Full Transcript for Top End Stories with Miranda Tapsell

the ones, all the all the ones that you do as a kid. And I thought this was fantastic. I loved but I had already loved like playing dress ups and singing and putting on a show in the loungry for my family, you know, like I was that show off. 00:06:50 Speaker 2: You know, did you charge to them? 00:06:51 Speaker 1: We're like fifty cents a dollar for the show. 00:06:54 Speaker 3: I should have I was not. I was not that industrious at the time. 00:06:58 Speaker 4: You know. 00:06:58 Speaker 1: Supposedly that's what beyond they did. And I'm like, she's a multi billionaire now, so I mean. 00:07:04 Speaker 3: Well that's that's why. That's why I'm not as rich as. 00:07:10 Speaker 2: Exactly. 00:07:12 Speaker 3: But I I found that like when I was like getting up and doing my thing in front of our impedicine, I I was just consumed with this love for what I was doing. And all of these kids were like, because this is before, like this is how old I am. This is before the like TikTok and any of that. So shame job was like a huge thing, right, Like my generation did not get up and make a spectacle. 00:07:47 Speaker 1: Of ourselves smaller, right. 00:07:49 Speaker 3: Absolutely, you know. And but I was that weird kid that wanted to love it because growing growing up, I I you know, I did really feel like people didn't know how to speak to me. Like I was just this short, brown girl, you know. And I and I wasn't particularly into sport, you know, so and I didn't really like I was. I didn't really enjoy camping when we when we go out there. 00:08:27 Speaker 4: Camping, Yeah, yeahcity exactly. I was. 00:08:31 Speaker 3: I was that annoying kid, just go oh, I have to put up the tents. So yeah, I was that. I was that odd, like I was quite literally the black sheep. So yeah, when I finally found what I loved doing, when I finally found my passion, I was like, well, no one, no one can take this away from me. Now, this is my identity. This is like, this is what I'm going to pursue, and I'm going to go to the city and I'm going to study and do this. 00:09:00 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:09:00 Speaker 3: Yeah, And it was Aaron that made that wow, like possible tangible, do you know what I mean. Like so often before that, you know, I was watching like American stuff, so I thought, Okay, that's an American thing, totally, that's a Hollywood thing. I'm like, you know, I'm not doing that. But he was the one that was like, well, here's a black follow that's doing exactly what I want to do. And not only that, you're getting paid to do dress ups. You're getting paid to be stupid. 00:09:29 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know it isn't it's industry gig, you know, isn't. 00:09:36 Speaker 1: Also, I'll just say, isn't that why representation is so important? I mean, you saw yourself in Aaron, you know, and I think that you have been that now for so many young First Nations girls and boys, you know, especially coming up once you got out of night Er and created these amazing moments within your career, you would have had that impact. 00:09:54 Speaker 2: You know, how does that feel? Well? 00:09:58 Speaker 3: Thank you for that's really really nice. You just say, I feel like I've only carried on from you know what Arnie, Justine Saunders, Leah Percell, Any Dingo, Debrah Mailman, like all the people that came before Uncle Bob Masa. You know, I'm only carrying on what they what they carried, do you know what I mean? They created the path and I just followed that time. 00:10:20 Speaker 2: Absolute trailblazers. 00:10:21 Speaker 1: Yeah. 00:10:22 Speaker 3: Absolutely. But you know, like I I have to, like I have to be a storyteller, you know what I mean, because like it just feels like breathing to me, especially now that I'm actually writing the things that I want to see on TV. You know what I mean, And you know what black follows deserve popcorn movies. 00:10:50 Speaker 2: Oh yes, you know what I mean. 00:10:52 Speaker 1: It's so refreshing and it is so relatable, and it feels like we didn't get that for so long, you know, is delayed in the representation of our community. And I love that you firstly did it with you know, Top End Wedding. I mean, that was such an incredible film and project. How long does I mean that that that film was such a success, But was it a brainchild of yours for a long time before you you know, pitched it and wrote it and and got it out to the world. 00:11:20 Speaker 3: Well, yeah, this is what people forget, right, Like this takes a long time. I ah, I wasn't even married when I was writing Top End Wedding and then I got married. 00:11:37 Speaker 2: Manifesting that life it's. 00:11:39 Speaker 3: Crazy, right, that's how That's how powerful am I writing. 00:11:45 Speaker 2: About me? 00:11:49 Speaker 3: Can you manifest? Excuse me? You're like traveling the world like you don't need to manifest. 00:11:54 Speaker 1: Still, you know what, Top the Top End is still one of my favorite places to go. Yeah, it's so good. 00:12:00 Speaker 2: I love Darwin. 00:12:01 Speaker 1: But I also think that's because of the relationships that I've made with people who've come out of Darwin, you know. But yeah, top End Wedding, it must have taken a while to get that up. 00:12:10 Speaker 3: Well, it's it was actually such a you know, I really have to thank you know, my co writer Joshua Tyler for really making me take that plunge into the world of screenwriting, because I just didn't know how to start. And the thing is, you just need to do it totally. If you've got a story, you've just got to write it. And the reality is it's going to be rubbish the first time you write it, and you're going to be lying on the ground like I was going, Oh God, write writer goes through through that, Yeah, exactly. It is a right of passage. But it's about you know, it was thanks to josh that I sort of pushed through all of that and you know, committed to the story that we wanted to tell. And the thing was we both loved rom Coms. He was one of the rare

people that had been up to the territory. Like you, it's just not a place that people are willing to spend the money on traveling too, because it is expensive. 00:13:26 Speaker 2: It's the same sometimes as the ticket to Europe exactly. I'm like, how is that possible? 00:13:31 Speaker 3: It's bananas. Domestic flights at the moment are astronomical. So yeah, Like I understand why a lot of people don't, but when they get there, when they get to the territory, no one ever regrets going there. Like look at you. You've you've been and you fell in love with it. 00:13:53 Speaker 2: In the people, you know. 00:13:54 Speaker 3: The people, the food, the food, the sunset amazing. Oh yeah, incredible. And I'm such a food snob now, Like I'm not just going to be eating any luxA from anywhere, like it needs to be from Darwin. 00:14:15 Speaker 1: I want to ask you, you know, you've been a face on our television and a household name for a number of years now. You know, it's been there's been such an incredible trajectory through your career. You know, I remember back to The Love Child, you know, one of the first blackfellows who were at the helm of a show in the mainstream and creating you know, pathways and breaking down barriers in the mainstream networks and then being able to shift that and take the control of the narrative and write your own story or write a story that is important to you. What did it take to get that sense of empowerment, you know, after all these years being almost you know, the actor, the actor who's taken on another character. But now you're in the writing seat, you're in the producing seat. You are really you know the boss of Miranda tapsle produ. 00:15:01 Speaker 2: And I love that. So what did it take for you to get to that moment? Well? 00:15:06 Speaker 3: For me, I look, I love acting. It's always going to be my first love. But so often actors are brought in really latent to the process. Scripts have been locked off, you know, costumes, casting, so really like you are just expected to rock up and say your lines. And that works for that, like, that works, you know, eighty percent of the time. But for me, like you know, like and this is what Josh reminded me as well. He's like, you know how a script works, you know, cause and effects, you know, the mathematics of a script, so like it's not a completely foreign and thing. And I realized, Yeah, I was looking at these scripts and going, oh, you know, that's not a great that's not a great payoff for my for my character, you know. Like, but the problem is, like the producers and the screenwriters that are actually working on the script have so many factors to to work with that sometimes you know, my character just falls by the wayside, you know. And so I thought, okay, well, this is this is how I would want, you know, the characters in my stories to to get their payoffs, you know, even if they are just such small like beats in the in the script and the thing is too like I just I think there's there's space for our for our history, for our trauma in our stories. Like you know, I can appreciate the filmmakers that really want to delve into that, but for me, I wanted to make the kind of shows that that make our mob go yeah, like we are we are, we are awesome. There's so much to love about our community, our generosity, our inclusivity, you know the fact that we do all help each other out, and you know, like my well my community anyway, we do put our kids first, you know, we all like we all chip in. We act like a school of fish in some ways. And I really wanted to show that in Top End bub I and there there's just so much there's so many aspects of our community to celebrate. Yes, we've had to deal with a whole lot, but That's why I want more mob to like write stuff, because my story is not the only story to tell, do you know what I mean? My perspective's only one perspective of the community. 00:18:21 Speaker 2: So but it does represent a lot of us. 00:18:23 Speaker 1: And I feel like there'll be such a connection from our people when watching this. And I think that, you know, having your work be so mainstream, I think that's a really powerful thing. 00:18:32 Speaker 2: And I really do want to get out. 00:18:34 Speaker 1: I really want to get our audience excited about this, you know, top end bub Because I've watched the series. I was, you know, at home in my bed on my laptop watching it. I've got a screen of guys, a little exclusive, and I was able to get through the series in one setting. I sat down and I watched all of the episodes. 00:18:52 Speaker 2: Youed it, I've binched it. 00:18:54 Speaker 1: I love it, and you know what that that says to me, that is a great series. I didn't even want to get up and make it coffee, make a cup of tea. I didn't want, you know, to get food. I wanted to sit and I really wanted to watch it. 00:19:05 Speaker 2: And I felt so. 00:19:09 Speaker 1: So excited about this and I'm so glad that it's going to be out into the world, you know, this week, because every character in here it made me feel like, you know, they represented an individual from my own family. And there were so many people in there that I could really resonate with. And I think, whether your First Nations or you're not, this dynamic of family and community really is powerful. And I love that you've written it this way. So I really want to encourage our audience to watch it. 00:19:39 Speaker 2: But I want to talk about your character first. Lauren. 00:19:41 Speaker 1: Oh, you know, we don't get to see a lot of powerful First Nations women in you know series, and she is the head of a law firm, her own firm. I mean, she's this powerful, intelligent, quick witted, smart, sassy, beautiful Black woman, and it's really exciting to see a person like that, a character like that on stage from our community. Tell me why was it important for you to write the character of Lauren. 00:20:09 Speaker 3: Well, these are the kind of women that I grew

up with, you know what I mean, Like my aunties would not step out the front door without putting on their Sunday best And this is just to go to the shops, you know what I'm saying. This is just to go to Woolworth, and I love that. You know, they're putting on perfume, they're putting on their best jewelry, like, and you know, they had really high expectations of like my cousins and me. You know, they they would expect us to finish year twelve, even if, like you know, they didn't expect us to be doctors or lawyers. Like they just wanted us to get that piece of paper and get over the line totally so that we were empowered to get employed and make a life for ourselves, you know what I mean. They're just like, mum, even I I just passed my year twelve. By the way, I am not Lauren In In the slightest I would not have been able to get a law degree with the mark that I got in year twelve. But you know, I was still that. I was still that go getter. You know, I wasn't gonna pine over boys, you know, because that's to me, like twenty year old boys are just so fickle. 00:21:33 Speaker 2: You know, that is just the worst. Anyway. 00:21:38 Speaker 3: They don't know what they want, you know, and they don't want to put labels on anything. So I'm like, okay, well I'm not waiting around for that, Like, I'm I'm just gonna focus on being being good at what you know, I'm good at yes, and people don't see that enough. So often, you know, Aboriginal people get depicted as slack, you. 00:22:05 Speaker 2: Know, totally stereotypes. Yeah. 00:22:07 Speaker 1: Yeah, the stereotypes have you know, really been how we've been represented in media for so many years. 00:22:14 Speaker 2: This is the opposite of that. 00:22:15 Speaker 3: And we talk in circles all the time. I just feel like we're reiterating the same thing all the time and it gets boring totally. Like, you know, my family are not lazy. Yeah, my family, like my pop right, drove garbage trucks for a living. He taught himself how to read because people would throw books on the side of the street. Like this was before op shops and recycling and all of this. 00:22:44 Speaker 1: So you know what I mean, Like you can see where your tenacity came from, yeah, lineage. 00:22:49 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, And so that's what I wanted to That's what I wanted to show people and at like that's why we've that's why you've thrived for so many generations. So like, yes, I'm sure there's like people will watch this and go, well, that's not my experience. Of the Aboriginal community. That's not my community, but this was mine. 00:23:15 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, and I love how many different dynamics there are in this you know, in this show in terms of the relationships, I think that every every character gets a moment, which is so exciting for me because sometimes you fall in love with a character in a series and you're like, I just wish they could shine, And I feel like you've really been able to give everyone their moment. 00:23:33 Speaker 2: This cast is absolutely stacked. 00:23:35 Speaker 1: I'm talking Elane Crombie, Shahi Sevens, you know, as well as directing, you know some of the some of the episodes. You've got Guy Simon, You've got Ershley Yovic. I mean, you've got yourself. I think that there is just such an incredible cohort of First Nations talent in this show as well. What is it like, you know, picking up the phone and saying, hey, you want to jump on You know your cast, you know your people who you've known as well. You know, you went through Night with Guy and Shari, And what is it like casting these incredible talented friends of yours. 00:24:07 Speaker 3: Oh, it was just so exciting, Like I was, I've always been in awe of their talent and so like to be able to give them, to be able to give them the opportunity to shine. It was really special. I mean, Shari Shari has become like the most incredible director, and I think it is because you know, she has had that experience of you know, acting, particularly in comedy. Yes, you know, she is so good at timing and rhythms that she can she can work with actors so well. And that's the thing, Like, because it was because I knew all these actors that that there was this second there was this secondhand language. Is that the right word? 00:25:05 Speaker 1: But I think what it provides is the sense of family. You already have that in a sense with these people who you've been able to come up with, you know, like the Shahis and the guys of the world. I think that the familiarity created that thing that we all get on the opposite side of the screen, which is that heart. You know, absolutely, I want to ask you a question about the writing. You know, how do you balance the drama and the comedy. I feel like there is such a beautiful balance in here. One minute you're like whoa Like it hits you in the heart and you and you're getting pulled with these emotional heart strings and then the. 00:25:40 Speaker 2: Next minute you're laughing. 00:25:43 Speaker 1: I'm like, wow, you really know how to like draw someone in and then crack a joke. What is that balance when you're writing a script, you know, is it something that you keep in mind? 00:25:53 Speaker 3: Oh? Absolutely, And it was constant trial and error, but I guess like we did have we did have a sort of set of rules, and it was just about, you know, the the comedy was never going to trivialize our experience as Black follows. The comedy was going to come from like that, you know, family members being under pressure, making brash decisions, you know, and and the pressure cooker of all living together. Like it was situational that we were that the comedy. 00:26:40 Speaker 1: Was taking me straight to four where they're where they're fighting the lollies, you know, and and and you're following the show. He comes out with all these cannipads, and it's just hilarious because really that is the dynamic of these two worlds. 00:26:53 Speaker 2: You know, it's like putting in all

this. 00:26:56 Speaker 1: Effort and all this which is his passion and his love, but it's very much his world, you know. It just doesn't translate to yours. We want the lollies in the dryer downstairs, you know. And so I think that that that whole element of really being able to uh, you know, create comedy in four that that made me laugh a lot, like the chasing around the yard and then having. 00:27:18 Speaker 2: That as also the cowboys story to the kids. 00:27:21 Speaker 1: I just think the layers in this are so clever and smart, and I think you've done a brilliant job in being able to balance that. 00:27:27 Speaker 3: Oh thank you well. Also like the actors picked up the script and ran with it, like I cast a lot of silly people, yeah, and it was like half the time we're like, oy you mob, we haven't got like some going down, Like stop mucking around now. 00:27:45 Speaker 1: I think speaking of cast, you know, we spoke about these actors who are fully you know, within their craft and they've been doing it for years. But the young bub in this who it's all about, you know, top end Bub is the title, you know, she is phenomenal. I think you've unearthed just an amazing star here. 00:28:04 Speaker 3: Gladys may Kelly's phenomenal. 00:28:07 Speaker 2: Wow, she's great. 00:28:08 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, beautiful little younger girl from Western Australia too, Like we had we had combed through like a whole heap of talent. I was blown away by the volume of confident young girls like from eight to ten. Yeah, Like what was so beautiful about Gladdie was that there was just such a natural like she was just so comfortable in front of the camera and truthful. 00:28:42 Speaker 1: Yeah you believe, you really believe her, you know exactly. I love that when you can see that natural What you're talking about is that natural ability. But it's almost like they haven't been taught anything. It's so inherent here they are. You know, it's like just come so beautifully and the camera picks it up, you know, as on steal truth and I think. 00:29:01 Speaker 3: Absolute And a lot was asked of her, you know what I mean, she was carrying a lot of the plot, and you know, thankfully like her mom, who was a teacher, was just had this beautiful manner of talking to her, and we had a really great dramaturgue as well, so like that would kind of coach her through the scenes each day. So you know, we were really lucky that she was so well supported, Like obviously the cast were there as well. Yeah, absolutely, And I guess that's why she was able to be so. 00:29:50 Speaker 1: Brave well speaking of you know, the new generation and this new you say, you saw such a big pool of incredible talent. What is it that you want this new generation of First Nation storytellers? You know, what's an inspiring message to put out there? I mean, you know, you've had such an incredible journey. As people think that getting to our goals or achieving our dreams, sometimes it feels like it's the impossible

mission. But in my experience, some things are closer than you think if you do the work. You know, So what is your message of, you know, to the to the new generation coming through who want to maybe be a writer, a director and actor. 00:30:28 Speaker 3: Well, for me, I struggle still with how community, particularly elders, are going to what they're going to think of my work? 00:30:44 Speaker 2: Okay? 00:30:45 Speaker 3: And so you know, I've always got them on the back of my mind thinking, oh am I doing the right thing? Here? Am I rapping? Am I rapping the people? 00:30:56 Speaker 1: Right? 00:30:59 Speaker 3: But at some point I really had to sort of just allow myself to be willing to beg for forgiveness. So like if a Nani's going to come up and go, you know, shame job, Like you know, Lauren's drinking up there or Lauren's like doing this and that and and but also like we should be allowed to be We should be allowed to make mistakes absolutely, you know, and I don't think Aboriginal people have been allowed to make mistakes. 00:31:39 Speaker 1: There's too much pressure to be you know, a certain version exactly. 00:31:44 Speaker 3: And so I wanted my characters to to muck. 00:31:48 Speaker 1: Up and flowed characters the most interesting characters because we all are exactly you know, like I'm. 00:31:54 Speaker 3: Not always going to say the right thing, and you know, but the beautiful thing about out the genre and why I'm such a huge fan of rom coms is that, like, you know, the characters work so hard to redeem themselves in the eyes of the people they love. So I'm never worried about like how how misled they get, because they're always They're always going to go, Okay, how do I make this right? And so what I guess what I say to the mob that want to go into filmmaking one, like do everything, like do writing, acting, producing, like be a be a multi hyphen it, because you know, we can't we can't wait for people to we can't wait for permission. But two, it's like, you know, be kind to yourself when you're creating this stuff, because you're constantly going to learn. And also we've been telling stories for over sixty thousand years, so that's right. 00:33:08 Speaker 1: What is if you look back on your career now, you know you've done so much and there's been so many successful moments for you, what would your message be to young Miranda at the age of thirteen, you know, starting out? What is something that you would say to her if she was standing next to you right now? 00:33:27 Speaker 2: Oh? 00:33:27 Speaker 3: Wow, that is such an interesting question. I've actually never thought I've actually never thought about that. Well, what comes to mind is, and it's such an easy thing to say now in hindsight that I would love to tell thirteen year old Miranda that people's perceptions of you don't necessarily define who you are. Does that make sense? Like you don't necessarily have to believe what people tell you? 00:33:53 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:33:54 Speaker 3: So I think it's taken me, well, it's taken my stories to really discover that, and so I'm really grateful I've come to that point now. But yeah, I would love to tell thirteen You're I'm merid of that. 00:34:14 Speaker 2: I love that. Isn't hindsight a beautiful thing? 00:34:16 Speaker 3: Absolutely? 00:34:17 Speaker 1: Last question, for you is what do you want your audience to take away from this series? There's so much in it, you know, I feel like it's so full. It's got the heart, it's got the comedy, it's got all these beautiful characters that have their moments. What is it when someone leaves, you know, that switches off the TV and they've just finished the series, what do you want to sit in their hearts? 00:34:40 Speaker 2: Well? 00:34:40 Speaker 3: I particularly want the non Indigenous audience watching to begin investing in our community. I just feel like that for too long, this society in general has been so apathetic towards the issues that affect our mob, and it's always been on us to sort of go, hey, what about us, you know, And so hopefully, like the Indigenous people watching, go look at this family, they're just like us. We need to care about these people as much as we care about anyone else. Yes, because you know what I'm sick of, I'm sick of having to justify like our worth and our contribution to this country. Like people need to start turning to our knowledge and our stories because it all begins. 00:35:48 Speaker 2: With us, absolutely, and. 00:35:51 Speaker 3: We shouldn't this. Hopefully this series makes some sort of light bulb turn. 00:36:00 Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that. That's such a powerful message to end on. I really feel like it. 00:36:05 Speaker 1: Has that in it, It has the ability to do exactly that because I feel, as you know, a blackfellow, I connect with it. But I can see how the wider community as well can really love and appreciate who we are as people through this series. So thank you so much for that. If you're listening, you can catch Top and Bob this Friday on the twelfth of September on Prime Video. I'm so excited to be hosting the premiere for you. This is going to be such a highlight of my career. 00:36:36 Speaker 3: Oh my god. I was thrilled that you were able to do it. 00:36:40 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm so proud of everything you've done. And you know, it's been a really big, full career for you, and I think you're just going to keep on doing this amazing work. And I feel very privileged to know you and to have seen all this success. 00:36:56 Speaker 2: So congrats on all of it. 00:36:58 Speaker 3: Tom Maddie. My head's going to be so. 00:37:01 Speaker 2: But thank you so much for joining us on. 00:37:03 Speaker 1: First things first, if you love what you heard today, make sure you go and check out this incredible series on Prime Video. Top end bub but also check out Miranda on social media. 00:37:12 Speaker 2: Where can they find. 00:37:13 Speaker 4: You, oh, mistap mistage, Yes, at Miss Taps, you can find me at It's Mattie Mills, and you know Brooks handle at brook dot blurton. 00:37:22 Speaker 2: But thank you so much your 00:37:23 Speaker 1: Mob, stay safe, stay deadly, and we'll see you next time.