Tobias Madden. Australia was lucky enough to have Tobias back home from New York for the launch of his new book, Wrong Answers Only. This was quite a special episode! We chat about life in New York, coming back to Australia, navigating the performer lifestyle, aging in the performing industry, chasing happiness, taking a leap from performing to becoming...

Dan and Harman ring in the 100th episode of the podcast with documentarian, writer, and comedic person, John Safran! Settle in and help the boys celebrate with this incredible conversation with one of our most fascinating, insightful, and imaginative creative. We talk about literally being crucified, audience expectations, the impact of digital overload on creativity, embracing ambiguity, explorin...

Dan is joined by actor, singer, dancer, Daniel Erbacher! This was a delightful chat, and Daniel is truly one of the brightest humans you'll ever meet. We talk about the role of a dance captain in a musical theatre production, getting the Rocky Horror gig, working with a comedian, the hard work that goes into warming up before a show, coming from Toowoomba, the beauty of the Empire Theatre in Toowo...

Dan is joined by one of the best comedian's in the country, Dane Simpson! Dane is filled with such a fun energy that I absolutely adore which made for a brilliant, and vibrant chat. We talk about Dane being positive, starting up a comedy club in Wagga Wagga, getting a call from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival right after he quit his job, hanging out with some of the biggest stars of co...

Dan is joined by one of the best comedians working today, Lewis Garnham! This was a super laid back, insightful chat that I thoroughly enjoyed. We discuss the job Lewis has as a teacher's aide, exploring the idea of becoming a full fledged teacher, working with kids, balancing teaching & comedy, self doubt, arrogance, trusting in the material, changing the narrative in your head to create a be...

Dan is joined by one of the best comedian's on the planet, Claire Hooper recorded right in the thick of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival! We talk about Claire's podcast I'm the Worst, the freedom of having your own podcast, the turmoil of having to listen back to yourself, her quick rise to success in the comedy world, being in the industry for 20 years, the legacy of Good News Week, he...

Dan is joined by comedian, Anthony Locascio! We talk about depression, overcoming self-doubt & embracing growth, shooting comedy specials, the challenge & pressure of keeping up with social media, pursuing a law degree, getting caught out for collusion, working in insolvency, the rewards of hard work, the transformative power of anti-depressants, going to dark places, bringing out the comm...

Dan is joined by comedian, writer, and poet, Josh Cake! We cover the power of poetry & words, undercover poets, the poet community, using comedy to shed light on injustices, the dark side of teaching, getting caught up in a terrorist attack, financial pressure, the spectrum of creativity, the gender scam, working for others, travel, the flaws in the education system, the best time for comedy s...

Dan is joined by comedian, William Wang all the way from China! We talk about overcoming language barriers, William's first time doing comedy, Raw Comedy, getting use to the Australian accent, moving to Australia from China, Australian vs. American senses of humour, spilling secrets of being a magician, the joys of performing, balancing work and comedy, time management, hustling for work, helpful...

Dan is joined by comedian, actor, and bird watcher, Geraldine Hickey! We talk about wanting to be a big Hollywood star, working in the cinema, living in Albury, the early frustrations of pursuing comedy, not having the opportunity to grow, moving to comedy full time, spewing before a comedy gig, the struggle of giving up alcohol, the importance of encouragement, dealing with reviews, being open an...

Dan and Harman are joined by comedian, Akmal Saleh! A comedy legend! We talk about people talking nonsense, the hatred of working, failing high school, ADHD, moving to Australia from Egypt, driving cabs, discovering comedy, dodgy family members, speaking a second language, being able to pick a comedian anywhere in the world, observing, the dread of talking to people after performing, working in ra...

Dan is joined by one of Australia's kings of comedy, Lehmo! We talk about Lehmo's Triple M days with Wil Anderson, roasting John Cleese, anxiety of performing, drinking alcohol to get through gigs, the regret of not pursuing a career in sport, not being much of a planner, becoming an accountant, navigating social media, whether he'd be able to start out doing comedy today, the freedom of pursuing...

Well, this is a very special episode! Dan is joined by someone that he has looked up to for inspiration for quite some time now. It's the one and only Osher Günsberg! We cover Osher's newfound work in the comedy arena, facing fears, the art of conducting, taking creative risks, the importance of trying everything, going from working as a roadie to working in radio, self belief, being ready for the...

Dan is joined by actor, and writer, Declan Clifford. This episode is another fine example of why I'm doing this podcast. It's all about hearing from people like Declan who make a leap and take a gamble on themselves to follow their passion even though they're letting go of security, and going into the unknown. Loved hearing Declan's story! We talk about Declan's work in Holding the Man, being bull...

Dan and Harman are joined by legendary comedian, Arj Barker. This one was a real trip and we were totally there for it! We talk about an encounter in Petbarn, why Arj doesn't do too many podcasts, America, meditation, work, drinking, consciousness, drugs, Akmal, philosophy, life's big questions, what makes his new show different from the others, and a whole lot more! This was a weird one in the be...

Dan is joined by comedian and podcaster, Bron Lewis. Bron is one of the best people you'll ever meet, and I loved having her in to let off some steam about some former jobs we've both had in our lives. We talk about her podcast Workhates with Brett Blake, what she's learnt working with Brett, unloading some frustrations with previous forms of employment, Brett Blake's ADHD, how many jobs she's wor...

Dan and Harman are joined by comedian, actor, writer, and pretty good dancer, Damian Callinan. This was quite the heartfelt, charming, funny, and loving conversation we were lucky to have with Damian. We discuss Damian's film The Merger, uncovering his Mum & Dad's diaries, throwing a footy with other creatives, the importance of connection within a community, writing silly fictional historical...