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Loose Units: The Podcast
Red Hot Australian Christmas
Loose Units, Castaway Studios and Tegan Higginbotham proudly present Red Hot Australian Christmas, a hilarious and touching 45-minute Christmas audio play based in Gippsland, Victoria.
It’s Christmas in Australia, and Victoria is in the grip of an unprecedented heatwave.
As the mercury rises across the state, the threat of fire plays heavily on the minds of many. But for a stubborn few, Christmas is – first and foremost – a time for family, feasting, and forced frivolity. And as far as they’re concerned, the fires can go and get f**ked.
One such believer is grizzled country Grandmother Heather Kelly, who has finally managed to get her entire family under one roof in Maffra, Gippsland. But before Heather even has time to interrogate her children about their failing love lives, the family receive a fire evacuation order. Code Red – they have to leave.
With danger pressing in on them, the Kelly family pack Christmas into the back of a caravan and flee for their lives. But as night rolls into day and the fires begin to surround them, Heather has to face up to the fact that she could be about to lose much, much more than her Christmas.
Starring (in alphabetical order):
Michala Banas, Eddie Baroo, Michelle Brasier, Bev Killick, Jackson Tozer, Paul Verhoeven, Kirsty Webeck.
With special guests, Georgia Love and John Verhoeven.
Written and directed by Tegan Higginbotham
Audio production by Paul Verhoeven
Proudly recorded on Wurundjeri land.
All proceeds going to Stand by Support – dedicated to supporting individuals and communities across Australia bereaved or impacted by suicide.
More episodes
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17. Surprisingly Horny
29:35||Season 6, Ep. 17Ex=cop John Verhoeven has claimed to have played trumpet in front of teeming crowds, and Paul has mocked these claims over the years. But this week, an unearthed photo has Paul eating humble pie. Also: the latest on the traffic accident which broke Paul's elbow last week.16. He Flew Through the Air, Your Honour.
29:16||Season 6, Ep. 16In this, the thrilling conclusion to John's story of a prison escapee turned department store brawler, Paul finds out that there have been some details long left buried - details now brought into the light.15. BONUS EP: Sentencing Snafu
14:40||Season 6, Ep. 15Thanks to an intrepid listener, we now know what in certain parts of the world, sentences CAN be comically long. John and Paul hopped on the mic for a bonus ep to rectify this sentencing snafu.14. I'll See You in Court!
31:34||Season 6, Ep. 14Paul reveals a piece of historic evidence: a newspaper clipping from the 1980s which tells the true, untold story of John and Christine's encounter with their attacker in all it's lurid glory. Plus, John and Paul joust over just how many years someone can be put in prison for, before it gets ridiculous.13. All-Out Brawl in a Department Store
34:00||Season 6, Ep. 13Two off-duty cops, John and a pregnant Christine, encounter a certain prison escapee slash shoplifter in a department store. What happens next is violent, strange, and almost folkloric.12. He Doesn't Look Strong Enough (To Lift Shops)
31:24||Season 6, Ep. 12Paul unearths a newspaper clipping that puts one of John's most iconic cases under the microscope - but before they can get to the crime itself, the boys need to take a quick detour down memory lane.11. On Your Marks
31:38||Season 6, Ep. 11John tries to take Paul inside the head of a first-time burglar, before Paul walks John through the transfer papers that saw a Constable get promoted to Fingerprints.10. Applying for a Transfer
21:41||Season 6, Ep. 10Last week, John's grades at school looked set to threaten his psospects as a cop - but how'd he do with his grades when he actually WAS a cop? In this episode of Loose Units: Busted, Paul walks John through the paperwork that saw him transferred to fingerprints, and the boys talk bullying, moustaches, and more.9. Do You Need Good Grades to Become a Cop?
33:00||Season 6, Ep. 9What kinds of grades do you need to become a police officer? And what kind of rapscallion was John in school? Well, today on Loose Units: Busted, Paul reveals John's old school report. Your favourite father and son duo takes a trip down memory lane, delving into the marks that drove John into his uniform in the first place.