Sunday Stealing: August

 Currently in Sydney after seeing a play last night, and off to an exhibition at the Sydney Art Gallery, before heading home. It's been a nice weekend, but I'll be quick with the questions as I have an hour and a half until check out and I want to make the most of this hotel room. 

Questions, as always, come from Bev at Sunday Stealing. 

1. How would your pet describe you

Lucifer would probably ask why does this person always pick me up and cuddle me and kiss me and make me feel uncomfortable. But she's reliable with food. 

 I saw something that said that cats are like 10% angels, 20 % demons, 10% fuck up factories and 50% David from Schitts Creek. My cat is very judgy. But I still love him. 

2.. Tell us a story...

There once was a girl who didn't like eating fruit unless it was cut up for her. Then she discovered the knife...

3.. What do you pack in your beach / hiking bag

As little as possible. Beach towel, sunscreen, book, bottle of water, sunglasses. That will do. 

4.. How do you like to spend great weather weekends

Outside is always good. Nice weather means either getting out in the country or sitting in a beer garden with friends. But it's winter here so sunny days where it's not too cold are rare. 

5.. Describe a time when the circumstances fell in your favor

Yesterday everything ran to plan - which was good. The plane was on time, no cancellations, the airport train was running through the loop in central Sydney - that rarely happens here on weekends, and there was a room waiting for me on check in. Small things, but they mean a lot to the enjoyment of the weekend away. 

6.. Which summer sounds do you enjoy

Summer (at the end of the year) is always about Australian Rock when it comes to music, and the ring of the bell birds by the river. 

If you want to summon summer for me, play me this song. It conjures all sorts of memories. 

7.. It’s not really summer until ...

It's about mid-January. December can be a bit hit or miss, but by mid-January, the heat and the long days are very much there to stay until about mid-March. And yes, I am in Australia where everything is upside down. 

8.. What music are you listening to these days

Whatever the phone decides to play. 

However, my road trip in the Northern Territory reacquainted me with Simon and Garfunkel. They don't write songs like that anymore. 

9.. How much has changed since last summer

Not much. Summer was only a few months ago. Melbourne didn't have an overly hot summer, thank goodness. 

10. What are your favorite things to wear in summer

What I call my Darwin wardrobe. Birkenstocks, light dresses, flowing cotton pants and tops. Clothes that keep you cool. As I'm in tropical Darwin once a month, I get to wear this year-round. I quite like it. 

11. What do you miss about winter

Nothing. We're in the middle of winter at the moment, because I'm in Australia and winter is my favourite season. 

12. How would you spend summer vacation as an adult

Umm, I am an adult. As I'm Australian I normally get two weeks off in Summer - and normally I relax - sometimes go interstate to see my parents. 

13. Describe your ideal get together/party

Something with some good friends - not too many of them, where there is good food and wine and music and conversation. I'm pretty easy to please. 

14. What makes you feel like part of your community

It may sound silly, but just having people who say hello to you in the street is great when you live in a big city - or when you have people who you run into for a quick chat. I've lived in my suburb for around 20 years - it's amazing who you run into. That and you know where to get all of the best things around you. Like knowing what Vietnamese restaurant to go 

15. How was your July 2024?

Busy. I was away for about half of it up in Darwin. I got to see Mataranka and Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) - two of Australia's natural wonders. I feel blessed.

Today's song: 

 

Theatre Review: Dracula

 The Production: Dracula

The Company: Sydney Theatre Company

The Theatre: Ros Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay, Sydney

Stars: 4.5

Until 4 August (Yes, tomorrow)

Mix together a classic novel, one of Australia's most talented actors and a heap of very cool elements of stage craft and camera work and you get the Sydney Theatre Company's Dracula. 

Wow.

Zahra Newman is incredible in everything I've seen her in, from The Book of Mormon, to last years Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill with the Melbourne Theatre Company. 

But she really owns Dracula, where she plays a cast of many, from Jonathan Harker, the storyteller who bring Dracula to life, the Lucy Westernra, to Mina Murray, Jonathan's fiance, to the vampire hunter Van Helsing, to Dracula and the demons he creates. Oh, and don't forget Renfield. Love Renfield. 

Directed by Kip Williams, who as directed A Picture of Dorian Gray last year, playing to full houses and an extended season last year, this is just as good. 

As with Dorian Gray, Dracula takes one actress and uses her to the best avail. With the influx of camera operators, properties runners and a wardrobe assistant or two, Newman flows from character to character re-telling this classic tale. The actress and the tech crew work seamlessly together. It's incredible. 

Kip Williams direction is brilliant, bringing light, shade and humour to what could be a bleak take.

This has been one of my favourite productions of this year. If it wasn't closing tomorrow (to a sold-out crowd) and it was in Melbourne, I'd be back). With any luck they will bring this down to Melbourne. This is theatre at its best. 

One thing I will say - if it does come to Melbourne, before you see this, read the book. It's not that long, but it will put you in really good stead to see this and bring extra layers to what is already a superlative production. 

This is Zahra Newman's show. 

I'm so glad I got to see this. 

Today's song:

Theatre Review: A Streetcar Named Desire

 The Production: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

The Company: Melbourne Theatre Company

The Theatre: The Playhouse at The Arts Centre

Stars: 3

Until: 17 August

If you get a full subscription to the Melbourne Theatre Company you know that the season will track like this:

• One play that will stay with you forever (37 and Julia)
• Three plays which you really like and rave about (Seventeen and the Almighty Sometimes)
• Four play which you'll find redeeming features with and will leave you scratching your head
• One which you'll stay for, but only to find out what happens. 
• And one which you'll walk out at interval.

We walked out of A Streetcar Named Desire, at interval, after an hour and forty-five minutes of the first act, so we did get our money's worth.

And it's not the acting. Nikki Shiels is a very, very good Blanche DuBois, an aging Southern Belle down her luck. The rest of the cast are good. 

I loved the set, which was set on a turntable, showing different parts of Stanley and Stella's shabby flat. 

But the play is boring. Blanche is annoying. The attitudes to domestic violence have changed so that seeing Stanley go ape a Stella early in the first act is no long acceptable. 

If I'm really honest, I spent the first half checking my watch wandering when I could get out.

Jay made comment that she really doesn't like these mid-20th century "big plays" and made the remark that everybody in these plays are drunk. After seeing the superlative Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf a few weeks ago, I know what can be done with these plays to make them excellent.

This production missed the mark for me. I did not care one iota about what was happening to the characters. I didn't need to go back in for the last hour of the play, which is a pity. If there was a bit more narrative drive to the play, I might have enjoyed it more. 

As I said, we got our money's worth with the hour and forty-five minutes first act. 

It wasn't my cup of tea. 

Next.

Today's song: 

The Namesake

I met my namesake tonight.

Meet Panda.

Panda is about nine months old. My friend Alice took him in as a foster. He may end up being a foster fail. Alice and her son, Mungo are rather enamoured with the beastie. 

Panda is the soggiest bit of cat fluff that I have met in a longtime. He reminds me a bit of Maow Maow. 

All Panda is interested in doing is eating, sleeping, and cuddling. That is when he is not scratching up the couch.

When Alice received Panda, she was told that he was feral and not litter trained. It turns out he was a litter trained. And if this cat was feral, I vote for the Liberal National Party and think Peter Dutton has a lot of good ideas.

Panda likes to sit on your lap, cuddle your wrist, and purr. 

Panda loves people. He sat on me for about an hour and a half as I had a cuppa tea with Alice and caught up on things.

However, I am slightly allergic to Panda, I was sneezing a lot as he slept on my shelf.

I pried myself away from this amazing little beast, came home and took an antihistamine. I also came home to a rather unamused Lucifer, who is sniffing me all over, knowing that I have betrayed him.

Panda is up for adoption; however, I secretly think that Alice is hoping that a foster fail might happen…

Kittens really do make the world a better place.

Today's song:

Jammy Dodger

 I don't want to write about grief, or the passing of my friend Andy, or the discombobulation I've been feeling for the last few days. I'm grateful for the friends who've reached out. I feel fortunate to work for a company where the people are very decent and caring. I'm also feeling like his passing, at 55, is a bit of a kick up the arse to make some changes. Life is a very precious thing. Death brings out all of the cliches and platitudes. 

And while he's never far from my thoughts, and I can hear his voice in my ear now and they, and I ponder where his epic gin collection might go once the family start clearing out his Darwin pad (too soon?) I'm not going to dwell on this. I'm back on more of an even keel now. I'm being productive. Today, I went into the office. 

We have a co-working space in town. There are good things and not so good things about the space. 

The good thing is the location - not far from the top of Collins Street. 

The not so good things about the office include: 

• Dodgy fluorescent lighting
• Bad chairs
• Not that many independent screens
• And dreadful internet. Like almost non-functioning internet

I had lunch with a friend today, in town, so I had to go in. 

But, I used my not-so-well-known charm to sort the internet thing. 

Thankfully, the guy who looked after the other co-working space at the other end of town was there. He's lovely. He is also responsive. 

I turned it on. Told him of the internet woes - which were there. Asked nicely if there were options, like using the Members only internet rather than the Guest server we'd been attaching. 

He handed over the pass key. 

For the first time working at this place, my internet didn't crap out. At all. All day. 

I'm a bit of a jammy dodger for sucking up to the concierge - but it got a result. 

Today's song: 

The Rage

I lost a friend over the weekend. 

Lots of us lost a friend over the weekend. 

I can't say any more as the family haven't announced their passing, and it is out of respect that I am not mentioning their name or giving them a gender, for the moment. I will not mention the place in which I know this person. For the moment, anonymity is key, out of respect for all concerned. 

Nobody knows quite what happened, other than it was very unexpected and sudden. And they were too young.  

But let's say that I'm raging against the universe because it's so unfucking fair that they are gone. 

I owe this person a lot. 

They were universally liked, loved and respected. 

They were fun to have around. 

And for the moment all I can do is remember them in song, as it is with song that we came together. 

I mean, this person was Louis Burdett - if you're into The Whitlams. I mean, the lyric, "Well all my friends are fuck ups, but they're fun to have around..." Written for my friend... then again, it was probably written for me too. 

I remember their epic play lists. I remember sitting in the passenger seat of their car listening to Talking Heads, singing along to This Must Be the Place. How many friends do you have with whom you can sing along to Talking Heads songs? We had a love for Talking Heads. Of course, we were friends. 

They introduced me to so many bands. They were more musically literate than me in many ways. This song was another song from one of their epic play lists. 

Just for now, however, I will continue to cycle through the stages of grief. 

I am angry. How fucking dare they die on me!

I am in denial. We were out at dinner the other week, for fuck's sake. 

I am bargaining: What could have I done to stop this, not that we know what happened at the moment, other than they are dead. 

There's the depression. It feels like I've been kicked in the chest by a horse.

And there is a part of me which accepts that they are gone - but that only comes in waves. 

They quite liked this song too. 

For the moment, I'm coming to terms with this loss, knowing that they are wherever they be now, drink in hand, dancing like an Energiser Bunny at that big gig in the universe, hopefully laughing at us who are left behind for being idiots and being all upset.  

I hope they realise the hole they are leaving in all of our lives. There are many of us feeling some version of this at the moment. 

And I know I will be listening to music in the future and off to the side, I will catch a glimpse of my friend, smile on their face, dancing along to the beat, at one with the universe.

But for the moment, I will rage at the total injustice of their passing. 

Today's song:

Theatre Review: King Lear

The Play: King Lear

The Company: Bell Shakespeare Company

The Theatre: The Fairfax Theatre at the Arts Centre

Stars: 3.75

Until: 11 August

My Shakespearean weekend continued with the Bell Shakespeare's production of King Lear, which I was looking forward to, as strangely, King Lear is my favourite of the Bard's tragedies. 

As tickets are as hard to find as rocking horse poo, I was pleased to score a single on the Sunday matinee. I've been watching Robert Menzies on stage for years and was looking forward to seeing him in the lead role. It was one of the drawcards. I also love most of what Bell Shakespeare put on the stage. I was hoping this would be a cracker. 

What was unforeseen was on arriving at the theatre we were told that Menzies had pulled out of the performance due to illness, so we were going to see the understudies. Although disappointing, I was still getting my Shakespeare fix, but it was going to be interesting how this would play out. The role of Lear was taken over by James Lugton (who normally plays Gloucester), who had his role taken over by Michael Wahl (who normally plays Cornwall), who's role was taken over by the understudy. 

And if I'm honest, it worked pretty well. The first act felt a bit slow, but the second act was great. 

As this has to be about the tenth performance of Lear that I've seen over the years, there was a lot to appreciate. 

The cut down set - really, just and empty stage, a couple of metal panels which produced the noise of the storms, and a couple of rough stools. Circular discs attached to the ceiling added to the light effects. 

As Lears go, this was a solid effort. Was it the best I've seen? No - I have to give that to Sir Ian McKellen a few years ago. But it was solid.

There was a lot to like. Kent and Edgar were played by women (Janine Watson and Alex King) and both were fabulous. The woman sitting next to me did not share my opinions, but that was her prerogative. I muttered something about "Okay, boomer" under my breath and got on with it. Why should it bloody matter if Kent and Edgar were being played by a she/her pronouned women. Does it bloody matter? I loved the performances. They were playing a character, not a gender. The woman next to me didn't seem to get this, but that's her problem. 

Cordelia and the Fool were played by the same actress to great effect. Something I love about Bell Shakespeare is that the use actors of every colour, creed and size. It's an egalitarian stage, something they've always striven for.

Anna Tregloan's staging and costumes were pared right back, which gave the words space to speak, just as Peter Evans' direction was sure and not fussy. Gone are the days of an actor overblowing their soliloquys. Instead, the text does the talking, complete with gentle Australian accents and no fluff. It's good to see. 

James Lugton's Lear was a recognisable one - a man coming to terms with his decisions and mortality. Yes, I would have loved to see Robert Menzies in the role. It wasn't going to happy. 

This is a more than competent King Lear. As I get older, I get more out of it. It's interesting to go into this knowing you have aging parents. Pondering what you would do in similar circumstances does not bear thinking about. For this is a play which is ostensibly about aging and the ravages of time. 400 years on it still has some salient messages. 

Today's song: