S3E15: Story Weaving: Why There Are No Shortcuts to Insight w. Olly Hawes

A delicious appentiser not to be missed!  This episode of Danger Mouth centres on a conversation with Olly Hawes, a portfolio artist, actor and writer whose work probes the limits of human connection and the points where society strains. It moves easily between the physical and the reflective, from Ollie’s account of being accidentally stabbed on stage during a production of Julius Caesar to a broader examination of craft, activism and the place of AI in artistic practice. At the core is a simple rule he lives by and teaches his children: look after yourself and look after other people. From that starting point the discussion opens out. Ollie describes the turning point that followed a near fatal incident in Edinburgh, an event that reshaped his life, led to marriage and fixed his commitment to storytelling. The group explores his instinct for working across opposites, arguing that tension rather than coherence often produces the most interesting art and the most effective solutions in business. They also examine the encroachment of AI into creative work. Ollie reflects on using a large language model to help secure Arts Council funding, while questioning what may be lost if technology begins to erode the presence and immediacy that give live performance its force. Running through it all is the practical reality of making a life in the arts. Money is uncertain, purpose is not. Ollie speaks plainly about the pressure to remain creatively alive, not just for himself but for the people who come after. It is a conversation that holds together injury and humour, principle and improvisation. At its centre is a working artist who has come close to the edge and decided to keep going, with intent.