#295: Mike de la Rocha - Win-Win Situation
Funny In Failure
Mike de la Rocha is visionary strategist, acclaimed artist and compelling voice for change. He is the co-founder of Revolve Impact, a globally recognised creative agency that merges art, activism and storytelling to drive social change, and Tepito Coffee, a company dedicated to providing meaningful jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals through its partnerships with Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention and rehabilitation organisation in the world. Celebrated as one of the most influential change makers of our era, Mike has been instrumental in some of the largest policy...
info_outline
#294: Liz Guterbock - Living a creative life
Funny In Failure
Liz Guterbock is an American born British citizen stand-up comedian, award-winning actor, improviser and voice over artist. In 2023 she made The Guardian’s 10 Best Jokes of Edinburgh Fringe and Dave Joke of the Fringe lists. Her 2023 Edinburgh Fringe debut show Liz Guterbock: Geriatric Millennial 4-star reviews from Funny Women, The Mumble and Pepper & Salt, and complimentary press from The Scotsman, Festmag and Chortle. In 2022, Liz was nominated by some of the country’s best promoters as one of 10 stand-up comedians on Union Jack Radio’s ‘Ones to Watch’ list. She was a finalist...
info_outline
#293: Sergio Perera - Our Own Roadblocks
Funny In Failure
Sergio Perera is a chef & nutrition expert. Having trained as a professional chef in some of Spain’s most respected restaurants and then training in Japan, a serendipitous moment saw Sergio become the go to private chef to Hollywood actors (such as Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chris Hemsworth), athletes, royalty and politicians. Growing up in Spain he was naturally an advocate for the healthy Mediterranean diet, but it was working with actors which prompted him to study and learn more about nutrition and during his time with Chris Hemsworth he helped prepare him for...
info_outline
#292: Adriano Zumbo - Life is like a Recipe
Funny In Failure
Adriano Zumbo is a chef and TV presenter. He is one of Australia’s most celebrated pâtissiers and the star of the Netflix TV shows Zumbo’s Just Desserts and Sugar Rush. As a popular figure in the pastry world he has garnered many nicknames including, ‘The Sweet Assassin’, ‘Pâtissier of Pain, ‘Dark Lord of the Pastry Kitchen’ and has been lauded as ‘Australia's answer to Willy Wonka’. Adriano is a regular guest judge on MasterChef Australia and has appeared on Dessert Masters on Network 10. This country boy’s first taste of the sweet life was raiding the lollies and...
info_outline
#291: Troy Kinne - 'Nothing Special'
Funny In Failure
Troy Kinne is an award-winning comedian, actor, writer, producer and director. In the early days of his stand-up comedy career, Troy won almost every new comic competition in Australia. The Comic’s Lounge ‘You Gotta be Joking’ competition saw him receive the prize of a trip to New York to attend the American Institute of Comedy. He went on to perform at several well-known clubs in the U.S. including Caroline’s on Broadway, Stand Up New York, Gotham Comedy club, the Laugh Factory, The Hollywood Comedy Store and The Comedy Cellar. On returning to Australia Troy became a...
info_outline
#290: Cindy Busby - Training of Life
Funny In Failure
Cindy Busby is an actor who has been a prominent presence in Hollywood for over two decades, making her mark in both film and television. The television mainstay is best known for her series regular role as ‘Ashley Stanton’ on Heartland, one of the most successful Canadian television shows ever produced. Syndicated in over 81 countries and a fan favorite on Netflix, the series has solidified her as a beloved actress among audiences worldwide. She is now making the jump to When Hope Calls on Great American as series regular ‘Nora Anderson.’...
info_outline
#289: Stuart Laws - The Importance of Fun
Funny In Failure
Stuart Laws is a comedian, actor, writer, producer, editor and director. He performs sketch comedy and stand-up comedy. He supported James Acaster on his UK tours and has appeared on and written for Radio 4, has two specials on NextUp Comedy, one on American label 800 Pound Gorilla Media, and has written a play The Journey, that debuted at The Edinburgh Fringe at The Pleasance in 2018. In 2021, he was nominated for Leicester Comedy Festival Best Show and in 2022 he was nominated for Comedians Choice Best Show. In 2023, his Fringe show was awarded 4.5 stars by Chortle. Stuart runs his own...
info_outline
#288: Garrett Millerick - 'Worth Doing'
Funny In Failure
Garrett Millerick is an acclaimed stand-up comedian, writer, and director whose unique and versatile style has made him a favourite on the UK and international comedy circuits. A frequent Critics’ Choice, he has appeared on Conan, SiriusXM, and more. His breakout live show Sunflower became one of the most talked-about performances of 2018. Garrett recently wrote and starred in Do Gooders a workplace sitcom for BBC Radio 4 that takes audiences behind the curtain of the charity industry alongside a cast that includes Frank Skinner, Fay Ripley, Lisa McGrillis, Ahir Shah...
info_outline
#287: Kirsten Vangsness - “You’re not a fit”
Funny In Failure
Kirsten Vangsness is an actor, YouTuber, podcaster, graphic novelist & playwright. She is most known for playing Penelope Garcia on the long running CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, for which she co-wrote 5 episodes, including the series finale. In 2020, Kirsten launched her YouTube series KIRSTEN'S AGENDA as a way to promote mental health, wellness and civic duty. Her first season featured such guests as Aisha Tyler, Pauley Perrette and Karen David. She enjoyed the interviews so much she decided to spin them off into the KIRSTEN'S AGENDA Podcast, available wherever podcasts live. Kirsten...
info_outline
#286: Cam Knight - Workarounds
Funny In Failure
Cam Knight is a standup comedian, actor and presenter. He was the co-host of the Channel 9 show called Unreal Estate alongside Kate Langbroek in 2016. He has regularly appeared on the Today show, co-hosted Studio 10 on Channel 10 and could be heard as a weekly co-host on Triple M’s Merrickville and The Weekenders with Dan Ginane in Sydney. As well as performing sell out shows across the country, performing around London and receiving 5 star reviews and award nominations, Cam featured on the televised Montreal Just for Laughs Festival Stand Up Series at the Sydney Opera House in 2015, 2019...
info_outlineChris Parker is an award winning comedian, actor, writer, show-runner and podcaster.
This past year Chris hosted the New Zealand Comedy Festival Gala, and toured his latest show, Give Me One Good Reason Why I Shouldn’t Throw My Phone Off This Bridge, to full houses throughout Australia and New Zealand. He also made his prime-time Australian TV debut on Thank God You’re Here (where he won the episode) and released the highly anticipated second season of Double Parked. Chris Parker is most commonly known for his funny Instagram and TikTok videos which built him a huge social media audience over the last few years. His legendary win on the hit New Zealand TV show Celebrity Treasure Island made history!
His 2018 New Zealand International Comedy Festival show Camp Binch, was awarded the prestigious Fred Award for Best Show in the Festival and went on to play to 5-star reviews and sell-out crowds at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Fun fact, the felt hat he made during the 2020 nationwide lockdown was acquired by and is on display at The Auckland Museum and Te Papa the National Museum of New Zealand. Kinda dramatic – don’t you agree? Chris is a theatre graduate from the renowned drama school Toi Whakaari O Aotearoa and he has appeared in and written multiple theatre shows across New Zealand, most notably Hudson and Halls Live! Where Chris played one-half of the famous gay cooking duo, David Halls and won best actor at the 2017 Wellington Theatre Awards.
Chris has appeared in feature films such as Baby Done, The Breaker Upperers and Nude Tuesday and has two feature films of his own currently in development. As a comedian and writer Chris is a regular face on New Zealand television appearing on 7 Days, Have You Been Paying Attention NZ, Jono and Ben, Funny Girls, Season 3 of Taskmaster New Zealand and the sitcom Golden Boy. Chris also co-hosts the podcast The Male Gays with fellow comedian Eli Matthewson, which has an upcoming digital video series in production. Chris was listed as The Herald’s top 5 Entertainment Heroes of 2020 and in 2021, was nominated for Television Personality of the Year. In 2022, Chris was the recipient of the inaugural Topp Prize awarded by the New Zealand Comedy Trust for Aotearoa’s most generous and gifted comedian. That same year released the comedy/documentary special Chris Parker: Back To School, about all boy schools in Christchurch. Chris embarked on an Australian and New Zealand national tour of his show Gentle Man to sold-out crowds and 5-star reviews and his debut novel Here for a Good Time was released through Allen & Unwin.
In 2023, Chris toured his new show, Lots of Love, Chris Parker, to sold-out audiences in Australia and New Zealand. Chris’s new comedy series, Double Parked, premiered in June and was created and written with Alice Snedden.
He was the show runner and writer for the narrative comedy series Double Parked and is currently touring his live stand up (Stop Being So Dramatic) shows across New Zealand and Australia.
Stop Being So Dramatic are four words the self-proclaimed People’s Princess of Aotearoa Chris Parker has heard his whole life. Now those words also happen to be the name of his show touring Australia and New Zealand in 2025. At the culturally relevant age of 34, Chris is ready to address the drama queen allegations head-on. Stop Being So Dramatic promises to be an hour of high-intensity, feverishly paced and dizzyingly expressive comedy, it’s a one-man variety spectacle, chill, stand-up hour of laughs. That doesn’t sound dramatic at all – does it? Chris admits, there is some merit to the accusations, such as crying in every speech he’s ever delivered publicly, and there may have been a situation this year where he slept on his neck weirdly resulting in a neck brace. Still, Chris is sure he’s just a chilled guy, down to Earth and he’s ready to prove it to you in Stop Being So Dramatic.
We chat about his evolving voice, performing on a broken foot (multiple times), being an improv king and his 10 hour improv day, being the felting guy, his upcoming tour, being a show runner and leadership, thriving on celebrity treasure island plus plenty more!
Check Chris out on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisparker11
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisparkernz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itschrisparker
Website: https://www.chrisparkercomedy.com
Melbourne comedy tickets: https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/stop-being-so-dramatic/
-------------------------------------------
Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook
https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/
https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/
and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info.
https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/
https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan