This week Bronte Charlotte chats with Ellen Marning, a writer and performer from Wollongong, New South Whales. In 2022 Ellen Marning wrote and performed in two new works, Shticky Business (MICF) and Nu-Disco! (Melbourne Fringe). Ellens other credits of co-creation and performing inclue Matraphobia, Stocktake: Bitches in Business and the web series incarnation of Stocktake: Bitches in Business. She is also a core member of the 5Am performance group and has been touring the physical theatre show The Bells for several years. In this episode we chat about Ellen’s process writing and devising new shows, kicking on after a massive year, teaching as a side hustle, and the constant search for balance between financial stability and creative fulfilment. For this years Melbourne Internation Comedy Festival Ellen is playing Ned Kelly in the new musical Ned Kelly: The Big Gay Musical, written by our amazing former guest Kaine Hansen.

During this episode we discuss:

• [01:51] Teaching school aged children and holding onto your energy
• [06:03] How Ellen and Bronte met, Ellens first experience of something wonderful going wrong on stage, Bronte and Ellen reminiscing about their childhood sports experiences and how it has impacted them today
• [19:19] Ellens acting teacher Fiona Finley, crying competitions, throwing back to Gloria Jeans and the bubble lids that fit extra cream on top of your caramel frappe
• [24:44] Ellens dream to go to drama school after having seen theatre in London, including The Woman In Black - the second longest running show in the West End - her search for life experience, a gap year in Germany and beginning an arts degree at Sydney Uni
• [33:19] The making of Ellens one woman show Nu-Disco! and how important an audience is to a performance, dealing with hecklers and rowdy audience members, how a venue encourages a certain behaviour from different audiences
• [54:25] Finding the comedy in what’s already there, how Ellen made her comedy cabaret Shticky Business
• [1:00:14] Functioning as a creative in a field that doesn’t necessarily financially support us, feeling behind in all the markers of a capitalist society, having a creatively successful year and it’s impact on you financially
• [1:06:18] Real Housewives, the physical theatre performance The Bells and Ellens impressive physical capabilities for performance, and the joy of collaboration

RESOURCES

• Ned Kelly: The Big Gay Musical at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 17-23 April
• Nu-Disco! at PIP Theatre in Brisbane, 4-6 May
• Pieces of Shit at PIP Theatre in Brisbane, 27-29 April
• The Bells, 5 Angry Men

Head over to the @chats.w.creatives instagram page to stay up to date with episodes and guests we have coming up!

Follow our host Bronte Charlotte on Instagram @bronteandsunshine

Follow this week's guest Ellen Marning on Instagram @ellen.marning