Dolphins in the Derwent

Settlement Secrets over for the day I decided to travel around a few accommodation places in Hobart to leave some brochures.  Everybody is so supportive and genuinely interested in the tour and so with uplifted spirits I ended my morning with a sandwich by the bay.  Now this never fails to please as there is always a boat going past or someone walking a dog who is up for a chat but today excelled in its offering of natural wonders.  I parked near the boatsheds beside the Royal Hobart Yacht Club, thinking to myself how clear the water looked and wondered if the fish life was still the same as when I snorkled around here as a 13 year old.    Suddenly, about five feet in front of me, a dolphin surfaced.  Then another.  Then another.   A pod of about twelve dolphins cruised past within reach almost and then headed out into the river.

It's the simple things really.  I think about a lot of things these days.  How do I promote this, when do I rehearse that, what will the future bring......and then a pod of dolphins goes by and I think....my world is such a small and insignificant part of the whole picture....why worry about anything just do it and enjoy.

I read a saying a few weeks ago that I have read many times before and had forgotten.  Your lot in life depends a lot on luck.....and the harder you work towards your goals....the luckier you get.

So I guess what I am saying is....if you ever feel you're not getting anywhere....just keep sight of your goals, keep working towards them and you will be rewarded.   There will be times when you feel like the universe will collapse if you don't do a particular thing and when you feel this way.....remember there is a pod of dolphins swimming somewhere who couldn't give a rats if you even existed....so why worry !

Where am I ? ....What am I doing?

So one minute I'm playing four different characters at TMAG, "Settlement Secrets", then I'm playing six different characters at the Cascades Female Factory, "Louisa's Walk", then I'm in Melbourne to audition for one character and end up auditioning for a different one......now I'm back in Strahan playing an escaped convict and leading tours on Sarah Island.   Dizzying but exciting life.

The audition went very well by the way but I have learnt not to get excited untill you're on the plane.
Whether I get a part or not, I have now mastered...sort of...the Mandolin and the Ukulele so all is not lost.  I have purchased a fantastic little Uklele which is black and in the shape of a Gibson Les Paul guitar.  It even has a pick up with tone and volume controls.   A little down the track I will get a Mandolin as well which will break up my gig quite nicely.   I would like to thank Andy Kowaluk very much for lending me his mandolin to practice on for the audition.  

In other exciting news....I saw Monty again in the dam at South Hobart.  The people on my tour were fascinated.  He was unfazed and just dived down and up, posing for photos.

180 years later......

Fascinating last tour of duty in Strahan.  Monday 13th Jan, 2014 was 180 years to the day that ten men stole the last ship built on Sarah Island, The Frederick, and sailed it to freedom in Chile.

We performed a segment of the play "The Ship That Never Was", which tells the story of this bold adventure, on Sarah Island, and then after the show that night had a large cake and far to much refreshment.    Always great to travel to Strahan for the tours and the play but this added so much more meaning to the trip.  Well done Kiah for arranging everything.  You are amazing and your dad would be so proud.

Auditions....that's what we do !

Being a freelance actor means you have to do auditions....there's no way round it.  It's just that being a freelance actor based in Tassie means auditions in Melbourne are a pain...logistically.
Up at 5am and on the red eye...or as I call it " the sparrow fart flight".  That's because it's cheaper.  Audition is usually around 1pm because "they want to give you time to get there"...so your wandering around Melbourne at 7am in the morning waiting for shops to open...looking like a homeless person carrying bags and instruments and drinking too much coffee and stressing and talking to yourself and singing to yourself...maybe having a little dance to yourself....then you finally decide to rock up at the audition hours early and you look like an over keen and desperate out of work actor.   So you joke around and pretend your not as nervous as a person about to have a vasectomy and try and suss out the opposition.  Finally they take pity on you...or they just want you out of the room...so they let you audition early.  Awesome.   Now it's 12.05 and you don't fly home till 10.05 tonight...because it's cheaper.

Upside...the audition went really really well...call back in February with more material to learn... and I got to spend a glorious afternoon with my daughter...before lounging around in PJ O'Brien's with a couple of pints of Guinness.   In fact no downside really...it was a good day in freelance world.

Settlement Secrets

Not a long time really...18 months...lots of talking, planning, stress and frustration and finally today was my first tour of Settlement Secrets, a tour of the buildings that are the very history of the settlement of Hobart in 1804.  It was great to finally breath life into the characters I have been playing with since last June.  Today was a lot of fun and I got some great feedback from the important people who were on the tour.  My online booking site will be available soon so keep an eye out and come and hear all about the "Settlement Secrets".

Who was Rocky Whelan?  What part did he play in Hobart's history?

Just another day ....

Just finished "Louisa's Walk" and chatting with the punters when an echidna wanders across the lawn behind me.  Not worrying about anything just strolling across the lawn. Never try to compete with nature's creations.  

Then about an hour later I'm dressed as Santa, singing with a rock band to a room full of sweaty people working out at Genesis.

Another hour later, having locked my car in the public carpark overnight, I'm at home putting up the christmas tree with my grandkids.   Great day.

Today was a fantastic day to be working on Louisa's Walk.  Ellen and I were challenged with an audience of 60 teenage students from Mildura, all of whom by the way were into our story and a fantastic audience....but there was 60 of them.  But then....on the way back to our cars Ellen exclaims "there he is!"

At last I have seen Monty!  An elusive platypus that lives in the Hobart rivulet.   The afternoon show audience  were so jealous but no end of searching and encouragement would bring Monty back.