Ear Movies inhabit the space between radio plays, audio books and storytelling, a place where the projector is not light, but the imagination. As the saying goes, the best thing about radio is the pictures.
This is life at 48,000 Hz.
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2020 Dotcomm Awards Winner: Best Podcast Series (Fiction)
2023 Dotcomm Awards Winner: Best Podcast Series (Fiction)
2024 Dotcomm Awards Winner: Best Podcast Series (Fiction)
2023 Australian Podcast Awards Nominee (Fiction)
Simon Luckhurst talks to ABC Radio's Nick Rheinberger about the release of A Few Lines About Trains, read by Hani Abdile.
Simon Luckhurst talks to ABC Radio's Jake Cupitt about the release of Season Five of Ear Movies.
As rising seas, violent storms and an increasingly controlling government all impact on Sydney, a young girl and her family head inland hoping to find a safer, better place to live.
Lola Bond has appeared in NCIS: Sydney, the Last Days of the Space Age and Upright with Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock. She's currently acting in the lead role of the new Stan medical drama The F Ward.
Incidental music: Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
A note on the Podbean player. If you pause and episode and want to resume playing, just click the 'x' in the top right hand side of the player, and then press 'play' again.
GIGO
We’re now living on the cusp of the age of AI. And AI is probably a bit like fire, isn’t it? I mean, a great servant, but a terrible master. Or would it be?
Geoff Morrell starred in Cloudstreet, Grass Roots and Changi, and also appears in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, although his overall list of screen credits is too long to mention here. He’s been nominated five times for lead actor in the AACTA/AFI awards, winning in 2001. He’s also been nominated for four Logies.
Incidental music: Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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A Cautionary Tale
What happens when the world’s newest form of addiction doesn’t just capture attention - but consumes its users entirely?
Stef Dawson played Annie Cresta in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2. She starred in the Paper Store and the western Painted Woman and won awards for both. As well as her work in the US she’s also acted in Australia and Europe. Her debut project as a writer, Two Bridges, is currently in development with Rollin Studios.
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Aftermath
A poet and his brother go on the run to avoid a dangerous new kind of weapon.
Due to ethical difficulties, unfortunately this episode is not available yet.
Luke Patterson is a Gamilaroi poet, musician and educator living on Gadigal lands. His debut poetry collection A Savage Turn is published by Magabala Books. Luke's research and creative pursuits are grounded in extensive work with First Nations and other community-based organisations across Australia.
Incidental music: Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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Collateral Damage
This nostalgic story looks back a generation, before so much of the technology that we take for granted today was present. In its way it evokes the German word, ‘sehnsucht’ which means a yearning for something that may not exist.
Angie Milliken has appeared in, amongst others, the movies Elvis and Dead Heart and the TV shows Rake, Darby and Joan, Farscape and more. She’s won Best Actress at the ACTAA awards twice (for My Brother Jack and MDA) and has also been Logie nominated.
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Nesting Instincts
This is a story about a breakthrough in technology that promises to make life easier, however one unsuspecting user becomes its casualty.
Hazem Shammas has appeared on stage and in many films and TV shows including The Twelve, Fisk, Bump, Underbelly and others. He’s been nominated for an AACTA award and won the 2018 Logie for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor for Safe Harbour.
Incidental music: Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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Future Tense
This is a story about a family secret. When an unsuspecting niece and her new boyfriend come to visit her uncle, what will be revealed once their sky car touches down at his remote country house?
Noel Hodda is an Australian acting legend who is best known for roles in Rake, All Saints, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, 1915 and, as he says, ‘others too numerous to mention.’
Incidental music: Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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Long Shot
This is a story of hope. When a mysterious stranger arrives in a small outback town you can bet there’s going to be challenges, confrontations and some blues harp…
Daniel Henshell appeared in Jimpa with Olivia Coleman and John Lithgow, Mickey 17 directed by Bong Joon Ho and won the ACTAA Award for Best Actor in his debut film, Snowtown. He was in The Newsreader, Clickbait, Mr Inbetween and How to Make Gravy, amongst many others.
Incidental music: Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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Murder on the Orion Express
Who is killing the passengers onboard the opulent airship Orion Express as it sails through the sky, and what other secrets will be unveiled?
Belinda Giblin is one of Australia’s most distinguished screen and stage actors known for her impressive career spanning five decades across film, television and theatre. She's appeared in too many shows to list here, including Home and Away, Sons and aughters, Alvin Purple, Matlock Police, Homicide and The Box.
This episode was recorded live at Kiss My Brass in Marrickville. You'll hear the voice of Travis Spiteri as the MC and musicians Trevor Brown and Dirk Kruithof improvising a score in real time.
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Every house holds a secret, doesn't it? And in those houses, individual rooms have secrets of their own... and in those rooms, there are items with their own secrets, too. What happens when one of those secrets goes missing? And needs to be returned...
Rachael Blake starred in the iconic ABC series Wildside. More recently she's been in Significant Others and Cleverman. She won with 2014 Best Actress Award at the Monteal Film Festival for Melody. She's won an AFI and Silver Logie, and was awarded the Centenary Medal for her services to the Australian Film Industry in 2001.
Incidental music: (All tracks played by Gregor Quendel) and free for use under the Pixabay Content License.)
Moonlight Sonata 1st Movement by Ludvig van Beethoven.
Impromptu No 1 by Franz Schubert.
Piano Arpeggio 1 Variation 1 by Gregor Quendel.
Cinematic Music Sketches: Cinematic Piano Sketch by Gregor Quendel.
Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin, arr for music box by Gregor Quendel.
Caprice N0 24 in A Minor by Niccolo Paganini.
Prelude Op 32 No 12 in G Sharp Minor by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement by Beethoven arr for strings by Gregor Quendel.
Requiem Dies Irae by Wofgang Amadeus Mozart.
Frühlingsrauschen Rustle of Spring by Christian Singding.
The Tempest Piano Sonata No 17 in D Minor by Ludvig van Beethoven.
Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy.
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The Art of Cricket
Universities are places where passion and youth sometimes exceed common sense and reason... and where even a simple game of cricket can become something beyond horrible.
Shane Bourne is a stand up comedian, actor and musician. He's hosted TV shows including Thank God You're Here and How the Hell Did We Get Here? He's had roles in Fisk, City Homicide, MDA and The Flying Doctors. He won two AFI Awards for Best Actor in a Television Drama for MDA, for which he was also nominated for the Most Outstanding Actor at the 2003 Logies.
Incidental music:
Magic in the Garden by Rafael Krux. From FreePD licensed under Creative Commons.
Beginning of Conflict by Rafael Krux. From FreePD licensed under Creative Commons.
Shining Stars by Rafael Krux. From FreePD licensed under Creative Commons.
Slice of Life by Brian Teoh. From FreePD licensed under Creative Commons.
Isolation Waltz by Brian Teoh. From FreePD licensed under Creative Commons.
Battle Ready by Brian Teoh. From FreePD licensed under Creative Commons.
The Britons by Kevin McLeod. From FreePD licensed under Creative Commons.
Burt’s Requiem by Alexander Nakarada (www.creatorchords.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Novus Initium by Alexander Nakarada (www.creatorchords.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Winter by Alexander Nakarada (www.creatorchords.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Cinematic Music Sketches - 09 - Cinematic Cello Ostinato Sketch by Gregor Quendel. Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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One More For The Road
A fun night in the pub with a bit of philosophy - or an opportunity to fundamentally change the world as we know it? You decide...
Tony Martin is best known for starring as Detective Bill McCoy in ABC's Wildside. Other TV appearances include E Street and Heartbreak High. He played Arthur 'Neddy' Smith in the miniseries Blue Murder.
Incidental music: (All Public Domain tracks from the Open Music Archive.)
April Kisses, written and performed by Eddie Lang (1904-1933), recording date unknown.
Six Cold Feet in the Ground, written and performed by Leroy Carr (1905-1935), recording date 25 February 1935.
Eddie's Twister, written and performed by Eddie Lang (1904-1933), recording date unknown.
Sail Away Lady, performed by 'Uncle Bunt' Stephens, recording date 29 March 1926.
Evil Minded Blues, written and sung by Virginia Liston (1890-1932), recording date 29 May 1926.
Titanic Blues, written and sung by Virginia Liston (1890-1932), recording date 29 May 1926.
In the Dark Flashes, written by Bix Beiderbeck, performed by Jess Stacy, recording date 1935.
Umbrellas to Mend, written by Mel B Kaufman, performed by the Frisco 'Jass' Band, recording date 1918.
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Road Kill
When it’s only a few drops of rain, you don’t recognise the start of a flood, do you? The tipping point doesn’t exist until you proceed, smiling ignorantly, and sail right past it. This rule applies doubly in small country towns...
Travis Spiteri performed in college. Since then he's had a mixed bag of performance experiences, from puppeteering a sentient loaf of bread in a comedy stage show, several background extra roles and performing character voices for a videogame.
Incidental music: Written and performed by Hillbilly Bill and his Fender Strat. Recorded in Blue Moutain Sound studio on Darug and Gandangara country. Thanks Andy!
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Another One Bites the Dust
We’ve all known them, haven’t we? People who fall in love but who then want the other person to change. What if the love is all consuming, though... and the other person is determined to stay the same?
Genevieve Turner acted and danced in high school and college. She's done some corporate work. With a powerful reading voice she's a great narrator of this dark story of love... and death.
Incidental music: (All tracks from the Johnny Ripper album Soundtrack for a Film That Doesn't Exist.
Licensed under Creative Commons and available at the Free Music Archive. (Note: some tracks have been shortened or looped, or overlaid.)
Tracks:
Opening credits.
Audrey.
Untitled (Waking Up).
At The Sea.
As A Child.
Back To The Start.
Gare Du Nord.
Your Heart With George.
SFHK Mental Breakdown
On The Moon.
Theme 4
In A Dream.
Sundown.
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A Few Lines About Trains
Another train journey... another unexpected stoppage. We've all known them, haven't we? Perhaps not like this one though.
Hani Abdile is a writer and spoken word poet based in the Gadigal lands of the Eora Nation, in Sydney. Her first book of 43 poems,I will rise was published by Writing Through Fences in 2016 and explores how the power of our collective voices can help shape the world to be a better place, for the next generation. Hani’s work also features in Writing Through Fences – Archipelago of Letters.
Hani has performed her work around Sydney and interstate and continues to write for freedom and human rights.
Hani is an honorary member of PEN International, a lead member of Writing Through Fences, and an Ambassador for the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS)
Ghosts I-IV 9 by Nine Inch Nails. Free for use under the Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 United States Content License.
Sitar Love - Olistik Sound Project by Patrizio Yoga. Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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Platinum Winner 2024 DotComm Awards: Best Podcast Episode (Fiction)
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Still, Life
There are droughts, and then there are Droughts. And then there are DROUGHTS. This is a not a story of surviving the dry sky though, but about what comes afterwards.
Anne-Louise Lambert is best known for her role as Miranda in Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock. She appeared in a multitude of films and TV in the years since, including The Alice, White Collar Blue, Water Rats, The Norman Gunston Show and Number 96. Her film credits include Somersault and Peter Greenaway's The Draughtsman's Contract.
Incidental music:
Inner Peace Meditation by NaturesEye. Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
Meditation Space -Olistik Sound Project by Patrizio Yoga. Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
Meditation of Time by NaturesEye. Free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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Two cops, one stakeout, a determined killer and a mysterious secret.
Bryan Dawe is one of Australia’s finest political satirists. He has enjoyed a long career on ABC radio and stage, writing and performing his much loved characters
Sir Murray Rivers QC and Roly Parks’ Letter from Kalangadoo.
On television he was best known for his work with the late John Clarke.
Their Clarke & Dawe segment on radio and television ran for 30 years.
He was also a cast member with John Clarke and Gina Riley in the much
acclaimed ABC Television series The Games’.
Bryan has also appeared in various films including the hit Australian film The
Castle’.
In addition, Bryan is a very accomplished digital artist, having held many
exhibitions in Australia as well as one in his current home of Tangier in Morocco. He is currently preparing a new exhibition to be shown in Morocco and Australia in 2023.
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Down Among the Dead Men
An impossible crime leads two detectives along a road littered with forensic clues.
Nancy Denis is a multidisciplinary artist who began her career early in Annie the Musical. Since then she has appeared on TV and films such as ABC’s Cleverman, Netflix's 600 Bottles of Wine and Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Nancy debuted with Sydney Theatre Company earlier this year in Blithe Spirit followed by her acclaimed performance as Mrs Johnson in A Raisin In The Sun.
Nancy wrote a play with songs, Ma’p Boulé performed at Darlinghurst Theatre. You can also keep up with Nancy on her YouTube channel The Nancy Denis Show where she interviews a variety of local artists, guests and musical acts. She has an Artist in Residency with Red Rattler Theatre in 2023.
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Platinum Winner 2023 DotComm Awards: Best Podcast Episode (Fiction)
Live and Let Die
A tale of fond reminiscence, country towns - and the Southern Slopes Strangler...
Catherine McClements has recently starred in the second season of the Network Seven series Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries and the Netflix series Pieces of Her alongside Toni Collette, David Wenham and Jessica Barden. Her other television credits include the HBO series The Leftovers, Sisters for the Ten Network, The Beautiful Lie, Rake and Time Of Our Lives for the ABC, the Foxtel series Wentworth, Showtime’s Tangle, Network Ten’s drama series Rush, The Pacific, Crashburn, The Secret Life of Us, Water Rats, Waiting at The Royals, Call Me Mum, GP, Tomorow’s End, My Brother Tom and the telemovies The Broken Shore, After the Deluge, Mary Bryant and The Falls.
She won the 2010 AFI Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama for Tangle, a Silver Logie Award for Water Rats (Most Outstanding Actress) and an AFI Award for her guest role in The Secret Life of Us. She also received an AFI Award for Best Actress in her feature film debut, Weekend with Kate.
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God Save the Queen
Australia's most beloved diva is murdered in her locked dressing room in the Sydney Opera House. The chief suspect is her husband - who was on stage in front of 1200 people at the time she died.
Michael is both a narrator and a director for radio and film. His short film The Projectionist premiered at the 40th New York Film Festival in 2002. It was awarded the Grand Prix at the 2003 Tampere Film Festival (Finland), and went on to win a further ten international awards at festivals in Valladolid (Spain), Los Angeles, Nashville, Melbourne and Sydney, and has screened at over seventy film festivals worldwide - most recently in Moscow and Berlin.
Michael holds a Masters degree in Film and Television, specialising in Directing, from AFTRS and teaches screen acting and directing. He has presented programs of his work to audiences in St. Petersburg, Zagreb, Dresden, Telluride, Szolnok (Hungary) and London.
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Help!
A simple plea in a court case leads a reporter to take a trip back into Sydney's seedy past - leading to an unexpected conclusion.
Nadine Garner’s extensive list of theatre credits include The Lifespan of a Fact, Emerald City, Photograph 51, Di and Viv and Rose, The Distance, The Weir, Private Lives, The Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard for MTC; Zebra! and Life After George for STC; Miss Julie for Perth Theatre Company; Romeo and Juliet and Taming of the Shrew for The Australian Shakespeare Company. She starred in Sam Mendes’ production of Cabaret and received a Helpmann Award and Green Room Award for her performance as Fraulein Kost.
She will next star in Scott Major’s debut feature film Darklands. Her other feature film credits include Ben Hackworth’s debut feature Celeste, Ana Kokkinos’ The Book of Revelation, Darren Ashton’s Razzle Dazzle and Amanda Jane’s The Wedding Party, which earned her a New York City International Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Nadine appeared in the Network 10/Channel 5 (UK) series Lie With Me and the ABC crime drama series Savage River. Her other television credits include the Stan original series Bloom, My Life is Murder and Mr Black for Network 10, The Blake Mysteries: Ghost Stories for the Seven Network, ABC’s The Doctor Blake Mysteries, the Seven Network drama City Homicide, the ABC comedy It’s a Date as well as Blue Water High, The Henderson Kids, GP, The Flying Doctors, Boys From the Bush and RAW FM for which she was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama.
Nadine received an AFI Award for Best Actress for her role in Mull and in 1995, a Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Supporting Actress and an AFI Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in Metal Skin.
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Sixteen Lovers Lane
It's summer in Sydney and a serial killer is on the loose. Will he be caught before he kills someone you love?
Samuel Johnson is an actor, voiceover artist and philanthropist. He won the AFI award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Telefeature in 2001 for The Secret Life of Us. He played Molly Meldrum in the miniseries Molly for which he won the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama and won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Television of 2017. Since 2012, Sam and his sister Connie have run the charity Love Your Sister.
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All Along the Watchtower
A grisly discovery leads to years of policework that culminates in the clue of a single spoken word...
John Waters is an actor and musician with many years experience on Australian screens and stages. He's appeared on stage in Hair, Jesus Christ Superstair and Godspell. Possibly to prove his versatility, he's also appeared in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
and The Addams Family.
He was a regular fixture for almost two decades on ABC-TV's Playschool but has had an equally long history playing dramatic roles in shows as diverse as Rush, All the Rivers Run, The Young Lions, Fireflies, All Saints, Rake
and Mystery Road. He also appeared in the Australian classic film Breaker Morant. More lately he has toured extensively as a musician, most notably in his John Lennon tribute show, Looking Through a Glass Onion.
His list of awards includes a Logie and an AFI for Best Performance by an Actor.
Theme music: Trevor Brown
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Looking for an Echo
In this special episode Trevor Brown and Simon Luckhurst chat about the music Trevor composed and produced for Murder Ballads.
Trevor and Simon are in Trevor's studio in Lilyfield, overlooking the community garden and park and are surrounded by an eclectic assortment of instruments, none of which they play with during the entire interview.
If you want to know more about Trevor (and you should) his bio is in the Conversation with Trevor episode link at the end of Season 2 below.
Astute listeners will notice that although this episode is named for a song in line with the other episodes of Season 3, no one is murdered during the entire conversation.
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Distinction Winner 2022 Communicator Awards: Best Podcast Episode
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
East of Goulburn is a place called Eight Mile. No one knows what it's eight miles from. It's in the middle of nowhere, only two people live there - and they haven't spoken to each other for a decade.
Reader: Lynette Curran who said, ‘Wow, you wrote this? It's beautiful.. When can we do it?’
Lynette Curran’s classic Australian TV shows include seven years on Bellbird, as well as stints on Country Town, Number 96, Homicide, Division 4, Bluey, Cop Shop and The Restless Years. More recently she’s been in Love My Way, Underbelly: The Golden Mile, The Reckoning and Wentworth.
Her film roles have included Alvin Purple, Caddie, Bliss, Somersault (winner of the AFI’s and FCCA’s Best Actress in a Supporting Role awards), Heatwave and The Boys (winner of the FCCA’s Best Supporting Actor award). You can also see her Marvel’s Shang-Chi to be released later in 2021.
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The Golden Bell
Lucky runs a cafe called The Golden Bell. He's kind, caring and generous. He wouldn't call himself 'lucky' though.
Reader: Lex Marinos who said, ‘I love being enticed into a world I think I know, only to be delighted to find there’s magic where I least expected it.’
Lex Marinos OAM, was born into a family of Greek cafe owners. After studying drama at uni he worked in all areas of the entertainment industry as an actor, director, writer, broadcaster and teacher.
He was best known for his roles in Kingswood Country and The Slap. He also worked extensively on ABC radio since the riotous inception of 2JJ. His book Blood and Circuses: an irresponsible memoir was published by Allen & Unwin.
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Co-nominee (With 'Whispering Moths') 2022 Australian Podcast Awards: The Indigenous Award
On Thursday
On Thursday Island an earnest government worker, a daughter missing her mother and a garden gnome find a way to work together to bring happiness.
Reader: Sylvia Tabua, who said, ‘Thanks so much, I'd love to do more of these if there are any other opportunities. It brought me joy’
Sylvia Tabua is a senior broadcaster with Radio 4MW on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait where she hosts the Brekky Bot (breakfast show). She has worked passionately in this area for more than 18 years.
She produced the documentary Striking Pearls and co-produced Dinghy Gurls, which looks at how Torres Strait women challenge the sea country they live and work in. As well as coordinating cultural and music festivals, she also appeared in both seasons of the radio series Kasa Por Yarn.
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Wishing Well
Catching a fairy is great. You get a wish. But when you're faced with all that choice, how do you decide what to wish for?
Reader: Genevieve Davis, who said, ‘Loved this take on a fairy story and making wishes. Wishing Well is written well.’
Genevieve started professional life in musical theatre, including the Australian cast productions of Hair and Rent. She also had roles in Sisterella, Porgy and Bess, The Wedding Song, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Blues in the Night and Albert Herring, for Opera Australia.
She's a talented actor who has had some roles in television and films. She still sings. She was a founding member of the
The Glamma Rays.
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Olympus
Tina has been married to Lucky for over 30 years. Their greatest challenge tests both her and her relationship. Neither she, nor her husband, expects what happens next.
Reader: Victoria Haralabidou, who said, ‘Such a pleasure to be asked to read this tender and moving story. I hope the audience enjoys this magical journey.’
Victoria's debut film role was as the lead Martin Scorsese’s feature Brides alongside Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis.
Her other features include Going Going, The Drover’s Wife, Thirst, Blessed and With Heart and Soul. Her most recent screen work includes HBO’s The Leftovers, ABC’s Wakefield, Barracuda (Logie Award nomination), The Code, Parent Up! and My Place. She’s also appeared in The Tailings, Deep Water and East West 101 on SBS.
Victoria has also worked as dramaturge, assessor and writer at STC, Griffin and other theatres in Sydney.
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Conversations With Buckthumper
One night of 'fun' can change your life. How Jason Riley responds to the mistake he made, and tries to heal things, involves introspection, a lot of driving and kangaroos.
Reader, Darren Gilshenan, who said, ‘I love Simon’s stories, they have such an Aussie tone to them… Buckthumper gave me great joy.’
Darren’s extensive performing history includes ten years with the Bell Shakespeare Company and three on TV’s Full Frontal. His recent TV credits include How To Stay Married, Stateless, Harrow, Here Come the Habibs, Maximum Choppage, The Killing Field, The Moodys and Devil’s Playground.
He won the 2020 AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama Series for Stateless and a Best Actor Helpmann Award for The Servant of Two Masters.
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Excellence Winner 2022 Communicator Awards: Best Podcast Episode
Co-nominee (With 'On Thursday') 2022 Australian Podcast Awards: The Indigenous Award
Whispering Moths
Timmy Reay was normally a quiet bloke, but after a few drinks anything could happen. He'd never been in jail before, but after things went too far one night, he ended up being sentenced. Once released, he never went back inside - and this story tells you why.
Reader: Billy McPherson, who said, ‘Deadly story, should be a movie!’
A Kamilaroi and Kooma man from south-west Queensland, Billy is an actor, playwright and accomplished didgeridoo player.
His recent screen work includes guest roles in RFDS and Frayed. Other television roles include Thalu, Black Comedy, Redfern Now, My Place, Dead Heart and Heartland. He also appeared in the films Around the Block and The Combination. He has performed in numerous roles for the theatre.
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First place 2022 Vega Awards: Fiction Podcast
Nominee 2022 AWGIE Awards Audio - Fiction
The Great Mantini
The Great Mantini is a magician who specialises in disappearances. Unfortunately.
Reader: Tiriel Mora, who said, ‘The magic of love. And the love of magic. Talk about coming out of the armoire. Enjoy.’
Tiriel is best known for his iconic performances as Martin de Stasio in the classic Australian current affairs parody, Frontline, and lawyer Dennis Denuto in The Castle. His other TV work includes Operation Buffalo, Mr Inbetween, Home and Away, Love Child, Janet King, Rake, All Saints, Underbelly, City Homicide, The Secret Life of Us, Seachange and Redfern Now.
His other film appearances include roles in Happy Feet, Crocodile Dundee in LA, This Little Love of Mine, Book Week, Harmony, Other Life, Unindian, The Wolverine, Windsor, King Kong, The Parlour, Garage Days, Queen of the Damned, The Elixir, The Inheritance and Gods of Egypt.
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Conversation With Trevor
Trevor Brown composed the episode music for season two of Ear Movies.
In this special episode he chats to Simon Luckhurst about his music and the processes he follows when he's composing.
Interviewer: Simon Luckhurst, who said, ‘While I'm exploring new places to go with long "short" stories, Trevor is moving the other way and is composing mini-symphonies.’
Trevor Brown is an Australian freelance composer, multi-instrumentalist, improviser, artistic director, producer, sound designer, occasional academic, and radio presenter who works across several artistic and cultural fields.
Currently completing a Doctor of Music Arts at the Sydney Conservatorium on 'Composing with Volatile Media (playing with fire, working with the unknown and the uncontrollable via Improvised Conduction, Technological Interventions, Multi-Art form Collaboration and Environmental Compostition').
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When Katy Becker found love in the chemotherapy ward she knew that the heart-warming discoveries ahead of her would last a lifetime – she just didn’t know how long that would be for.
Reader: Ann Burbrook, who said, ‘This is such a beautiful story… it made me cry. Thank you so much for asking. I'm honoured to read it for you.’
Ann’s first two careers were as a classical ballet dancer followed by a stage, screen and voice actor.
She believes that at heart of every performance are great stories. As a performer she loves to explore story and character in order to open audiences eyes to others journeys and truths. She loves great writing and relishes working with thought provoking writers and directors.
After over 20 years as a performer she decided it was time to give back. She now runs her own business where she designs and facilitates communication programs to a range of participants, works for a vibrant and exciting social enterprise supporting young people, former refugees and the planet, and does her best with her partner as a parent to two teenagers.
Every now and again she is tempted back to performance… but only when the right story comes along. She says that Biological Poker was one of these stories.
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The Other ANZAC War
Two outback towns fought in a war no one has ever heard of in this funny story of ANZAC and rural Australia.
Reader: Brett Hunt, who said, ‘What you’ve captured here is just simply stunning... I’m speechless…’
Brett Hunt is a graduate of Wollongong University’s Creative Arts program.
As a singer, songwriter and actor Brett has released a number of CDs and toured Australia and overseas. He performs his one man show, Dusted Off, in schools around Australia.
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Soul Searching
Trevor never laughed so much until he joined the funeral industry and met Knippler, Jimmy and Gavin, the ghost of an old mate.
Reader: Tug Dumbly, who said, ‘Soul Searching is an inventive, macabre and blackly fun worm's-eye view of the funeral industry, from hyper earthy to hyper surreal, with real pathos too. It has great flesh and blood characters who I could really get my teeth into as I read it!’
Tug Dumbly is a poet, performer, songwriter and satirist who has worked widely in live venues, schools, and radio (Triple J and ABC 702). He established some seminal spoken word nights in Sydney, including the legendary Bardflys in Glebe.
He has released two spoken word CDs, once won the Spirit of Woodford storytelling award, twice won the Banjo Paterson Prize, and three times won the Nimbin Performance Poetry Cup.
Most of his career has focused on live performance but his work has also appeared in various publications including Southerly, the Canberra Times and the Australian. His first poetry collection, Son Songs, was released by Flying Islands Books in 2018.
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Third place 2020 Vega Awards: Best Podcast Episode
The Society of Miracles
Becoming invisible was no hardship for Leonie Morrison, as she’d been overlooked by most people for years anyway. Disappearing permanently from public view, however, was only the start of her story.
Reader: Kate Fitzpatrick, who said, ‘I loved this curious, sad, fascinating story from the first time I read it. I could hear the voices.’
Kate Fitzpatrick has had a long happy career.
From stage to page and lots in between, Kate is a highly accomplished actor & four-time published author. Passionate, intelligent, witty and amusing, Kate has appeared on stage and screen, playing everyone from Marilyn Monroe, to Hamlet’s mother, Don Juan – and most recently, Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret.
She loves playing drama as well as comedy. Her professionalism and natural story-telling ability add to her success in the sound booth as a reader and voice over artist.
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Deus ex Coke Machina
God appears to everyone at least once in their life. Or so he claims. For Pete Monroe, finding God in a Coke machine was not what he expected on his lunch break.
Reader: Michael Thompson, who said, ‘Far out, this was funny. Made me think, too. Well done, mate.’
Michael has starred in numerous roles on television and in feature films.
He played the lead role in the feature film Daddy’s Little Girl along with supporting roles in 80 Proof and Battalion.
He is also the producer and co-host of the very funny podcast, The Dunces.
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The Long Road
Lance Riley never set out to become a masseur. How this former long-distance truck driver became one of the best in the world is a touching story of endurance and compassion.
Reader, Ian Rogerson, who said, ‘I’ve always loved Australian short stories and Simon has tapped into the working class ethos with great skill and affection.’
Ian originally leapt into radio at the ABC’S enfant terrible 2JJ in 1980. He presented almost every shift on the station. With his friend Jono Coleman as 'Jono and Dano' they established themselves as a radio and television comedy team for the rest of the decade.
From JJJ’s breakfast show to number one in consecutive Sydney surveys on Triple M nights, 2SM Breakfast and Melbourne’s Triple M, they romped across Australia’s airwaves for years.
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First place 2020 Dotcomm Awards: Best Podcast Episode
Erc, the Last Waler
A swagman, an Aboriginal stockman and a talking horse head to France in 1916. Although they have many laughs and adventures along the way, their real journey begins once the war is over.
Reader: David Field, who said, ‘Great story... So touching and really the talking horse is just so f***ing great. It keeps the humour alive the whole way!!!! Simon brought this touching surreal story to me two years ago. What a pleasure to finally orate it. Hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did reading it!’
David Field has been a performer for the last 35 years. Though considered a character actor, he thinks that 'character' should be part of every actor’s work. He has appeared in many many films, TV productions and plays. He'd mention them but knows if you're interested that Google will reveal all!!!
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2020 Christmas Special: The Night Raider Before Christmas
A mother, a bikie, a bushranger and a believer in miracles appear in this podcast where elements of all the stories in Season One combine to create a unique Christmas episode.
Reader: Elizabeth Surbey, who said, ‘This was funny, but then it made me cry!’
Elizabeth Surbey is a talented actor who studied drama and then went into teaching. She's a passionate advocate of the arts, of the need for theatre and for stories in general.
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