David Gauci

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Wae. Why do we do this? Well?
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Hey, dear, do you know how you mentioned that you're
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in a show next year?
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Last podcast? Did you? Did you get in trouble? I
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wasn't meant to say that, just you could have edited
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it out.
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Yeah, I now I have to audition. Came as a
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bit I don't know.
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Welcome everybody, Hello, Hello, Hello, how are we?
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I'm good?
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I'm very very excited about that sounds good? Well, you
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know I always get excited, but I'm extra excited this
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evening because we have an amazing guest who.
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Has done some amazing theater, let's be honest, amateur professional.
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He's a singing teacher. He's got a beautiful booming voice.
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And did you know that he also his.
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Grandmother used to live in the house that he lives in.
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Now that was Peter?
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Did am I saying this right? He's jumping in. Okay,
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no we can't.
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We've got we go.
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We have so excited with that story. Ladies and gents, Welcome.
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To Why do You Do This? Podcast? The title of
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the podcast.
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Then we get started with the idea here all right? Sorry,
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gets excited, Ladies and gents, Welcome to the Why do
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We Do? This podcast a podcast about amateur theater in
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Adelaide and why we spend our time, our love and
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our energy doing this crazy, crazy thing we have in
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the studio today we have David Gouci and I think
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Lee is very excited.
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Hello, Hello, Josh and Lee.
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Sorry, I completely dropped my lines. Then I'm so sorry.
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That's fine, that's fine, that's fine. Tank two.
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All right, tell us a story and Lee was very
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excited about it.
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But so you live in I live in what was
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Peter Gurz Peters. We love Peter. I live in what
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was Peter Gurr's grandma's house. And I always say that
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beautiful spooky connection with that is that I lived on
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Torrens Road. Next to our house was a beautiful old
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home where the fabulous Nellie Jenkins and the Jenkins family
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were a very well known family in the Western suburbs.
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They were wood merchants. This is one with regards to theater,
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isn't it anyway? But they were wonderful wood merchants. And
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you don't have a good wood merchant nothing, Yes, absolutely,
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thinking on a different way events, what is a wood
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merchant someone who tells you wood? Yes? Yes. In those
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days you would have a wood merchant, So they were
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wood merchants, so people that you know. Anyway, it doesn't matter.
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They had Clyde Stale horses. I could go on anyway.
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Nellie Jenkins was my surrogate grandmother and her best friend
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was a woman called may Gurz. And when I went
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and had a look at the house that eventually became
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the house that I purchased, I had no idea that
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that was may Gers home. And it's interesting because when
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Nellie passed at the ripe old age of ninety something,
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she bequeathed me this beautiful hall stand, and I took
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that hole stand, and now that whole stand finds its
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home in the hallway of Mager's old home. So in
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some ways Nelly is still there. We're in the house
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of Makers. But yeah, I had no idea it was
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Peter's grandma's house until I was pulling up carpet and
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saw girls written on. So from nineteen thirty so it's beautiful,
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beautiful old Californian bungalow.
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Yeah right, yeah, So you're a Western subburb boy.
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Amodville, Yes, yes, yes, yes, born and bred Western suburbs
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and your whole life well nine years I earned, I
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went to the Dark Side otherwise known as Melbourne. I
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lived in Melbourne for nine years. But even you and
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the Grand Prix, look, it was a lovely place. Actually,
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it was a really good Melbourne was a really interesting
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bit of a training ground for me because that's where
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I kind of got started then doing a bit of
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professional theater and and also writing my own things. And
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it gave me the and I start to see a
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lot of people over there who were starting a production companies,
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you know, one person production companies putting on amateur musicals
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that weren't being put on anywhere else.
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So they do a lot of profit share stuff there,
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don't they they do it? Would it be fair to
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say that over there it's more profit share rather than
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amateur community theater.
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Yeah, look, I was going to say, there is definitely
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amateur community theater there, so you know, darrebn arts, clock,
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et cetera. But then you had things companies like Magnormous,
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who would which was the fabulous Sarah Joyner and Magnormous
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would put on shows and they would they would guarantee
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a small honorarium, do you know, to cover fuel and
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things like that. But but the other thing about magnormous
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and I use them is that they would put on
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shows that I know would sit there and go, well,
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a large theater company is not going to put it
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on because only a small cast. And you know, when
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you're looking for bums on seats, you want a big
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cast because they help get the bums on seats. So yeah,
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So other than that, yes, Adelaide born and bred.
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So where does it start then, where does the love.
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Of theater start? How did you get into performing Buggaloos,
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the Bugs.
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The television Marroft that absolutely, Sid.
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And Marty Kroft, I don't know. There was h hr
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Puffin and hr puff and stuff, Sigmund the Sea Monster,
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all of that. For me, that was theater on television
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because it was it was it was color, it was movement, there,
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musical numbers. Absolutely, the Jack Wild was played played Freddy
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who played the Dodger. Dodger Jack Wild who played was
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Freddy was played Freddy with the magic Golden flute remounting
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into that and chik kids but yes, don't breathe anything
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into each other. But like it was always music, dance, movement, color,
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and yeah, puppetry and costumes, amazing costumes and you know,
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for me, it was watching stuff like that. I had
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a really fertile imagination, not particularly the best reader, but
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would take stuff in and very creative minded. And for
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me it kind of started there because formative.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, And you know then the little primary school that
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I went to, gorgeous little Catholic primary school called White
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Friars on both Beaufort Street at Woodville. Now it's a
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big school, but in those days, it was like ninety
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people in the gorgeous little nuns would put on a
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musical every year. We did. We did Fiddler on the Roof.
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Don't ask me why, but we did. Catholic school put
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on Fiddler on the Roof.
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And St.
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Joseph, these are the sisters of Saint Joseph. Bless their hearts.
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Lord, are you giving away your age?
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Now?
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Do these two? Is there like a like actual nuns.
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Were your teachers. I had nuns as teachers. I had
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nuns as teachers, and I had nuns with men's names.
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So I had Sister Alphonsi's sister Luke. It was it
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was like in grade four or five that suddenly sister
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sister I'm trying to remember what her name, suddenly became
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sister Charlotte, and we went had you change names all
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the time these days? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so the nuns.
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And then I went to Woodville High School and Woodfill
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High School had a fabulous theater guild and would put
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on a musical every year, and I was involved in
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for sixpence and it looks I've had often say I've
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lived lots of lives in my life because you know,
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after high school, I went and studied accountancy. Brought you
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to do that because I wanted to be an actor,
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but my mother wouldn't let me. So there's a book
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in that. But did you finish it? Did I finish
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account and see it? Yeah? I did? Okay, good? And
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then from there I went on to do theology because
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at one stage I was considering the priesthood. Dirty bitch.
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I know, well that hey dresses you like the nunsen
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I love, But it's all about theater. It really is
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about theater.
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You know.
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You look at ritual and rights, it's all very theatrical movement, absolutely,
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you know, and and you know they used a theorible
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as a smoke machine and in sad anyway, so you know,
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there was always Hayes, but it was really really interesting,
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and then I loved singing. And unfortunately, in those days
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in Adelaide we didn't have a music theater course. We
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are so blessed now that we have not only a
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music theater course a bachelor, but we now have various
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places put into the vitorium. And all that wasn't there,
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well was there. The comm was there, but it was
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only I shouldn't say only, it was classical. So it
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was opera okay, and my bag wasn't opera. I really
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and I did did the course, but didn't love the course.
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Not because the course was bad, not because of anything
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to do with the teachers, but it was because nonverbal there.
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There was a nonverbal there is I may have not
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it anyway, So I didn't fit. And what was very lucky, well,
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what was very lucky is that there are a couple
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of very talented musicians there who were interested in working
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with a singer and perhaps forming a little doing some
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duet work and duo work. And so I started working
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with the fabulous Matt Carey, who now is touring Australia
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with pro shows as musical director. I think he was
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involved in Hamilton. I think he's been involved with a
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few musical seat of tour.
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Because his name is very familiar to me.
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Oh yeah yeah, like doing chess and stuff. Oh god,
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yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah. So Matt was very involved
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George Street when George Street was around here in Adelaide
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George Street Theater, and Matt and I started doing this
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weird thing called cabaret I know, and we actually wrote
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some shows. We did a show based on the music
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of Frank Sinatra. We did a show called The Broadway Show.
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Anyone ever heard of that place Broadway Anyway Broadway Show,
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which we put on at the Highest when it was
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called the Height. Now it's the Into something whatever. Anyway,
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so we did a show at the Height, and we
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got in touch with Stephen Schwartz. We wrote a show
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called Schwartz and All. Matt Carey and David Gouchi Schwartz
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and All and Stephen Schwartz was fabulous. He gave us
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copies of music that hadn't yet been released. We did
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like we were doing some really interesting stuff. I then
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went to Melbourne where I started to do I am
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talking a lot, but I'm assuming that you're lovely, lovely.
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It's like therapy, and I'm not goodness me, I'll get
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my credit card out in a second. How does that
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make you feel? We'll talk about an hour.
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Anyway.
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So I went over to Melbourne and I got introduced
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to theater then, and it was very lucky. They had
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open mic nights at Chaplov Chapel on a Friday night
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and I rolled up and had a bit of a
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sing there, and having had a bit of a sing,
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someone came up to me and said, look where. We're
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producing a musical called A New Brain, and we're doing
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the Australian premiere production of it. Would you be interested
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in being in the show and playing the character of Richard.
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We really like the way. I said, look, you know,
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I don't I don't dance. And they said have you
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done stage work before? And I said, oh yes, LI
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live pads. But I kind of figured that, you know, what,
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what's the difference I've basically, you know, as a singer
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stood solo on stage selling songs Broadway song sinarcha. You
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know how to work a room. I know how to
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work a room, and I know how to read a room,
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which I think is really important too. And you know,
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you play to your strengths and I know how to
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play to my strengths. But I also know how to
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make my weaknesses play my weaknesses for comedy. So I
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kind of figured that this could be an interesting opportunity.
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I went on and did that. They were called Blackbird Productions.
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I'm not sure if they're still around. And then there
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was an opportunity to do Archie and Mick hit a Bell,
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which is a fabulous show. Was based on a comic.
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It was comic strip, Yeah it was. It was mel
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Brooks had the right roun mel Brooks. Actually it's his
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first musical, so mel Brooks. It was mel Brooks first musical,
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A Cat, Yeah, absolutely, and I paid. I played. I
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played the theater cat, which was a great role. And
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that was through m magnormous. And then nine years later
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and you know, I musically directed a couple of shows
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for a school that I was working at over there,
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and I sort of just learned on the fly, and
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you know, thought to myself, do you know what, when
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I go back to Adelaide, I want to do something.
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So when I came back to Adelaide, I started teaching
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singing and I'd had the wonderful opportunity to work with
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some great singing teachers, both in Melbourne here in Adelaide.
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Prior i'd also believe it or not, I'd had vocal issues.
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And as a when you have vocal issues, what happens
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is you end up really researching a lot and learning
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a lot about vocal issues. Is as nodes or no
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I got I never got that far. But I just
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found that, you know, having to do five hours of
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singing three times a week, I think that would yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah,
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just fatigue. There was a lot of fatigue. And in
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those days I did enjoy whiskey, and we'll move on
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from that, but there was you know, that was probably
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a bit of alcohol involved with all of that too.
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The Tom Waits made it work, Oh, Tom Waits, absolutely.
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But for me, I came back to Adelaide, and I
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think what happened was there were probably a lot of
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people that were my of my vintage who when I
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came back to Adelaide I found had left Adelaide. So
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who'd gone over to Melbourne and Sydney to start, you know,
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who'd stayed in Adelaide really developed a good name and
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had done a lot of great theater and then moved
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into State. And I came back to Adelaide and where
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I don't know anyone, and the next generation of people
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were all like twenty and here was me twenty plus
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nineteen years and I just came back or even older.
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I was my mid fifties when I come back, and
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I go of mid forties, mid fifties, I don't know anyways,
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something like that. I come back to it for a
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long time. I was in Melbourne nine years so and
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just sat there and went, I don't know anyone here,
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and I, you know, the shows were very dancy shows,
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and I thought, do you know what. I don't know
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that I can do this anymore. I'm back in that
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lady year and I have some students who wanted to
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audition for this little known musical called hair Spray. And
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I take them to the audition and I'm standing out
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the front of the audition while they're going in because
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they were nervous about having the audition. Oh look, I
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did so, and this lady comes up to me. She goes,
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they your kids, and I said no. She said, oh,
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who are you? I said, I'm there singing teacher. She said,
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are you auditioning? I said no, She said why not?
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I said, well, what am I going to trifle. Now,
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in those days, I was a I mean, I'm a
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big man now, but I was a very big man then.
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And she said, well, you know, there's the mum and
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I said, oh, I said, oh, look, you know I'm
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not really much of a dancer. Oh look, you know,
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we'll choreographers all work with him. I said, oh, I
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don't know. Anyway, she said, why don't you audition? And
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I said, well, look, I've got a bit of a cold.
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You know that, by the way, Cardinal Sin, you never
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walk into an audition and tell anyone that you're unwell.
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But I did say, look, I've got a bit of cold.
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She said, if I could organize an audition in Melbourne
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for Monday, would you do it. This was a Friday
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or Thursday. I said, were you.
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Saying you had a cold because you were scared?
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No? No, no, no, no, I actually had a cold.
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I I believe you. Anyway, she said, come up with
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a song from you know, nineteen sixties. And I thought,
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oh gosh, you know, so, I thought, I do can't
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hurry love you know, the Dinas Supreme, but I'll do
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the Phil Collins for version. And yeah, absolutely, so I
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had managed to get into a local production. Here the
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Hills were putting on the Wiz. Let hang on, Yeah, yeah,
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let's let's not so. And I was playing even the
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wicked Witch of the Wests no bad news exactly. So
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I was playing Eveline in the Hills version, moving on
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from that, so different. So I went off to do
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the So I flew over. I did the audition and
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I thought, like, they got me to do some dance routines?
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Did they pay you to go over like they paid?
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You know, the first one you got to do yourself,
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the callback they pay for. So I did the audition
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and heard nothing, and I thought, well, that come to
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their senses because they've watched me dance, because let's be honest,
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body does not scream dance. And I did the dance
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and I think we did about three or four shows
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here in Adelaide of the Whiz. And the following Monday,
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I'll get a phone call to say, are you available
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to come over for hair and makeup trials next Saturday?
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And I went what they said, Yeah, we'd like to
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get you over and we're going to do hair and
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makeup and we'll put you in small groups, will send
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you some sides to read and you know, come in
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and do the sides. So I did. I learned my
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sides and went in. They've got to say it was
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it was not the most fun experience. Look, I hated
328
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the way they made me look like I looked. I
329
00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:03.599
looked like if Divine and Rosie O'Donnell had a baby together.
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That's what I looked like. I did. I looked the
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least attractive woman.
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Do you think the character is supposed to be attracted no,
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John Waters, Yeah, absolutely absolutely.
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And so I remember then and I got to play
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opposite the fabulous Grant Heiro in my sides and did it.
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And again, you know, thank you very much for letting
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me come in and do this. It was a lot
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of fun. And there were a lot of names I
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will say name names there that I thought, oh, this
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is who it's going to. And then about the Wednesday,
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the following wednesday, they rang me and they said, look,
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we would like to offer you the role of We've
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actually we really enjoyed your what you come in and
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you've got such great energy, and we're going to offer
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you the understudy of Mum. But we're also going to
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give you your own track. So that you go to do
347
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a show if you get to do the show every
348
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every night as well. So they actually developed a small
349
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track for me that I did. Mean that means that
350
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there's so a lot of the characters are played by
351
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so you get one person might play six different characters.
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What they did was they split that six into two
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lots of three, and they gave me three so that
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I was able then to stop bored, not sit side
355
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stage waiting for something to happen. So and so I
356
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got into Hairspray, which was the fabulous clearly shocked or
357
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a hugely shocked.
358
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What do you think you did in that first audition
359
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that made there is prick?
360
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I think, you know. And it's something that I share
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a lot with my students when I teach, when they
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are going to audition for something, I let them know
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who I was, you know, rather than rather than try
364
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and put on this pretense of who I think they want,
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just be yourself. They're either going to sit there and go,
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this is what we need, this is a this is
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part of the jigsaw puzzle. Look. I'd like to think
368
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I sang well, and it was funny because I don't
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think you know, when when I walked in and sang
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and then they asked me, you know, sing a couple
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of other things, and you know you do opera, do you?
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And I said, oh, sort of not, it's not my thing.
373
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What about singing something from lamy Is? And so then
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I sang something from Lamies and I think they saw
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then I was a legitimate a legitimate also showing your versatility,
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like if you come in as you yourself, it's like
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this is me, and then I can actually act, I
378
00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:43.359
can switch off me and turn into someone else totally.
379
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I also have this strong belief that one of the
380
00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:51.160
things you're not you don't necessarily have to be the
381
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best person for the role, but you've got to be
382
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the best person for the company. And I think they
383
00:23:58.920 --> 00:24:02.240
sit there and go, we'd like to think that this
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00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:06.880
person is going to work well within the cohort, because
385
00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:09.680
you know, if you're going to be if you're going
386
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to be traveling around for eight en months, we want
387
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to be able to we want to be able to
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fit in and just enjoy each other's company. So and
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you know, I showed I had a sense of humor
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that I could. You know, I don't take myself overly
391
00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:27.359
seriously but I take my craft serious. Yes, so that
392
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that was good.
393
00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:32.119
So through all this period of time you were teaching singing. Yes,
394
00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:35.839
So for you, when did you know that you had
395
00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:38.079
a voice and that you were good at it? You
396
00:24:38.200 --> 00:24:41.079
enjoyed it and you were like, oh, this is something
397
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I'm actually kind of good at.
398
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:48.319
Do you know? It's funny. I went to school in
399
00:24:48.359 --> 00:24:50.680
a time. I went to primary school at a time
400
00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:55.119
where we had people that were called elocution teachers. So
401
00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:59.079
we had the gorgeous year old. Look, you have no idea,
402
00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:03.559
you have no idea. You have a little after fire
403
00:25:03.640 --> 00:25:10.319
but before the wheel lee anyway, so I am. We
404
00:25:10.359 --> 00:25:14.160
had elocution teachers, and we had singing teachers, like we
405
00:25:14.200 --> 00:25:17.279
had often talk about. And there'll be some people out
406
00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:19.839
there who will hear the name Mary Mulverhill and will
407
00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:24.240
go I knew Mary Maulverhill. We had Mary Mulverhill who
408
00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.039
would come in and she would teach us, you know,
409
00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:30.200
six thick thistle sticks. And I was a kid that
410
00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:33.720
I think there was a natural look to the way
411
00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:37.319
I spoke and I have a beautiful boy, thank you,
412
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And she would you know, sit and encourage us all
413
00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:47.799
to be, you know, to speak clearly and to pronounce
414
00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:52.680
the Queen's English. And I know, I know, but you know,
415
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:55.559
it was just the way we were was. And then
416
00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:59.240
she was would often walk around and hear us reciting
417
00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:02.319
our little poet since one day she said, look, I
418
00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:07.400
think you should see you know, missus Tilly, and Missus
419
00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:11.119
Tilly was our singing teacher. And I was also learning
420
00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:14.440
piano with the Lovely Sisters of Saint Joseph. By the way,
421
00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:16.480
I do have cuts on my hand that you can
422
00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:20.000
still skip see from learning piano with the Lovely Sisters
423
00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:26.119
of Saint Joseph. They like, oh, yes, still Ruler, still Ruler. Well,
424
00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:29.279
hold on, what's this podcasting it?
425
00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:32.359
Why do we do this? Yes, because I was tortured.
426
00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:40.920
You know, I watched I watched Brides of Christ and
427
00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:41.960
I've forgiven them.
428
00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:45.480
That that mini series broke.
429
00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:49.720
My Absolutely it should be a musical anyway, So uh
430
00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:51.519
are they religious?
431
00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:51.920
Man? Now?
432
00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:58.279
No? Sort of right, Okay, I'll say, I'll say I'm
433
00:26:58.359 --> 00:27:05.000
not a lapsed Catholic, but I'm yeah, it's okay, beautiful yea. Anyway,
434
00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:11.279
so where were we still Hairspray? Coming back from Hairspray,
435
00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:14.200
and I go, I feel like I've had a lot
436
00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:16.359
of experience, and I feel like I've learned a lot
437
00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:20.160
of things. I want to put on a musical, but
438
00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:22.519
I had to think about what sort of musical I
439
00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:26.039
wanted to put on, and I wanted to think about
440
00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:28.559
what sort of show, who I would be, and what
441
00:27:28.759 --> 00:27:31.799
my company would be. And so I decided that I
442
00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:34.119
would start a show called I would start a company
443
00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:37.720
called Divine da V I n E. I know some
444
00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:42.920
people say divine, but I say divine. Yeah. Absolutely. It
445
00:27:43.079 --> 00:27:49.759
was Divine Interventions Productions, which eventually became Divine Productions. And
446
00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:52.839
the first musical that I decided to put on was
447
00:27:52.920 --> 00:27:57.200
Altar Boys, which I've got to say I saw and
448
00:27:57.559 --> 00:28:01.720
absolutely wet myself laughing because I thought, this is perfect.
449
00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:07.440
It plays into my Catholic upbringing. It plays into the
450
00:28:07.559 --> 00:28:12.799
boy band thing, It plays into the whole you know,
451
00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:17.759
traveling ministry that you know was also a big part
452
00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:19.759
of when I was a kid. You know, you would
453
00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:23.680
have to do what's the plot, Like, what's so? So
454
00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:28.480
we have the five Altar Boys, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
455
00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:36.279
although John is fun, and Abraham who's a Jew, and
456
00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:40.319
they start this boy band and they travel and It's
457
00:28:40.359 --> 00:28:43.680
so funny because people came to see the show, and
458
00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:46.720
for the first ten to fifteen minutes, you know, I
459
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:52.559
was I was backstage running the soul meter. The soul
460
00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:55.839
meter was this big machine that would say how many
461
00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:58.759
souls need to be saved in the audience that day.
462
00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:02.480
And I was sitting there running the soul meat and
463
00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:05.680
people were texting me saying, hey, look is this like
464
00:29:05.880 --> 00:29:09.480
a legit like Christian revival thing? And I had to
465
00:29:09.559 --> 00:29:12.319
text people say, give it another five minutes, you'll see
466
00:29:12.359 --> 00:29:14.960
what happens. And then after a while, you know, we
467
00:29:15.079 --> 00:29:17.519
had a coming out in it. We had a we
468
00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:22.039
had a whole heap of each interval before people went
469
00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:25.440
oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely, we had a defining
470
00:29:25.559 --> 00:29:29.079
gravity moment. It was just a very funny thing. We
471
00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:32.599
had puppets. It was a really really like.
472
00:29:32.759 --> 00:29:36.000
A really brave thing to start your own theater company.
473
00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:38.160
Like the text cuts, it does, it.
474
00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:41.240
Does, but you know what, you also have to put
475
00:29:41.319 --> 00:29:44.039
your You also have to put both your money and
476
00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:46.759
your energy where your mouth is. If you want things
477
00:29:46.839 --> 00:29:53.279
to change, you have to be the the the instrument
478
00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:55.839
of change. But what did you want to change? I
479
00:29:56.079 --> 00:29:59.599
kept seeing that we were we were. I came back
480
00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:03.720
to our and just kept thinking, I'm watching a lot
481
00:30:03.799 --> 00:30:08.599
of the same shows being done that had been done
482
00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:12.799
when I left. And you know, there was this other
483
00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:17.359
thing that I noticed in Adelaide, which was we were
484
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:21.119
all waiting for the next big musical, the next Wicked,
485
00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:28.079
the next Legally Blonde, the next which is great, but
486
00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:31.480
there's so much more theater. There's off Broadway too.
487
00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:33.240
Theme is you know what I mean?
488
00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:36.880
I can know.
489
00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:41.920
So when you decided to start a company, what's the
490
00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:42.680
first thing that.
491
00:30:42.759 --> 00:30:45.200
You had to do? I mean, I had to convince
492
00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:46.440
people to want to work with me.
493
00:30:47.880 --> 00:30:51.279
That was the truth, because you've just returned back from
494
00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:52.119
me and no.
495
00:30:52.200 --> 00:30:56.279
One knew me. So my first cast was basically people
496
00:30:56.400 --> 00:31:01.440
that I had taught singing to or who knew people.
497
00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:05.720
So when I cast Auto Boys, I don't even know
498
00:31:05.839 --> 00:31:08.839
that I actually even ran auditions for All Too Boys.
499
00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:12.839
I might have, I can't remember, but I remember sitting
500
00:31:12.920 --> 00:31:15.400
there talking to people and saying, oh, look, I'm putting
501
00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:17.240
on this show. I think you'd be perfect for it.
502
00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:21.799
You know, it's a boy band thing. And so people
503
00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:25.920
got involved. And so where was this performance. It was
504
00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:29.240
at the Star Theater, the majority of the shows that
505
00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:31.720
I've done, I've done at the Star Theater. I did
506
00:31:31.799 --> 00:31:35.519
do one at the Park. He runs the fabulous Malcolm Heart.
507
00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:42.319
You know who is an Adelaide icon. You know, I
508
00:31:42.519 --> 00:31:47.000
grew up. I grew up watching Malcolm on Humphrey. He
509
00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:49.599
was on Here is Humphrey. I was more of a
510
00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:51.880
fat cat carri No, no.
511
00:31:51.960 --> 00:31:58.119
I was about to say kick cat kind of cap.
512
00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:06.559
So had a toy Humphrey. Oh look you know, yeah, yeah, anyway,
513
00:32:06.799 --> 00:32:13.799
so Patsy was he in Humphrey? He was he? He
514
00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:23.200
hosted with Humphrey. Ah really yeah, there are episodes, yeah, yeah, yeah. Malcolm.
515
00:32:23.480 --> 00:32:27.119
Malcolm has done so much television and so much theater.
516
00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:31.920
Old Kings music Hall. He's probably one of the last
517
00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:35.960
remaining performance from the Old Kings. And Penny Hamilton Smith.
518
00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:40.200
Penny Hamilton Smith would be the other way the Old Kings. Wow,
519
00:32:42.759 --> 00:32:45.640
it was so we had a music hall here, so
520
00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:48.680
where you would do vaudeville acts like the old English
521
00:32:48.920 --> 00:32:54.960
music the old English. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so that sort
522
00:32:55.000 --> 00:33:01.240
of thing. Did lots of pantomime on King William Street.
523
00:33:01.400 --> 00:33:04.319
And I can't tinue exactly where, but sit him down.
524
00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:08.000
He is worth Look you know, but you'd need you'd
525
00:33:08.039 --> 00:33:10.799
need a number of hours podcasts because his stories are
526
00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:15.400
amazing and they remind you of the rich tapestry in history.
527
00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:21.880
That Adelaide has a theater, which still beguids me, why no,
528
00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:26.279
not beguise that's the wrong word, but it still beliegues me.
529
00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:31.119
That's the correct the show starting in Adelaide. We have
530
00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:35.200
such great Anyway, let's move on, so you've got the
531
00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:37.480
mic if you want to say. Look, all I want
532
00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:40.039
to say is if you asked me about what the
533
00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:42.319
other thing you need when you put on a show,
534
00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:46.640
people who are going to be really patient because it
535
00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:52.559
just it absorbs your life. Yes, And in those days,
536
00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:58.359
I was everything I was. I was publicity, I was costumes,
537
00:33:58.599 --> 00:34:03.440
I was director, I was producer. If it needed money,
538
00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:07.720
so I had to find money. And you know, what's
539
00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:10.599
the first rule of doing a show. Ever use your
540
00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:15.320
own money, producers. But you know I did, and I
541
00:34:15.400 --> 00:34:18.840
will say that, you know it does matter. I don't drink,
542
00:34:18.920 --> 00:34:22.679
I don't smoke, I don't gamble. So I was happy
543
00:34:22.760 --> 00:34:25.159
to lose money in theater because I sat there and went,
544
00:34:25.239 --> 00:34:29.719
I'm actually creating something that I love here and so beautiful.
545
00:34:29.760 --> 00:34:34.199
I did that show and it was fun. I learnt
546
00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:36.559
so much. First of all, I learned that you really
547
00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:39.039
need to get someone to do sound for you can't
548
00:34:39.079 --> 00:34:43.480
assume that you can use the sound in a theater.
549
00:34:43.880 --> 00:34:45.679
And Salt Boys was a musical.
550
00:34:45.960 --> 00:34:49.960
It was yeah, yeah, yes, you were like director, musical director.
551
00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:56.039
I was director. I used MD em Night's Emma Nit's
552
00:34:56.760 --> 00:35:01.519
of em Night's piano for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
553
00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:07.159
just so Emma. It was for Bugger Lugs. Right. No,
554
00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:09.400
I'm thinking of a name and it's not coming to
555
00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:13.639
me because so Emma Emma was the MD. And then
556
00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:18.800
after I did Altar Boys, and that was to sort
557
00:35:18.840 --> 00:35:23.400
of there was some success like it was it was.
558
00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:30.559
People liked it and it was and we decided I
559
00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:33.880
made that. I made the horrible decision of remounting it.
560
00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:36.400
And this is why, you know, what does the souflee
561
00:35:36.599 --> 00:35:41.719
never do right twice? Yes, So I decided to remount it,
562
00:35:41.760 --> 00:35:44.760
and I shouldn't have because it wasn't as well attended.
563
00:35:44.880 --> 00:35:48.519
But I did get to use good sound and get
564
00:35:48.559 --> 00:35:51.719
it lighting. Someone into do lighting for that, and I
565
00:35:51.880 --> 00:35:54.960
realized the potential of what a show could look like.
566
00:35:56.280 --> 00:35:59.960
And then the next show I did was zanad which
567
00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:03.400
which is uh, that would have surely sold out like that.
568
00:36:03.800 --> 00:36:07.679
It went, it went gangbusters like I had not, like
569
00:36:07.880 --> 00:36:12.239
it was so well received. It was so well received, So.
570
00:36:12.280 --> 00:36:13.920
What made you want to do that? From it was
571
00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:15.840
like the movie used to watch when you were.
572
00:36:16.079 --> 00:36:20.159
Because every time, every time, I said, every time, it's
573
00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:26.840
the worst movie ever. It's so it was like, it's like,
574
00:36:27.039 --> 00:36:29.960
can't stop the music? Why is that not a stage music.
575
00:36:30.039 --> 00:36:31.039
I'm not saying that either.
576
00:36:31.360 --> 00:36:34.920
Can't Stop the Music is probably maybe that's the first
577
00:36:35.039 --> 00:36:39.360
worst movie because at least Santadu starts says where it
578
00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:42.760
is it is, whereas at the beginning of Can't Stop
579
00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:46.199
the Music is filmed in San Francisco, with the first
580
00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:50.480
song called new I love that He's roller skating through
581
00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:53.519
San Francisco to the song New York. It's just you.
582
00:36:53.719 --> 00:36:54.440
They weren't all gay.
583
00:36:56.880 --> 00:37:02.199
There were hints. It doesn't matter anyways, So I'm going
584
00:37:02.280 --> 00:37:05.039
to say that. So I put it on Xanadu and
585
00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:09.119
it was really well received and I really loved it,
586
00:37:09.239 --> 00:37:14.440
and it won Best Musical Congratulations and Kate Hodges, I
587
00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:18.800
think one best female Lead Female in a Musical.
588
00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:24.000
The year that redunate like you to kind of want
589
00:37:24.039 --> 00:37:24.719
to do another show.
590
00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:28.559
Yeah, And every time I've done a show, I've said
591
00:37:28.599 --> 00:37:33.559
this is my last show, and then something. Oh, and
592
00:37:33.719 --> 00:37:37.639
then I think after that, I decided to do Flower Children,
593
00:37:38.039 --> 00:37:40.840
And again these were all shows that Why did I
594
00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:43.199
do Xana? Do you asked that question before I did
595
00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:47.840
Xanadu because I wanted I actually pitched it to another
596
00:37:48.079 --> 00:37:53.079
theater company and they said to me, oh, no, it's
597
00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:55.920
not really well known. I don't think people will want
598
00:37:55.960 --> 00:37:58.679
to come and see it. And it's got roller skates
599
00:37:58.760 --> 00:38:01.159
and that will be you know, there'll be a public
600
00:38:01.239 --> 00:38:04.280
liability issue and Star that Express gets to go on.
601
00:38:04.679 --> 00:38:06.960
Oh my gosh. Yeah, but like no one likes Star
602
00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:11.880
like Express. Is that true? Yeah? Anyways, so I am.
603
00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:16.280
So that's why I did it, and I love them. Look,
604
00:38:16.360 --> 00:38:19.639
I love the music of Elo, and I love John
605
00:38:19.800 --> 00:38:23.480
Fara that like, the songs are fabulous, but the story
606
00:38:23.639 --> 00:38:28.719
is just it's you know, it's turpentine to a wine drinker.
607
00:38:28.840 --> 00:38:30.760
It's just awful. It's just bad.
608
00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:33.559
Would you say that you my great more towards a
609
00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:38.320
director that sphere or do you prefer being on stage?
610
00:38:38.840 --> 00:38:43.440
Okay, really good question. I just did come from Away
611
00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:49.960
where which I played Claude. I will say it was
612
00:38:50.079 --> 00:38:54.400
probably one of the best experiences on stage of my life.
613
00:38:54.679 --> 00:38:58.760
I loved it. It was I've been telling people this forever,
614
00:38:58.880 --> 00:39:01.559
but it was the really the first time that I've
615
00:39:01.639 --> 00:39:05.239
actually cried in it in a theater. Wow, I don't
616
00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:06.719
normally yeah do that.
617
00:39:06.920 --> 00:39:08.760
And I was like, I was so emotional. I think
618
00:39:08.760 --> 00:39:10.880
it's a show that doesn't have lots of you don't
619
00:39:11.159 --> 00:39:14.760
walk away humming the chune, right, but but it has
620
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:16.440
so much emotions.
621
00:39:16.679 --> 00:39:21.239
Think about it, gravitas. It's so good. It's it's the
622
00:39:21.400 --> 00:39:27.519
fact that it focuses so strongly on what makes us
623
00:39:27.920 --> 00:39:33.320
rise above such a dire situation, and it does it
624
00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:39.559
in such a you know, a powerful, powerful way, because
625
00:39:39.719 --> 00:39:45.079
it it kind of gets in underneath. I just love
626
00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:49.719
you know that moment at the end when Butler picks
627
00:39:49.840 --> 00:39:53.039
up that phone and she hears the line he's gone,
628
00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:57.719
It's over. And then later when the Vet is sitting
629
00:39:57.960 --> 00:40:01.920
saying talking to the chimpanzee and says, look, I'm sorry
630
00:40:01.960 --> 00:40:06.039
you lost your baby. You sit there and just those
631
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:10.039
moments suddenly you go, oh my gosh, this show actually
632
00:40:10.159 --> 00:40:13.679
got me extly. The one that got me was the pilot.
633
00:40:14.280 --> 00:40:18.239
Yes, for people, For people have not seen the show,
634
00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:21.559
this is a show about a plane having to land
635
00:40:21.639 --> 00:40:24.960
in some obscure place. Nine to eleven correct, thirty thirty
636
00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:27.559
seven planes landed in seven.
637
00:40:27.639 --> 00:40:29.480
I thought it was one seven.
638
00:40:30.199 --> 00:40:35.719
They directed all thirty eight thirty airplanes to this particular airport.
639
00:40:35.559 --> 00:40:41.559
To Newfoundland, to so Yeah, to Gander, to Ganda Airport
640
00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:48.000
in Newfoundland, and so their population basically went from six thousand,
641
00:40:49.199 --> 00:40:55.400
nine hundred people to thirteen thousand and eight hundred and
642
00:40:55.639 --> 00:40:59.360
forty two I think was the number double basically, And
643
00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:06.159
they to house, clothe, feed, and counsel these people for
644
00:41:06.480 --> 00:41:09.360
five days, and you would have had some size. It's
645
00:41:09.360 --> 00:41:14.440
a fantastic documentary's and yeah or just yeah the plate like,
646
00:41:14.800 --> 00:41:16.400
like I said, that was one of the most movie
647
00:41:16.840 --> 00:41:19.840
I completely understand why that was so so when you
648
00:41:19.880 --> 00:41:23.400
were asked you like, it really depends when when the
649
00:41:23.519 --> 00:41:26.239
opportunity to say, I had the wonderful opportunity to play
650
00:41:26.280 --> 00:41:27.880
reb tavia in.
651
00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:31.320
In that show, and that was the first time I
652
00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:34.199
was ever exposed to you, and I was like, who
653
00:41:34.280 --> 00:41:35.320
was this o man that can sing?
654
00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:38.239
Like? You were so good? You see the word old
655
00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:42.239
and you I said, hot, Hot. You walked in and
656
00:41:42.400 --> 00:41:42.960
you kind of.
657
00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:46.840
Like had this presence about you, and I was so
658
00:41:47.119 --> 00:41:48.880
in awe of you, Like you just came in and
659
00:41:49.000 --> 00:41:52.400
you had this you were kind and generous, and I
660
00:41:52.639 --> 00:41:55.000
was just the guy that couldn't feel, who all couldn't dance,
661
00:41:55.280 --> 00:41:57.360
who got called in at the end, and I saw
662
00:41:57.440 --> 00:42:01.079
this beautiful man who was just you just minded the stage.
663
00:42:01.159 --> 00:42:05.039
And your award winning role is so well deserved. I think, kids,
664
00:42:05.599 --> 00:42:07.559
you were so good and it actually is one of
665
00:42:07.599 --> 00:42:10.159
my favorite films of all time, and your performance and
666
00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:11.119
that show lived up.
667
00:42:11.039 --> 00:42:14.039
To my expectations. Thank you so much. It's amazing. I
668
00:42:14.119 --> 00:42:16.599
was going to say there every now and then, I
669
00:42:16.719 --> 00:42:19.599
think as an actor, you are given a gift, and
670
00:42:19.760 --> 00:42:22.360
I would say I've been very lucky. I was given
671
00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:26.440
two very special gifts in Fiddler on the Roof and
672
00:42:26.679 --> 00:42:31.920
then the role of Claude in Come from Away. So
673
00:42:33.119 --> 00:42:35.360
when they come across, I sit there and go, I
674
00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:38.199
love the fact that someone else is looking after all
675
00:42:38.280 --> 00:42:41.960
the other stuff, and I can just be when you
676
00:42:42.119 --> 00:42:45.400
have to do the other stuff and it's and it's
677
00:42:45.519 --> 00:42:48.960
balancing all of the I think I'd like to believe
678
00:42:49.800 --> 00:42:53.400
that I'm a better person for working on stage because
679
00:42:53.519 --> 00:42:59.599
I've had to work with people because I've been I've
680
00:42:59.679 --> 00:43:02.599
been in the other side, so.
681
00:43:02.719 --> 00:43:05.119
Doing that because how did, I mean, how do you
682
00:43:05.239 --> 00:43:08.559
find someone like I've never worked for David Sinclaire and
683
00:43:08.599 --> 00:43:10.480
I've heard he's very very good, but I've worked for
684
00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:13.880
them a lot, right, so normal director I loved working
685
00:43:13.960 --> 00:43:18.360
with and I imagine that would be very different, hugely.
686
00:43:18.039 --> 00:43:23.320
Different, hugely different. And and you know, I loved, I
687
00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:26.519
loved like one of the beauties when you work with
688
00:43:26.599 --> 00:43:29.679
the director. I would hate that every director worked in
689
00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:32.559
the same min You don't want that at all, absolutely not,
690
00:43:33.159 --> 00:43:36.760
because and I think it's always that there's always that
691
00:43:37.079 --> 00:43:41.960
surprise when you do work with a different director who
692
00:43:42.519 --> 00:43:46.559
you work with, a director who will suddenly, you know,
693
00:43:46.760 --> 00:43:49.639
approach something from a different aspect that suddenly makes you
694
00:43:49.800 --> 00:43:53.440
rethink even the way you interpret stuff. I find that
695
00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:58.360
really exciting. And I was actually chatting with someone yesterday
696
00:43:58.480 --> 00:44:02.360
and they said, you know, and they spoke really beautifully
697
00:44:02.440 --> 00:44:05.800
to me. I was talking about I'm helping someone at
698
00:44:05.840 --> 00:44:08.679
the moment, I'm directing a caparet for them, and I said, oh,
699
00:44:09.119 --> 00:44:12.199
your experience. They said, oh, you know, sometimes you can
700
00:44:12.320 --> 00:44:14.800
have a really bad experience with directors. I said, oh,
701
00:44:14.960 --> 00:44:17.599
like you had in Violet, because I directed this person
702
00:44:17.679 --> 00:44:22.519
in the musical Violet. And they said, oh no, they said,
703
00:44:22.760 --> 00:44:26.800
you're amazing. You actually sat down with me and talked
704
00:44:26.840 --> 00:44:29.800
through my character, and you talked to me about why
705
00:44:30.159 --> 00:44:33.800
my character was living this moment in this scene. And
706
00:44:34.960 --> 00:44:37.320
then you did something that no director has ever said
707
00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:39.119
to me before. And I said, what do I say
708
00:44:39.159 --> 00:44:45.800
to you? He said, just act and the best advice.
709
00:44:46.039 --> 00:44:49.440
And you sit there and go, well, you're an actor.
710
00:44:49.679 --> 00:44:51.800
What would I Oh, Well, you know, they often say, oh,
711
00:44:51.920 --> 00:44:53.480
now I want you to turn, and now I want
712
00:44:53.480 --> 00:44:55.599
you to rather than just let me be and then
713
00:44:56.159 --> 00:44:58.719
then then start adding. So I often talk about, you know,
714
00:44:59.679 --> 00:45:02.719
I start with the skeleton, and then we add the flesh,
715
00:45:02.880 --> 00:45:04.440
and then we add all of the other bole. Do
716
00:45:04.480 --> 00:45:06.639
you think you're a better actor or a director? I
717
00:45:06.679 --> 00:45:09.440
don't think I'm particularly good at either. Well I disagree
718
00:45:09.480 --> 00:45:11.960
with that. Well, I'm going to say. I'm going to
719
00:45:12.079 --> 00:45:17.119
say I think I'm a really good EmPATH. I think
720
00:45:17.320 --> 00:45:21.519
I get people. A marvelous answer. Actually, David's a great
721
00:45:21.559 --> 00:45:24.559
director because he's a good actor, Like it flows into it.
722
00:45:24.960 --> 00:45:28.519
I think you're also a really great singing teacher, Like
723
00:45:28.719 --> 00:45:32.119
I've you've taught me a few times, and I think
724
00:45:33.800 --> 00:45:35.760
one thing you do do is you want to make
725
00:45:35.800 --> 00:45:38.239
you feel comfortable straight away. Thank you for someone like
726
00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:40.599
me who's doing it sporadically. It's kind of and I
727
00:45:40.639 --> 00:45:43.199
should do it more. But like you're very, very good,
728
00:45:43.639 --> 00:45:46.159
but you always challenge as well and go how do
729
00:45:46.239 --> 00:45:47.000
you do this differently?
730
00:45:47.119 --> 00:45:47.719
How do you try this?
731
00:45:47.880 --> 00:45:50.159
And I think that's a good actor, that's a good director.
732
00:45:50.280 --> 00:45:53.000
That's like, how else can we look at this and
733
00:45:53.119 --> 00:45:55.000
come from a different way and not make it the
734
00:45:55.119 --> 00:45:55.840
same boring?
735
00:45:56.199 --> 00:45:59.599
You know. I think what's really really important is to
736
00:46:00.880 --> 00:46:03.840
we started this by saying we started this whole conversation
737
00:46:03.960 --> 00:46:06.920
by talking about something that I think is really important
738
00:46:07.440 --> 00:46:11.400
is reading a room. A room, whether it's with one
739
00:46:11.480 --> 00:46:15.239
person or two people, or fifty people or two and
740
00:46:15.280 --> 00:46:20.360
a half thousand people. Your job as a performer or
741
00:46:20.400 --> 00:46:23.599
as a teacher is to read the room, where is
742
00:46:23.760 --> 00:46:27.920
this person at today and meet them where they're at.
743
00:46:29.199 --> 00:46:33.679
Just like when you're on stage, you have this beautiful
744
00:46:33.719 --> 00:46:38.280
opportunity to as a director meet your actors where they're at.
745
00:46:38.840 --> 00:46:42.400
You recognize that they bring you know, we often say, oh,
746
00:46:42.559 --> 00:46:45.800
leave your day at stage shore. You can't. We live
747
00:46:45.880 --> 00:46:50.440
our day. So let's meet each other at that moment.
748
00:46:50.599 --> 00:46:54.480
Let's meet each other to challenge that. Yeah, and let's
749
00:46:54.480 --> 00:46:58.320
see how we can turn that into something amazing right
750
00:46:58.440 --> 00:47:05.280
now on stage and hopefully remember your dialogue. Aye know,
751
00:47:05.440 --> 00:47:09.679
sometimes for me, dialogue is a serving suggestion. You know
752
00:47:10.159 --> 00:47:14.880
that's okay, I get there eventually. Yes, Yeah, I think
753
00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:19.000
both as an as an actor, as a performer on stage,
754
00:47:19.079 --> 00:47:21.920
as a director, I'd like to think I meet people,
755
00:47:22.039 --> 00:47:24.559
I'm also going to say I get it wrong, And
756
00:47:24.719 --> 00:47:28.880
I think I also don't have an ego with regards
757
00:47:29.000 --> 00:47:31.599
that when I get it wrong, I'll say I got
758
00:47:31.639 --> 00:47:32.000
it wrong.
759
00:47:32.079 --> 00:47:34.719
But I think that makes a good leader, right, That
760
00:47:34.840 --> 00:47:37.679
makes a good teacher, That makes a good like one
761
00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:41.760
being empathetic and understanding that people have emotions and feelings,
762
00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:44.679
and two also going hey, we could do this differently,
763
00:47:44.800 --> 00:47:45.760
or yeah, maybe I've got this.
764
00:47:45.800 --> 00:47:48.239
Wrong, or I think that's why you're so good at
765
00:47:48.280 --> 00:47:52.079
what you do. Well, thank you. One of the musicals
766
00:47:52.119 --> 00:47:55.239
I still remember I did was this musical called Flower Children,
767
00:47:55.280 --> 00:47:57.519
which is the musical about the story of the Mummus
768
00:47:57.559 --> 00:48:02.519
and pappas a great musical. And I still remember that
769
00:48:02.599 --> 00:48:08.280
there was this fabulous scene that was where Mama Cass
770
00:48:08.800 --> 00:48:12.480
and I can't remember his name, but it was played
771
00:48:12.519 --> 00:48:17.840
by the fabulous David Disalter, and David and Lisa Simonetti
772
00:48:17.960 --> 00:48:19.760
had to play opposite each other. And it was this
773
00:48:20.039 --> 00:48:25.920
moment where Cass realized that the character that David was
774
00:48:25.960 --> 00:48:29.280
playing was not in love with her and she had
775
00:48:29.360 --> 00:48:32.960
to finally just let shit happen, like let it, let
776
00:48:33.039 --> 00:48:35.719
it go, let and just give him, let him know
777
00:48:36.159 --> 00:48:40.719
what she has sacrificed for him. And I said, look,
778
00:48:40.800 --> 00:48:42.440
I just sat down with the two of them, and
779
00:48:42.480 --> 00:48:44.480
I said, this is what I want. And she said,
780
00:48:44.599 --> 00:48:45.920
when do you want me to I said, I don't.
781
00:48:46.039 --> 00:48:47.519
I don't want to tell you when to do any
782
00:48:47.519 --> 00:48:49.599
of that. What I want you to do is and
783
00:48:49.719 --> 00:48:51.960
I said, and we're just going to do this scene
784
00:48:53.360 --> 00:48:56.639
until we get it, until you're prepared to go there,
785
00:48:56.800 --> 00:49:00.119
or until you feel safe enough to go there. And
786
00:49:01.480 --> 00:49:05.000
I still remember it was we'd spent like three quarters
787
00:49:05.000 --> 00:49:09.119
of an hour on it, and I said, look, it
788
00:49:09.280 --> 00:49:11.800
must be me. I said, I think it's me. I'm
789
00:49:11.880 --> 00:49:14.960
not giving you what you want. I don't know how
790
00:49:15.159 --> 00:49:18.360
to give you what you want, and it's really frustrating me.
791
00:49:18.559 --> 00:49:22.159
And I just let loose on how I was feeling
792
00:49:22.280 --> 00:49:25.519
at that moment, and they both looked at me, and
793
00:49:25.679 --> 00:49:30.639
we know the scene now and that moment they.
794
00:49:30.079 --> 00:49:33.239
Did it amazing and it was because I realized.
795
00:49:33.199 --> 00:49:35.920
They actually needed me to do it. You can't ask
796
00:49:36.079 --> 00:49:40.039
someone to be safe, to feel safe, unless you've shown
797
00:49:40.079 --> 00:49:43.920
them that you feel safe with them. And that's what
798
00:49:44.039 --> 00:49:47.000
I mean by read the room. You know, as a director,
799
00:49:47.360 --> 00:49:50.360
So you asked me before about working with David Sinclaire.
800
00:49:51.039 --> 00:49:54.320
I loved you could see moments with David where David
801
00:49:54.480 --> 00:49:59.760
was battling this stuff. But I love that you saw that.
802
00:50:00.199 --> 00:50:02.320
I love that made it real. You sat there and
803
00:50:02.400 --> 00:50:06.840
went this this man's passion for this show. He cares
804
00:50:06.920 --> 00:50:11.719
so much, Linda, Peter John's the amazing Peter John's who
805
00:50:11.760 --> 00:50:14.840
I have done a lot of shows with. These people
806
00:50:14.960 --> 00:50:19.639
really care and they and and they they want the
807
00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:23.440
best for what not just not just for not just
808
00:50:23.519 --> 00:50:26.400
for the show, but for the actors as well, and
809
00:50:26.840 --> 00:50:30.239
like they inspire. You know, I love it norm You
810
00:50:30.320 --> 00:50:33.800
know we talked about Normal. I loved the stillness. Oh
811
00:50:33.960 --> 00:50:39.599
my gosh, you feel really safe, but you also knew
812
00:50:39.639 --> 00:50:43.760
that he was watching the minute details, he was watching
813
00:50:43.880 --> 00:50:48.639
their gestures, he was watching the the Thurrow brow walk
814
00:50:48.719 --> 00:50:53.760
up and whisper something yeah, okay, yeah, and you do
815
00:50:53.880 --> 00:50:57.920
it again, And you just knew moments like that we
816
00:50:58.440 --> 00:51:02.880
were really, really amazing. Yeah, I've had the chance to
817
00:51:03.440 --> 00:51:06.679
do some you know, I worked with I had the chance.
818
00:51:06.719 --> 00:51:09.119
So it was some great, great directors here in your.
819
00:51:09.079 --> 00:51:12.000
Breath of experience. Before we get onto the PVO questionnaire,
820
00:51:12.480 --> 00:51:15.800
and again, it's just one of those conversations we could
821
00:51:15.880 --> 00:51:16.719
just I would.
822
00:51:16.679 --> 00:51:20.639
We could go, can you come back on again and
823
00:51:20.760 --> 00:51:23.440
join us? I would come back on again at a
824
00:51:23.719 --> 00:51:24.440
drop of a hat.
825
00:51:24.920 --> 00:51:27.480
Fantastic. Well, a couple of questions then before you go,
826
00:51:27.639 --> 00:51:29.960
and then you get you back on future down the door.
827
00:51:30.360 --> 00:51:33.159
What do you think makes a good actor? That's a
828
00:51:33.199 --> 00:51:39.039
big question, right, Honesty, absolute honesty, honesty with yourself or
829
00:51:39.400 --> 00:51:44.079
I think I'm just going to say it's when you
830
00:51:44.719 --> 00:51:48.920
when you sit and see something that is authentic, you
831
00:51:49.199 --> 00:51:53.800
know that that person is being honest with themselves, with
832
00:51:54.000 --> 00:51:58.320
the audience, with the text, with the song, that you
833
00:51:58.639 --> 00:52:01.800
just sit there and you've and that honesty is what
834
00:52:01.960 --> 00:52:06.360
gives you that rawness. I think we all crave that. Yes,
835
00:52:06.559 --> 00:52:11.480
you know, yes, yes, we do love the you know,
836
00:52:12.360 --> 00:52:15.880
we do love these overly polished We love that, We
837
00:52:16.079 --> 00:52:20.360
love the finesse, we love the glitter and the sparkles
838
00:52:20.400 --> 00:52:23.639
and that. But the end of the day, I think
839
00:52:23.719 --> 00:52:25.840
when we see an actor sitting there and you think
840
00:52:25.920 --> 00:52:29.039
you've you've just tore your heart out and you've put
841
00:52:29.079 --> 00:52:31.159
it there on and you've left it on the stage
842
00:52:31.239 --> 00:52:34.719
for us to hear it, beat wow, love. What makes
843
00:52:34.760 --> 00:52:37.320
a good director trusting your actors.
844
00:52:39.000 --> 00:52:40.079
We hear that so much.
845
00:52:40.960 --> 00:52:47.480
And a good director picks the right cast, which I guess.
846
00:52:47.360 --> 00:52:49.920
Goes back to the touring as well. You want someone
847
00:52:49.960 --> 00:52:50.880
that's going to fit in.
848
00:52:51.159 --> 00:52:55.400
And absolutely and do all that you know, if a director,
849
00:52:55.760 --> 00:52:59.559
if a director, a director does ninety five of their
850
00:52:59.639 --> 00:53:02.199
own does ninety five percent of the work if they
851
00:53:02.360 --> 00:53:05.159
pick the right cast, because then they know all they
852
00:53:05.239 --> 00:53:10.159
need to do is give moments of inspiration and it'll happen.
853
00:53:10.760 --> 00:53:15.119
And what makes a good musical director being able to
854
00:53:15.159 --> 00:53:15.800
play music.
855
00:53:16.320 --> 00:53:22.760
I'm going to say a good musical director recognizes that
856
00:53:23.079 --> 00:53:29.000
what they are doing is actually the equivalent of what
857
00:53:29.320 --> 00:53:32.840
a director does with the actors. They're just they're doing
858
00:53:32.920 --> 00:53:37.559
it with the music and the vocal instrument. They are
859
00:53:38.039 --> 00:53:42.679
getting the best, and they are working to get the
860
00:53:42.840 --> 00:53:47.880
best out of their performers and recognize the fact that
861
00:53:48.239 --> 00:53:51.800
the performers are an extension of their orchestra.
862
00:53:52.320 --> 00:53:53.679
Is it always about hitting the note?
863
00:53:54.280 --> 00:54:00.360
No? No, but it is. It's about hitting not necessarcessarily
864
00:54:00.519 --> 00:54:03.079
the pitch, but it's about hitting the note.
865
00:54:03.280 --> 00:54:06.000
What makes a good singer? Apart from what you've been.
866
00:54:08.079 --> 00:54:11.639
So Elaine's strip, we know who I'm talking about. Yeah,
867
00:54:11.840 --> 00:54:14.840
broad I'm just abroad. You would sit and listen to
868
00:54:14.960 --> 00:54:18.119
that voice and you go, My goodness, me, I hear
869
00:54:18.239 --> 00:54:20.840
a lifetime when I hear that, I hear you.
870
00:54:20.960 --> 00:54:22.400
But I don't want to listen to Judy dan to
871
00:54:22.480 --> 00:54:26.880
do send you in the Clowns? But I think she
872
00:54:27.000 --> 00:54:30.480
did a good job of that. Do you want to
873
00:54:30.519 --> 00:54:32.719
hear Elizabeth Taylor to send in the clowns?
874
00:54:32.719 --> 00:54:33.320
Has she done that?
875
00:54:33.840 --> 00:54:39.119
Yes? Have you not watched the movie version of of
876
00:54:39.239 --> 00:54:47.639
her Little Night Music? And so, okay, it's bad. I
877
00:54:47.679 --> 00:54:51.079
felt for Elizabeth Taylor. She she what makes a good singer.
878
00:54:51.960 --> 00:54:55.920
They know that they know their instrument, They're honest about
879
00:54:55.960 --> 00:55:01.519
the instrument, they care for their instrument. They respect their music,
880
00:55:01.880 --> 00:55:08.400
they respect, they respect what the composer wanted, and they
881
00:55:08.559 --> 00:55:13.119
give it up. They give a truth, you know, Verisa
882
00:55:13.199 --> 00:55:16.800
militude is that the word a truth in their action
883
00:55:17.000 --> 00:55:22.639
and in the way they sing. I've heard vocally technically
884
00:55:23.159 --> 00:55:27.480
brilliant singers who have left me cold, and I've heard
885
00:55:27.599 --> 00:55:31.280
other people that I've sat there and gone, and this
886
00:55:31.480 --> 00:55:34.199
is part of my empathic part of me. I'll sit
887
00:55:34.280 --> 00:55:37.639
there and I'll go. You've made me ache with your
888
00:55:37.840 --> 00:55:41.559
joy and your pain and your life and your love.
889
00:55:41.880 --> 00:55:46.000
And that's what I want. That's what I want when
890
00:55:46.039 --> 00:55:48.360
they when they know how to interpret a lyric and
891
00:55:48.480 --> 00:55:52.199
a melody, and that, for me is what makes a
892
00:55:52.239 --> 00:55:52.880
great singer.
893
00:55:53.119 --> 00:55:57.559
Wow, well, our therapy session is coming to a close.
894
00:55:58.000 --> 00:56:03.280
Goodness, I'll keep my medicare I don't think we're You've
895
00:56:03.280 --> 00:56:06.159
got the rebet on this one, but look, we like
896
00:56:06.280 --> 00:56:10.119
to finish off with some more therapy. This is it's
897
00:56:10.199 --> 00:56:13.639
just the Pivert questionnaire. Thank you. Yeah, I'm ready for it.
898
00:56:13.800 --> 00:56:16.840
All right, let's go. Let's jump in. David Gauci. What
899
00:56:16.960 --> 00:56:22.800
is your favorite word bewitched? I love that word. No,
900
00:56:23.280 --> 00:56:27.199
be wished. Yes, now I've got the song in my head. No,
901
00:56:27.320 --> 00:56:32.599
that's I dream of Genie in my head. What is
902
00:56:32.639 --> 00:56:34.679
your least favorite word? No?
903
00:56:35.840 --> 00:56:38.360
Why because that's been said to you a lot, or
904
00:56:38.480 --> 00:56:39.880
because you hate saying to people.
905
00:56:41.960 --> 00:56:47.280
I think that there's better ways of letting people know
906
00:56:47.559 --> 00:56:52.599
that that's not what you want or the timing system. Right. Yeah.
907
00:56:53.559 --> 00:56:57.039
What turns you on, creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
908
00:56:57.639 --> 00:57:03.519
People People living their truth creatively on stage? I like that.
909
00:57:04.000 --> 00:57:06.920
What turns you off people who do it because they're
910
00:57:06.960 --> 00:57:10.559
a name and that's the only reason why they've got
911
00:57:10.679 --> 00:57:16.280
the gig. Okay, yep, sorry are we talking about it
912
00:57:16.360 --> 00:57:23.039
doesn't matter? Oh, come on, enough said? What is your
913
00:57:23.079 --> 00:57:29.039
favorite curse word? Oh? Goodness me, I'm god. Do you
914
00:57:29.159 --> 00:57:32.360
swear that much? I'm not a huge swear although you know,
915
00:57:33.000 --> 00:57:35.800
I've said fuck a few times in my in my
916
00:57:36.000 --> 00:57:42.360
life sometimes because I'm swearing. Yeah, no, I'll just say that.
917
00:57:42.599 --> 00:57:45.639
I'll say fuck. Yeah, fair enough. What sound of noise
918
00:57:45.679 --> 00:57:51.800
do you love rain on a corrigated roof? Oh my god, yes,
919
00:57:52.400 --> 00:57:58.239
it's beautiful, it's asleep absolutely straightway. Yeah. Yes. What sound
920
00:57:58.320 --> 00:58:02.800
of noise you hate? Screw reaching tires prior to a
921
00:58:02.960 --> 00:58:05.679
loud bang? Oh my god, Have you been in an
922
00:58:05.679 --> 00:58:06.719
accident that I have?
923
00:58:07.079 --> 00:58:07.280
Yes?
924
00:58:08.199 --> 00:58:15.840
Yeah, what happened? Sorry, traveling down Goodwood Road in the
925
00:58:15.920 --> 00:58:20.920
wet I put I had to stop, suddenly hit the
926
00:58:21.039 --> 00:58:25.920
tram tracks going acrossways, slid and was one in a
927
00:58:26.079 --> 00:58:30.280
six car pilot? Lord, were you okay? I was fine? Okay,
928
00:58:31.840 --> 00:58:34.000
I had a car mount the back of my car
929
00:58:34.119 --> 00:58:40.280
that I was in there the first time. Yeah, just
930
00:58:40.599 --> 00:58:45.280
completely okay. Man's got trauma. But no, that's what you're saying.
931
00:58:47.559 --> 00:58:51.000
What profession other than your own? Would you like to attempt? Wow?
932
00:58:52.360 --> 00:59:00.320
An that count? No? No, nor priesthood. What would I
933
00:59:00.639 --> 00:59:04.039
like to attempt? Oh, I'd love to try being a
934
00:59:04.119 --> 00:59:08.320
pastry chef? I would be do you cook pastries? I
935
00:59:08.440 --> 00:59:12.920
do like to cook. I think i'd like to learn
936
00:59:13.519 --> 00:59:16.119
that that. Yeah, I'd like to learn how to be
937
00:59:16.159 --> 00:59:17.039
a pastry chef.
938
00:59:17.440 --> 00:59:19.440
Who is your favorite celebrity chef?
939
00:59:20.039 --> 00:59:23.559
Poe? Really? I love Poe and Marian.
940
00:59:24.239 --> 00:59:26.800
Oh you're just going all South Australia, ain't he? Yes?
941
00:59:27.320 --> 00:59:32.960
Yes, well it's our thing, Ade Adelaide. Oh come on
942
00:59:33.119 --> 00:59:37.960
Nigella all the way? Oh look absolutely, you know Nigella.
943
00:59:39.079 --> 00:59:42.199
Have you ever seen this? A very clever Nigella parody
944
00:59:42.400 --> 00:59:45.760
on YouTube. Have a watch, you'll it to me, Send
945
00:59:45.760 --> 00:59:49.079
it to me. What profession would you not like to do?
946
00:59:49.599 --> 00:59:55.559
Account that all right? If heaven exists?
947
00:59:56.000 --> 00:59:58.079
What would you like to hear God say when you
948
00:59:58.239 --> 00:59:59.519
arrive at the Pearly gates.
949
01:00:00.840 --> 01:00:03.400
I have a feeling it'll be exit stage left. But
950
01:00:03.599 --> 01:00:07.079
what I'm what I'm What would I like to hear?
951
01:00:08.159 --> 01:00:10.199
You did good? That's it?
952
01:00:10.679 --> 01:00:11.239
You did good?
953
01:00:11.719 --> 01:00:13.800
I think he is still doing good.
954
01:00:14.119 --> 01:00:17.719
Yes, you are such a gentleman like I just again,
955
01:00:17.920 --> 01:00:20.400
as soon as I saw you walk onto that stage
956
01:00:20.639 --> 01:00:24.360
rehearsal room with your big, beautiful, beaming voice and your
957
01:00:24.480 --> 01:00:29.760
gorgeous stage presence and oozing kindness, I've just can constantly
958
01:00:29.800 --> 01:00:32.840
been impressed by you, and I think you're not I'm
959
01:00:32.880 --> 01:00:35.360
not the only person that you've touched like I see
960
01:00:35.360 --> 01:00:36.800
your resume, I see what you've done.
961
01:00:37.360 --> 01:00:38.599
Thank you so much for coming on.
962
01:00:38.760 --> 01:00:40.840
You are a beautiful, beautiful human being.
963
01:00:41.000 --> 01:00:43.840
Thank you, Thank you so very very much. I really
964
01:00:43.920 --> 01:00:48.199
really appreciate that. I'm quite honored that anyone wanted to
965
01:00:48.480 --> 01:00:52.000
take the time to wait to get you back, because
966
01:00:52.000 --> 01:00:52.760
I feel like.
967
01:00:52.760 --> 01:00:55.519
We've been preserving these stories as well.
968
01:00:57.199 --> 01:00:59.840
Really important, because that's what theater is, isn't it. It's
969
01:01:00.000 --> 01:01:03.280
sharing tradition and story. So yes, I love it. Oh
970
01:01:03.320 --> 01:01:04.039
my god, Oh my god.
971
01:01:04.400 --> 01:01:10.440
We can be completely forgotten to ask mister Deuchi, why
972
01:01:10.719 --> 01:01:11.320
do you do this?
973
01:01:11.920 --> 01:01:14.519
You know? I wonder whether a better question is what
974
01:01:14.599 --> 01:01:17.599
would happen if I didn't do this? I think, you know,
975
01:01:17.840 --> 01:01:21.000
so many of us find our identity through what we do,
976
01:01:21.559 --> 01:01:23.639
and if I wasn't to do it, there'd be a
977
01:01:23.760 --> 01:01:27.719
part of me that I wasn't actually realizing. So I
978
01:01:27.880 --> 01:01:31.360
do it purely for selfish reasons. I suppose that sounds great,
979
01:01:31.440 --> 01:01:34.440
doesn't it. I do it because I feel like it's
980
01:01:34.800 --> 01:01:38.320
why I'm part of why I'm here. It's also one
981
01:01:38.360 --> 01:01:40.519
of those things where I think to myself, you know,
982
01:01:40.599 --> 01:01:43.920
I can sit and just you know, be all critical
983
01:01:44.039 --> 01:01:49.280
and judgmental watching other people do stuff directing or performing
984
01:01:49.360 --> 01:01:51.920
on stage, and you know, I can just give lots
985
01:01:51.960 --> 01:01:54.400
of lip service to it. Or I can put my
986
01:01:54.559 --> 01:01:57.119
body where my you know, my mouth is and go
987
01:01:57.320 --> 01:02:02.679
well and money at times and actually say all, okay, well,
988
01:02:02.719 --> 01:02:05.280
if you think you can do it, better, do it better.
989
01:02:06.360 --> 01:02:09.440
And you know, it can be a humbling experience, it
990
01:02:09.519 --> 01:02:14.840
can be a really wonderful experience. But I honestly think
991
01:02:14.920 --> 01:02:18.400
that it's when I think of myself in those times
992
01:02:18.480 --> 01:02:23.679
where I'm not actively involved in theater. There those times
993
01:02:23.679 --> 01:02:26.159
where I feel a little bit like there's a part
994
01:02:26.239 --> 01:02:29.599
of me not there. So does that answer your question?
995
01:02:30.119 --> 01:02:32.360
Done? Thank you, Thank you for your time, David.
996
01:02:32.440 --> 01:02:34.280
We really appreciate my pleasure.
997
01:02:34.440 --> 01:02:37.480
Thank you again to Stepney Studios.
998
01:02:37.519 --> 01:02:38.719
Oh Josh, what a conversation.
999
01:02:39.280 --> 01:02:43.760
What Sometimes it sounds sarcastic when you look at me
1000
01:02:43.840 --> 01:02:44.000
like that.
1001
01:02:45.320 --> 01:02:47.800
It was a great conversation. We could go on all day,
1002
01:02:48.119 --> 01:02:50.559
we can go on all nights, but we will be
1003
01:02:50.679 --> 01:02:53.480
back with other guests and maybe we will ask some
1004
01:02:53.599 --> 01:02:54.320
of them back, I.
1005
01:02:54.320 --> 01:02:56.480
Think, because there are so many stories we still need to.
1006
01:02:56.559 --> 01:03:00.639
Oh wow, even just even tonight. Great. Thank you all
1007
01:03:00.679 --> 01:03:03.719
for listening. Checkers. To all of you. I hope whatever
1008
01:03:03.719 --> 01:03:06.679
you're doing goes well. And if you're not doing something,
1009
01:03:07.119 --> 01:03:08.280
get involved, go and.
1010
01:03:08.320 --> 01:03:08.960
See some theater.
1011
01:03:09.159 --> 01:03:14.559
Thank you. Cheers, bye bye bye, and we're out.
1012
01:03:14.679 --> 01:03:17.719
Thank you, thank you. Oh wow, that was so good.