Join multi-media maven Em Rusciano—writer, singer, comedian, producer, podcast princess, and disability advocate—and her best friend of 30 years, award-winning ...
This week Em and Michael are sitting down with one of Em’s besties, Zambian-born Australian journalist, historian, author and filmmaker Santilla Chingaipe, for an eye opening chat about her new book that is rewriting the history of this country. Recognised by the United Nations in 2019 as one of the most influential people of African descent in the world, Santilla has spent the last 7 years researching and writing her debut non fiction book ‘Black Convicts’ which is in stores now. ‘Black Convicts’ builds on the research Santilla did for her critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary ‘Our African Roots’which is still streaming on SBS On Demand. It is fascinating to hear how colonial record keepers white washed parts of our history, silencing the lives of people like David Stuurman, a revered South African chief transported for anti-colonial insurrection; John Caesar, who became Australia’s first bushranger; Billy Blue, the stylishly dressed ferryman who gave his name to Sydney’s Blues Point; and William Cuffay, a prominent London Chartist who led the development of Australia’s labour movement. ‘Black Convicts’ is bound to change the way we think about who we are, buy your copy here https://shorturl.at/Jjk2V. Then in our Sealed Section, on our premium service Emsolation Extra, Em and her eldest Marchella review the new Netflix Christmas offering ‘Hot Frosty’ and answer your AMA questions. Sign up to listen for $1.73 a week, or watch it for under $3 a week at emsolation.supercast.com and don’t forget you can watch highlights from this episode in full maximalist colour on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@emsolationpodcast
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40:03
The Outgrown Tour: Meet the Creatives Part Two
Today we’re giving you part two of a very special audio only episode taking you behind the scenes of Em’s ground breaking Outgrown Tour, as producer Ben talks to some of the creatives who helped Em bring her show to life. In episode two you’ll meet the show's set designer, Kitiya Palaskas and hear everything from how Em first approached her about doing the set for the tour, to what it was like to have to wait until her Palais show to actually see all her flower work on stage and experience the full show, plus we get her side of the story of getting that call from Lucy saying they needed a new set when everything went missing. We also chat to costume designer Tamara Keane about Em’s brief and the making of all the incredible outfits Em wears on stage. Then finally we talk to production manager and musical director Ezekiel Fenn about creating the beautiful theme music for Outgrown with Em, what happened when the set went missing before the Ballarat show and so much more. Em’s final performance of her Outgrown Tour is the Arena Spectacular at Margaret Court Arena, Saturday December 7, get tickets from just $50 here https://www.frontiertouring.com/emrusciano
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1:04:28
In Conversation with Hannah Diviney
Hannah Diviney is a writer, disability advocate, actress, screenwriter, author and media personality. Her disability advocacy has garnered global attention thanks to both a viral petition encouraging Disney to create a disabled Disney Princess and a successful campaign encouraging both Lizzo and Beyonce to change ableist lyrics. As if that wasn't enough, she also made television history as the first disabled person in Australia to do a sex scene on television in the SBS series, ‘Latecomers’ and she’s joining Em to talk about some of those things plus her feature film debut in the new dark comedy ‘Audrey’. Together they’ll discuss what it was like to see Marissa Bode as the first disabled actor to play the role of Nessarose in ‘Wicked’ and then interview her afterwards as well. We’ll also talk about what it's like to be in her first feature film, how she secured the role and even how the script was changed to reflect her abilities as well. Hannah is utterly hilarious as well and they both connect over their shared love of awkward conversations and Em’s belief that Hannah needs to get her sit down comedy career underway as well. Then in our Sealed Section, on our premium service Emsolation Extra, Em and Michael review their Glicked weekend seeing Gladiator 2 and Wicked and give their final reviews. Sign up to listen for $1.73 a week, or watch it for under $3 a week at emsolation.supercast.com and don’t forget you can watch highlights from this episode in full maximalist colour on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@emsolationpodcast
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38:39
The Outgrown Tour - Meet the Creatives Part One
Today we’re giving you a very special audio only episode from inside our premium service Emsolation Extra. Taking you behind the scenes of Em’s ground breaking Outgrown Tour, as producer Ben talks to some of the creatives who helped Em bring her show to life. In episode one you’ll meet the show's director, Anna Piper Scott and hear everything from how she first met Em, when Em first approached her to help direct the show, to what role a director plays, what it was like to have to wait until her Palais show to actually see the full show and even the one thing that Anna appreciates about Em, that most people wouldn’t even know about. Then we’ll chat with tour manager Lucy Gransbury about how she first met Em, when she joined the Outgrown tour, what happened when the set went missing before the Ballarat show, plus what it’s like to appear on stage as Menopausia and so much more. In part two, dropping next week, we’ll chat to production manager and musical director Ezekiel Fenn, costume designer Tamara Keane and set designer Kitiya Palaskas. Em’s final performance of her Outgrown Tour is the Arena Spectacular at Margaret Court Arena, Saturday December 7, get tickets from just $50 here https://www.frontiertouring.com/emrusciano
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1:04:33
Em Rusciano In Conversation with Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo
It’s the moment SOME of us thought would never happen, and that some of us is Em, because AS IF this would ever happen! How could it be possible that Em would get to sit across from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, two sing-gers, and the leads of the new movie version of her all time favourite musical Wicked? Somehow, Em not only got to do chats with Cynthia and Ariana, who play Elphaba & Glinda in the movie, but also Marissa Bode who plays Elphaba’s sister Nessarose, and Ethan Slater, who’s Ariana Grande’s boyfriend and also appears in the film as the lovable munchkin Boq. Watch or listen as Em keeps Cynthia and Ariana entertained throughout their chat, from informing them of the neurodivergent love of the musical, to giving them props for the final result and so much more. Then there’s Em’s chat with Marissa and Ethan, where they reveal how they found out they were cast in the Wicked movie and a heap of other stuff too. It is the ultimate must watch before the movie drops November 21. Then in our Sealed Section, on our premium service, Emsolation ExtraThen in our Sealed Section, on our premium service Emsolation Extra, Em drops all the behind the scenes happenings as Michael peppers her with questions from her weekend at the Wicked movie premiere in Sydney. There's also some US Election chat and a review of Titanique The Musical which Em and Chella also saw while in Sydney. Sign up to listen, or watch it for under $3 a week at emsolation.supercast.com and don’t forget you can watch this episode in full maximalist colour on our YouTube channel athttps://www.youtube.com/@emsolationpodcast
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Join multi-media maven Em Rusciano—writer, singer, comedian, producer, podcast princess, and disability advocate—and her best friend of 30 years, award-winning screenwriter Michael Lucas (Offspring, Party Tricks, Rosehaven, The Newsreader), each week for an unpredictable mix of deeply personal anecdotes, obsessive pop culture dissections, and truly unhinged movie and TV reviews. If you’re after a show full of humour, heart, and hot takes, we’ve got good news for you!
We should also warn you: Emsolation isn’t just a podcast—it’s a community. A place where listeners feel seen, heard, and thoroughly entertained.
Welcome to the family! We’re so happy you’re here. You’re now an official Emsolator.
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