One More Thing Before You Go
One More Thing Before You Go
Michael R Herst
How Many Creative Lives Can One Person Live? From Comedy to Opera to Fantasy
1 hour 4 minutes Posted Jun 24, 2026 at 10:00 am.
The Reinvention of a Comedy Legend
Transitioning to Narrative Writing
Transitioning from British to American Television
The Evolution of a Creative Career
The Challenges of Collaboration in the Film Industry
The Journey Into Fantasy: Inspirations and Reflections
The Evolution of Storytelling
The Nature of Inspiration
The Journey of Inspiration
Navigating Emotional Vampires
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Show notes

What happens when a lifelong storyteller refuses to stay in one lane?

In this episode, Michael sits down with Richard Sparks — acclaimed British comedy writer, opera collaborator, and fantasy novelist — to explore a career defined by reinvention, imagination, and the courage to follow creativity wherever it leads.

Richard has written for some of the most iconic comedy voices in the UK, crafted librettos for opera, and now builds entire worlds through fantasy fiction. His journey is a masterclass in artistic evolution, resilience, and the joy of creating without boundaries.

Together, they explore:

The early days of British comedy

How opera shaped his storytelling

Why he shifted into fantasy writing

What it means to reinvent yourself creatively

The craft behind humor, world‑building, and character

The lessons learned from a lifetime in the arts

This is a warm, witty, and deeply inspiring conversation with a man who has lived multiple creative lives — and is still writing new chapters.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

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