Explore every episode of the podcast Press Play and Surrender

This week I chat to Day Magee - Day is a performance artist based in Dublin. Since 2011, they have performed as part of live art events such as Livestock and the Dublin Live Art Festival, Galway’s Tulca Festival, and they were also shortlisted for the RDS Visual Arts Awards. Their latest show On the Way in the Project Arts Centre was a big success and we delve into that during this conversation, as well as more existential topics. You don’t want to miss this conversation.

This week I chat to Annie Ryan. Annie is a theatre director originally from Chicago and through her company The Corn Exchange has a vast array of credits spanning the past 30 years, including Dublin by Lamplight and The Seagull, and now for the Abbey Theatre, The Whiteheaded Boy, which is currently running until July 25th. It features a fantastic ensemble of actors, one of whom, Fionnuala Gygax, has previously appeared on this podcast. During our chat Annie and I delve deep into her process and I think like me you’ll be struck by her deft turn of phrase and passion for the medium. You don’t want to miss this conversation.

This week I chat to Chris Grieder, also known as Aspiring Alchemist. He is a creator based in LA, who aside from directing music videos and composing songs, also posts content to his TikTok, Instagram and YouTube pages — where he discusses mindset and spirituality in-depth. Our chat covers a wide-range of subjects including how he came to build his presence online, his personal evolution, his approach to filmmaking and we also get to delve into some of the ideas that he’s presented through his channels. It’s a conversation unlike any I’ve had, you don’t want to miss it.

This week my guest is Jean-Marc Barr, an actor and filmmaker best known for starring in The Big Blue and several Lars Von Trier films including Europa, Breaking the Waves and Dogville. This is a wide-ranging discussion about his background, his love of Shakespeare, his approach to acting and his outlook on the political landscape of today.

This week I chat to bestselling author Patricia Cornwell, a master of the crime genre and the writer of the Scarpetta series — recently adapted into a limited series with Nicole Kidman — and this week she has a fantastic new memoir out "True Crime", a deeply insightful account of her upbringing, personal life and illustrious career. You don't want to miss this episode.

This week I chat to Seth Abramovitch. Seth is an entertainment journalist based in LA who has been a Senior Writer at the Hollywood Reporter since 2012. He has interviewed and written cover stories about a host of A-list actors and filmmakers and has his own podcast It Happened in Hollywood where he discusses the history of the business with many high profile guests. During this episode we discuss his thoughts on the Warner Brothers Paramount merger, Liza Minnelli’s new memoir, predictions for the upcoming 2026 Oscars and much more. You don't want to miss this episode.

This week I chat to Ali Fox. Ali is an actress and writer from Dublin who is a regular player Fair City for the past 2 years and also creates comedy content online. She is an experience theatre actress and trained at DIT Performance where we both auditioned when we were in our late teens. It was fantastic to catch up with her and learn more about her craft, you don’t want to miss conversation!

On this episode I chat to Bethany Berg, Jennifer Estlin and Sara Sevigny. They are the director, co-writer and stars of the new movie Everything Fun You Could Possibly Do in Aledo Illinois. This is a beautiful story of friendship between two women in small town America and it is available now on Amazon Prime. You don't want to miss this conversation!

This week I chat to filmmaker Roge Stack. We discuss their feature video diary documentary Another Annette Bening Mug, as well as their influences in low-fi underground filmmaking, and their formative film experiences through mainstream movies and actresses like Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Isabelle Huppert. Listen up!

This week I chat with veteran prop master Dean Goodine. Dean’s credits include Open Range, The Assassination of Jesse James, Netflix’s Lemony Snicket A Series of Unfortunate events and countless others. In 2022 he released a book about his career and his craft “They Don’t Pay Me to Say No” which is a wonderful account of the work that he does. You don't want to miss this conversation.

This week I chat with filmmaker Daniel V. Masciari, the writer and director behind the acclaimed independent film “Stationed at Home”, which is a beautifully realised mini-odyssey through one night in a small town in New York State featuring a cast of eccentric characters. You don't want to miss this conversation!

This week I chat to filmmakers Kyle and Zuzu Weingart, the writer director and actor producer behind the acclaimed independent film “Cuisine de la ‘Pocalypse”. We talk about the genesis of the project, juggling the moving parts of production, dealing with the elements while shooting exteriors in Montana, as well the reception to the film and what they gleaned from the experience. You don’t want to miss this conversation!

This week I chat to filmmaker Jon Hill, writer and director behind the acclaimed independent film “Above the Clouds”, which is a tender yet funny depiction of grief, healing and human connection. We discuss the origins of the project, the challenges in bringing it to the screen and our respective experiences making indie projects.

This week I chat to bestselling writer SJ Watson, author of the hugely successful "Before I Go to Sleep", which was adapted into a film with Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. We talk about his process, thoughts on classic fiction, the importance of a good twist and the making of the movie version of his novel.

This week I chat to LA-based film producer Ben Empey about his career working for major film studios and the steps he is taking in establishing his own company. We also discuss his short film "Faces", the Best Picture winners of the 90s, and his appreciation for the films of John Cassavetes and Martin Scorsese.

This week I chat to Oscar-nominated US film producer Christine Vachon about her career in independent filmmaking. From Safe, Velvet Goldmine, Kids, Happiness, Far From Heaven, I'm Not There and Carol, to Mildred Pierce, Halston, First Reformed and Past Lives - her track record is impressive and here she offers insights into her process and the industry today.

This week I chat to illustrator, comic book artist and muralist Neil Ballard, about his creative process and the source of his ideas. We also get into Al Pacino's career, cinema etiquette and the capabilities of the medium to bring people together and depict our greatest desires and revulsions. Listen up!

This week I chat to social media content creator Jenny Claffey. We talk all about our school days, the rollercoaster of our 20s, gateway movies, reading for pleasure, finding your internet tribe and how we (try to) balance technology with IRL.

This week I chat to writer, actor and director Fionnuala Gygax about her short film The Island, her upcoming feature and her overall journey in the industry thus far.

This week I chat to screenwriter Niall Cassin about his journey in the industry so far and his approach to story. Niall is originally from Dublin and now is based in LA. He has written on the Mister Mayfair films and History Channel's Colosseum. Here he explains how he developed his storytelling abilities through his experience as a PA on Hollywood productions and what drives him in his career.

This week I chat to writer and director Paudie Baggott about his career and approach to filmmaking. Paudie's previous films include the shorts Rip to the Rescue, Community Watch, The Innkeeper and Screen Ireland supported Peat. In this episode we talk about how establishes the whimsical tone in his films, learning on the job in the art department, and his relationship to the medium in general.

This week I chat to film critic Luke Dunne who runs Film in Dublin, a website dedicated to film events in the city and offering reviews and news about the latest releases. In this conversation Luke talks about his first interest in film, what he values in film criticism, the latest Oscar nominations and his Letterboxd Top 4!

This week I chat to actor and filmmaker Dale Leadon Bolger. Dale's documentary When Horses Run and short drama Weight were both supported by Screen Ireland. He has also recently been selected for BBC Writers. In this episode we discuss his screenwriting methodology and acting experience.

This week I chat to playwright, screenwriter and film director Carmel Winters, about her recent play Maestro and Mosquita, as well as her films Snap and Float Like a Butterfly. In the episode Carmel discusses the craft of writing and directing as well as the challenges of bringing projects to fruition.

This week I chat to actor, writer and director Laoisa Sexton about her career in film, TV and theatre. Laoisa's credits include many off-Broadway productions as well as writing and directing work on her own short films such as The Lucky Man and I Can't Go On.

This week I chat to Danny King, a screenwriter based in LA, who has written episodes on The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Sweet Tooth. On the show we talk about his interest in horror, insights into the screenwriting craft and one of his favourite movies Sleepy Hollow.

This week I chat to Grainne Humphreys, the director of the Dublin International Film Festival. In this episode she discusses her background and career in film curation, the process behind selecting films, some of her favourite festival moments and what short filmmakers can do to stand out when submitting their films.

This week I chat to film producer Neal Edelstein (The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive and The Ring) about his career, his collaborations with David Lynch, the challenges that come with the job and his advice for new filmmakers.

This week I chat to animator Dustin Romero. Dustin is based in LA and is a character layout artist on The Simpsons. In this episode we chat about his background, his short film Is That You, Joe? and one of his favourite films, Batman and Robin.

This week I chat with prolific American TV director Norman Buckley. Norman is best known for directing episodes of The O.C., Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars. During this conversation he offers insight into how we got his start, his approach to directing, and his appreciation for Jonathan Glazer's film Birth.

This week I chat to actor and writer Jemma Curran. Jemma's credits include the horror comedy feature Stitches, TV series Moone Boy and the short film Soulmate Wanted. She also appears in Newscheck Comedy sketches. Here she discusses the process behind making Soulmate Wanted and offers insights into pursuing an acting career.

This week I chat to screenwriter Joshua Conkel. Joshua is best known for writing episodes of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and A Series of Unfortunate Events. He has also written the short Curmudgeons and wrote and directed the short He Watches. In this conversation we discuss a wide range of topics including queer representation in media today and Joshua's favourite film Rosemary's Baby.

This week I chat to acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Wardrop about his approach to his craft, his past films, his methods of finding characters and his future plans to explore new territory in the genre.

This week I chat to Thodoris Dimitropoulos about his interest in movies growing up, his journey to becoming a film critic, his thoughts on the recent Golden Globe awards (for which he is a voter) and Oscar nominations, as well as his appreciation of the new Yorgos Lanthimos film "Poor Things".

This week I chat to actress and dancer Stephanie Dufresne, about her career in dance thus far, her training at Bow Street Academy, as well as her leading role in the Gate Theatre's The Red Shoes and more recently Glass Mask Theatre's Tempesta.

I chat to actress Cathy Belton, best known for appearing in the films Philomena and A Little Chaos, as well as her stage roles in The Approach and Ghosts. Cathy tells me about her influences and interest in acting growing up as well as her approach to her work and the experience of collaboration in film and theatre.

I chat to screenwriter Michael Zam, best known for writing the FX series Feud: Bette & Joan. Michael tells me about his influences and interest in film growing up as well as his approach to screenwriting and the story of how Feud got made.

This week I chat to writer director Conor McMahon, best known for his horror comedy films Stitches and Let the Wrong One In. Conor has also directed sketch comedy on Republic of Telly and Callan's Kicks, as well as No Worries If Not. Conor tells me about his influences and fascination with film growing up as well as his approach to directing and the importance of casting.

This week I chat to filmmaker and actor Jessica Courtney Leen about her background, career, short films 'Bronagh' and 'Not My Sister', her passion for teaching and also our shared obsession with 'Desperate Housewives'.

This week I chat to Oscar-nominated screenwriter Naomi Sheridan, about her background, her career, the making of 'In America', the business of being a screenwriter and her thoughts on the current Writers Strike.

This week on the show I chat to actress Aisling O Sullivan. Aisling's credits include The Butcher Boy, The Clinic, Raw, Snap, Big Maggie, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Approach and a Broadway production of King Lear. During our conversation we delve into how she has developed her craft over the course of an impressive career.

This week I chat with Rosie O’Mahony, a fine artist and actor from Northern Ireland. Rosie has appeared on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year and is currently training as an actor at Bow Street Academy. We discuss her artistic upbringing, her interest in film and fine art, the perseverance it requires to be an artist, the effects of the pandemic, her TV appearance and current training as an actor.

This week I chat with story consultant and screenwriter Mary Kate O'Flanagan about her initial interest in film, her career path from theatre critic to writer and screenwriting expert, her insights on story structure, the importance of the "what's the plan" scene, as well as the mid-point of "Hotel Rwanda" and her thoughts on Marvel movies.

This week I chat with film trailer producer Steven Armour about his initial interest in cinema, the process behind marketing a movie, and his thoughts on the film festival experience. We also geek out about our favourite actress Nicole Kidman.

This week I chat to French actor Olkan about his extensive theatrical training, what drives his career ambitions, his film L'Etoile and the casting of LGBT roles.

This week I chat with Meath-based writer and director Cody Farren about his background, his passion for film and his approach to directing, as well as his short film 'An Irish Goodbye' and upcoming short 'Animal'.

This week I chat with actor, writer and comedian Valerie Ní Loinsigh about growing up in Clonakilty, her time studying drama at Trinity, her year in New York and her continuing creative ambitions.

This week I chat to Wicklow-based writer/director Ronika Merl about her background, her screenwriting process and her upcoming debut feature "The Closing".

This week I chat with Esosa Ighodaro about her career thus far, in which she has explored numerous mediums including music, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, directing and acting. She also recollects her experience singing backing vocals on stage with Stevie Wonder.