Best johnnyjohnleary@gmail.com Podcasts (2025)

1
Jentacular with Toby Schmitz and Luke Arnold 48:22

4d ago48:22

48:22

Both Toby Schmitz and Luke Arnold are actors who have recently turned their storytelling talents into actual stories in actual books! Toby's debut novel "The Empress Murders" is described as both a razor-sharp, mind-bendingly clever whodunnit and an excoriating look at the excesses of the British Empire, just as the sun is beginning to set on it. A…

1
If You Like Humphrey Bogart with Nicola and Rosie Dempsey 43:54

11d ago43:54

43:54

Rosie and Nicola Dempsey are otherwise known as the comedy music double act Flo and Joan. The two previous times they’ve been on this show, Nicola’s pieces of trivia were both about Andrew Lloyd Webber - and there was even a question related to Lloyd Webber in last year’s episode - at the time, the depth of their knowledge about the man was somewha…

1
Real Life with Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis 44:24

18d ago44:24

44:24

It’s become something of an Easter tradition to have Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis on the show the week before Good Friday to promote the very special Rockwiz event The Really Really Good Friday Spectacular at the magnificent Hamer Hall. Quiz aficionados themselves, they get surprisingly stuck on a few of the questions this time around. But it's…

1
Sandwichfest with Pierre Novellie and George Fouracres 53:56

25d ago53:56

53:56

George Fouracres and Pierre Novellie met while studying Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge, so it's a fair expectation that they might do well at quizzes. They're both annoyingly multi-talented clever people, performing work ranging from stand-up to musicals, Pierre has a very successful podcast of his own - BudPod with Phil Wang, he's the …

1
Herding Cats Again with David Correos and Harry Jun 53:29

1M ago53:29

53:29

David Correos has been on this podcast before with Demi Lardner, but this time I needed a slightly less chaotic partner for him. Harry Jun is another very funny comedian, but they come up against a very tricky set of questions (as always, written by the unparalleled Cindy MacDonald) and it takes all my powers of clue-giving to get them to the corre…

1
Margaritas with Ethan Cavanagh and Sweeney Preston 44:34

1M ago44:34

44:34

This episode was recorded live at the Margarita Bar inside Gluttony at the Adelaide Fringe! Not in front of a live studio audience or anything, but perhaps it should've been? For their third time on the quiz, comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh got a free margarita and the chance to talk about all their upcoming shows at the Melbourne Inte…

1
The Embarrassment of Youth with Alex Lowes and Kushi Venkatesh 45:00

2M ago45:00

45:00

It's quite apt that this episode has come hot on the heels of the last episode. If Chris Ryan and Luke Heggie are veterans of standup showing all the signs of world-weariness in their comedy, the guests on this episode are the polar opposites. Alex Lowes and Kushi Venkatesh are fresh faced babes at the very start of their careers in comedy. Althoug…

1
Trillions of Ants with Luke Heggie and Chris Ryan 37:09

2M ago37:09

37:09

Old hands at appearing on this podcast - Chris Ryan and Luke Heggie - come on around this time every year. They are both touring brand new hours of standup right now and are experts at extracting laughs from their audiences. Check their websites to see when they're in a city near you and go see them. You won't regret it. https://chrisryancomedy.com…

1
RE-RELEASE: Best Quiz Quiz with Marc Fennell and Michael Hing 35:59

2M ago35:59

35:59

I'm sorry I don't have a new episode for you! While I try to find a moment to record the new one, please enjoy this re-release of one of my favourite episodes from 2022. And if you are in Adelaide, come and see The Platypus at the Adelaide Fringe. It's a fantastic play and I'm very proud of it. Get your tickets to The Platypus here: https://adelaid…

1
Uncensored with Alexei Toliopoulos and Zach Ruane 49:51

2M ago49:51

49:51

For the next few months, Alexei Toliopoulos and Zachary Ruane will be touring their show Refused Classification to comedy festivals all around the country. The part comedy, part documentary, part verbatim theatre piece tells the true story of beloved film critics Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton taking on the Australian government when the film…

1
Night in Tunisia Bird with Eddie Perfect and Elise McCann 44:52

2M ago44:52

44:52

This first episode of the sixth season of The Saturday Quiz takes a wild, meandering journey through some mostly music-related territory. Which is appropriate given that the guests are two giants of Australian musical theatre - Eddie Perfect and Elise McCann. Get your tickets to see them both in the Australian premiere production of Beetlejuice her…

1
And The Survey Says... 6:16

2M ago6:16

6:16

The Saturday Quiz will be back for its sixth season in 2025 very, very soon. In the meantime, please complete this survey so I can bring you the guests and content that you like best: http://bit.ly/thesaturdayquiz-survey It's all anonymous and no personalised data is collected. Follow the show on Instagram @thesaturdayquiz And John has pretty much …

1
Season 5 Finale with Zoë Coombs Marr, Dave Lawson, Sarah Snook and Kate Jinx 1:02:04

4M ago1:02:04

1:02:04

If you have a few minutes, please complete this survey so The Saturday Quiz can return for another season with the guests and content that you like best: http://bit.ly/thesaturdayquiz-survey As always on the season finale of this podcast, the whole thing becomes a competition. The four original contestants are back once more to answer the 40 questi…

1
Santa's Lair with Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvany 33:49

5M ago33:49

33:49

Kate and Damon have both been on this podcast before - but never together. Much in the same way that they are both appearing in two massive films released this month. One of those films is a Christmas movie based on a much loved song - and the other is a biopic based on the life of a much loved singer! Better Man - in cinemas Boxing Day How to Make…

1
The Mentalist with Gillian Cosgriff 36:46

5M ago36:46

36:46

Gillian Cosgriff is an absolute delight. Funny, self-deprecating and fabulously talented. It's been far too long since she's been on this podcast. So, before this season comes to an end, it's time to get her back on the show to answer the ten questions from the quiz in The Saturday Paper. Find Gillian's tour dates here: https://comedy.com.au/tour/g…

1
Reach For the Top with Bert LaBonté and Pamela Rabe 28:05

5M ago28:05

28:05

Pamela Rabe and Bert LaBonté are both giants of Australian theatre. And it's lucky they are, because right now they are both appearing in the enormous epic that is August: Osage County. This brand new production at Belvoir Street Theatre, directed by Eamon Flack, has been getting rave reviews and playing to full houses - so much so, that they've ex…

1
Brilliance with Sheridan Harbridge and Kala Gare 33:23

5M ago33:23

33:23

Very occasionally, there is a new piece of theatre created which gets everything just right, that it becomes an instant classic. My Brilliant Career is one of those shows. The new musical based on the novel by Miles Franklin, with a book by Sheridan Harbridge and Dean Bryant, music by Mathew Frank and Dean Bryant and directed by Anne-Louise Sarks i…

1
Fledgling with Caroline Lee and Lucy Ansell 34:15

5M ago34:15

34:15

Lucy Ansell and Caroline Lee are both currently starring in the Red Stitch production of José Rivera’s play “Your Name Means Dream” which explores the notion of what it means to be human in a world increasingly encroached upon by AI. No AI was used in discovering the answers to these questions though. Get your tickets to "Your Name Means Dream" her…

1
Cosmic Latte with Ethan Cavanagh and Sweeney Preston 47:42

6M ago47:42

47:42

Stop what you're doing and get in the car and drive to Mitchelton Estate Winery for this weekend's Comedy in the Vines - a mini festival of great comedians and fantastic wines in Nagambie, Victoria, a little over an hour away from Melbourne. While you're there, make sure you check out Ethan and Sweeney's show In Pour Taste - a comedy wine tasting. …

1
Foxes and Hedgehogs with Iain Grandage 40:28

6M ago40:28

40:28

Iain Grandage thinks he's a hedgehog, but wishes he was a fox. But he is arguably a T-person. Or perhaps a hammerhead shark. What does that mean? You'll have to listen to find out. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-saturday-quiz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
It's a Wonderful Life with Zoë Coombs Marr and Alexei Toliopoulos 36:17

6M ago36:17

36:17

This is the 200th episode of The Saturday Quiz, and what better way to mark the occasion than by having two of the funniest comedians to have ever answered the quiz, do it all over again? Zoë and Alexei have never been on the show together, but their rapport is brilliant. And somehow, they wind up with mostly correct answers. As always, play along …

1
Pigeons with Geraldine Hickey and Vidya Rajan 40:05

6M ago40:05

40:05

The last time Geraldine Hickey and Vidya Rajan were on this podcast together, they performed remarkably well, pretty much getting ten out of ten. Will they be able to do the same with this, somewhat more difficult quiz? Listen to find out! Also listen if you want to hear all the bonus facts about pigeons that the ABC cut out of Geraldine’s appearan…

1
Well-Behaved Women with Stephanie Caccamo and Elenoa Rokobaro 36:02

7M ago36:02

36:02

Stephanie Caccamo and Elenoa Rokobaro are two of the cast members of Well-Behaved Women - a show with music and lyrics by Carmel Dean and directed by Blazey Best - which has just opened at Belvoir Street Theatre. Well-Behaved Women celebrates extraordinary women who have made history. From Cleopatra to Virginia Woolf to Frida Kahlo and more, these …

1
Who's Your Daddy with Hannah Camilleri and Oliver Coleman 34:40

7M ago34:40

34:40

The Melbourne Fringe Festival has just kicked off, which means that there are over four hundred and fifty events vying for your attention. One of them stars this episode's guests Hannah Camilleri and Oliver Coleman. It’s a play called Prune which is a comedy about a woman who won’t get out of the bath. Both Hannah and Oliver have been nominated for…

1
1970 FA Cup Final with Hannah Waterman and Huw Higginson 36:12

7M ago36:12

36:12

Real life couple Hannah Waterman and Huw Higginson are performing as husband and wife in the moving play about love, loss and laughter Colder Than Here at the Ensemble theatre. On this episode of the Quiz, they do exceptionally well and take some fascinating trips down memory lane... and all sorts of other lanes too! Get tickets to Colder Than Here…

1
Meandering with Susie Youssef and Julia Zemiro 40:04

7M ago40:04

40:04

Julia Zemiro has been on this podcast many times before, but this time she’s brought along Susie Youssef to partner with. Which is kind of what she’s done with her tv show Great Australian Walks on SBS. She was the solo host of the first season, but now for the second season, Julis is sharing the hosting duties with Susie and Gina Chick. Great Aust…

1
A Nose By Any Other Name with Kirsten Diprose and Damian Callinan 41:06

8M ago41:06

41:06

It’s no secret that this podcast skews towards the big cities of this country, mostly those on the Eastern Seaboard. In fact, most podcasts in general favour the big cities. Kirsten Diprose and Damian Callinan are doing their bit to change that with their brand new podcast: Town Criers. She's a journalist and and he's a comedian and together they a…

1
Pulitzer Prize Winners with Bert LaBonté and Ras-Samuel 36:21

8M ago36:21

36:21

Joining John to answer the questions on this episode of The Saturday Quiz is the director Bert LaBonté and one of the actors Ras-Samuel from the Pulitzer Prize winning play Topdog/Underdog, which is playing right now in the Lawler at Melbourne Theatre Company’s Southbank Theatre. The Suzan-Lori Parks play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two d…

1
Orange with Alexei Toliopoulos and Lauren Bonner 40:53

8M ago40:53

40:53

Alexei Tolioppoulos and Lauren Bonner have both recently joined a real-life pub trivia team. But that doesn't mean they get all the questions correct on this episode. Alexei learns that no matter how good you are at your expert category, if the questions don't tend that way, you're in for a world of pain. Support this show http://supporter.acast.co…

1
You're a Gumbo with Michael Williams and Erik Jensen 32:47

8M ago32:47

32:47

If you're a reader or listener of any of the Schwartz Media publications, you're sure to have encountered Erik Jensen and Michael Williams. Erik is the Editor in Chief at Schwartz and Michael is the Editor of The Monthly magazine, as well as hosting the podcast Read This. They're both intimidatingly intelligent, so it's no surprise that they do ver…

1
Highschool Dropout with Matt Day 35:01

9M ago35:01

35:01

Runt is a brand new family movie in cinemas around the country from September 19, but if you’re in Melbourne, you can see it at MIFF on the 25th of August. Written by Craig Silvey, based on his book of the same name and directed by John Sheedy, Runt tells the story of Annie Shearer and her best friend, a stray dog called Runt. When her family's far…

1
IMDb Ranking with Brodie Lancaster and Kate Jinx 34:39

9M ago34:39

34:39

The Melbourne International Film Festival has just opened! On this episode of the quiz, the guests are MIFF programmer Kate Jinx and pop culture author and critic Brodie Lancaster. Jinx's MIFF list: Matt and Mara https://miff.com.au/program/film/matt-and-mara Welcome Space Brothers https://miff.com.au/program/film/welcome-space-brothers The World A…

1
Baby Brain with Gabbi Bolt and Maverick Newman 34:15

9M ago34:15

34:15

Gabbi Bolt and Maverick Newman are both extraordinarily multi-talented performers; They sing, they dance, they act, they even play classical piano in the hilarious parody musical Murder For Two, which is an outrageous blend of music, mayhem, and murder. In this hilarious 90-minute show, two performers play 13 roles – not to mention the piano – in a…

1
How's Your Latin? with Laurence Boxhall and Peter Houghton 36:42

9M ago36:42

36:42

For only the second time, this episode of the podcast is recorded in situ (Latin) in the same room as the guests! Melbourne Shakespeare Company returns to fortyfivedownstairs to present possibly the most famous play in the English language - Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy Hamlet. And John has crashed their rehearsal room to ask the actors playing L…

1
High School Boys with Marni Mount and Emmanuelle Mattana 46:12

9M ago46:12

46:12

It is rare for a piece of independent theatre to earn itself a return season. Rarer still for that return season to be on the main stages and tour around the country. And even rarer yet for that piece of theatre to be a brand new play from a debut playwright. But that is exactly what has happened for actor and playwright Emmanuel Mattana and direct…

1
Live Sex with Sheridan Harbridge and Rebecca Massey 36:11

10M ago36:11

36:11

This special bonus episode is to make up for the episode missed a few weeks ago. The Canberra Theatre Centre has curated an electrifying performance series under the banner of “Valence”. Shows that will ignite the senses and challenge perceptions, made by artists exploring the now, pushing the boundaries of convention, and which invite viewers to c…

1
Leave Her Alone! with Madeleine Stewart and Bec Charlwood 42:21

10M ago42:21

42:21

Madeleine Stewart and Bec Charlwood are two comedians who are part way through a tour around the country with a night of comedy appropriately called Are You Pulling My Leg? This show brings brings together some of Australia’s funniest comedians with disability or chronic illness for a raucous accessible comedy event offering entertaining and uncens…

1
Nicknames and Anagrams with Claire Bird and Hugo Williams 43:26

10M ago43:26

43:26

Claire Bird and Hugo Williams are both members of Ponycam Collective. What is a ponycam collective? Well, that is a good question that Claire and Hugo are probably well equipped to answer, but which, unfortunately, is not on the quiz, so there’s not much point in asking them. Although performing seemingly pointless tasks does seem to be very much p…

1
Bullsh!t Bell with Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh 39:55

10M ago39:55

39:55

Sweeney and Ethan are award winning comedians who have combined comedy and wine-tasting to create one hilarious show. That doesn't necessarily mean they're great at trivia though... Get tickets to In Pour Taste at Bondi Festival here: https://www.bondifestival.com.au/event/in-pour-taste-show/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-saturda…

1
Andrew Lloyd Webber with Nicola and Rosie Dempsey 38:02

11M ago38:02

38:02

Two years ago, British comedy musical duo Flo & Joan (aka real life sisters Rosie and Nicola Dempsey) came and did the quiz and were justifiably stumped by a whole lot of Australian-centric questions. This time around, they're lucky enough to get at least one question right in their trivia sweet spot. If you're in Adelaide, go see a show at the Ade…

1
Reading Out Loud with Rebecca Bower and Francis Greenslade 42:06

11M ago42:06

42:06

As well as making this podcast, John is also an actor. Right now, he's rehearsing a brand new play by Francis Greenslade called The Platypus which also stars Rebecca Bower. And since they are the two people he's seeing the most of these days, it seemed perfectly logical that they should be this episode's guests. They're also both very clever people…

1
Parcopresis with Alex Jae and Alexei Toliopoulos 43:17

11M ago43:17

43:17

The podcaster community is a tight one. We tend to all have the same challenges of finding fresh guests for each episode. Invite one podcast host to be a guest on your show, and they’ll put you in touch with another who could be a potential guest, or they’ll introduce you to a podcast that you may not have been aware of. Todays episode is a case in…

1
The People You Meet in Darwin in the 80's with Alison Whyte and Grant Piro 34:25

11M ago34:25

34:25

Grant Piro and Alison Whyte are two of the hardest working actors in the country. Stars of stage and screen, they are both in the very special production of Death of a Salesman directed by Neil Armfield which has just opened at the Theatre Royal in Sydney. Get your tickets here: https://salesmanaustralia.com.au/ Support this show http://supporter.a…

1
Fan Fiction with Tarsh Jago and Imogen Whittaker 32:10

12M ago32:10

32:10

Comedian Tarsh Jago and cabaret artist Imogen Whittaker met in the considerably unlikely world of Aboriginal health policy and advocacy. But these friends found that they share a great deal of common ground. In their defence, the first half of this quiz is pretty tricky. Question writer Cindy MacDonald really didn't hold back this week. See how you…

1
Writing with Worms with Sofija Stefanovic and Liam Pieper 38:20

12M ago38:20

38:20

Liam Pieper and Sofija Stefanovic are old friends who went to high school together. They've since both gone on to write moving and funny memoirs about their childhoods. Sofija wrote about being an immigrant kid in Australia during the dissolution of Yugoslavia, while Liam used his teenage experience of selling pot around the suburbs of Melbourne fr…

1
Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness with David Marr and Sean Kelly 34:04

12M ago34:04

34:04

Sean Kelly and David Marr are two of the sharpest minds in the country writing about politics and unflinchingly examining our history and national character. They are both appearing at the Melbourne Writers Festival on the panel discussion Year in Review: Australian Politics with Laura Tingle and Michael Williams to talk about the year in Australia…

1
DemisFeet.com with Demi Lardner and David Correos 40:01

1y ago40:01

40:01

This episode is possibly the most chaotic the podcast has ever been. Demi and David are masters of surfing the absurd and are both very comfortable teetering at the edge of the abyss of improvisation. They are also both very funny people. See Demi and David in their show at the Sydney Comedy Festival: https://www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au/event/demi-…

1
Upsetting Internationals with Annie Louey and Mohammed Magdi 39:10

1y ago39:10

39:10

Annie Louey and Mohammed Magdi are comedians dating across continents. Annie is Chinese-Australian living in Melbourne. Mohammed is Egyptian but has lived in China for 11 years. Annie is still getting used to learning about her own Chinese culture through an Arab. They first met on Love Island, aka Hong Kong. Annie returned to Australia with a long…

1
Beans with Fern Brady and John Kearns 40:50

1y ago40:50

40:50

Fern Brady and John Kearns were both contestants on series 14 of the UK tv show Taskmaster - in fact they even scored the exact same amount of points to finish joint last. The good news for them on this podcast is that since there are no other competitors on the quiz, no matter how badly they do, they will finish joint winners Get tickets to Fern’s…

1
Pink Pink Stink Nice Drink with Zoë Coombs Marr and Tom Walker 35:48

1y ago35:48

35:48

Zoë Coombs Marr and Tom Walker are two of the funniest and most creative comedians at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. If this episode of the quiz is anything to go by, there are very few boundaries either of them are too cautious to cross. This one comes with a bit of a content warning, so if you’ve got little ones listening, you might…

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