Sometimes a play sticks to your ribs and makes it hard to breathe, or hard to move. Read more

I am, like everyone, a little too busy. Somewhat self-imposed. And somewhat ridiculous. Read more

A late night message from a writerly type questioned my recent aloofness of late – though I have managed to keep up with boring my friends on Facebook with my music taste and announcing the writers on my next project via Twitter – I have been a little aloof (I refer to it as “feeling small”) in foyers and online. Read more

The 2012 Reginald Season at The Seymour Centre is one of the most exciting seasons of Independent (ie artist-lead) Seasons of performance in Sydney. Tim Jones, one of the most energetic, open, friendly and all-round good-guys of the Sydney Theatre scene has launched an ecclectic and surprising mix of shows – something for everyone and a something for anyone. Read more

Yesterday I made a decision.

A big decision.

My life, my lifestyle, my body of work, my mindset, my future direction will be changed utterly with this one decision. Read more

There are few things I enjoy more than rainy days indoors, having my mind opened by impressive and astounding minds on grand and hopeful things.

A hurried and crooked park in my ancient car in a nearby parking station… hurried rush into a theatre/church on Kent Street: The Genesian Theatre. Returning to their roots Kevin Jackson and Ken Healy to provide insight and context to an upcoming project: Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan. Read more

This is a small note in tribute to a friend and colleague who passed away this week – dramaturg, producer, writer Erin Thomas. Read more

Staying true to the original reason for this blog (which was to create a holding pen for the zoo which is my theatre practice and thinking) I thought I would compile a triptych of posts that have featured on other sites – as a means of endorsement.
1. ATYP’s Fresh Ink Blog is essential reading for the emerging writer – full of tips and the who’s who of contemporary local playwriting. I really can’t speak highly enough of the team there and what they are doing to support and nurture artists. I chose a song by Tim Minchin (playwright and composer and all round ex-pat comedy hero.)
2. Griffin Theatre Company’s Artist Blog, wrangled by my friend and colleague Olivia Satchell – a visual and theatre community scrapbook to inspire or to stimulate conversation. Sometimes a playwright is at the helm guest bloggin it. My aim for this one was to include the names as many local and Australian artists as possible.
3. Chester Productions’ Blog for Melita Rowston’s play Crushed, appearing as a part of The Spare Room at New Theatre. Asked to write on the tag line “Bitter Sweet Sixteen.” I wrote about growing up in my home town. Read more

Entertainment comes in all forms.

Opera
Australia’s Funniest Home Videos
magicians
Your cousin singing a song at the family piano
Two dogs at a park
Cinema
petting zoos
Gossip magazines
local school fetes
Experimental music, art, performance
Folk music festivals
dinner conversation
Firework spectaculars
YouTube
Rambunctious Sunday afternoons
A clown playing the banjo in the Devonshire Street tunnel
Facebook
Twitter interactions (especially between people who might be in love with each other)
generalised people-watching
and of course…
Musicals Read more

We are, whether we like it or not, storytellers. We tell stories through out the day to each other and ourselves – to explain or reveal or uncover truth or reassure, find consolation or direction. We run narratives of our lives and our identities: who we are, where we are from. It’s not new. It’s not even special. It’s not remarkable that we are story tellers. Often we are story thieves – retelling someone else’s anecdote or chasing around the story in the recesses of memory – and in those moments transmogrification may, and does occur. We tell other people’s jokes, we pass on rumour and gossip.

Simon Stone is right. Read more