High Notes & Rose Chong

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Hi, Helena. Hello, Adam.
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And hi to all of our listeners. We've got a fantastic episode for you today.
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But before we introduce our first guest, Helena, why don't you tell us all about yourself?
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My name is Helena Dix. I'm an international Australian soprano of mystery and
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delight, depending on who you ask.
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I travel the globe singing at stages all around the world.
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I love to sing high notes. I am a keen cook, which you can probably tell by the size of my behind.
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I love walking my dog and hanging out with all my friends, especially now that
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I'm back in Australia reconnecting with beautiful people.
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And my name is Adam Miller. I am a former opera singer turned producer, writer and director.
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And Helena, you and I have had the great pleasure of working together in all
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sorts of capacities over the years.
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Now, why don't you tell us who our guest is today?
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On the podcast today, we have Rose Chong.
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Rose is a true legend of Australia's costume and performance scene.
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And as you're about to hear, a total character in her own right.
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As the founder of Rose Chong Costumes in Melbourne, she has spent decades helping
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shape the look and feel of theatre, film, television and live performance across the country.
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With an eye for detail a love of
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the unexpected and a personality as colorful as
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the costumes that she creates rose has worked
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with everyone from major productions to local performers bringing countless
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characters to life known for her wit her warmth and her unapologetically unique
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style rose chong has become an icon of our creative community we're very excited
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to have her on the podcast today.
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They've been known to do that. Hey, so I guess probably something that I am really interested in.
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Rose, Helena raves about you. How did you guys meet? I was just told.
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A diva was coming and it was my job to frock her.
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So it could have been any diva and it turned out to be Helena.
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And I think we worked together rather well, actually. Bloody well. Yes, absolutely.
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And actually when Rose and I first started chatting to each other,
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when Rose was fitting me for one of my first costumes, which I think was the
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first one we did together was the Lucretia Borgia, I think, like in recent times.
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And anyway, Rose said to me, oh, no, it wasn't the Borgia. It was the.
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Maria Stuarda. Stuarda. That's right. It was the Stuarda. And we got chatting
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about all the weird and wonderful things in the costume shot, in Rose's costume shot.
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And we were talking about, like, the crazy things. And then we realized that,
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actually, Rose made the cupcake for my Albert Herring debut. That's right. No.
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You sent me the picture. You sent me the picture. Yes, that's right.
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And that was iconic, you know. That was iconic.
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She's like, oh, yeah, there's crazy things like cupcakes. I'm like,
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whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. I was the cupcake.
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I was like 17 or 18 at the time when I did Albert Hearing with Opera Live.
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And so many people still laugh about that costume because they think it's the
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best thing ever. I wonder what happened to it.
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I know. I'm not sure. Somewhere that someone's got a cupcake in their garage
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that they don't know what to do with.
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A giant cupcake. I should reclaim it.
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We should sell it off. We should do a charity auction for Helena's first opera.
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I mean, people would not believe it now that I played a child who was dressed as a cupcake.
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But, you know, it was the coolest costume ever.
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And I just remember because we did it in the Paran Market.
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I don't know if you remember. Did you come to see the show, Rose?
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I didn't actually in fact I don't,
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Because I make what I'm told to do here, what people want me to do,
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and they disappear with the costumes, and then they've got a life of their own after they leave here.
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So I actually don't remember seeing that show.
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Well, it was hilarious. You could re-stage it, you know, Ellen.
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We could. I mean, I've always wanted to play the Bel Canto Operatic Diva Cupcake again.
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Cupcake 2, Electric Boogaloo. I'm here for it. Let's make that happen.
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I'm happy to knock up another cupcake. Iced this time.
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Seriously, seriously iced. I love it. Well, I just remember that because we
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did it behind the fruit and veggie stalls at the Paran Market,
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and there were two cupcakes. There was me who had the ping pong ball.
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I was the sprinkles cupcake.
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And then there was a separate butterfly. She was the butterfly wings cupcake.
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And there were two of us because we played the two young girls in the opera.
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When we ran on the Paran Market wings, wings, I mean, the market doesn't have wings.
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But when we ran on for the first time and the audience saw the two giant cupcakes
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running on for the first time, it literally brought the house down every time.
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On opening night though the butterfly cupcake got
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stuck ahead of me and we only had three minutes to run from
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the from the side stairs to behind the fruit
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and veggie stools up onto a crate which we couldn't see because
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we were giant cupcakes with our eyes but we could feel with our feet and we
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got managed to get up on this crate but the thing is the girl before me the
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butterfly cupcake she got stuck and you know opening night you could hear helena
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i'm stuck and then everyone started of laughing because you could hear like
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the fact that she said that she was stuck.
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And I had to like sumo cupcake her through the slot in order to get,
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because I couldn't touch her
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because the hands were out so wide because of the width of the cupcake.
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It was iconic, Rose. You have lived with me through that outfit.
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There's a bit more in this that we can squeeze out.
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I think it's absolutely crying out to be restaged. Yes.
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I think I can do cupcakes. I can still do cupcakes. You can do anything,
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I'm sure. I certainly do a mean cupcake.
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Well, I'm definitely going to ask you a fair bit across the course of this chat
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about your making skills.
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Again, you very much identify as a maker, which I've kind of discovered in my research about you.
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But I'd love to hear your story of how you've ended up here and doing the work
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that you've done. How did you start out in this industry?
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Well, when I left school, I had a brief moment where I was apprenticed as a dressmaker.
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And that was brutal. And I learned how to do it professionally.
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So it was a long time ago, Adam.
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I mean, you probably heard that I'm 80.
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And I did that when I was 16.
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Wow. And then after I'd done that for a bit, I went to art school.
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And at art school, I learned a bit about the design side of things.
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And then I made what turned out to be a pretty stupid decision.
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And I ran away with my teacher.
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In those days that sort of thing went on it doesn't anymore but,
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Of course, it all fell into a big mess, and I ended up with two little boys
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who are now middle-aged, and one of them is even retired.
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And then I was making a living in Cambridge, in the UK, sewing,
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making things for the local theatre company,
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designing and making for the arts theatre in Cambridge when they needed me.
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And then somebody came to stay in my spare room, a student, and I ran away with him as well.
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And 50 years later, I'm still here. He was doing his PhD, which he had to come
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back to Australia to finish. He wasn't just doing his PhD, was he, Rose?
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He fitted in a few bits on the side, Helena, don't worry.
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And we're still together 50 years later. Wow.
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We never, I don't think we ever expected that we would be still in Australia
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because he's Malaysian.
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And we thought we'll finish the PhD and then see what's ahead of us.
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But then I started to do some work for the Pram Factory, which was a theater group in Carlton.
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And I was basically the only person in that group that didn't want to act and
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didn't want to get on the stage.
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And the way it was structured was that if you were not chosen to be an actor,
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they got you to do the costumes. It was definitely...
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And they actually hadn't had anybody that really knew how to do the costumes.
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So I stayed with them for a while. And then they started to make some movies.
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And knowing nothing whatsoever about movies, we did the costume designs for some movies.
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And then that was the age of miniseries. Do you remember miniseries?
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Yeah, I love a good miniseries. They made lots of miniseries,
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and I just went from one to the other.
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And then at the end of every TV series or film that I did, there was always
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a stack of costumes that nobody knew what to do with.
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And the producers said, get rid of them. So...
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That was the genesis of this business, and that was 45 years ago.
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Oh, my gosh. That's amazing.
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That's how I get to here. So your shop in Fitzroy has been going for 45 years? Yes.
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That's amazing. You must have seen some amazing changes in Fitzroy over that time.
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The reason we came here was that it was the largest space, closest to the CBD,
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cheapest, that nobody wanted.
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And it was really seedy around here.
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There was a pub across the road that was just for drugs.
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I think I never saw anyone go in and get a beer or anything there.
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And people wouldn't let their kids do work experience here because it was so dodgy.
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Wow. But we've just sort of grown and grown, and we're still growing.
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Somebody made a donation today
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of rolls and rolls and rolls of fabric and costumes and stuff like that.
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So every day, we seem to get bigger.
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And you certainly have one of
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the most eclectic collections of things I've ever witnessed in one space.
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You know, it must feel like some kind of fairyland in there quite often, I would imagine.
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We've got a rule that if you can buy it from a shop, we don't have it.
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That's great. If you can go to Myers or go to Timu and get it,
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then we don't have it. We only have things that you can't possibly buy. Wow.
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I mean, and again, your shop is famous for transformation.
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That's certainly what everyone says. So what does a great transformation session
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look like from your perspective?
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Well, I think we've got as a mantra, come in as yourself and come and go out
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as somebody else entirely.
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And it's very much dependent on the staff who are enthusiastic and they can
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persuade people to go just a little bit beyond what.
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But then they're also trained to not actually make people feel uncomfortable.
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Yeah. But it's got to be fun choosing a costume and the people here will, they're stylists.
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So they'll say think of this and add
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this and i think we've got just and they you've got
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to know the stock too and i can
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tell from the way the customer
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looks which of the staff has
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put it together really they've got their
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own style of styling but we've got i mean one of my favorite customers was somebody
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we all we know that blokes often come in middle-aged blokes come in because
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their wife has told them you've got to go and get a costume and we've got we've got a special,
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we've got costumes for people that don't really want to wear a costume and i
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mean sherlock holmes stuff like that where you don't have to get undressed and
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you can just put something on.
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So we had, this bloke came in and he looked exactly like a Western District farmer.
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He looked like Malcolm Fraser and he said, I've got to go to a party.
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And we trotted out the Sherlock Holmes.
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And he said, well, actually, I was looking for something like Margot Fontaine.
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And so we were so excited, we managed to get a Margot Fontaine for him.
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And that customer comes back every time he goes to a party and borrows the Margot
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Fontaine outfit, which we've had to let out over the years.
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It now fits a 46-inch chest.
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It's had its own journey with... Yes. Yeah.
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I love it. My gosh, that's so good.
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That is just amazing. Coming back to your film, your time in film,
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so you, am I right? So you won the Actor Award for Best Costume in 1989. Is that right?
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And that was for... You've done some homework, haven't you? Just a little bit, just a little bit.
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A film that nobody's ever seen again, and it was called What the Moon Saw,
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and its claim to fame was that it had Nicole Kidman in it.
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Right. But apart from that, it had nothing else to recommend it.
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Except for the costumes, right? Oh, the frocks were nice. The frocks were great fun.
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Great fun. I mean, the shows that we did, the ones that were the most creditable
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shows were not the ones that were the most fun to do the frocks.
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Of course. Yeah, of course.
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And you have a different experience. It depends who you're working with.
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It depends a lot on the actors.
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And you've got some actors that are just a joy to work with and others...
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Not so.
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I would imagine that designing costumes, making and designing and all of that
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for TV and film is such a different experience to working with directors for stage and,
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of course, for opera, which I've worked with you for as well.
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Do you think that, you know, as the mama of design, like when you're looking
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at these things, of course, when you're looking at it down a lens,
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it's very intimate and, you know, quite a different experience, right?
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You're right, Helena. It's a totally different skill.
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And when we build for the stage, we build like a battleship.
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It's almost like armor. You've got to build it strong so that it'll last through
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all the performances and be washed and be pulled around.
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When you're making for film, you have to know what your shot is and you don't waste time doing.
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You can leave the hem undone because you know that the shot is just going to
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be on the face. Oh, wow. Right.
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And you don't need to finish off all the insides.
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And that's really interesting because more recently in the past three to four
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years of the opera work that I've done around the world, we're now in the age
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of filming opera as well.
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So I found it really interesting to chat with the costume people,
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say, over at the Met in New York, for instance, who have said that their jobs
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have become so much more difficult with the age of HD, you know,
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high definition filming and things.
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Because, you know, because of course they're building for a 4,000-seat theatre
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usually and that looks so different in the sense of the materials that they're
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using and the way that it's presented and the shapes because you're looking
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at it, you know, from a far away.
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But now they have to cater for both in one go.
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So they're looking at an opera season that's built these costumes around being
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in a space and looking at them,
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but then also something that's down the lens
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and so they have to be so much more particular about everything
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that they're creating absolutely and um i mean we've you spend it with film
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you spend most of your time doing the top half of the body so around the neck
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and the neckline and and you don't bother too much about.
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The whole silhouette but i should
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so if you're if a camera is zooming in
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on an opera costume they've got
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to put a lot more energy around the
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face than they would normally it's it would be really challenging really challenging
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i should think one of the things that surprised me the most rose when i was
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chatting with the the some of the designers and things because i love it's Obviously
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a world that I'm not familiar with at all, but I have to say that in opera.
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One of my favorite things, and a lot of my friends who are not in the industry
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say to me, it must be the coolest thing in the world to have,
00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:47.599
you know, wigs, hair, makeup, costumes, and step into that world.
00:18:47.679 --> 00:18:51.699
Because as you said, like even talking about the shop, that when someone comes
00:18:51.699 --> 00:18:55.499
in to, you know, they come in themselves and then they go out as someone else.
00:18:55.499 --> 00:19:01.079
And I think I have been so fortunate over my time, obviously yourself immensely
00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:08.819
included in that, where people just appreciate and build for me and make me look amazing.
00:19:08.819 --> 00:19:13.559
And what that does for me is all the incredible work that I've put in before
00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:16.839
I've got there means that if I'm feeling, you know,
00:19:17.219 --> 00:19:21.439
fantastic within the costume that I'm doing, that I've got on,
00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:24.559
then my performance is enhanced by that as well, you know?
00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:27.439
Yes yeah yeah well i think
00:19:27.439 --> 00:19:30.819
that's what that's that's the the the
00:19:30.819 --> 00:19:33.579
privilege of being part of the part of the
00:19:33.579 --> 00:19:39.899
journey is to be able to help people to get to that stage where they can um
00:19:39.899 --> 00:19:46.479
forget about the costume yeah and just do their job my job is to get you to
00:19:46.479 --> 00:19:50.819
that stage that you can completely forget about your costume and.
00:19:51.687 --> 00:19:56.367
And get on with what i remember the wardrobes lady saying to me oh we even look
00:19:56.367 --> 00:20:00.547
at someone she said i can look at your face and your your shape as well but
00:20:00.547 --> 00:20:02.307
but your your you know your
00:20:02.607 --> 00:20:05.467
skin color your hair color or obviously not hair color
00:20:05.467 --> 00:20:09.647
if they're putting you in a wig but even the even the the the kind of color
00:20:09.647 --> 00:20:13.647
of of your eyes and the skin and i can tell you which which colors you'll be
00:20:13.647 --> 00:20:17.347
great in and i was like what wow like i'd never even thought of that she said
00:20:17.347 --> 00:20:20.347
to me she said we would never put you in blah blah blah and she kind of like
00:20:20.347 --> 00:20:22.687
reeled off those colours that wouldn't look good on that set.
00:20:22.967 --> 00:20:27.347
Do you find, because I find that when I hear people sing, like even just on
00:20:27.347 --> 00:20:31.447
the radio, I can't switch off my brain from knowing what's good and bad.
00:20:31.587 --> 00:20:35.227
So do you find the same thing in fashion and costumes?
00:20:35.667 --> 00:20:41.867
And I mean, if we go to see, if we go to the theatre or go to see anything,
00:20:42.067 --> 00:20:46.887
I'm always saying to my husband, just that dress is a disaster.
00:20:48.667 --> 00:20:51.387
And he goes he's just listening to the
00:20:51.387 --> 00:20:54.207
singing you know and i'm thinking no this that was
00:20:54.207 --> 00:20:57.007
a big mistake that well you're right you can't switch it
00:20:57.007 --> 00:21:00.267
off i mean it's i mean these days i mostly
00:21:00.267 --> 00:21:08.267
work with other designers and designers bring me in the the the in and i sometimes
00:21:08.267 --> 00:21:17.007
i think to myself quietly not that quietly but a little bit quietly not sure this This is not sure.
00:21:17.207 --> 00:21:21.247
This is quite... What do you do in that situation, Rose? Do you feel like you're
00:21:21.247 --> 00:21:22.527
empowered enough to make a comment?
00:21:23.607 --> 00:21:27.507
I do put my two cents worth in.
00:21:27.987 --> 00:21:33.467
But what can happen is that you get a designer who's focused on...
00:21:34.970 --> 00:21:41.450
The drawings. And their drawings are so beautiful that they can sell them at the end of the show.
00:21:41.790 --> 00:21:46.730
But it's to do with the glory of the drawings.
00:21:47.070 --> 00:21:54.370
And I need a drawing that shows me where the seams are, how it's put together,
00:21:54.570 --> 00:21:56.230
how they're going to get into it.
00:21:56.430 --> 00:22:02.090
I need to be able to see that the color is going to reflect properly.
00:22:03.390 --> 00:22:06.670
It's going to reflect the way so sometimes
00:22:06.670 --> 00:22:11.190
i mean that's that's not always an easy negotiating with
00:22:11.190 --> 00:22:17.590
the designer is not always a walk in the park of course yeah i'm big artistic
00:22:17.590 --> 00:22:23.050
temperaments thinking you know it's easier it's easier if i design it myself
00:22:23.050 --> 00:22:27.170
i'm not i'm not one of those designers that draws.
00:22:28.210 --> 00:22:29.570
Archival pictures.
00:22:29.850 --> 00:22:36.730
When I present my designs, what I like to do is actually take a costume from
00:22:36.730 --> 00:22:42.630
here and say, I'm imagining that it'll be like this, but longer.
00:22:43.030 --> 00:22:47.170
Or it'll be like this, but greener. And that,
00:22:47.870 --> 00:22:54.950
I think that helps a director visualize it better than a beautiful pen and ink,
00:22:55.250 --> 00:22:58.830
you know, a beautiful, but that's just my, my, my thing.
00:22:59.070 --> 00:23:03.090
Well, it's so funny you say that because I, I'm now incredibly conscious of
00:23:03.090 --> 00:23:07.890
the fact that as a director and as a producer, I have on multiple occasions
00:23:07.890 --> 00:23:11.210
fallen in love with the pictures and then handed them off to,
00:23:11.210 --> 00:23:13.530
to costume makers and said, go make that thing.
00:23:13.670 --> 00:23:17.690
And I didn't realize it was hard. I'd went, I've been handed a beautiful photo.
00:23:17.870 --> 00:23:21.090
I'm handing, well, not a beautiful, I've been handed a beautiful picture.
00:23:21.330 --> 00:23:23.750
You've been handed a beautiful picture. Go forth and make it.
00:23:24.150 --> 00:23:27.250
I never saw the eye rolling, but now I can imagine they're probably going,
00:23:27.430 --> 00:23:32.350
oh God, Adam's going to hand me something that someone's drawn and it's pretty, but so impractical.
00:23:32.750 --> 00:23:37.430
Oh, wow. I'd never really thought about that. There would have been quite a
00:23:37.430 --> 00:23:39.510
lot of eye rolling, I should imagine.
00:23:39.910 --> 00:23:43.690
Eye rolling at best and probably swearing, if we're being honest.
00:23:45.190 --> 00:23:49.050
I love that. I love that. So what's your process then?
00:23:49.290 --> 00:23:55.610
So when you're designing and coming into a production, where do you start?
00:23:55.770 --> 00:24:00.050
My secret method is I have, do you remember those little dollies,
00:24:00.290 --> 00:24:04.350
those cut out dollies that people used to have when they would,
00:24:04.470 --> 00:24:09.770
and they would have like little tabs on the neck and you'd put them on like that?
00:24:09.990 --> 00:24:15.630
Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah. I know the ones you're talking about. That's how I design.
00:24:16.170 --> 00:24:19.090
That's how I convey what I want to do.
00:24:19.250 --> 00:24:23.830
But I'm very big on actually sourcing a bit of fabric and say,
00:24:23.970 --> 00:24:25.230
this is what the fabric will do.
00:24:25.350 --> 00:24:29.470
This is what the light refraction is going to be.
00:24:29.630 --> 00:24:33.330
And I have to talk to the set.
00:24:33.989 --> 00:24:37.469
Designer to make sure that we're on
00:24:37.469 --> 00:24:42.289
the same page um so it's
00:24:42.289 --> 00:24:45.529
actually you can't just bowl in
00:24:45.529 --> 00:24:49.609
with your beautiful pictures and um you
00:24:49.609 --> 00:24:56.389
know there's a bit more to it than that yes i'm discovering that now so what
00:24:56.389 --> 00:25:01.369
what materials or or construction tricks really look incredible under lights
00:25:01.369 --> 00:25:05.829
like What's that kind of go-to piece for you that says, I know I'm going to
00:25:05.829 --> 00:25:06.909
make something that's incredible?
00:25:07.449 --> 00:25:10.829
Well, I mean, if you've got fabric with a sheen,
00:25:11.149 --> 00:25:17.449
say a shot taffeta or something like that, that's going to do a completely different
00:25:17.449 --> 00:25:22.949
job from something that absorbs the fabric of the light, like a...
00:25:24.186 --> 00:25:27.366
Cotton or and you've got velvets and
00:25:27.366 --> 00:25:30.446
things if i'm talking to a director i will take
00:25:30.446 --> 00:25:34.106
a carload of fabrics and say
00:25:34.106 --> 00:25:36.966
this is what it will look like if it's
00:25:36.966 --> 00:25:40.326
in um silk and if
00:25:40.326 --> 00:25:43.046
you've got a massive budget this is what it will
00:25:43.046 --> 00:25:47.666
look like in polyester if you haven't um so
00:25:47.666 --> 00:25:50.846
that that's how i sort of tackle that no i
00:25:50.846 --> 00:25:53.606
love it so yeah we were just talking about how yeah how
00:25:53.606 --> 00:25:56.726
lighting designers and things can can obviously change and and
00:25:56.726 --> 00:25:59.766
um and i have to say yeah i i've had that instance
00:25:59.766 --> 00:26:03.126
as well where some some of them are just so transformative
00:26:03.126 --> 00:26:05.846
and you you as a performer don't ever get
00:26:05.846 --> 00:26:08.886
to see that you know it you have to come out front and
00:26:08.886 --> 00:26:11.806
i've had people say oh you've got to trust us like once it's
00:26:11.806 --> 00:26:14.586
under the lights and you know all this kind of stuff and
00:26:14.586 --> 00:26:17.326
it's amazing the magic and the trickery that can be
00:26:17.326 --> 00:26:20.586
done when sometimes you look at a costume and you think okay but actually
00:26:20.586 --> 00:26:23.526
you know once it's all once it's all done and
00:26:23.526 --> 00:26:26.586
under the lights and under the magic of the theater and and and
00:26:26.586 --> 00:26:30.366
everything I just I have to say I envy you for
00:26:30.366 --> 00:26:34.486
having having an imagination and an eye that can see that because I can't and
00:26:34.486 --> 00:26:38.386
I remember you know I've been in the UK for 22 years and I made friends with
00:26:38.386 --> 00:26:42.606
a dressmaker and we started making some beautiful collaborations together when
00:26:42.606 --> 00:26:50.106
I was at the start of my career but I can't draw and I also can't really visualise exactly what I want.
00:26:50.226 --> 00:26:54.786
So the only way that I could be clear with her about what I would like out of
00:26:54.786 --> 00:27:00.606
the design was to cut out pictures from magazines of like various things that I loved.
00:27:01.006 --> 00:27:03.886
I think that's a really creditable way of doing it. Okay.
00:27:04.386 --> 00:27:10.106
I mean, I think the other thing that I should mention is that you get an enormous
00:27:10.106 --> 00:27:13.306
amount of help from your performer.
00:27:14.966 --> 00:27:17.566
And the performer will tell you,
00:27:18.334 --> 00:27:22.894
I absolutely hate a tight neckline. I absolutely hate.
00:27:23.114 --> 00:27:26.854
And you have to work around that. It's no good saying, well,
00:27:26.954 --> 00:27:31.034
my design is to be, you know, followed.
00:27:31.274 --> 00:27:35.514
And that's something that I'm passionate about.
00:27:35.734 --> 00:27:40.994
I love that because... You get a lot of feedback from your performer.
00:27:41.394 --> 00:27:47.734
And trying to force a performer to wear something that you know they don't want is never...
00:27:47.734 --> 00:27:50.474
It's like marriage it's never ever going to
00:27:50.474 --> 00:27:53.614
turn out well and i
00:27:53.614 --> 00:27:56.514
would imagine that that would mean as a as a designer
00:27:56.514 --> 00:27:59.894
that you have to kind of leave your ego at the door in a way because you've
00:27:59.894 --> 00:28:04.334
come up with this amazing thing but then it has to be collaborative but you
00:28:04.334 --> 00:28:09.054
know with everyone to get the best out of it yeah absolutely absolutely and
00:28:09.054 --> 00:28:13.694
then if it all works together your your Your director,
00:28:14.334 --> 00:28:18.034
your set designer, your lighting designer.
00:28:18.814 --> 00:28:24.814
The frockage and everything and the performer is all ready to go.
00:28:25.194 --> 00:28:28.154
It's magic. That's when magic happens. I love that.
00:28:28.394 --> 00:28:33.194
And every time I have a costume fitting or no, I should say every time I speak
00:28:33.194 --> 00:28:37.654
with a designer ahead of a show and I do now usually reach out to someone and
00:28:37.654 --> 00:28:40.954
I say, if you include my cleavage in the design,
00:28:41.554 --> 00:28:46.434
I will be your best friend if the if the length of the frock is long and if
00:28:46.434 --> 00:28:50.674
my boobs are shown and and because that's the best part of me then I'll love
00:28:50.674 --> 00:28:54.054
you forever you know and actually it's funny because when I was doing Christina
00:28:54.054 --> 00:28:58.754
Regina de Svetia the queen of Sweden in Wexford my costume designer Jamie was the most,
00:28:59.457 --> 00:29:03.377
glorious man and very very talented but whenever
00:29:03.377 --> 00:29:07.837
we had a fitting together he got very overwhelmed when when he saw me as the
00:29:07.837 --> 00:29:12.237
queen and in his costumes he loved it and he had this like these royal pajamas
00:29:12.237 --> 00:29:16.837
and they were just beautiful like a like a beautiful baby pink silk and I I'll
00:29:16.837 --> 00:29:20.317
never forget at the at the fitting he put them on me and he was just he was
00:29:20.317 --> 00:29:21.597
so overwhelmed and I went.
00:29:22.837 --> 00:29:26.197
Jamie and and he kind of blushed a little bit because he blushed every time
00:29:26.197 --> 00:29:28.477
I said his name And he said, yes, yes, Helena.
00:29:28.977 --> 00:29:34.077
And I said, don't you think that the queen in her pajamas would have a lower
00:29:34.077 --> 00:29:38.417
set of buttons so that you could like see her boobs more?
00:29:38.477 --> 00:29:41.637
And I undid the first set of buttons and he went bright pink,
00:29:41.817 --> 00:29:43.657
like just like he was so embarrassed.
00:29:43.897 --> 00:29:47.777
And he's like, but she's a queen. I'm like, yes, but she's in her boudoir, Jamie.
00:29:48.037 --> 00:29:53.797
I mean, you know, we had this like back and forth about the neckline.
00:29:53.797 --> 00:29:56.857
And it was just, he was so embarrassed, but it was so hilarious.
00:29:57.157 --> 00:30:00.517
And he's like, Helena. And I'm like, it'll make me look even more glorious.
00:30:00.637 --> 00:30:03.417
And he's like, okay, okay, I'll do it a little bit, but not too much.
00:30:03.497 --> 00:30:05.417
She's still a queen. She's still got to be regal.
00:30:06.077 --> 00:30:13.237
So, Rose then. Well, the only time that we won't do Helena's cleavage is if we do a cupcake.
00:30:13.737 --> 00:30:17.217
Yeah, that would be weird. But come on, if someone could make it happen,
00:30:17.337 --> 00:30:17.537
Rose. I think that would be a challenge.
00:30:18.442 --> 00:30:20.462
If someone could make it happen, I believe it's you, though.
00:30:20.902 --> 00:30:23.122
A boobalicious cupcake.
00:30:23.502 --> 00:30:27.862
I love it. So given that Helena's already given us some good modelling of how
00:30:27.862 --> 00:30:32.442
to give feedback on a design, what perhaps is the most helpful way for a performer
00:30:32.442 --> 00:30:36.082
to give that feedback without derailing a design?
00:30:36.242 --> 00:30:40.922
Helena knows that you have to wear the underwear that you're going to wear on
00:30:40.922 --> 00:30:43.482
the day. Oh, that's good advice.
00:30:44.742 --> 00:30:49.062
And a lot of people have got underwear that they know works for them.
00:30:50.182 --> 00:30:55.082
So that's really helpful. If when you measure people and you get,
00:30:55.202 --> 00:30:59.562
you've got all that sorted out, sometimes it makes quite a bit of difference.
00:31:00.162 --> 00:31:07.182
And, um, I think the other thing that I need to know is whether somebody feels
00:31:07.182 --> 00:31:10.702
uncomfortable with something around their neck. Hmm.
00:31:11.853 --> 00:31:18.073
And also, with opera singers, there's this big difference between when their
00:31:18.073 --> 00:31:21.733
chest is expanded and when it's...
00:31:22.613 --> 00:31:28.433
That's true, yeah. The breath in and... It's actually quite a lot.
00:31:29.633 --> 00:31:37.293
And you want people to feel that they're supported by their costume, but not restricted.
00:31:37.653 --> 00:31:41.993
But, of course, that's just opera. I mean, that's particular to opera.
00:31:42.253 --> 00:31:49.153
It doesn't apply to... We've just done a job for Netflix, which is all to do with Bridgerton.
00:31:49.793 --> 00:31:57.693
Wow. Which they just had an event here in the city where it was to do with the
00:31:57.693 --> 00:32:02.333
fuss and the fallow, but it didn't actually matter too much about the fitting.
00:32:02.593 --> 00:32:05.373
We just pinned everybody all into it on the day.
00:32:06.273 --> 00:32:11.473
So there's a lot of – understand your job properly before you start it.
00:32:11.613 --> 00:32:18.473
That's my – Do you have a preference in the kind of costumes that you do, Rose?
00:32:18.593 --> 00:32:22.753
Like if someone said to you, you could design for a film, you could design for
00:32:22.753 --> 00:32:28.713
an opera, music theatre, a play, like just the ultimate thing or does it not matter? Is it just –.
00:32:30.308 --> 00:32:39.148
Actually, I don't do contemporary work because I think other people do it better.
00:32:39.768 --> 00:32:44.848
And so period work is my forte.
00:32:45.928 --> 00:32:53.608
I think we particularly like 18th century at the moment.
00:32:54.308 --> 00:33:00.828
But you don't get many films. in these days I don't do as many I mean I hardly
00:33:00.828 --> 00:33:04.148
do any films actually but I wouldn't do any,
00:33:05.068 --> 00:33:11.748
contemporary work okay so that that's that's what I least like doing fair enough
00:33:11.748 --> 00:33:17.168
and what's what's one costume error that you think everyone should try at some
00:33:17.168 --> 00:33:20.308
stage if they were just going Costume error.
00:33:21.588 --> 00:33:27.468
Well, I think maybe, well, one of the things that we have to take into consideration
00:33:27.468 --> 00:33:31.448
here is durability and maintenance.
00:33:31.868 --> 00:33:37.668
And often people, when they're starting out, can create a beautiful costume,
00:33:37.668 --> 00:33:43.068
but there's no way of maintaining it because it can't be washed.
00:33:44.408 --> 00:33:48.768
All the trims will, you've got to, we launder all our costumes.
00:33:48.788 --> 00:33:51.628
Fabric before we use it so that
00:33:51.628 --> 00:33:55.268
when we come to wash it it doesn't shrink because
00:33:55.268 --> 00:34:01.928
you'll use a lining um that's i mean i mount most of my costumes on a cotton
00:34:01.928 --> 00:34:08.688
lining and that's one of the errors that people make is that they use new fabric
00:34:08.688 --> 00:34:13.688
then they wash it and the lining shrinks but the fabric,
00:34:14.448 --> 00:34:17.768
where there's all sort of puckers and horrible.
00:34:18.128 --> 00:34:22.848
So everything has to be washed here before we even start work on it.
00:34:22.988 --> 00:34:27.228
So there's a lot more to do with maintenance and people,
00:34:28.166 --> 00:34:30.926
And people really, really think.
00:34:31.126 --> 00:34:40.846
And trims that you sew a trim on and then the trim shrinks, but the fabric doesn't. Does it?
00:34:42.646 --> 00:34:45.506
I've seen some horrible stuff. Oh, gosh.
00:34:45.966 --> 00:34:48.926
Yeah, that sounds like a lot. It's about things around maintenance,
00:34:48.926 --> 00:34:50.906
I think, often get overlooked.
00:34:51.586 --> 00:34:55.466
And do you have a fact? Oh, yeah, I was going to say, if we've done eras,
00:34:55.646 --> 00:34:58.026
what about eras? Do you have a favorite era?
00:34:58.746 --> 00:35:06.186
Well, at the moment, we're pretty keen on 18th century. Love it.
00:35:06.786 --> 00:35:12.846
And it's just that we've been doing a lot of it lately, and I can do a Marie
00:35:12.846 --> 00:35:15.126
Antoinette in my sleep just about.
00:35:18.526 --> 00:35:22.326
And as you make something, something else comes up.
00:35:22.326 --> 00:35:28.306
And the other thing that inspires me is fabric that's lying around,
00:35:28.586 --> 00:35:30.726
like this fabric that was donated
00:35:30.726 --> 00:35:36.666
to us today has got me all excited and there's some wonderful fabric.
00:35:37.266 --> 00:35:42.646
And I just think, oh, that would make a beautiful 18th century men's jacket.
00:35:43.677 --> 00:35:47.777
So people often ask, where do you get your inspiration from?
00:35:48.957 --> 00:35:57.737
If I say from looking at my sewing room and deciding what can be used and what's in the way,
00:35:58.017 --> 00:36:03.197
it doesn't sound – I should say that I get it from my inspiration from the colours
00:36:03.197 --> 00:36:07.477
of the outback or something, but it's not like that.
00:36:08.197 --> 00:36:12.597
No, but there must be something quite challenging and wonderful about seeing
00:36:12.597 --> 00:36:16.817
material and then being able to make it come alive and put something together.
00:36:16.817 --> 00:36:18.057
That sounds really cool.
00:36:18.837 --> 00:36:24.797
I'm also, at the moment, or for the last few years, been deeply into recycling.
00:36:25.317 --> 00:36:33.357
So if I want some linings, I often go to the salvos and buy doona covers.
00:36:33.557 --> 00:36:37.037
And I know that they've been washed and washed and washed, sheets,
00:36:37.357 --> 00:36:39.337
and I use them as linings.
00:36:39.337 --> 00:36:44.477
I can, curtains, people bring me in old curtains that they don't need anymore
00:36:44.477 --> 00:36:50.117
and I wash them and recycling stuff. Yeah.
00:36:50.977 --> 00:36:56.257
Deeply into that. Imagine all the stories those materials could tell, right?
00:36:56.517 --> 00:37:00.377
Like from all the different facets of their life, you know, once a curtain,
00:37:00.797 --> 00:37:04.377
then an underlay, like the stories that could go on.
00:37:04.377 --> 00:37:12.277
Somebody from my exercise class gave me some amazing silk, shot silk curtains.
00:37:12.657 --> 00:37:17.377
And the warp was gray and the weft was red.
00:37:18.371 --> 00:37:22.471
And it was beautiful, beautiful shot silk.
00:37:22.671 --> 00:37:26.831
And it had worn on the edges, so there was plenty of fabric.
00:37:26.871 --> 00:37:28.871
But I thought, I better wash this.
00:37:29.011 --> 00:37:32.011
And it came out rust color.
00:37:32.191 --> 00:37:37.451
It was a completely different fabric. And what had happened was that the pink
00:37:37.451 --> 00:37:43.871
was not, the dye was not stable. And it had actually colored the gray.
00:37:44.311 --> 00:37:52.291
Oh, gosh. So it was a completely different fabric. And it was just as lovely in its new form.
00:37:52.651 --> 00:38:00.171
But I made about four dresses out of that, Regency and 18th Century and a man's.
00:38:00.611 --> 00:38:05.471
So fabrics have got a life of their own. And I told my friend what I'd made
00:38:05.471 --> 00:38:10.551
out of her fabric, and she couldn't believe it was the same fabric.
00:38:11.411 --> 00:38:16.571
Yeah, it takes on a whole new existence. Yes, yeah. When you're fitting people,
00:38:16.831 --> 00:38:22.151
do you have go-to accessories that are your favorite accessories just to make
00:38:22.151 --> 00:38:23.771
things pop or to look good?
00:38:23.911 --> 00:38:26.111
Or are accessories not really part of the vision?
00:38:26.751 --> 00:38:30.291
That's where the chunets shine.
00:38:31.131 --> 00:38:37.271
They're amazing. I swoop in and make sure that it fits perfectly.
00:38:38.015 --> 00:38:43.255
And then I basically hand it over to the girls and Dan and say.
00:38:44.155 --> 00:38:49.115
And they know the stock. They know where everything is.
00:38:49.375 --> 00:38:51.675
They know which earrings, which necklace.
00:38:51.995 --> 00:38:56.555
And that actually is what sets our costumes apart.
00:38:56.555 --> 00:39:03.635
Because when you send away to Timu, you get rubbishy plastic costumes.
00:39:03.635 --> 00:39:08.135
And then you've got to go out and get all the other bits and pieces.
00:39:09.235 --> 00:39:16.495
I love that. And what's the craziest costume that you've ever been asked to
00:39:16.495 --> 00:39:18.575
do, Rose, or that you've ever designed yourself?
00:39:18.675 --> 00:39:22.695
Has you got a standout one in your mind that's just very memorable for either
00:39:22.695 --> 00:39:24.075
all the right or wrong reasons?
00:39:25.995 --> 00:39:33.675
I mean, last week the crab hat is one of my favourites. It's just a hat that's
00:39:33.675 --> 00:39:36.815
actually a crab, and people seem to love it.
00:39:37.135 --> 00:39:40.255
That's what came through last week. That's what we were doing.
00:39:40.635 --> 00:39:42.575
Look, Helena, every week is different.
00:39:44.795 --> 00:39:53.055
And things go in phases. A couple of years ago was all to do with the toys, and people wanted toys.
00:39:56.028 --> 00:40:02.848
Wanted 20s costumes and it's often got to do with what's on at the movies.
00:40:03.068 --> 00:40:04.788
So it just depends on the trends.
00:40:05.228 --> 00:40:10.468
At the moment, yeah, yeah. At the moment, and then there was 50s to do with
00:40:10.468 --> 00:40:16.808
Mad Men, you know that series about resulted in a lot of Mad Men parties.
00:40:17.488 --> 00:40:21.088
But at the moment, it's all 18th century.
00:40:21.328 --> 00:40:26.448
That's really popular. And we've got a whole room of 18th century.
00:40:26.628 --> 00:40:32.108
We've had to move. We move everything around all the time. The stuff that was popular.
00:40:32.368 --> 00:40:35.208
Vikings are popular. There you go. Vikings.
00:40:35.848 --> 00:40:40.248
Okay. And do you have a standout thing that has been the hardest thing you've
00:40:40.248 --> 00:40:43.928
ever had to do to make or to design? Like something that was a real challenge for you?
00:40:44.568 --> 00:40:53.388
Apart from cupcakes again. Well, I think probably the most challenging was the Adelaide Crows.
00:40:54.388 --> 00:40:59.628
They're something to do with football. Wanted me to make a crow costume.
00:40:59.988 --> 00:41:08.248
Wow. And I think that sticks in my mind as the most, I think I probably made about four of them.
00:41:08.428 --> 00:41:12.788
And it was difficult and it never ended.
00:41:13.128 --> 00:41:21.588
It never really looked like a crow. and it was, I actually, I think now I can
00:41:21.588 --> 00:41:24.688
say I don't do crows. Okay, fair.
00:41:26.388 --> 00:41:30.688
Don't do crows anymore. Yeah, yeah. You probably said far worse than I don't
00:41:30.688 --> 00:41:32.768
do crows at the time, I would imagine. I did.
00:41:33.188 --> 00:41:38.548
I did. And they were nice people but it was just, and then we realised that's
00:41:38.548 --> 00:41:40.728
a whole world, sporty stuff.
00:41:41.228 --> 00:41:44.708
We're not very good at any of that. I like Naomi,
00:41:45.649 --> 00:41:48.989
Osaka coming in as a jello. Oh, yeah.
00:41:49.429 --> 00:41:54.729
That was good. Yes. That was cool. That was the highlight of the tennis for me.
00:41:55.909 --> 00:41:59.269
Not surprised. Yeah. Because who doesn't? All sports should be.
00:41:59.769 --> 00:42:01.169
Yeah. She looks magnificent.
00:42:01.709 --> 00:42:06.129
Yeah. Yes. So if you had some advice for performers who are dressing themselves,
00:42:06.349 --> 00:42:09.329
getting on stage, be it men, women, anybody,
00:42:09.969 --> 00:42:16.869
What's the advice that you'd have for how people can dress to look absolutely
00:42:16.869 --> 00:42:18.569
schmitt on stage? Dress to impress.
00:42:18.849 --> 00:42:24.709
I suppose they probably got to come to someone like me to sort it out because
00:42:24.709 --> 00:42:28.009
it is difficult doing it on your own.
00:42:28.209 --> 00:42:32.949
I mean, we're happy to advise people, you know.
00:42:34.589 --> 00:42:38.849
And if they can put something all together of their own,
00:42:39.329 --> 00:42:43.069
and tell us and show us will we'd
00:42:43.069 --> 00:42:45.949
happily say to them that that's that
00:42:45.949 --> 00:42:49.169
bit's not necessary or you need to turn that upside down
00:42:49.169 --> 00:42:55.889
or something like that so it's not to do with money it's to do with um the way
00:42:55.889 --> 00:43:03.409
you look at things but it is difficult for performers to actually dress themselves
00:43:03.409 --> 00:43:06.709
except if it's for contemporary, of course.
00:43:08.269 --> 00:43:13.389
Contemporary work, you're getting into the mind of the character.
00:43:13.969 --> 00:43:20.209
And, you know, if they're out there sort of people or they want to look like a librarian.
00:43:21.069 --> 00:43:25.289
But, I mean, even librarians these days, I don't know if you've been into a
00:43:25.289 --> 00:43:30.089
library lately, but they don't look like librarians anymore.
00:43:31.529 --> 00:43:35.709
They've got pink hair. What does a librarian look like? They've got pink hair
00:43:35.709 --> 00:43:37.189
and nose rings and stuff.
00:43:37.529 --> 00:43:44.229
But it was always a classic, wasn't it, that they looked like a librarian? Yeah. Yeah.
00:43:46.742 --> 00:43:50.282
I love that. And I think it's, you know, for us classical singers,
00:43:50.462 --> 00:43:54.102
Rose, you know, we have, obviously we have the operas and everything where everything's
00:43:54.102 --> 00:43:55.742
designed for us and all that kind of thing.
00:43:55.822 --> 00:43:58.642
But we also have our concert performances and in our concert performances,
00:43:58.662 --> 00:44:03.862
we're wearing gowns that, you know, that we've either bought off a rack or we've designed ourselves.
00:44:04.182 --> 00:44:10.762
And the men have a lot, I mean, I know men, you know, not just wearing the tuxedo jackets and stuff.
00:44:10.902 --> 00:44:14.382
And I know a lot more men are being a bit more brazen about the way that they
00:44:14.382 --> 00:44:16.802
present in concert, but I know So for myself,
00:44:17.002 --> 00:44:21.542
you know, I've got my dresses which have all been done for me that I love and
00:44:21.542 --> 00:44:24.502
I've got a couple of, you know, a couple of rack ones which are just,
00:44:24.662 --> 00:44:26.102
you know, a little bit more casual.
00:44:26.642 --> 00:44:32.662
But it's that interesting thing of knowing what suits your body from the way
00:44:32.662 --> 00:44:36.162
that you think you look but also having an outside perspective like yourself
00:44:36.162 --> 00:44:40.802
who really can understand the way a material falls or the way something shapes.
00:44:40.982 --> 00:44:44.142
Because I've spent quite a few times just thinking, oh, my God,
00:44:44.202 --> 00:44:45.102
it's going to be a disaster.
00:44:45.102 --> 00:44:48.822
You know and and and then actually just
00:44:48.822 --> 00:44:51.702
having to trust someone you know for that and also
00:44:51.702 --> 00:44:54.582
I'm obviously not particularly shy about things like
00:44:54.582 --> 00:44:59.062
that and being a bigger woman myself and being in the theatre I have to say
00:44:59.062 --> 00:45:03.442
I've been really blessed with people who will listen and be collaborative and
00:45:03.442 --> 00:45:09.342
open to to doing their best job to make me look as beautiful as I can rather
00:45:09.342 --> 00:45:14.182
than you know trying to go against me and making me wear something that's frumpy or awkward and
00:45:14.382 --> 00:45:17.182
I have been incredibly blessed and I
00:45:17.182 --> 00:45:20.142
have to say this to our young our young listeners
00:45:20.142 --> 00:45:23.142
who are young opera singers who listen to the podcast to say have
00:45:23.142 --> 00:45:26.162
two perspectives on how you look like know what you enjoy to
00:45:26.162 --> 00:45:30.442
wear and you know what looks good but also trust people who understand materials
00:45:30.442 --> 00:45:34.802
and shapes and things to help you you know to really understand and create because
00:45:34.802 --> 00:45:37.942
those two minds kind of coming you know your own personal opinion is important
00:45:37.942 --> 00:45:42.662
but sometimes you've just got to be be a bit brave and and and trust as well
00:45:42.662 --> 00:45:45.122
i think well one one way out of it is.
00:45:45.901 --> 00:45:53.821
Come here with a dress that you don't really like and come and say,
00:45:54.021 --> 00:45:56.601
I put it on and I just don't like it.
00:45:56.761 --> 00:46:03.361
And what we can do is to say, that's because the sleeves are too puffy.
00:46:03.861 --> 00:46:08.221
That's because, you know, so if you've got one that you love, that's fine.
00:46:08.461 --> 00:46:13.261
But if you've got one that you don't love, that actually starts a discussion.
00:46:13.261 --> 00:46:21.501
And if you're a bloke and you've got your boring tuxedo, you come in here and
00:46:21.501 --> 00:46:26.201
the staff will say, the tuxedo is fine.
00:46:26.201 --> 00:46:30.861
You need this sparkly waistcoat to set it off. You need it.
00:46:31.481 --> 00:46:37.881
Love that. So it's not always we have to totally redesign you and you throw
00:46:37.881 --> 00:46:39.641
everything from the beginning.
00:46:41.081 --> 00:46:44.481
It's amazing what you can do with a dress that you thought you hated,
00:46:45.496 --> 00:46:51.016
So it's the wrong colour, so we just throw it into the dye pot and it comes
00:46:51.016 --> 00:46:53.876
out something different. Love that. If it can.
00:46:54.456 --> 00:47:00.916
Yeah. I'm all for research. I mean, once in a while, it's a disaster that can't be fixed.
00:47:03.576 --> 00:47:09.956
And then you have to be honest and say, you know, this has got to go back to teaming. Yeah.
00:47:10.616 --> 00:47:12.376
This has to be set on fire.
00:47:15.796 --> 00:47:20.336
Oh, gosh, Rose, thank you so much for coming and chatting with us today.
00:47:20.456 --> 00:47:25.296
I'm conscious that we're getting to the end of our time. But before we let you
00:47:25.296 --> 00:47:30.376
go, I'm wondering if we can, we love to ask five rapid fire questions to our guests.
00:47:30.536 --> 00:47:33.916
And I'm wondering if you're up for our five rapid fire questions. I'm 80.
00:47:34.256 --> 00:47:37.396
I'm not so good at rapid, but anyway, give me a go.
00:47:37.776 --> 00:47:43.216
Give me a go. I don't know about that. You can start us off, Adam. Okay.
00:47:43.576 --> 00:47:48.296
Well, let's start with rapid fire question number one, at an appropriate speed,
00:47:48.436 --> 00:47:52.376
which is, what is your go-to karaoke song?
00:47:53.036 --> 00:47:54.536
Oh, my goodness.
00:47:56.756 --> 00:48:03.036
Kay, shura, shura, whatever will be, will be. That's so appropriate. I love that.
00:48:03.736 --> 00:48:06.436
That's so good. Oh, we love that.
00:48:07.256 --> 00:48:12.536
Rose, what will the title, I can think of many actually, what will the title
00:48:12.536 --> 00:48:14.416
of your autobiography be?
00:48:15.016 --> 00:48:20.376
This was something my father said to me. He never really understood what it
00:48:20.376 --> 00:48:21.996
was I did for a living and he said,
00:48:22.685 --> 00:48:31.845
She does rather nice needlework. So I think I would call my autobiography rather nice needlework.
00:48:32.265 --> 00:48:33.685
Oh, that's great.
00:48:34.345 --> 00:48:36.685
I would read that book. I love that.
00:48:37.685 --> 00:48:43.605
Okay, question number three. If you had to give a talk to an audience with no
00:48:43.605 --> 00:48:49.565
notice at all and it wasn't on costuming, what could you give a lecture on for
00:48:49.565 --> 00:48:51.345
10 minutes with no preparation?
00:48:51.345 --> 00:48:56.345
Uh, reusing, reusing, repurposing.
00:48:57.465 --> 00:49:02.325
Oh, I love that. Reimagining and not buying stuff from Timu.
00:49:03.365 --> 00:49:08.065
This is a theme. I'm sensing a theme here. You say, they're not going to sponsor us now, Helena.
00:49:08.505 --> 00:49:15.045
That's it. No longer. Rose, what is your most controversial, boring opinion?
00:49:15.225 --> 00:49:19.145
So what do you have an opinion about that people might find quite boring,
00:49:19.145 --> 00:49:20.945
but you feel quite passionately about?
00:49:21.964 --> 00:49:26.264
Oh my goodness. What do I feel passionate about? I don't. Helen,
00:49:26.344 --> 00:49:28.624
I'm not a very controversial sort of person.
00:49:29.544 --> 00:49:35.944
I'm usually pretty amenable. I mean, everybody hates Trump, of course,
00:49:36.044 --> 00:49:37.924
but that's neither here nor there.
00:49:38.804 --> 00:49:42.504
Yeah, I think America's going to the dogs, and I wish we hadn't had Brexit,
00:49:42.744 --> 00:49:45.944
but I'm not going to go and protest or anything.
00:49:46.244 --> 00:49:50.064
So I'm not a very controversial person, I don't think. That's all right.
00:49:50.184 --> 00:49:54.544
Although I did hear a rumor that you've been doing some DJing recently,
00:49:54.804 --> 00:49:56.504
so not that that's boring at all.
00:49:57.844 --> 00:50:01.764
Yes, we need to hear about this. I'm curious about the DJing,
00:50:01.864 --> 00:50:03.284
Rose. Where have you been DJing?
00:50:03.944 --> 00:50:07.484
Well, in Federation Square, believe it or not.
00:50:07.644 --> 00:50:11.484
But my friends, the Huxleys, I don't know if you've heard of them,
00:50:11.544 --> 00:50:16.744
they're performance artists, and they get me sucked into things that I would
00:50:16.744 --> 00:50:19.964
normally have a bit more sense and say no,
00:50:20.244 --> 00:50:24.264
but they suck me into things. So I've been sucked in a couple of times.
00:50:24.844 --> 00:50:30.064
And these chongettes love me making an exhibition of myself.
00:50:31.624 --> 00:50:36.784
I love that. That's incredible. The big question is, what did you play when
00:50:36.784 --> 00:50:39.604
you were DJing? Get It On.
00:50:40.744 --> 00:50:48.584
I had a wonderful time choosing the playlist. But I thought it was going to be.
00:50:50.369 --> 00:50:57.049
For the gay community. And in actual fact, it turned out to be a family event.
00:50:57.729 --> 00:50:58.869
Slightly different music.
00:50:59.789 --> 00:51:03.049
They wouldn't let me play sex and drugs and rock and roll.
00:51:03.729 --> 00:51:08.009
Well, that's just disappointing. I mean, some people need to bring up their
00:51:08.009 --> 00:51:09.789
kids with a more open mind, quite frankly.
00:51:10.209 --> 00:51:13.049
Oh, my gosh. Oh, wow. Okay. Right.
00:51:13.329 --> 00:51:16.469
Question number five of our five repertoire. There's more, is there?
00:51:16.569 --> 00:51:20.829
One more, one more. Just one more. One more. Just one more. But this is probably the most important.
00:51:21.089 --> 00:51:25.509
And I feel like I know the answer to this one, but I'm going to ask it anyway.
00:51:25.769 --> 00:51:29.389
High Notes and Anecdotes, the podcast, is going to put together a crime gang.
00:51:29.529 --> 00:51:32.329
Okay? I'm just going to tell you now. We're telling all of our listeners as well.
00:51:32.769 --> 00:51:39.789
What skill do you have that we could use to rob the Louvre? The Louvre. Oh, my goodness.
00:51:40.289 --> 00:51:48.829
Well, I could probably disguise somebody as a security guard. There we go. Nice.
00:51:49.649 --> 00:51:52.829
Yep. Yep. Now count me in. Done.
00:51:53.169 --> 00:51:56.749
Disguise sorted. Excellent. And I'm going to say, we have nobody else doing
00:51:56.749 --> 00:51:58.789
disguises so far in our heist.
00:51:58.969 --> 00:52:03.129
So you have got the job. But we're a team then. That's it. That's fantastic.
00:52:03.569 --> 00:52:05.469
Very good member of our team. I love that.
00:52:06.549 --> 00:52:11.549
So good. Well, look, on that heisty note, I am going to wrap us up here.
00:52:11.669 --> 00:52:16.269
But look, Rose, thank you so much for coming on and chatting with us. This has been amazing.
00:52:16.489 --> 00:52:18.929
This has been lovely. and so interesting.
00:52:19.589 --> 00:52:23.449
I made Helena laugh earlier because I sent her a list of the questions I wanted
00:52:23.449 --> 00:52:25.549
to ask and it was like a page and a half.
00:52:25.669 --> 00:52:28.669
So many questions. So many questions I want to ask. It's amazing.
00:52:28.669 --> 00:52:30.569
I love this world. It's great.
00:52:31.029 --> 00:52:35.069
So look, thank you for letting us ask. I'm sorry to be a Twitter over the...
00:52:36.387 --> 00:52:44.107
Techno stuff, but I still struggle with the old tech stuff.
00:52:44.347 --> 00:52:48.847
But anyway, we managed. We managed. You didn't get cut off, sliced off.
00:52:49.247 --> 00:52:55.127
Yep. Cool. And I must say, as we say goodbye to you, Rose, I must say that I'm
00:52:55.127 --> 00:52:59.387
looking forward to our next collaboration with great joy.
00:53:00.067 --> 00:53:03.267
Me too. Me too. Can't wait, Helena. Can't wait.
00:53:03.467 --> 00:53:06.067
It's going to be awesome. I actually sent Rose a picture, Adam,
00:53:06.147 --> 00:53:09.987
that I saw of this amazing design that I quite like.
00:53:10.007 --> 00:53:13.067
And she went, oh, Helena, that's easy. Like, don't even.
00:53:13.387 --> 00:53:16.367
It was like, I'm looking at it thinking, oh, my God, it's going to be crazy.
00:53:16.427 --> 00:53:19.507
And she's like, Helena, come on now. Like, this will be fine.
00:53:19.807 --> 00:53:24.967
I think I said, actually, Helena, I said, I think it's easy-ish.
00:53:25.487 --> 00:53:29.647
Easy-ish. Isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I love that. Love that.
00:53:29.987 --> 00:53:32.787
No, I'm looking forward to it greatly. Thank you so much for your time,
00:53:32.867 --> 00:53:34.227
Rose. We really appreciate it.
00:53:34.507 --> 00:53:38.847
Thanks for choosing me. It's been great. I love hearing the sound of my own
00:53:38.847 --> 00:53:44.507
voice. One of the most interesting people I know, and you're a legend, and carry on being so.
00:53:45.687 --> 00:53:50.247
Thank you. Thank you so much. Take care. Bye. Bye. Bye.