In the absence of the normal weekend questions, which have not been posted as yet, I've dibbed into my box of Catherine Deveny's writing prompt cards for inspiration.
After shuffling round the cards, I selected this one:
What is your favourite weather? What is the weather like now?
The change has come at last, not that the hot spell was overly long or arduous. As hot spells go, it was fine. Not too humid, not too hot - but sunny enough to warm up the flat and have the heat get trapped in the walls. There's a stiffening breeze outside. I can only tell this because the toilet door is rattling. It's not too bad as the shaking door is not too loud for the moment.
But this is not my favourite weather.
I'm a cold person. I love winter. I love blustery overcast days, where the last of the leaves fall from the trees. Those days when you need to rug up, put on that scarf and shove your hands in your pockets to keep them warm. Those days where you can wear boots all day. When you deliberately wear layers to keep the weather out. Those days when the wind prickles at your cheeks. It's why I prefer the weather in England. Other than it's overcast most of the time, saving your skin from the regular UV battering, the natural progression from Autumn, with its occasional sunny day, into full wither, to the unrelenting cold and dark days appeals to me.
I also love the skies in winter, which vary from those bright, crisp days when the sun shines with no heat, to those cloudy days which yield amazing sunsets.
Oh, and I love wet winter nights, when you can snuggle up under the duvet and listen to the rain on the roof. Even better if it's a tin roof. It might be a childhood thing, but I find it comforting.
The Performance: My Brilliant Career (the Musical)
The Company: Melbourne Theatre Company
The Theatre: Southbank Theatre
Stars: 4.5
Until 21 December
I went into this performance with a sense of trepidation. Generally, I'm not a fan of musicals, nor do I love it when they wreck classics for the sake of art.
Thankfully, the MTC's reworking of Miles Franklin's beloved novel does not do this at all. They've done a cracking job of taking this wonderful Australian novel and turning into a high energy, feminist slanting musical with a great ensemble cast with tons of entertainment value.
Making things even more interesting, the fire alarm went off about ten minutes before the interval, the auditorium was evacuated, three fire trucks turned up - but we were let back in about half an hour later to finish the performance. I'm glad we got to see the end of this. This went above and beyond my expectations.
For those who don't know the story of My Brilliant Career, either read the book or get your hands on the wonderful 1979 film with a very young Judy Davis and Sam Neill. It's wonderful.
The plot hasn't changed at all. It's nearing the turn of the century and young Sybylla Melvyn (Kala Gare) wants nothing more than to live a life of culture and arts. Instead, she, with her family, are living a hand-to-mouth existence on a failing dairy farm. Her father is drinking, her mother eternally pregnant, and at 17, Sybylla is a drain on the family coffers. Sybylla doesn't want to marry, which was pretty much her only option at the time. However, a compromise is found, and she goes to live with her grandmother, a woman of means.
While there, she is courted by the dreadful Harry (Cameron Bajraktarevic-Hayward), before meeting the much more suitable Frank (Raj Labade) with whom she falls in love, not that she knows it. Harry loses his fortune and Sybylla is sent to work as a governess to pay off her father's debt to a neighbour. It is only later that Sybylla learns that her fortitude and kindness put her in good stead. She also works out that she must pursue her life as an artist.
What got me the most about this production is the high-energy performance that came from the mostly unknown cast. Making things even more amazing, everybody on stage plays an instrument. The cast are the band. The fiddle, cello, double bass, a couple of keyboards, a couple of guitars, a bloke on the drums and a percussionist. They not only play in the band but sing and act.
The story has been adapted to the stage by Sheridan Harbridge, who has starred in the MTC productions including Prima Facie and North by Northwest. She's done an amazing job. The music was composed by Matthew Frank and the lyrics developed by Dean Bryant, another MTC stalwart. Anne Louise Sarks direction is punchy, but allows for the reflective nature of the material, where women had next to no options, and life was hard for most.
Despite the evacuation, and having to take up the action just as a crucial ball scene was about to play out, and where the cast took up the action when we came back (and it felt they lost a bit of pace) the second act was back at the pace where we were before they turfed us out on the street for half an hour. Thankfully, they cut the interval to 10 minutes to get a bit of time back.
There was a long-standing ovation at the end of the night. The cast earned it.
This production reminded me a little of Come From Away. It's got that plucky, country enthusiasm about it that makes you think, but also makes you feel good.
This comes highly recommended. Tickets are a bit hard to find - indeed, they may extend this into the new year if you're lucky. If the sold-out auditorium on a Friday night this side of Christmas is anything to go by, beg, borrow, steal or buy your way to see this.
It's wonderful.
(And revisit the original 1979 movie and swoon over Sam Neill. You can rent it through the streaming services, of if SBS is feeling generous they might put it on rotation again.)
On the good side of things I met a lovely guide dog in training named Elwood. His handler asked if I wanted a pat (he was out of his harnesses and he asked me) Of course I wanted a pat. They're awesome.
I mean, how can a bloke, with a beard and tattoos in a pair of pyjama bottoms, having a stretch and drinking coffee have such and effect? Oh, he has some nice huskies.
And he never wears underwear. Pity. Not.
Seriously?
I mean what right to I have watching this self-styled "Lumbersnack"?
Like, I know it's all harmless, but how is a rather nicely built bloke, having a stretch and drinking coffee, oh, and there's the little bounce which comes in most of his videos - why or why is he sooooooooo watchable? Making it a better experience, if you follow him on Instagram, the comments section is gold.
He has an awesome collection of pyjama bottoms.
And an awesome collection of coffee mugs.
And a rather gorgeous deep breathy voice which hails from Minnesota (though I reckon he might be Canadian, because he's THAT nice.)
Oh my.
Be still my basically dead ovaries.
I'll go back to something productive now, maybe after another sneaky view.
Jezza: We have a Christmas Party on Friday night. My costume options have fallen through.
Pand: Oh, what happened.
Jezza: My 'Choose Life' t-shirt won't get to me on time.
Pand: But the 80's is easy to sort.
Jezza: That's why I'm calling you. Can you help me out?
Do I look like the sort of person who can whip an 80's costume out of my bum? Seems like I am.
Pand: Do you have some blue jeans? Maybe on the snug side?
Jezza: I'm perimenopausal - everything is a bit tight.
Pand: Do you have a denim jacket in the same material? If not, I can loan you mine.
Jezza: I think I do.
Pand: Do you have some white runners and some colourful long socks?
Jezza: Yes, I've got them.
Pand: Well. Accessorise that outfit. Find a colourful loose t-shirt, a scrunchie, some pearls and a black lace glove. You're done.
Jezza: Where am I going to get pearls and a glove at this late stage?
Pand: I can loan you some.
Yes. I am the person who has one lace glove, and a few strings of imitation pearls tucked away, out of sight, for such occasions.
I feel rather naff.
We arranged to meet between our places. I needed to get myself to the hairdresser in a Bayside suburb at 7 p.m. Jezza lives east. We met in the Red Rooster car park near the top of Warrigal Road. (Out of interest, had anybody ever seen anybody ever go into a Red Rooster restaurant?)
And I got to the hairdresser on time - with ten minutes to spare even.
I just find it strange that people would think I have this stuff lying around.
I cherish my time in Sydney. The feel of high thread-count sheets, of the luxury of a lay in, of time spent with friends you wouldn't normally see, of the sheer delight of reading in a long, warm bath, of drinking gin and tonics in bed. Thoroughly decadent, but very much needed every so often.
Last night, two of my world's collided. After spending some time with friends at drinks (because my late arrival, lunch was out of the question) I met up with my friend Kaz, who was over from Adelaide for the day doing a speaking engagement and then to catch a matinee. Her flight back to Adelaide wasn't until later, so we had time for lunch
Kaz doesn't know Sydney well at all. She was relishing some time on her own, away from her kids and her normal life.
We agreed to meet at my hotel at 6 p.m. By that time my friends will be on their way home and I'll have had a bit of time to relax. Kaz had to be back at the airport for a 9 p.m. flight, so we had time for a quick dinner.
Kaz is a wonderful friend. Her pool house is known as my place - I stay at her place when we have mason's business in Adelaide. Her family take me in as one of their own. It's very much appreciated. We dumped her cabin bag in my room. And it was there my feelings of world's colliding hit me
We met up at the designated time. As it was raining in Sydney, we found a cheap and cheerful Italian place about two-minutes' walk away from the hotel, where we put the world to rights.
There were some funny emotions as I put Kaz in a cab about an hour later.
"Why don't you take the train?" I asked.
"I don't know Sydney, and I don't know how," she answered.
"It's easy. And cheaper than a cab."
"I can write the trip off to the company."
"Fair enough."
It hit me how much our lives differ. Kaz is married with two lovely tween-age boys. She has a house with a pool and a one-eyed black cat who's adorable, and an editing business and so much more.
Me, I know my way around Central Sydney like the back of my hand. I'm not afraid to navigate different cities - I relish getting around different cities, finding their quirks and excrescences. I think nothing of taking myself off to a lovely hotel in another city every now and then and having a weekend for myself, normally taking in art, or theatre or music (once a cat sitter has been arranged)
And it struck me just how lucky I am to be able to do this.
1. Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
There has been a few books which have altered the course of my life. Louis de Bernières Captain Corelli’s Mandolin sent me off to Greece. Anthony Doerr’s All The Light We Cannot See sent me to St Malo last year..
But it’s Dr Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese that really changed my life. It’s a little book about change management. The big message in the book, for me, was ‘What would you do if you weren’t scared?’ I asked myself that at least once a day.
2. Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction?
Generally, I prefer fiction, however there is nothing better than a really well-crafted non-fiction book. I love the works of Bill Bryson., And there is a book called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall which I adore.
3. If you could be a character in any novel you’ve read who would you be?
I would really love to be part of Hogwarts one day, and I think I’d make a great Hermione Granger. Hermione is the bomb. We're a bit alike, down to the fuzzy hair.
If it were a grown-up book, I think I would like to be a character in Sarah Winman’s Still Life, mainly because I would love to be living in Florence. Also, the family environment at the pensione is wonderful.
4. His reading a book ever made you cry?
Yes.
5. Which one, and why?
Other than my year 11th physics textbook at school, which drove me to tears of bored and rage, Any book which has an animal which suffers in it or normally bring me to tears very quickly.
A lot of books about adversity and war will also make me cry.
6. How many books do you read a year?
This year, according to my goodreads.com challenge I am on target to read 60 books this year. I will normally read somewhere between 45 and 50 books. I will remind you that I always have an audiobook on as well as something on paper or my going at the same time.
7. Name a book you had to read but hated.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
8. Why did he hate it?
Okay, I’ll let you in on a secret. I hate Russian literature. Seriously, all they do is sit around doing nothing complaining for around 700 pages. While reading Anna Karenina I couldn’t wait for her to jump under the train. I just find it really annoying. I can cope with Chekhov, but that’s because he writes plays and they’re short.
9. If somebody wrote a book about your life, what would it be called?
She’s not the Messiah, She’s a Very Naughty Girl.
10. Have you ever written (Or started to write) a book?
Yes. I have two novels of which I have about 60 to 80,000 words written and I’m just starting on a new non-Fiction adventure. I’ve got about 5000 words written of that. I will finish one of them in the near future.
11. If you could pick a book you’ve read to make into a movie, what would it be?
I am a big fan of Sarah Winman. I love her book Still Life I can see that being a wonderful movie. Even though Benedict Cumberbatch is a little bit old to play Ulysses now.
12. What was your favourite book as a child?
I remember spending hours pouring over my grandmother’s encyclopaedias. Does not feel the same as the pages of a good encyclopaedia , even if the information dates.
I also remember loving Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and The Magic Pudding. They are very Australian books. Enid Blyton was great too.
13. What are you reading right now?
At the moment on audiobook, I am listening to Bill Bryson’s The Body – A Guide for Occupants. It’s both informative and entertaining.
On paper, I am reading Benjamin Stevenson’s Everybody on this Train is a Suspect. I’m reading it for book group, and it’s not really my genre and I don’t like the writing style, but I only have 30 pages to go and that’s done for the month. Looking forward to reading something a little bit more substantial.
