Category: Cover Story

INTERVIEW WITH ‘BLANC DE BLANC’ DIRECTOR SCOTT MAIDMENT AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR MAGAZINE

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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I was very fortunate to get to write the cover story for the Christmas-New Year Western Australian print issue of Scenestr, my sixth cover story for the magazine in the past 12 months.  I got to interview Scott Maidment who directs Blanc de Blanc which is showing at Fringe World in Perth this month continuing a two year tour throughout the world to sell out crowds. Maidment has a passion for what he does, originally a performer who founded Strut & Fret Production House which now produces shows that combine cabaret and circus in these fantastic productions. I discussed with him what he sees as his responsibility as the director and getting to work with Madonna amongst other things. It was an absolute pleasure and you can read the interview here http://scenestr.com.au/arts/blanc-de-blanc-sets-its-sights-on-perth-for-fringe-world-20181220

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Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month. The cover story on Blanc de Blanc features on pages 10 and 11 of the WA print issue. You can read a digital version of the printed Western Australia edition here http://scenestr.com.au/read/WA/2018/22-WA/scenestr-WA-22.html#p=10

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It is the third Cover Story this year I have done for the WA mag. My first cover story for Scenestr was a year ago and also for the last WA mag for 2017 being issue #9 where I interviewed Jascha Boyce from the circus group Gravity and Other Myths. I followed it with 3 cover stories for WA in 2018, issue #11 interviewing SNL star and stand-up comedian Michael Che, #15 covering Chuck Norris coming to Supernova and now issue #22 about Blanc de Blanc.

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To have done one cover story means a lot to me and to have interviewed such fascinating people remains one of the scariest and most fulfilling things I have dared to do these past two years. Whatever 2019 brings, I will always be grateful for this. If you’re in Perth I would strongly urge you to check out Blanc de Blanc, clearly a show not to be missed made by very hard working and talented people.

-Lloyd Marken

COVER STORY ON CHUCK NORRIS AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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Chuck Norris is coming to Supernova Comic Con & Gaming this month in Perth and Sydney and to celebrate Scenestr did a retrospective on the career of one Carlos Ray Norris. This was the Cover Story for the June edition of the Western Australian print issue and I was lucky enough to get the gig. This is my fifth cover story following on from my interviews with circus performer Jascha Boyce interview (WA DEC2017), Q&A with EDM legend Opiuo (QLD JAN2018), SNL superstar comedian Michael Che (WA FEB2018) and Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artistic Director Ali McGregor (SA MAY2018). I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have done these cover stories.

 

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There was a lot of freedom with the piece about Chuck Norris since it wasn’t a straight forward interview and he’s lived quite an interesting life. I’m really very happy with how it came together and hope you enjoy it too. You can read it here http://scenestr.com.au/lifestyle/chuck-norris-is-ready-to-roundhouse-at-supanova-sydney-perth

 

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Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland every month. The feature on Chuck Norris is the cover story for this month’s Western Australian magazine featuring on pages 10 and 11. You can read a digital version of the printed Western Australia edition here http://scenestr.com.au/read/WA/2018/15-WA/scenestr-WA-15.html#p=11

-Lloyd Marken

INTERVIEW WITH ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ALI McGREGOR AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

Scenestr83I have been very fortunate to score the work of putting together another cover story for Scenestr magazine. Featured on the cover is cabaret star Natalie Gamsu who is bringing the highly anticipated Carmen, Live or Dead to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival but my interview was with the Festival’s Artistic Director Ali McGregor who additionally is debuting her new show Yma Sumac about the Peruvian songbird as well there. Scenestr86

We skyped and when it was over I realised I had just conducted my longest interview, at least since I started working for Scenestr. McGregor in addition to being a remarkable talent, was passionate about the art form of cabaret, full of praise for Adelaide crowds and came with her own fascinating back story about moving from a career in opera to one that is more diverse. It was a pleasure to get to speak to her and talk about the largest cabaret festival in the world. You can read the interview here http://scenestr.com.au/arts/adelaide-cabaret-festival-explores-the-possibilities-of-the-art-form

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Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland every month. The interview with Ali McGregor is the cover story for this month’s South Australia magazine featuring on pages 8 and 9. You can read a digital version of the printed Western Australia edition here http://scenestr.com.au/read/SA/2018/39-SA/scenestr-SA-39.html#p=8

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A cover story interview with a person so creative and articulate you only hope to give some justice to them on the page. You can’t ask for a better gig than that and I count myself very fortunate.

-Lloyd Marken

 

INTERVIEW WITH MICHEAL CHE AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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Michael Che is the co-head writer of Saturday Night Live and the co-anchor of the bit Weekend Update that features on that show. In 2009 he started doing stand-up, in 2012 he performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, a year later he was a writer on Saturday Night Live, following highly renowned bits as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart he was made co-anchor of Weekend Update in late 2014. Just over three years later he is head co-writer of SNL, he has released a Netflix special Michael Che Matters and he is touring throughout the world. When I began writing for Scenestr a little less than a year ago I never thought it possible I would get to interview someone like Che who had performed on Letterman or SNL. The fact that it was someone whose comedy I enjoy as much as Che was a real treat. I’m tickled pink that I was put through by a PA for the interview and then told to wrap it up by the PA as well. That’s a new level of fame. 🙂 A personal indulgence on my part became the central focus of the interview for me. I asked Che what it was like to perform on Letterman. His answer I believe is first and foremost an interesting behind the scenes story, but it also reflects something about comedians. Muhammed Ali would move faster when he sparred later in life with Parkinsons then when he walked. Fighters fight. Stand-ups do live comedy. You are your craft and it always comes back to that. I’m very grateful for speaking to Michael Che and to Scenestr and to you all for reading. I hope you enjoy http://scenestr.com.au/comedy/michael-che-using-humour-to-identify-humanity-with-his-australian-tour

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Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland every month. The interview with Michael Che is the cover story for this month’s Western Australia magazine featuring on pages 10 and 11. You can read a digital version of the printed Western Australia edition here http://scenestr.com.au/read/WA/2018/11-WA/scenestr-WA-11.html#p=11 Scenestr65The Western Australia edition only started up in May 2017 and only with such an expansion I guess could such an opportunity had been made possible. I have now done two cover stories for the Western Australia edition and one for the Queensland edition for which I’m very grateful. If you’re into music Scenestr are a great read but they do cover all of the arts including festivals, stand-up comics, fashion, theatre and film. I feel very fortunate to get to write for them.

-Lloyd Marken

INTERVIEW WITH EDM EXTRADINAIRE OPIUO AND THEATRE DIRECTOR BRAD CHAPMAN AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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2018 kicked off with a bang for me in terms of writing for magazines when I got the opportunity to contribute to the cover story for my hometown’s edition of Scenestr. This was a great opportunity and a thrill for which I’m grateful to Opiuo and to the team at Eyeball Media Enterprises.

Rather than the usual phone interview I provided a series of questions to be e-mailed to the electronic music producer and then received his responses. Opiuo’s answers were thoughtful, passionate and fascinating making the piece a great read. You can find it here http://scenestr.com.au/music/opiuo-is-making-your-inner-cheeky-child-dance It’s an honour to have my name attached to such a piece where others made it what it is. Two cover stories in two months is a real privilege.

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Also during the Christmas break I got to speak to the director of Beenleigh Theatre Group’s latest production Lord of the Flies which is opening this Friday night for local readers. Chapman was a delight to speak to and provided some excellent discussion about what fresh angles this new production of such a well known text will bring. You can read the interview here http://scenestr.com.au/arts/lord-of-the-flies-survival-of-the-fittest-in-beenleigh

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Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane every month. You can read see a digital version of the printed Queensland edition here http://scenestr.com.au/read/QLD/2018/1100-QLD/scenestr-QLD-1100.html where the Q&A with Opiuo features on page 10 and 11 http://scenestr.com.au/read/QLD/2018/1100-QLD/scenestr-QLD-1100.html#p=10

Scenestr42and the interview with Brad Chapman can be found on page 38 http://scenestr.com.au/read/QLD/2018/1100-QLD/scenestr-QLD-1100.html#p=39 Scenestr43

If you’re into music they’re a great read but they do cover all of the arts including festivals, stand-up comics, fashion, theatre and film. I feel very fortunate to get to write for them.

-Lloyd Marken

INTERVIEW WITH GRAVITY AND OTHER MYTHS MEMBER JASCHA BOYCE AVAILABLE ON SCENESTR

Posted on by Lloyd Marken

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At the end of last year I was blessed to have a run of assignments with Scenestr including a week where I saw five performances and one film. At the end of that week a last minute opportunity came which I was lucky enough to be able to seize. I’ve reached another milestone with Scenestr by completing an interview that went on the cover of their Western Australia December edition. On Wednesday night I saw contemporary circus group Circa perform in Brisbane and believed it to one of the best shows I saw last year. A top 5 would include Queensland Ballet’s Raw, Tim Crouch’s England, Circa, Randy Writes A Novel.

Having just been thrilled by Circa‘s performance it seemed appropriate to now get to interview an actual performer. Gravity and Other Myths are Adelaide based and perform around the world. I interviewed Jascha Boyce as part of press for their upcoming performances in Perth as part of Fringe World. It was fascinating to hear from Jascha how as one of the founding members they have sought to maintain a close family dynamic in the group and her own history as a performer. I couldn’t have asked for a more interesting and patient interviewee as she went through her craft, her fellow performers and their priorities in the world. There is a courage and a vulnerability in circus performers as they perform for us putting their bodies on the line but also risking failure and yet maintaining such disciplines and nerves of steel that they always seem to nail it. You can read my interview here http://scenestr.com.au/arts/a-simple-space-filled-by-circus-company-gravity-other-myths

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There were 3 more interviews I did before 2018 for Scenestr which will feature soon. This was the last thing to be published in 2017 though and was a real thrill for me to cap off the year in this way with a cover story. I really can’t believe my luck, I feel so grateful for this. I went to the offices to wish the team Merry Christmas a couple of weeks ago and feel so grateful to contribute to what is an amazing group of talented individuals. It is one helluva thing to produce a street press magazine in 2017 in the Australian market and keep it viable and grow it online in other mediums but this is what these guys do and there’s no shortage of what I could learn from them. Bring on a 2018 where I hopefully continue to contribute to and get so much from the awesome gang at Scenestr.

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Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr. is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. With over twenty years of publishing history they’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane every month. You can read see a digital version of the printed Western Australia edition here http://scenestr.com.au/read/WA/2017/9-WA/scenestr-WA-09.html where Gravity and Other Myths are featured on the cover and my interview with Jascha takes up page 10 and 11. The Western Australia edition only started up in May 2017 and only with such an expansion I guess could such an opportunity had been made possible. If you’re into music they’re a great read but they do cover all of the arts including festivals, stand-up comics, fashion, theatre and film. I feel very fortunate to get to write for them.

-Lloyd Marken

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