STAGES with Peter Eyers

Ho Ho Ho! STAGES has completed yet another season. Season 8! And 600+ episodes. You know what that means … it’s time to haul out the holly and pull those bon-bons. As is tradition, we conclude season 8 with our annual Christmas episode. The perfect companion as you wrap your presents, put up the tree, peel a prawn and pour another glass of pineapple punch! Once again I am joined by ‘Mary Christmas...

Two of our favourite STAGES guests, and couples, return to the podcast, together, to examine their dual lives as actors. Grant Piro and Marina Prior guarantee performance brilliance in any entertainment in which they grace the stage. They reflect on some of the highlights of 2025 and what Christmas brings to them both, as a couple, individually and as a family. Few artists embody the breadth and b...

Wilton Morley is an accomplished theatrical producer whose career helped shape the landscape of Australian commercial theatre throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Born into one of Britain’s most distinguished theatrical families—the son of celebrated actor Robert Morley and grandson of stage and screen legend Dame Gladys Cooper— he carried forward a remarkable artistic lineage while forging a distinct...

A dynamic force in Australian and international entertainment, Drew Anthony began a multifaceted career onstage before expanding into producing, directing, choreography, casting, and writing across theatre, television, concerts, events, festivals, and large-scale ceremonies. Since relocating to Perth, Drew has served as Artistic Director of  Kaleidoscope,  the city’s light and illumination festiva...

Delia Hannah has given us a vast range of powerhouse performances in musical theatre productions globally. Born and residing in new Zealand, for the most part Delia’s career has been based in Sydney, commencing with a two year engagement in the premier season of LES MISERABLES (Cameron MacIntosh), only to return to play the ill-fated Fantine in the 10th Anniversary Production which had extended se...

Steve Ross has been a fixture of the cabaret community in Manhattan for over forty years. He was born “forty-five minutes from Broadway” in New Rochelle, NY, and was raised in Washington, DC with an opera-loving father and a mother who played on the piano the songs of Gershwin, Porter and Irving Berlin. His first major job in New York was as a successful singer/pianist at the now famous piano bar...

Toni Lamond has taken her final bow. A legend of Australian Entertainment, she made her mark across many platforms; television, film, theatre, cabaret, recording, concert, author and of course, musical theatre. She takes with her the personas she assumed across a vast career – leaving us with memories of Reno Sweeney, Nancy, Mrs Pearce, Fraulein Schneider, Dolly Gallagher Levi, Mama Rose, Pirate R...

STAGES is joined by show pilgrims Simon Parris and Ian Phipps for a West End round-up of the musicals, plays and events they experienced on recent visits to London theatre. Simon Parris is a Melbourne reviewer, and his appraisals of theatre locally, nationally and abroad can be found at  simonparrismaninchair.com . Ian Phipps is one of Australia’s leading publicists who ensures that we are informe...

Today on STAGES, we’re rolling out the red carpet for a truly dazzling double act — Michael Dalton and his fabulous alter ego, Dolly Diamond.  Michael’s story begins in the West End at just ten years old, playing the title role in  Oliver!  — and from there, he’s conquered television screens, international tours, and cabaret stages. After immigrating to Australia in the 1980s, Michael appeared on...

Susan-ann Walker is one of Australia’s favourite character Performers known for her work in Musicals, Plays, Opera, Cabaret and TV for over 35 years. Professional Music Theatre credits include 3 LITTLE PIGS (“Mother pig” AG productions 2025), THE WEDDING SINGER (“Rosie” David Venn productions 2021-2022), SWEENEY TODD (“Mrs Lovett” cover, LifeLike productions 2018), FUNNY GIRL (“Mrs Strakosh” The P...

Louise Fischer has an MA in Theatre Studies from UNSW and is celebrating her twentieth year as Artistic Director of New Theatre; an independent company who staged their first production in 1933.  The theatre has mounted some 550 productions, and is one of Australia’s oldest continuously producing theatres, moving from Pitt Street to Castlereagh Street and then to Kings Cross, until finally settlin...

In this episode of  STAGES , we’re joined by a craftsman whose work has quietly but powerfully contributed to the stories we see on screen — Set Decorator, Martin Williams. Growing up in Albury, Martin was captivated early by the magic of the cinema. Regular trips to the local picture house sparked a lifelong love of storytelling, and it was Francis Ford Coppola’s  The Outsiders  that truly set hi...

Kate Mulvany is a distinguished Australian actress, playwright, and screenwriter whose career spans theatre, television, and film. Renowned for her compelling performances and evocative writing, Kate has established herself as a significant figure in the Australian arts scene, earning critical acclaim and numerous awards. Kate was born and raised in Geraldton, Western Australia. At university she...

Lisa Callingham is a triple threat performer and creative whose professional musical theatre credits include  The Rocky Horror Show, Jerry’s Girls, Hot Shoe Shuffle, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Oscar’s Turn to Sing and What the World Needs Now .  She starred in Kookaburra Productions’  Pippin  as Fastrada,  Hello Again  as The Whore at Darlinghurst Theatre, she played Maggie...

Daniel Abineri is an English actor, director, playwright, songwriter and narrator whose career has spanned theatre, television, film and music across the UK, Australia and New Zealand. He is widely recognised as the writer and composer of the satirical rock musical  Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom , which first premiered in Melbourne in 1989 and went on to ignite controversy in its 1994 Lo...

Roger Bart‘s body of work extends to both the small and big screens, as well as to extensive and iconic credits on the stage.  He may be best known to theatre audiences for originating the role of ‘Carmen Ghia’ in Mel Brooks’ Broadway musical,  The Producers , for which he received Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations, a part which he recreated in the film adaptation of the musical. He won...

Maggie Dence is a celebrated Australian actress whose career has spanned more than six decades across stage, film and television. She is a beloved figure in the entertainment industry, admired for her versatility, warmth and enduring contributions to the performing arts. Dence’s passion for performance was evident from a young age. She made her stage debut at just sixteen, beginning a professional...

Maggie Dence is a celebrated Australian actress whose career has spanned more than six decades across stage, film and television. She is a beloved figure in the entertainment industry, admired for her versatility, warmth and enduring contributions to the performing arts. Dence’s passion for performance was evident from a young age. She made her stage debut at just sixteen, beginning a professional...

Paul White studied classical piano at The University of Adelaide with Dr Graham Williams, graduating B.Mus with Honours (Performance) followed by Dip. Jazz Performance. Conducting study began in New York with Broadway legend Gordon Harrell, then continued in Melbourne with the distinguished Romanian conductor, Robert Rosen. This juxtaposition of classical and commercially oriented study enabled Pa...

Vidya Makan grew up in Brisbane spending most of her time on the football (soccer) field with dreams of one day becoming a Matilda. However, at the age of 14 after playing flower girl number 3 in her high-school production of  My Fair Lady , Vidya decided to take on a much more realistic and stable path and made the wise decision to lead a life in showbiz. Having learnt to read music at the age of...

Penny McNamee is currently starring as Rachel in the smash hit -  MJ the Musical  at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne. Most recently Penny stared in Neil Simon’s  The Odd Couple  alongside Lucy Durack, Todd McKenney and Shane Jacobson for both the Sydney and Melbourne seasons to rave reviews. She is a Green Room Award Winner for her role as Nessarose in the original Australian production of  WIC...

Steven Kramer is a multi-faceted artist working as a music director, pianist, writer, composer, orchestrator, producer and cabaret performer. He has been the Associate Musical Director for  Disney’s Beauty and the Beast  and previously served as the Assistant Musical Director for  Chicago  (GFO). A long-standing collaborator with the esteemed  Hayes Theatre Co  since its founding in 2014, his cred...

Tricia Paoluccio is a multifaceted actor, distinctive visual artist, and dynamic creator whose talents flourished in remarkable ways during the pandemic. Two of her lifelong passions—performance and visual art—took center stage, leading to transformative projects. She co-wrote and stars in  Here You Come Again , a heartfelt two-person musical comedy in which she portrays her lifelong idol, Dolly P...

A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Tara Morice has worked extensively in theatre, film and television for over 30 years. Her first film out of NIDA was Baz Luhrmann’s  Strictly Ballroom , for which she was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award, an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award and a Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.  S...

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Alexis Fishman is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). She was nominated for a Helpmann Award for her performance as 'Young Dusty' in  Dusty , her first show after graduating. Alexis then went on to star in some of Australia’s biggest musicals including  Shout!  and the award winning Sydney premiere of  Kiss of The S...