Lori's Blog
// November 2009 // Dezember 2009 // Februar 2010 //
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März 2010 // April 2010 //
April 2010
Home from our road trip in hot Adelaide. Have unpacked in record time - suitcase only on floor for 5 days –believe that’s a record. Adelaide is a very nice flat city laid out in a square, so pretty easy to get around. They have lots of beautiful stone block buildings that are either cream or a light red dappled colour that looks rich and capable of withstanding any natural calamity. We all commented on how beautiful this stone was. Then I went to the charming Migration Museum where I read about the Aboriginal people called the Kaurna (pronounced Garna). The Red Kangaroo is one of their dreamtime animals and whose body was represented by a large rock in the Adelaide city area. I think you can see where I’m going. Not only was the indigenous population moved on and land taken (Was perceived deserted since no visible settlement.) but they carved up their most precious spiritual symbol into the much admired Government House and plenty of other grand edifices.
In that same museum there was a clock that had belonged to a new Muslim migrant. It had 5 alarm settings for the 5 times of prayer. I thought that was one of the cleverest things I’ve ever seen. I suppose though with so many Muslims in the world it’s silly to think someone hadn’t invented a clock like that.
I also went on one of the free guided walks at the Botanic Garden, which was founded in 1855. It’s a result of those heady days where explorers went off into the wilds of Borneo or the foothills of the Himalayas in search of exotic flowers and plants. They have this old glass house with a huge pond that houses their Giant lily collection - those Giant lilies that a child can sit on and they won’t sink. Apparently there was a big race to have the first flowering Giant lily in Australia. Sadly Sydney won. It’s a fascinating place and it’s even got an Economic Garden – a one-room museum with seeds and fruit and vegetables gathered from around the world, all laid out in these old, beautiful wooden cases under glass. Very Jules Vern.
Took a tour at the Haigh Chocolate factory and that was kind of interesting. We stood behind glass and glimpsed the inner workings of the chocolate factory. The Willy Wonka factor was missing. Would have loved to have been right in there but I know that’s not very practical. They are one of the few chocolate factories remaining that still get the cacao bean whole and roast it themselves. I also love the fact that they initially didn’t make any chocolate. They used to buy all their chocolate until one of the Haigh sons decided to find out how to make chocolate himself. That was about 50 years ago. He sent out 10 letters to the finest chocolate factories in Switzerland and got one response back–Lindt. Not bad! He clearly made a good impression and stayed with the family for almost 2 years learning the chocolate making business from the ground up. They even went with him to ensure he bought the right machines for his Adelaide family venture. Some of those machines are still being used today. Now his 2 sons run the chocolate factory. On the plus side they had a great gift shop and gave out lots of samples.
Had a lovely treat when Wayne Zsipouras, the gentle giant from Australia who has attended many a’ RingCon, came all the way from Sydney to see Austen Found: The Undiscovered Musicals of Jane Austen. We had a few beers after the show and then went to a spectacular fireworks show. We met in the morning and had breakfast and he jetsetted back home. That was so sweet of him and it was lovely to catch up.
While in Adelaide I also went to the museum, the art gallery, several art exhibitions and 10 shows. Tops would have been Austin’s Women and Scaramouche Jones. We even took the tram out of Adelaide one day and went to the beach. Twenty minutes in a straight line. Was glorious and the water was fabulous. Oh, almost forgot, we also saw the 2 Pandas that have been sent to Adelaide from China. In the next 18 months they will try to breed them. Adorable.
März 2010
Another Adelaide update. We're sitting on 86% tickets sales, which is phenominal for such a huge festival with over 700 shows. Air conditioned theatre helps and the fact that women, of a certain age, seem crazy for Jane Austen! People here love to take a flyer from you and always say "Thank you". It's amazing how they seem to have embraced their title of "SA, The Festival State" that is proudly displayed on all their license plates.
Have been cyclying all about Adelaide and been to the Art Gallery, Museum, Botanic Garden, three gallery presentations and seven shows. Have yet to see the Panda's at the zoo, a tour of the Chocolate factory and the R.M. Williams Outback Heritage Museum. I think this will certify a thorough Adelaide experience. The Botanic Garden was fantastic and had a free guided walk. The garden was designed and created around 1840 by one of those scientists who went around the world looking for the most exotic plants, fruits and trees.
At the Gardens they had these crazy brown ducks that had a lovely downy brown mane and didn't quack. They sort of went "yeahhhhh." They nest in holes in trees and a few days after their ducklings hatch, they push them out of the tree, they flutter to the ground and off they all waddle to the water. The guide said every year they get several hysterical calls from people saying, "Someone has put a duck's nest up into a tree! You've got to help it!" They also have a beautiful old lilly house. It's got those huge lillies that little kids can sit on.
Last show tonight before we get two days off. On Monday we're playing Theatresports so it's not really a full day off. On Tuesday we're renting a car and going out of town to the beach, a German town and some vineyards. Can't wait.
We only got a three out of five star rating from the reviewer of our show. He was a man and I don't think it was his cup of Dilmah tea. He said it was semi-scripted, even though we say three times on our flyer it's improvised. For every show we get a title from the audience and off we go. That's it. On the night he came you'd have to be a moron not to know it wasn't scripted. We created a few two many sets of sisters and got a bit confused as to who was whome. Hilarity ensued but it was sooo clearly improvised, you couldn't have scripted that one! Penny, our producer, contacted the paper and clarified.
And blow me down if the very next day we appeared in the Top 5 pick, which is a full page spread and indicates it's the best of the 5 star shows. (according to them) They choose one dance, one comedy, one play etc.. So it's a big deal. It appeared in their Friday paper, which is a fantastic lead-in the weekend bookings. They made much of the improv nature so clearly they have different reviewers.
The show that is on after us is called "Coffee and Biscuits" and true to it's title has lots of coffee beans in it - all over the stage, backstage... We have to sweep two or three times to get all the little bits of coffee swept up. The smell is great however and if I can't get my pre-show coffee I just stand there for a minute or two and breath in, deeply.
Februar 2010
Despite the inclement weather, our travel chests shall be packed and loaded onto our barouche for the impeding, perilous journey to Bath.
Alternately, we’ll be squishing into Penny’s car for a 4-hour drive to Whakatane for the premiere of ConArtists’ first all female cast in ‘Austen Found: The undiscovered Musicals of Jane Austen’. This is an entirely improvised musical in the style of Jane Austen and, hopefully, true to the Regency Period. It’s also the beginning of a thrilling road trip.
After Whakatane, it’s off to the Hamilton Garden Festival (Feb 21 & 22) to perform in a beautiful conservatory that is ludicrously perfect for our Regency romp. You could just imagine Jane Austen fingering the pianoforte or eating a strawberry off the vine. We are going to look as cute as a half crown in our floral regency gowns and bonnets. We even made the bonnets ourselves with the help of a U-Tube instructional. U-Tube has everything! I burned my fingers on the glue gun more times then you could say “I will not raise any outcry; I will keep my ill humor to myself.” (Emma)
Then we’re leaving on a jet plane for the Adelaide Fringe Festival for 3 weeks. I hope the glue doesn’t melt in the Adelaide heat or we’re all in big trouble. This will be an exercise in patience as our four women and one man cast live in a 2-bedroom motel. Robbie, our token male, is a brilliant muso who improvises like a dream. Then there’s Stayci, Lucy and Penny. Penny has been the stalwart, doing all the hard work and putting all the pieces together. She’s been a solo performer for years so I think she’s delirious with joy that she’s finally got mates to play and perform with. It’s tough being the only one handing out your flyers.
I snore a little so that will be a challenge for her as well. We’re bunking together. Our ticket sales are at 36% so we’re pretty pleased by that. There’s a Jane Austen Club in Adelaide who have got their tickets and dance cards ready. Bless.
We’ve been enormously girly swat about this production. We rehearse conscientiously, trotting out all the various characters that Jane Austen has created. We’ve worked on the language of the time, our knowledge of history and manners and the various modes of transport, dress and what they ate. I’d love to sample some Jugged Hare, Beetroot Pancakes and Stuffed Boars Head though I could happily pass on the Blue cheese with Maggots.
We’ve watched every version of Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I am slowly making my way through the novels. I am currently reading “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-smith. In this novel version, Elizabeth Bennet of Hertfordshire has a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, as well as the weaponry of Europe and the fighting styles of the Kyoto Masters. She’s a Zombie slayer and these undead, who have been afflicted by a mysterious plague, are bringing mayhem to the quiet English countryside. It’s hysterical.
(one of the fridget magnets they are selling at the show)
Dezember 2009
We lived in France for 4 years -1964 to 1968. I'm an Airforce Brat, a term given to kids of families in the Armed Forces. My dad was the pilot for the guy who ran NATO.
Going overseas from Canada was the making of my mother. She was a kid from a broken home in Toronto, who lived with her mother in the kitchen of the Boarding House her mom owned and ran. In fact she was from "Cabbage Town", a place kids never admitted to being from until a few years the decripit houses started to get bought up by young yuppies and redone. Now its a hip neighborhood where people love to say their from "Cabbage Town".
Anyways, we got a house in a small village and hired a cleaning woman - a huge luxury for my mother. This cleaning gal gave Lucille Ball a run for her money in the flaming red hair department. She also applied the thickest, redest lipstick and she'd kiss you with upon arriving and departing. She taught me the value of good red comedy lips - outline your lips waaay over your own lip line and then apply bright red lipstick liberally - only when you're doing comedy character work please.)
My mom also learned how to drive and got this tiny blue car. She was a free woman living abroad. Well as free as you can be with 4 kids and a husband away a lot. For a girl from "Cabbage Town", this was living.
Mom had a policy - Never live on the military base. You could live on base in the housing provided by the military or you could secure your own. She maintained that all the wives did was drink and play bridge all day. Two things she was happy to see the back end of!
My parents set about taking us to as many countries and places in Europe as they could manage. Do you know that my parents were critisized for travelling around too much with the family? Isn't that nutty? The flip side was there were families who rarely went off the base and certainly didn't explore Europe like we did. What a waste. We had this brilliantly designed tent trailor my dad got in Denmark that we travelled all over Europe in. It sort of assembled like a Leggo set and all 6 of us slept in it comfortably. Except when it rained. If you touched the tent bit, it would leak. How lucky was I?
November 2009
This year in October I attended my fifth Lord of The Rings Convention in Bonn, Germany. I played the part of Mrs. Bracegirdle in the first film - cut from the cinema film but returned in the Director’s cut. My scene was with Sir Ian Holmes. He said, “My, Mrs. Bracegirdle haven’t you been busy?” My response consisted of a lot of head bobbing, holding a small child and being surrounded by my adorable Hobbit children.
Every year about 4,000 people gather from all over Europe and England, from Friday to Sunday night, to celebrate everything that is LOTR. It’s a mad mixture of sword craft lectures, stage fighting workshops, lectures on the Elvyn language (yes, there is an Elvyn language), Celtic history, costume parades, talent competitions, Tolkien discussions etc… Many of the “fans” who attend wear costumes of their favourite character or “thing” for 3 days. One year a gal came as the Party Tree, complete with dancing Hobbits and fairy lights. She couldn’t sit and had to lie down on the back seat of a car to get to the convention. There’s more Gandolph’s, Treebeard’s, Lady of Lothlorien’s, Legolas’, and Frodo’s then you could shake a stick at. Many who attend spend countless hours embroidering dresses and hammering out armor. I love these 2 girls who come every year as the Riders of Rohan. They’re decked out in armor and even have horses. Two child-size horses, on wheels and they’ve got armor as well. They have the movie sound track in a ghetto blaster tucked under one of the horses. The rousing soundtrack plays as they get pulled up and down the hallways of Gondor.
Two years ago, with the decline in interest of LOTR (It’s been 10 years!) they incorporated actors from Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean. This year they included Twilight actors, so a very large number of young girls attended.
I’m part of the Kiwi contingent that is there every year, along with the real international stars. During the day, my job is to chat and mingle with the “fans”, turn up for the autograph signings, picture posing and teach a couple of improvisation workshops. I do one solo 50-minute slot for about 1,500 “fans” where I present a short film that I’ve made during the year. It always features some silly adventure of Mrs. Bracegirdle. Hysterical thing is I’m actually wearing a Heidi outfit I got for some corporate gig, but no one seems to care.
Then in the evenings, the Kiwis do some madcap improv. We try to incorporate themes from the LOTR, as well as Twilight and Harry Potter as well as getting some of the real “stars” involved. They love it because they have a great time and they end up looking adorable. In one scene we recreated a date in the style of fairy tale characters with a young girl we plucked from the audience. We brought up another “volunteer” from the audience who turned out to be the heart throb star from an American TV Vampire show called Blood Ties. The “fans” went mad. Think of 3,000 screaming girls and you’d be about right.
We also used a couple of German actors who voiced Twilight. It’s a huge industry in Germany and all TV shows and movies are dubbed into German. They’re very popular and the audience went ballistic when we did this crazy scene where each Kiwi actor was assigned an “interpreter”. Their job was to interpret into German every line and noise made by the Kiwis. They stood as close as they could and the scene got faster and louder and everyone was working as hard as they could to keep up with everyone else. Very enjoyable mayhem.
Then it’s all over. That is, until the next year, if you’re fortunate enough to get an invite back. I’m happy to report I’ve got my invite for 2010 so I’m getting ready for another Bracegirdle production.
