Wintery Films, Cooking Projects and Tickets To Buy
Also, oops about the three month hiatus...
Hello, it’s great to
see you again!
Editor – Phoebe Tully
—
Ahem, well… hi!
I didn’t actually mean to take a three month hiatus, but well, 2023 has been a bit of a curly one so far. But I am back, with a gazillion new recommendations and esoteric thoughts to share. If you are one of the many people who subscribed while I was “away”, then welcome! And if you’re an OG, then hello, I’ve missed you, sorry about that.
I said in my last newsletter that I wanted to make sure my 2023 was full of interesting things – not just Zoom meetings and appointments – and I’ve done pretty well on ensuring my year has included theatre shows, writers festivals and catch up with friends.
I also shared my adoration for Bernadette Robinson’s “Songs for Nobodies”, a one-woman show I saw her in about 12 years ago in Sydney. It was a moment in time, and I thought I’d never see it again. Well, I’m actually going to re-share what I wrote because – like The Small Things – SHE’S BACK!
Solo acts.
Earlier this year, I saw Bloom Girl ($$), written and performed by Charli Burrowes, and directed by Elise Lamb. The show started in Brisbane, but will be touring Sydney, London and Edinburgh. The show was a striking reminder of the absolute vulnerability of a one-person show – nowhere to hide, no way to camouflage the paper-thin separation of character, writer and actor.
This 2008 article by Molly Flatt was lamenting the lack of one-woman shows, and I think, maybe, her wish has come true. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag was famously a one-woman show at Edinburgh Fridge before the cultural phenomenon it became.
One of the best shows of any kind that I have ever seen was Songs for Nobodies, written for Bernadette Robinson by Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by Simon Phillips. The musical show focuses on five of Robinson's singing idols – Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas – with Robinson playing 10 different women within the 90-minute performance. I saw it in 2010, now over a decade ago, and still think about it to this day.
Well, update: Bernadette Robinson is back! The new show is called “Divas” and is a journey through the repertoire of ten women – from Bassey to Streisand, Winehouse to Parton, Garland and Piaf. Again directed by Simon Phillips, it will open in Brisbane before moving to Sydney and Melbourne.
Basically, my point here is that this is a really intriguing genre – it’s risky while also being low-key and often at an accessible price point. Let’s all book more tickets to one-person shows this year.
DO | have all your knives sharpened properly – or spend a cold morning on YouTube learning how to do it yourself.
MAKE | jars of marinated olives to give away or snack on over the next couple of weeks.
READ | the entire Harry Potter series, again, in your pyjamas.
WATCH | Babette’s Feast (1987)
LISTEN | Moulin Rouge! The Musical