Showing posts with label Australian theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australian theatre. Show all posts

Friday, May 24, 2013

An Evening With Julie Andrews*

*highly original heading, right? 

You know when you get that itch to get out of town? Be it for a vacay or a Sunday drive through the mountains - it just has to be scratched! 
Since Sam & I began dating, we usually spend a few weeks each year travelling; exploring a new city or relaxing on a sunny beach or catching up with far flung friends. Whatever it is, it scratches that itch pretty damn good - enough to leave us feeling inspired, motivated & fulfilled for the other 350 days of the year. 
Unfortunately, last year was a crazily expensive time (car troubles plus animal illness plus every white good & appliance dying = not much left in the kitty!) so we abandoned all plans for a visit to Sydneytown, & ever since, I have had an insatiable itch. The kind I was convinced could only be satisfied with a romantic Parisian holiday or an adventure in Japan. 
Turns out all I we needed was a night away in a tiny apartment overlooking the Brisbane River...& meeting Julie Andrews, well that's the cherry on top!


It all began a couple of months ago, when Sam discovered her most beloved childhood actress was traveling to our shores & for one night would be in a Brisbane theatre to share her life story with thousands of her adoring fans. She hinted at the wonder of this occasion & for once, I clued on without any further prompting.
Phone calls were made, credit cards charged & plan put into action. I kept my lips sealed (believe me, this is difficult with such an exciting event!) knowing that I had succeeded in what may be the greatest birthday gift ever*! 
I had almost forgotten about it all, when I received the call from an insanely excited wife that an unexpected package had landed on our door step - of course, addressed to her. The cat was out of the bag! We excitedly booked our apartment, made plans for a furbaby-sitter & daydreamed of our weekend away. 
Before we knew it, the day was upon us - we packed an overnight case, jumped in the car & sang our way down the mountainside to the bright & bustling city.  

The next 24 hours were a whirlwind of activities - moments of relaxation mixed with an intense intake of atmosphere & culture of the beautiful city. We took a late afternoon walk through Queen Street, marvelled at the vast view from our apartment, enjoyed breakfast in bed as the sun rose then a brunch of Max Brenner before walking along the winding river back to our diggs. Oh, & you know, revelled in An Evening With Julie Andrews!
  
*I am not sure how to top this one...& I fear it's a steady downward spiral from here!

Last, but certainly not least... Whilst I was sitting in the 'nose-bleeds', Sam was spoilt* to VIP seats, delicious treats, & a one-on-one meeting with the divine Julie Andrews...
*Big thanks to our family who made this very special Birthday treat possible!! You are incredible! xx

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

The Week That Was...19//5//13

1. Communal dining at Artisan
2. like a child...
3. the days are getting chillier, so we treated ourselves to beautiful new bed linen with the hope that it would make those cold wintery mornings a little more...well, beautiful
4. bright blue skies & fresh country air
5. roadtrippin' & singin' loud to Spice Girl's (don't judge us...you do it too!)
6. plenty of kitten cuddles at the RSPCA - unfortunately this is also how our Appa has caught the flu
7. morning light on crisp linen sheets during our luxurious weekend away
8. I treated Sam to a pampering afternoon at the salon - massage, wash, cut & blowout (because she couldn't possibly meet Julie Andrews with split ends!)
9. this is what my evenings look like at the moment - Sam asleep next to me, as I catch up on reading your lovely blogs! I'm sorry I've been so absent lately - seriously, life is busy right now & I'm missing you all so much!
PS. if anyone has a few extra hours to spare I'd be happy to take them of your hands!


*Linking in with Em for Stills: A Weekly Collection

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Star Struck

Today involved gushing like a girl in love and employing every good brain cell to refrain from asking for autographs*.

Today, I met Carol Burns.
You may be asking "who?" or (hopefully) feeling envious of me!
If you're an Aussie and watched T.V in the 70's/80's (or like myself, watch it on cable now) you may know of the great Aussie soap opera Prisoner (also known as :Cell Block H in the UK and USA, and Caged Women in Canada), if not, Google it , watch it on You Tube, or better even GO OUT AND RENT IT NOW! It is iconic! Many of Australia's most well known female actors (and a few males) have walked the corridors of Wentworth Prison; Maggie Kirkpatrick (currently performing throughout Oz in Wicked), Judith McGrath (also well known as Von in All Saints), and Colette Man (currently on Neighbours as Sheila Canning) to name just a few.**

So, back to Carol Burns. She is a founding member of the Queensland Theatre Company, played the iconic 'lesbian enforcer' Frankie Doyle in Prisoner, which won her a Logie for Best Lead Actress in a Series, has performed both on stage and in front of the camera in numerous award winning productions, has received several acting nominations and awards, and is currently here, on the Mountain, directing The Female of the Species (written by Joanna Murray-Smith) at the Empire Theatre. Now, in her 60's, she is still performing, regularly with the Queensland Theatre Company, directing, presents acting workshops, throughout Australia, and internationally. 
She is truly inspiring, and one of the most generous performers I have had the pleasure of meeting. 

Today, my day was made!

* Autographs might have pushed us into 'scary groupie' status, but we couldn't pass up a photo op! ;) 
** The series employed over 200 (207, to be exact) actors over its 8 seasons! Oh, to be an aspiring actress back then!

1. via 
2. via   

I have another couple of 'star struck' posts in the works; including, sitting within spitting distance of Geoffrey Rush, and the incredibly queer performance artist 'Stelarc', so check back soon!