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 tale to insert herself as the new love interest. Enjoy the tangents upon tangents in this episode as Jess and Bridge reminisce on the best of the forgotten 90s kids tv, which celebrity Harry you'd most want to have as your marriage celebrant, and what they got up to under the stage trapdoors in the 2024 season of Rhinoceros...

Bridget Sweeney (she/her) is a professional silly goose with feathers in many pies — on stage, off stage, and behind the scenes. A graduate of the National Theatre Drama School, the Victorian College of the Arts, and the London Film Academy, she’s now based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her work spans writing and performing weekly children’s entertainment and teaching Shakespeare to teens. Bridget’s eclectic creative life comes together under her brand artistic allsort — a home for all her artistic adventures, whether performing, directing, teaching, or producing. She is currently the Marketing Manager for Melbourne Shakespeare Company so you can generally find her staring through or at a screen (but preferably a stage). She takes particular delight in capturing moments from the stage for the socials… having created the marketing and content for Othello and other productions in MSC’s recent seasons. Other recent credits include Assistant Director for Three Sisters (Theatre Works) and Twelfth Night (Melbourne Shakespeare Company), a performer with Complete Works Theatre Company in Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing and Framework of Ideas and as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sevenfold Theatre Company)… and crouching under the stage for Rhinoceros (Spinning Plates).

Check out Bridget's many range of skills on her website https://artisticallsort.com/

You can find Bridget on Instagram at @brsweeney and @artisticallsort

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 Plates Co. at @spinningplatesco or at www.spinningplatesco.com

You can follow the Do It Again But Better podcast at @doitagainbutbetter

This podcast was created, recorded and edited on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Always was, always will be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 reminiscence on their shared stage experiences, reveal the origin of Jacko's alter ego, and as the wine and ale continues to flow freely, enjoy a very on-pitch singalong.

Jackson is an award-winning actor who works in theatre and film. Stage credits include: Macduff (Macbeth - Australian Shakespeare Company); Clown (The 39 Steps - Hearth Theatre); John Proctor (The Crucible - Australian Shakespeare Company); Mystery of the Valkyrie (QPAC, Woodward Productions); The Owl and the Pussycat (Little Match Productions National Tour - Matilda Award Winner); Naked and Screaming (La Boite Theatre Company - Matilda Nominee); Happy/Howard (Death of a Salesman - Queensland Theatre - Matilda Nominee); Benjamin/Snowball (Animal Farm - Shake and Stir National Tour); Wisdom (Queensland Theatre); and Bottom (A Midsummer Night's Dream - Melbourne Shakespeare Company). On screen, his work has been seen in festivals throughout Australia and the world, including lead roles in CCTV Nasty, Gotcha and Thea and Lucia. In 2020, Jackson was librettist and director of the online children’s opera There Once Was A Puffin alongside collaborator Luke Volker, and later toured the live theatre adaptation to regional Queensland. Originally trained in drama and musical theatre, he also works extensively with young artists for Queensland Theatre, La Boite, Grin and Tonic, Complete Works, Shake and Stir and many other companies throughout Australia as a teaching artist, director and adjudicator.

You can find Jackson on Instagram at @jacmac10

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 Plates Co. at @spinningplatesco or at www.spinningplatesco.com

You can follow the Do It Again But Better podcast at @doitagainbutbetter

This podcast was created, recorded and edited on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Always was, always will be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 discusses the amazing work coming out of Western Edge Youth Arts (of which he is the co-CEO and co-Artistic Director). This episode is not only packed with audition stories, but plenty of sage advice from a national treasure who's also a lil bit of an adrenaline junkie.

John Marc Desengano graduated from The University of Ballarat in 2008 and has worked consistently as an actor since. His passion for young people led him to a Masters in Primary Teaching from the University of Melbourne, and work for leading Youth Theatre companies such as St. Martin’s and Polyglot Theatre. John Marc’s work with young people has now seen him become the co-CEO/co-Artistic Director of Western Edge, a company he adores and has worked with for several years. He also facilitates workshops and teaches at Federation University, VCA, and multiple schools across Melbourne. John Marc’s stage credits include; Looking for Alibrandi, The Yellow Wave, The Bachelor S17 E05, Survival, Enlightenment (Green Room Award winning Ensemble 2021), A Midnight Visit, and many more. His television credits include; Fisk, Back in Very Small Business, Aunty Donna’s Coffee Cafe, Lie With Me, and others. John Marc is a proud company member of Impro Melbourne and Soothplayers: Completely Improvised Shakespeare.

You can find John Marc on Instagram at @johnmarcismyfirstname or on the Western Edge website here.

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 Plates Co. at @spinningplatesco or at www.spinningplatesco.com

You can follow the Do It Again But Better podcast at @doitagainbutbetter

This podcast was created, recorded and edited on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Always was, always will be.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.