Wendy Harmer is one of Australia’s most versatile entertainers – broadcaster, author, journalist and stage performer.

As a stand-up comedian she performed her one-woman shows at the Melbourne, Edinburgh, Montreal and Glasgow Mayfest Comedy Festivals, in London’s West End and the Sydney Theatre Company. Wendy enjoyed huge popularity leading Sydney radio station 2Day FM’s top-rating Breakfast Show for 11 years. She was the co-host of ABC’s 702 Sydney morning show from 2016 -2021. She has hosted, written and appeared in a variety of TV shows including ABC’s The Big Gig.

A former political journalist, Wendy is the author of eight books for adults including her bestselling novel Farewell My Ovaries, Love and Punishment and Nagging For Beginners, a how-to guide for women. She has also written two teen novels, I Lost My Mobile at the Mall and I Made lattes For a Love God.

Wendy’s children’s book series about Pearlie the park fairy have sold more than 700,000 copies in Australia and internationally since the first title Pearlie in the Park was published in 2003. A stage show of the books adapted by Wendy played at the Seymour Centre in Sydney and toured regional NSW in 2005 and then nationally in 2007. The animated television series based on Wendy’s Pearlie books, co-produced by Sticky Pictures and Canadian broadcaster Nelvana, premiered on Network Ten in October 2009 and aired on Nickelodean Australia and in 11 other countries around the world. Wendy developed the series as Creative Producer and wrote multiple episodes.

Stuff, a four-part television documentary series which Wendy produced, wrote and presented, premiered on ABC TV in March 2008. In late 2008 Wendy and Angela Catterns recorded a 16 part podcasting series for ABC Radio Local called Is It Just Me? which returned for a second season in 2009.

Wendy teamed up again with Angela Catterns on ABC News Radio with a new show called It’s News to Me!, which recapped the week’s events.

Wendy has been a columnist on many publications including the Good Weekend and The Sunday Telegraph.

The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

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James Smillie has captivated audiences over several decades. Commencing his career at the age of 10, as an in-demand boy soprano singing with symphony orchestras and on radio, he continues to charm with his velvet voice on countless commercials, documentary narrations, and audiobooks.

Smillie was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents emigrated to Australia in the early 1950s when Smillie was still a child. He has worked in both Britain and Australia in film, extensively on stage, on television, and with voice work.

Growing up in Perth, he quickly established himself as an actor of note performing with the university graduate company in productions of Hamlet and Mourning Becomes Electra before journeying to the East coast and diversifying work at Channel O as newsreader, booth announcer and host.

While his family remained in Perth, Smillie returned to the United Kingdom to appear in stage roles in London's West End and would divide his time between the UK and Australia for several decades.

In Australia his television work includes roles in Adventure Island, The Magic Circle Club, Homicide, Division 4, Prisoner and as suave Dr Dan Marshall in the 1980s drama series Return to Eden. And in the UK, Red Dwarf, Z-Cars and Highlander.

With J.C. Williamson’s he played the role of Edward Rutledge in 1776, alongside a stellar cast that included Lewis Fiander, Bruce Kerr, Rod McLennan, Bruce Barry and Geraldene Morrow.

On the London stage, his break-out role was as Tony in West Side Story. His presence in the role ensured that Arthur Laurents permitted the show to open in the West End.

The following years saw him playing leading men in a string of West End productions that included, Henry II in Thomas and The King with a score written by John Williams; Dr. Thomas Barnardo in Ernest Maxim’s Barnardo; Nicos in Kander & Ebb’s Zorba; Georges in Jerry Herman’s La Cage aux Folles at the London Palladium; and also as Fred Graham in Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In 1996 he achieved a dream role as Mack Sennet in the London production of Mack & Mabel, opposite Caroline O’Connor as Mabel Normand. The following decade saw Smillie touring in the UK tour of 42nd Street, playing Julian Marsh, Pastor Manders in Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts for the Perth International Arts Festival, Charles in Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together at the Library Theatre in Manchester, Daddy Warbucks in a touring production of Annie with Su Pollard and as Caesar, in a Sadlers Wells Lost Musicals production of Fanny. He also has a Royal Variety Performance to his credit.

Now settled back in Glasgow, recent years have seen James appear in stage productions at the Traverse Theatre, Oran Mor, and the Pitlochry Festival Theatre; and extensive voice work and associated accolades.

The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

www.stagespodcast.com.au

It’s TONY time once again and an opportunity to look at the ceremony and shows up for awards in our annual Tony episode.

STAGES is joined by publicist Ian Phipps and reviewer Simon Parris, to dissect the nominations and offer some predictions for the awards which will be presented on June 8th in New York City at radio City Musica Hall, hosted by Cynthia Erivo.

The three of us have all recently been in New York and enjoyed the delights of the Broadway stage, taking in quite a few of the nominated shows and performances, giving us a familiar insight to where the awards might land.

Australians are an ever growing presence on the Broadway stage and this year were are cheering for the Sydney Theatre Company and Michael Cassel’s production of The Picture of Dorian Gray; a play that has taken the world by storm and garnered a host of nominations for the Australian creatives and performer Sarah Snook.

Ainsley Melham is co-leading the company in the musical Boop! which has also earned nominations and Sarah Bowden is in the ensemble of SMASH, also up for some awards. John Frost is also one of the producers who has brought the Bobby Darrin story, Just in Time, to the Broadway stage - another show in a fierce competition.

It has been a sensational season on Broadway, and I’m thrilled to join by 2 fellow travellers who are able to offer some insight to what has been playing - in this 2025 TONY edition of the STAGES podcast.

The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).

www.stagespodcast.com.au