My Roman Empire

What is that? It’s… THE UNKNOWN. The pop-culture icon that is Felicia Dawkins joins the Awkward Prods boys on this week’s episode. She gives the lowdown on the entire world that was the Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience, shares her memories of performing with Awkward Prods and friends on stage at London’s Clapham Grand, and FINALLY brings some intellect to this show with her Roman Empire… F Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’.

This episode’s guest is comedian, feminist ICON and absolute MOTHER Deborah Francis-White. The Awkward Prods boys chat about how they met when Linus shouted at Deborah in the street, when they sat on Deborah’s knees and suckled live on stage at the Clapham Grand, and obviously about the brilliant podcast The Guilty Feminist.Deborah reveals her Roman Empire, and it’s our nichest (and possibly best) yet - that time Brooke Shields forgot her lines in an ‘improved’ musical number live at the Tony Awards 2011. Obviously.Find Awkward Prods on socials @awkwardprods, and get tickets for ‘The Fit Prince’ UK and Ireland tour at https://www.awkwardprods.co.uk.

Yshee Black bursts into the studio as this week’s guest with her trademark Bastard Drag chaos. She tells us all about Birmingham (she’s from there, not just a fan), how Yshee Black was born (her drag persona, not her physical birth) playing the career defining role of Michelle Obama, and reveals her Roman Empire to be flashmobs.

This week’s guest is Hayden Maher - best known to your Awkward Prods hosts as the runaway star of season 1 of Hallmark+’s ‘Finding Mr Christmas’. Yes, you read that right. It’s a Hallmark reality show where men compete to be the leading man in a Hallmark Christmas movie, obviously. We are obsessed with the show, and were so excited to get all the behind the scenes stories from our fave contestant.Once we’ve done a deep dive into that with Hayden, we learn about his native Australia and his Roman Empire - Aussie stereotypes. Do they all ride kangaroos to school? Do they pop another shrimp on the barbie? Will good neighbours EVER become good friends? There’s only one way to find out.For more information on Awkward Prods please visit www.awkwardprods.com or @awkwardprods on all social media.

This week on My Roman Empire, we’re joined by Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland, the New York-based writing and performing duo behind some of the most talked-about work to come out of Edinburgh Fringe in recent years. Three-time consecutive Fringe First winners, Offie Award recipients and recently named among Theatrely’s rising stars.In this episode, they take us inside the chaos behind the work, from unexpected celebrity attention and sliding into inboxes that never reply, before diving into their Roman Empire.They break down exactly how they’d play the game, why being underestimated is their biggest advantage, and what makes someone truly dangerous on the island. It’s part strategy guide, part social experiment, and a perfect reflection of how they think, create and survive.

Mike Reiss joins My Roman Empire to unpack a comedy legacy that changed television forever.As a longtime writer and producer on The Simpsons, Mike takes us inside the early days of the show, revealing how it was almost cancelled before it even aired and how it went on to become one of the most influential series of all time.He shares behind the scenes stories from the writers’ room, including the real tea on Linus and Joseph’s favourite deep cut character Shary Bobbins and what it takes to create jokes that still land decades later.But his Roman Empire goes even further back. Mike dives into Airplane!, the absurd rapid fire comedy that rewired his brain and shaped his entire approach to writing. He explains why it made such a lasting impact, how its joke density changed the game and how that influence carried through to his own career, including writing the sequel.From near cancellation to cultural domination, it is a deep dive into the mechanics of comedy, the craft of joke writing and the moments that define a career. This is one episode not to be missed!

Writer on the brand new Saturday Night Live UK and breakout comedy star Lorna Rose Treen joins My Roman Empire to unpack the one obsession she can’t shake: the IKEA Monkey. Find out why Lorna (and the world) fell in love with Darwin the Japanese macaque back in 2012, and also get an exclusive update on how Darwin is doing today. Along the way, we also get inside the mind behind some of the UK’s sharpest, strangest comedy, Lorna’s hit shows ‘Skin Pidgeon’ and ‘24 Hour Diner People’, her love of statues of animals and what it's like performing for Tina Fey.To get updates from Story Book Farm, please visit:https://www.storybookmonkeys.orghttps://www.facebook.com/share/1BvTfFzYE2/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Golden Globe-nominated songwriter and pop powerhouse Leland joins My Roman Empire to reveal the pop culture moment that shaped him.From writing hits for artists including Troye Sivan, Selena Gomez and Kylie Minogue, to crafting iconic musical moments for RuPaul's Drag Race, Leland is the definition of modern queer pop.His personal Roman Empire takes us back to one unforgettable moment: seeing Britney Spears live on the Oops!… I Did It Again tour - the spark that turned a closeted teen with big dreams into one of pop’s most in-demand songwriters.Besides pop music, we talk about how we got to know each other at the Edinburgh Fringe, working together on Gwyneth Goes Skiing and The Fit Prince and... bowling, obviously.