STAGES with Peter Eyers Peter Eyers

Since graduating from WAAPA in 2006, Lucy Maunder has cemented her reputation as one of Australia’s musical theatre leading ladies performing in a huge range of roles over the last 17 years.Most recently she appeared as Winifred Banks in the critically acclaimed Cameron Mackintosh/Michael Cassel Group/Disney revival of Mary Poppins. Prior to this Lucy starred in Victorian Opera’s production of Kurt Weill’s anti-capitalist musical Happy End as Lillian Holiday. The start of 2022 also saw her play the protagonist Alison Bechdel in the acclaimed MTC/STC Australian premiere production of Fun Home (Green Room and Sydney Theatre Award nominations for Best Performer in a Leading Role in a musical). In between seasons of Fun Home, Lucy reprised her role of Mrs Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Crossroads Live) for which she received a Helpmann Award nomination.Following the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic to the Arts, Lucy was lucky enough to appear in the first main stage commercial musical to return after the shutdown of all theatre as Catherine in Pippin for Crossroads Live. Her other recent career highlights include Cynthia in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Michael Cassel Group, Green Room Award nomination), Miss Honey in Matilda: The Musical (Louise Withers/RSC, Helpmann Award nomination), The Spirit of Christmas (QPAC), There’s Something About Music (The Little Red Company), Heather Chandler in Heathers (ShowWork Productions), Patty in Tim Finn’s Ladies in Black (QTC/MTC), Rizzo in Grease (GFO, Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Award nominations), Cinderella in Into the Woods (Victorian Opera, Helpmann and Green Room Award nominations), Georgia Hendricks in Curtains (The Production Company), Gertrude Lawrence in Noël and Gertie (CDP Theatre Producers, Glug Award for Best Actress in a Musical), Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera (STC/Malthouse/Victorian Opera), Janet in The Rocky Horror Show (TML Enterprises), Emma in Jekyll & Hyde (TML Enterprises) and Anne in A Little Night Music (Opera Australia). Lucy also created the role of Lara in the world première of Doctor Zhivago opposite Anthony Warlow (GFO, Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Award nominations).Lucy’s film credits include The Eternity Man (Channel 4 UK/ABC) and the lead role in the short film Identical, amongst other commercial and television appearances including the National Anthem at the State of Origin, The Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols (Channel 9) and appearances on The Morning Show (Channel 7) and Today Extra (Channel 9).Lucy’s one-woman show Irving Berlin: Songs in the Key of Black toured Australia to rave reviews at venues such as the prestigious Spiegeltent, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, His Majesty’s Theatre Perth and La Salon at Claire’s Kitchen. Her album featuring arrangements and musical direction by Daniel Edmonds is available across all streaming platforms.Lucy is over the moon to be starring as Roxie in Chicago, a true bucket list moment.The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

Lucy Durack is one of Australia’s most well-known leading ladies with major roles to her credit including Glinda in Wicked, Sophie in The Letdown (Netflix/ABC), Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical, Roxy in Sisters (Netflix), Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (for which she won a Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Award), Audra in A Perfect Pairing (Netflix), Chantelle “Tugger” Waugh in Doctor Doctor (Nine) and most recently Mrs Lilicroft/Mrs Madrina in the World Premiere of Midnight the Musical.Further highlights include playing Katie Halloway in Now Add Honey (Gristmill/Netflix), Michelle in Upper Middle Bogan (ABC/Netflix), Rose Walker on Neighbours (Ten Peach), Sarah in Touching the Void (MTC), Glinda in The Wizard of Oz (GFO), Sybil Chase in Private Lives (MTC), as The Cactus on The Masked Singer (Ten), a judge on Australia’s Got Talent (Seven) and as the voice of Daisy Quokka’s Mum in animated feature film Daisy Quokka: World’s Scariest Animal.Lucy won the Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for Legally Blonde; Best Screen Play Asia Web Award for Lift; and the AACTA Award for Best Online Drama or Comedy Series for Love In Lockdown. She is currently developing television series with Gristmill and Jungle, and is the proud co-founder and co-director of evidence-based health and wellness tech company and CSIRO tested app Hey Lemonade, for which she is a finalist in this year’s Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards.Through May and June she will be playing the role of Cecily Pigeon in Neil Simon’s classic comedy - The Odd Couple.The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

Robyn Arthur is one of Australia’s leading theatre performers who soon celebrates 50 years working in the Industry.

Robyn toured with Jonathan Church’s Singin’ in the Rain and Jonathan Biggins’ Australia Day for Hit Productions and Mother & Son with Noeline Brown for McLaren House. In 2013, she toured Australia in Elizabeth Coleman’s play It’s My Party (And I’ll Die If I Want To!) with Henri Szeps for Hit Productions and appeared in the Production Company’s Singin’ in the Rain directed by Gary Young at the State Theatre.

In 2011, she starred again alongside Todd McKenney in the hit revival of The Boy From Oz having also appeared in the original cast. Robyn played Mrs Potts in the Aria Award winning Australian premiere season of Beauty and the Beast with Hugh Jackman and will be long remembered for her performance as Madame Thenardier (Victorian Green Room Award) in the original cast of Les Miserables directed in Australia by Trevor Nunn. Robyn clocked up almost 1,300 performances in the role.

In 2007, she was nominated for a Helpmann Award for her performance in the Australian premiere of Sideshow Alley (Keelan/Young) for QPAC.

Robyn’s other theatre highlights include Stuart Maunder’s production of My Fair Lady (Opera Australia); Minefield’s and Miniskirts by Terence O’Connell (Malthouse), Gale Edwards’ production of Sweeney Todd (Opera Queensland); Stephen Sondheim’s Company directed by the late Richard Wherrett and Michael Gow’s classic Away for the Sydney Theatre Company.

Television credits include The Newsreader, Rosehaven, Five Bedrooms, Sisters, Woodley, Twentysomething, Laid 2, The Librarians, City Homicide, Very Small Business, Kath and Kim, Blue Heelers, MDA, Neighbours, and the US production, Nightmares and Dreamscapes.

Robyn also appeared in Charlotte’s Web with Dakota Fanning for Paramount Pictures and the Tropfest short film Hoarder Control directed by Nichola Colla.

Robyn’s been a proud member of Actors Equity since 1975 and serves on the Victorian Actors Benevolent Trust (VABT).The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

Amy Lehpamer is currently starring in the hit pop musical & Juliet as Anne Hathaway.Amy earned nation-wide critical acclaim playing Maria in The Sound of Music, receiving the 2015 Sydney Theatre Award for best Actress in a Musical, as well as Helpmann and Glug award nominations. She was Helpmann nominated in 2017 for her portrayal of pop and soul icon Dusty Springfield in the Australian hit musical Dusty for The Production Company. Amy played lyricist and hit-maker Cynthia Weil in the Australian premiere cast of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and was awarded the 2018 Helpmann for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for the role.From 2018-2020, Amy toured Australia, NZ and China as Rosalie Mullins, the uptight school Principal with a Rock 'n Roll soul in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of School of Rock.  She played Mrs Webb in Queensland Theatre's revival of the pulitzer prize winning classic, Our Town and Mrs Walker in the Australian Premiere of The Who's Tommy for the Victorian Opera.

Her skill as a violinist and performer were highlighted in her role of Reza in Once for the Gordon Frost Organisation and Melbourne Theatre Company.  This, and her big haired, starry eyed Sherrie in Rock of Ages saw her receive Helpmann nominations. She has twice played Christine Colgate in the musical adaptation of the hit comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, in her first ever leading role for Melbourne's The Production Company.Other notable roles for Amy include Tracy Lord in High Society for the Hayes Theatre, the iconic Janet Weiss in Rocky Horror for GFO/ATG. Amy created the title role of Margaret Fulton in the new Australian musical Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert (Theatreworks) and was part of the original cast of Eddie Perfect's Shane Warne - The Musical, as well as the 2014 production for Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Hamer Hall, featuring on the cast recording.Additional theatre credits include: The Threepenny Opera (Malthouse and Victorian Opera); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Songs for a New World (Doorstep Ensemble); Young Phyllis in Follies (The Production Company).Amy is the co-creator and star of the musical comedy webseries Donnatelegrams, produced by the ABC and Screen Australia, and now viewable on YouTube. On screen, Amy also holds credits in prime time television shows: Get Krack!n', Utopia. The Time of Our Lives, Winners and Losers, House Husbands, and the HBO mini-series The Pacific.  She has performed disco classics alongside Kate Ceberano and Paulini with the Adelaide and Queensland Symphony Orchestras. And she's sung The Best of Rodgers and Hammerstein alongside Simon Gleeson with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.  The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

Damien Ryan is managing director and artistic director of Sport for Jove Theatre Company, now in its twelfth year, where he has directed more than 30 productions, written and developed three new works and adapted over a dozen plays. 

The company has a comprehensive education program developed by Damien, and works with tens of thousands of Australian students annually at secondary and tertiary levels.

Damien has worked extensively with Shakespeare, performing in or directing over 70 productions in Australia and overseas, and has worked as actor, director and writer across Australia’s major companies including STC, MTC, Bell Shakespeare, Belvoir, Sydney Festival, Canberra Theatre Centre, Brisbane Festival and Queensland Theatre, and in the independent sector in Sydney. 

Recent directing credits include, Venus & Adonis (a feature film), Romeo & Juliet, The Crucible, The Father, Hamlet, Henry V, Henry IV Parts 1&2, Romeo & Juliet, Rose Riot, Merchant of Venice, Antigone, Antony and Cleopatra, The River at the End of the Road, Cyrano de Bergerac, No End of Blame, Othello, The Tempest, Romeo & Juliet, Away, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Loves Labour’s Lost, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Crucible, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, All’s Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, The Libertine, Look Back in Anger.

Acting credits include Venus & Adonis, Othello, Romeo & Juliet, Life of Galileo, Twelfth Night, Nora; As You Like It, Antony and Cleopatra, Richard 3, Comedy of Errors, Hamlet; Crime and Punishment, Under Milk Wood; Mother Courage, Isolde and Tristan, Hamlet and King Lear. 

Damien has two award-winning play adaptations (Antigone and Cyrano de Bergerac) published with Currency Press.

From May 1st to June 1st, Sport for Jove’s production of ISOLDE and TRISTAN plays the Old Fitz theatre in Sydney - and it is directed by today’s featured guest - Damien Ryan.

The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

One of Australia’s most highly regarded leading actors, Daniel MacPherson has most recently been seen starring as Sam Levine in Russell Crowe’s feature Poker Face and as fan favourite Hugo Krast in Apple TV+’s sci-fi behemoth Foundation opposite Jared Harris. Daniel will next be seen in the anticipated US action feature Land of Bad, reuniting with Russell Crowe and alongside Liam Hemsworth. In 2023 he starred in the theatre production 2:22 A Ghost Story, receiving critical acclaim in the role of Ben.Daniel’s other feature film credits include Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time directed by Ava DuVernay, Shane Abbess’ Science Fiction Volume One: The Osiris Child and INFINI, the lead in the US independent feature Generational Sins and Simon Wincer’s The Cup. Recently starring as Sgt Samuel Wyatt in the latest seasons of the HBO/Cinemax action series Strike Back, Daniel’s other international credits include the Fox hi-tech crime series APB, the MTV fantasy series The Shannara Chronicles and ITV/UKTV’s The Bill. Closer to home Daniel has starred in Wild Boys, Bad Mothers, City Homicide and Neighbours. On stage, Daniel alternated the roles of Jesus and Judas in the musical Godspell directed by Scott Schwartz, which played in London and the UK, and starred opposite Edward Woodward in The Mysteries at London’s Canterbury Cathedral. In 2013, Daniel was part of the all-star Australian cast of 8 The Play.One of Australia’s most experienced live television presenters, Daniel has hosted seven series of Dancing With The Stars as well as the first season of X-Factor Australia, and in 2017 Daniel hosted the International AACTA Awards in Los Angeles for Foxtel. Recipient of the TV Week Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent in 1999, Daniel has since twice been nominated for the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor, as well as Best Newcomer at the British National Television Awards. In 2008, GQ Magazine named Daniel as Australia’s Most Popular Television Personality.Daniel’s other passions include horses, music and fitness. He is a six-time Ironman Triathlon finisher and has represented Australia at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. He has run multiple endurance events to raise money and awareness for charities such as World Vision, Reclink, Charity: Water, and The Indigenous Marathon Project, for which he is an Ambassador.Daniel soon embarks, with John Waters, on a National tour of the stage thriller and tale of terror, The Woman in Black. The season kicks off in Toowoomba, opening on April 27th.The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au