50 Things I've Loved in the US

It’s 50 days until I head back to the US again. My fifth time. I always head over for web (film) festivals then do some exploring. I always have the most times and with 50 days to go, thought it was time to countdown daily 50 things I’ve loved doing in the US.

50: Meeting John waters in baltimore

My first trip to the US happened in 2018. I was excited to attend the NYC Web Fest, and when I discovered that Baltimore Web Fest was just a few days beforehand, I knew I had to go.

After my first flight to the US, wow that is long, I got off my transfer flight from San Francisco and straight in an Uber. Checked into my hotel, had a much needed shower and then called another Uber and went to the Baltimore Museum of Art to go to a book signing with legendary director, John Waters. I had been a longtime fan, ever since I saw ‘Serial Mom’ in High School - and it’s still one of my all time favourite films.

It was a one night event and despite my tiredness, I knew I had to do it. I got there and bought the book, joining the line with a just a few behind me before they closed the cue. The wait was close to an hour, but it was worth it.

When I met John, he was a lovely guy, though I think he struggled with how thick my Aussie accent was, but we had quite a lengthy chat about Australia and how much he loved visiting. He signed my book and we got a photo. I didn’t think it was too bad that I had been off the plane less than a few hours and had met my first celebrity.

49: Paramount Studio Halloween Tour

In 2019, after visits to New Jersey and New York, I flew to the west coast and went to Los Angeles for the first time. One of the big highlights of the visit was a Halloween tour of the iconic Paramount Studio.

For Halloween, they run nighttime tours of the studio with ghost stories and then a visit to the cemetery next door. We started with a few champagnes before the tour started, surrounded by Oscars for film like, “The Godfather”, “Titanic” and “Forrest Gump”. As they were just starting for the season, it was a quiet night, which was better. In my tour group it was just me and an Irish couple, so naturally our tour got through that champagne. We had a great time together. In the studio we visited a great props warehouse and toured a few studios, we went on the set of “Frankie and Grace”, as well heading into the “Dr Phil” set by torchlight. We walked through the New York backlot set and saw the iconic water tower, as well as hearing about scandals and ghost stories.

Then we headed into Hollywood Forever Cemetery, again by torchlight. We went into some crematoriums and visited the graves of some great actors. We saw Jayne Mansfield’s grave site, as well as Chris Cornell and the original Vampira. I was quite moved by the statue of Anton Yelchin. There were some fascinating stories, and the 2.5 hours flew by.

48: Visiting the chicago fire firehouse

I had 24 hours in Chicago and knew I had to go visit the firehouse where Chicago Fire. Always been a big fan of the show and thought it would be fun to visit the firehouse. Caught a LYFT out there and sadly it seemed closed. Myself, and a couple from Puerto Rico, were there. We took photos for each other and they left. I called myself a Lyft back but as soon as I did, a truck arrived back and the door opened. The driver came out and said hello to me and invited me inside, along with another tourist family that had just arrived.

Got a tour through a lot of the firehouse and got to hop in a fire engine and have a photo taken. They said they enjoy having tourists come through, and while we couldn’t go into the kitchen where they film, but got to see it from a distance. Got to hold a few of the props they use, such a foam axe. Was a nice stop in my small visit to Chicago.

47: The Brooklyn bridge

It had always been on my bucket list to walk across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. It took until my fourth visit to do it. I’d heard it was best to work towards Manhattan, so that way you get a better view. So I caught a ferry to DUMBO (more on that for a future post) and then walked across. It was late morning and was packed but was still wonderful. It’s quite an easy walk and took less time than I expected. The views are incredible, you can see the Manhattan skyline and see the Statue of Liberty from the side.

There’s lots of places to stop and take photos, which many do. And I know many would say not to do it, but I bought a great subway map that had been screen printed with a picture of the Flatiron building. I love it and it is happily hanging next to me as I type this.

After I crossed the bridge, I walked further into new parts of NYC I hadn’t been to before. It was a great adventure on a Tuesday morning.

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is definitely a must.

46: Museum of the Moving image

We got in an UBER and headed to Astoria Queens for the Museum of the Moving Image. I am a lifelong Muppets fan and was excited to check it out. It did not let me down, there was just so much to see. The Jim Henson exhibition had so many Muppets, as well as characters from Fraggle Rock and The Dark Crystal. It really did elevate me back to my childhood.

There were other incredible exhibitions there as well, including the figure made of Linda Blair in The Exorcist. It was well the trip out there, it really is for people of all ages.

I even loved our adventure heading home. The UBER had taken so long and was expensive, so I was determined to master the subway. With the help of people with directions, buying tickets and where to change, we got back to our hotel on three trains in record time. Was a great adventure.

45: The B52s in Central Park

As I was preparing for my 2nd trip to the US, my good friend Nathan, who now lives in the US, messaged and asked if I’d like to join him seeing the B52s in Central Park. It should have been a rhetorical question, because, yes, yes I did want to see B52s in Central Park. It was the final show in the Summer Series and also had Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Berlin on the bill.

Met Nathan and we walked through Central Park. We went to the fountain, that I hadn’t seen before and then went to the very full concert. Berlin were right in the middle of their set as we arrived. I had seen them once before in Sydney and Terri Nun is such a great vocalist. OMD were next, and they were great also.

Then it was time for the main act. Nathan is a big B52s fan and had seen them many times, it was my first time. And they were brilliant, was such a fun show. Highlights of course were the big hits, Love Shack, Roam and Rock Lobster, but also loved hearing Deadbeat Club. It was such a great gig and a wonderful memory.

And what a perfect venue. The night was beautiful, it was quite a warm fall evening. The crowd were friendly, we chatted to a few different people in between sets. There were food and drink trucks and the atmosphere was great. A brilliant memory.

44: katz delicatessen

On a Tuesday morning in 2023 I took a lovely walk from Chelsea to the Lower East Side. I love walking through new neighbourhoods and stopping off at great shops (found a great store selling RuPaul cocktails with a free fan). First I hit Beastie Boys Square and took a few pics and then walked the few blocks to Katz.

This place often has a wrap for being rude but I thought everyone was nice. I got there mid morning and the lines were already massive. I waited in line, while deciding what to get. I ordered the beef brisket sandwich, and they give you a sample of the meat as they make the sandwich, it was delicious.

The sandwich was HUGE and I saw many people sharing, but my mother didn’t raise a quitter. It was delicious, though I think I did get the meat sweats afterwards. Paired it with a really nice black cherry drink. For some reason, when I am in the US, I cannot get enough of cherry flavours.

Sure it was a little expensive, but it wasn’t just sandwich, visiting Katz is an experience and was glad to tick it off my NYC bucketlist.

43: High roller in las vegas

Last year I went to Las Vegas and stayed at the Flamingo. It was that the High Roller was essentially next door to the resort.

On an incredibly warm Friday afternoon I took the roller. It has very nig compartments, which takes away the fear of going so high. I shared a pod with a young German family. It was actually good to have them there as they could take photos for me! It does get very high, the informative recording inside the compartment tells us it reaches higher than the Statue of Liberty.

It’s a very smooth ride with great views and even though I wasn’t sure at first if I should do it, I’m glad I did.

42: NYC WEB FEST

I had always wanted to visit the US but have never really had the finances. When I made my web series, ‘After Nightfall’, I said that if we made the NYC Webfest I would attend. And when we received the official selection, the decision was already made. It was a wonderful festival, and even better because amongst the contingent from ‘After Nightfall’ were my two best friends, Charlene and Jacinta. How incredible to share New York with them.

We went to the opening drinks and saw some people I’d met at the Baltimore Web Fest and made lots of new friends, many of whom are still friends to this day. Attended some great workshops and a big highlight, being screened in New York. I was so nervous before the screening, worried people would hate it, but had a great response.

Then came the big gala awards night, which took place at the Chelsea Bell, which had an open bar. My idea of heaven. It was such a great night. Everyone was dressed up and the awards were fab. I truly did not think we were going to win. I was so nervous all I heard was a ringing in my ears when the award for Best Mystery / Thriller Series was being handed out. I didn’t realise we had won until i saw people looking at me and clapping. It was even more special that it was presented by the festival director, Lauren. It was a wonderful night that was one of my best ever. It was the culmination of my first US and New York adventure and it was wonderful.

41: Ross Mathews Drag Brunch

As a massive fan of Drag and the TV show Drag Race, I was keen to book in for my first ever Drag Brunch. It was a Saturday morning in LA, and I went across early and had some coffee, did some shopping and sat in a cafe and did some writing. Then went in to my brunch. You are given a bottle of bottle of mimosa before midday, which really is something I enjoy when on holiday. Ordered lunch and got ready for the show. I was sat next to a lovely straight couple and it was his birthday, though I think this event was all her idea. They were great and we had plenty of laughs all day.

The show was great. The host was the very talented Jackie Beat, who is a drag icon and a very, very funny host. Sherry Vine was also on the bill and her songs were great. The other Queens were ones I didn’t know, but were all incredibly talented and I got a chance to meet them after the show and take a pic.

It was my first US drag show and was a great experience. Though I needed to go back to my place and have a nap before continuing on for the day!

40: Ghostbusters firehouse

I never realised that the firehouse from ‘Ghostbusters’ was actually a working firehouse. Before my trip I was looking through Google Maps for things to do in New York and I came across this firehouse. This was a great photo opportunity and I love that they have Ghostbusters logos out the front. No, you can’t go inside the firehouse, but you can take as many photos as you like outside. There were a lot of tourists there and everyone was having a good time. Glad I went and it gave me a kick a few months after this when I saw the trailer for the last ‘Ghostbusters’ film and you see the firehouse at the start.

39: A Taping of the Kelly clarkson show

I am a big Kelly Clarkson fan. A few years ago I missed a taping of her show by a day when in LA, so when the show moved to NYC, I was determined to attend a taping. I was set to arrive early but on the way they were taping voxpops for the Jimmy Fallon show and got asked to be in it. Was great to do, but got me to Kelly later than I wanted, still, got a good seat. It is a big process getting in and takes a while but it is worth it once you’re sitting in the studio ready for the taping.

Kelly sings first, even though it comes last in the show. She only did one rehearsals, and then taped the song, in one take, and sounded phenomenal. She did The Beatles, ‘Come Together’, and she owned that song. Incredible. Guests were Al Rooker (we got given his cookbook) and Shanola Hamilton, who I am a BIG fan of. Lots of lovely people in the audience to chat to when waiting and in between segments.

Kelly is a true professional and it was great to watch the show being taped. Got to tick another item off my ‘To Do’ list.

38: Sleep no more

‘Sleep No More’ was a theatre institution in New York and something any theatre fan needed to do when visiting. It is such a great concept, audience wander through a massive multi-level warehouse, where roaming actors are performing. The actors are so good, especially when so many of the audience don’t understand or abandon theatre etiquette in this situation. It was an enjoyable show and an experience I was glad I went to.

A few funny memories for me from the show:

1: During a bar scene I was standing at the front and one of the cast members who was on the floor was using my body to help her get off the floor and accidentally grabbed my crotch. I saw the panic in her face and I had to laugh and say, ‘All good’.

2: While I was at the bar ordering cocktails, my best friend Charlene accidentally dropped a bunch of cash in the toilet. She panicked, and tried to flush it, and it just wouldn’t go down. The lovely bar staff felt bad for us and gave us two cocktails for free. And then a staff member got the money out and handed it back in a damp envelope. Charlene was horrified. I have never let her forget it.

The show has finished now, and while it wasn’t my favourite I’ve seen, I’m glad I did see it.

37: Chelsea market

On my second time in the US I stumbled across the Chelsea Market when I was on my never ending quest to find good coffee in the US. I went a street too far from the café I was looking for and found Chelsea Market. So after coffee I went back and had a look and ended up staying for a couple of hours. There was just much to do and see. Some great shops and when I was there, there was even a big open space where a lot of small creators had a table selling cool items - bought some presents there. There was lots of food as well. I sat down for a lunch and had a great burger and a boozy milkshake. It was an unexpected stop that I thoroughly enjoyed.

36: Croton on Hudson

This story starts well. In 2023, after a three nights in New York, I took a train from the beautiful Grand Central Station and went to Croton on Hudson to spend the evening at the house of my good friend, Laura Dowling Shea. What a stunning area. We visited the New Croton Dam, which is stunning. Then later in the day we went for a walk around the gorge, it was totally gorge! That night our other good friend, Jessica Alexandra Green came down from her place and we went out for dinner at a beautiful Mexican restaurant. Then went back to Laura’s and had a bottle of Aussie Chandon bubbly and had a good laugh.

It was the following day when it all fell apart. As I was on a train back to NYC, to head to LaGuardia Airport that I got an email that my flight was cancelled due to rain, and then a message came on the speaker, Grand Central was flooded and we needed to get off earlier.

I got off in Yonkers and tried phoning Flight Centre, a 90 minute call that resolved nothing. So I caught the train back, but the flood was going up the river and we had to get off at Tarrytown. I was stuck. The wonder that is Laura drove through floods to rescue me and take me back to Croton on Hudson. We had dinner and a bottle of French bubbly and then spoke to someone good at Flight Centre who got me on crazy AM flight from Connecticut. Laura, the trooper she is, drove me to another state, leaving at 3am. And on the way we nearly hit a Moose in the highway - and a year later, a podcast was born. It was a stressful visit but I can’t help but look at it fondly.

35: Drag Race live

I had been wanting to head to Las Vegas for a few years to see Drag Race Live and took the plunge last year. Drag Race is my favourite show and was excited to see the Vegas extravaganza. I was staying in the Flamingo, where the show was happening, so just had to head downstairs to see the show.

The venue was incredible and the atmosphere was pure excitement. I adored the show. Carson was having his first night as host, and while you could tell he was still reading some lines from his iPad, he was engaging and hilarious. The Queens for the night were Kennedy Davenport, Lawrence Chaney, Derrick Berry and Jorgeous. They were all fantastic and the show is a full on production with great original songs. The dancing was amazing and Lawrence was hilarious. I screamed, shouted and cheered. I loved every minute. Oh, and the pit crew were gorgeous. Such handsome and talented men. The production values were incredibly high and being in the second row made the experience even better.

And decided that if I was going all that way I may as splurge for meet and greet tickets. After the show I got to head back in and meet the Queens and Carson. They were lovely, especially Carson. When I said, “I’m from Australia’, Lawrence responded, ‘I am so sorry’. Very, very funny Queen. A great experience.

34: marie’s crisis cafe

A few people had recommended Marie’s Crisis Cafe to me. It is a very fun bar where one performer sits and plays so many different musical theatre numbers on the piano and sings, and the patrons of the bar are encouraged to sing-along.

I went as soon as the bar opens on a rainy Tuesday and it wasn’t as packed as I hear it can get. There is no cover charge, but there is a two drink minimum. They free pour and my two spiced rums and Cokes had me feeling quite boozy. I had a great time. The performer on my day was very talented and I was singing along to the songs I knew. You could drop some cash in the fishbowl and request a song or musical, naturally I picked Evita. He sang both ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and to my great surprise, ‘Another Suitcase, Another Hall’. I sang along very loudly. Had a wonderful late afternoon in this very fun place.

33: Summit One vanderbilt

I had been on top of the Empire State on my first trip to New York, and last time I thought it was time to check out another observation deck. I did some searches for the best and while all had their pros, people seemed to love Summit One Vanderbilt. So off I went. I had booked the first session of the day, and when I got there the line was already packed. Quick tip, you need to book, so many people were just showing up and being told there were no spots left.

It is quite incredible inside, all glass with picturesque views of the New York skyline. That alone would make entry worth it, but they make it fun. There is a room with giant metallic balloons, and another room where they show a video screen and if you look carefully, the photo they took of you as you enter appears in the clouds.

This is a really great New York experience, but my tip, go to the earliest sessions. I was able to get good positions for photos because there weren’t as many people, I imagine during the day the best vantage spots are hard to get.

32: Jimmy Fallon Show taping

On my first trip in NYC, Charlene, Jacinta and I took a tour of the NBC Studio, which was great. During the tour they said that Jimmy Fallon is always fully booked, but if you line up early in the morning you get given a number and if enough people don’t show up, you get to be in the audience. Apparently some days everyone shows up and then on other days, there are lots of spare tickets.

So the next morning we got up early and got in line with just a few people in front of us, we heard the first people saying they got there at 5am. Eek. By the time 9am rolled around, the line was quite full. We gave our names and then off we went, being told to return at 3pm.

When we returned, we had to wait in line as assigned by number. We watched as audience arrived and ticked their name off. Then they started to admit the waiting list. By the time they got to us, we were 7, 8 and 9, and we got in. They stopped at 13. There was a group that would have been broken up, so they let the two people behind them in.

It was great watching the show, Eddie Redmayne was the guest on the day. Was great to see such a big production unfolding, and even though our seats were separated, we had a great time.

31: Twenty Sided Tavern

While looking for something interesting to watch last year while in New York, I saw ‘Twenty Sided Tavern’, a Dungeons & Dragons show. And while I haven’t played D&D for a long time, I thought it would be a fun show to watch. I went and had some light dinner and a cocktail from Beast and Butterflies and then went to the theatre.

It was such a fun show. I was sat next to a woman from Norway, who was a big D&D fan. The show was interactive and we got to vote on our phones, and had one of the characters assigned to us by colour. It was a great laugh and a really good and different night at the theatre.

Goodbye 2021

2021. Well. It existed. I guess it almost cliché to bag out the year now, but it was a trying one. And in this year’s end of year blog I want to be honest. So I will share some things not as positive. But even though I had some trials and tribulations, I had some amazing things happen and they need to be celebrated. So here is what I am thankful this year:

MY DEBUT NOVEL

Since I was a child I have always wanted to release a novel and this year, I finally got to do it. Sure, the Sydney lockdown came in mere days before my book launch and made it harder to sell books. But I am still happy. People seem to really have enjoyed it and sales have been okay. They could always be better (hint, hint). But I am happy. Just before its release was the most nervous I had been in quite some time. It meant that much to me. But immediately people said they were loving the book and I felt much better. And I have a new book (I say new, it was written years ago) coming out in 2021.

So if you haven’t read my 16 short stories about being in your 40s, get on it – all the cool people have read it!!!

ON THE RADIO

When the year began, I had no idea I would be returning to radio. Years ago, I was on air for both Kick FM and Vintage FM. I enjoyed it back then, but it never felt like a perfect match. Then the opportunity came up this year to be the brekky host for MY88 in Penrith. This feels right, it feels like a fit. I love it, I love my job. I get to play amazing 80s music and talk about songs and artists I love. I’ve even gotten to interview many of the artists I love and it has been truly amazing. I now feel totally comfortable in the job and have felt incredible growth this year. I can’t wait for it all the get bigger and better in 2022. This really is a dream job for me. Tune in one morning and have a blast with me. I have a good time and I hope that translates to the people listening to my show.

APPARITIONS

What a delight to shoot a film a few years ago and then come to Melbourne this year and attend the world premiere. I adored making this film, getting to take weekends away from Sydney to shoot in Victoria. The results were amazing, what a great film and really happy with my own performance. My good mates, Paul Anthony Nelson and Perri Cummings really have made a great film. Can’t wait for people to be able to see it in 2022.

OVERCATERERS SUCCESS

My 2020 short film, ‘Overcaterers Anonymous’ found even more success in 2021. It was honoured by a lot of great festivals and won some amazing awards. Because of lockdowns I was unable to shoot another this year, so it was nice to see this previous film flourish. And it was lovely to receive messages from people saying how much they enjoyed watching it. A true product of love.

PODCAST

My podcast, ‘You, Me, the 80s and the 90s’, that I host with Emma Louise, has really grown this year. The listens have been pouring in and it has been wonderful getting to know other music fans from around the world because of it. Lovely to meet so many like minded individuals. And plus, I just love talking about music, so recording the podcast is always a highlight. And I truly believe we have now found a great groove.

And to be truly honest, it hasn’t always been the best year. I am so stoked by these achievements. But personally, the year was tough. Lockdown is a bitch and I spent so much of the year worrying and riddled with self-doubt. I had a breakup which left my feeling very defeated and I just haven’t been feeling like myself. The world is a hard place right now and there feels like there is so much hate out there. I have struggled, I still am. This new surge of cases has left me feeling flat and useless. Living with elderly and sick parents is hard. But I will be okay. I love my work. I love creating. And while I may not always be smiling, I will keep moving forward. To quote the great Whitney, ‘It’s not right, but it’s okay’! And by God, I want to make 2022 a bigger and better year. It has to be, doesn’t it ….

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"NORMAL OR NOTHING LIKE IT" QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Just over a week ago I held an online book club with my friends to discuss my novel, “Normal or Nothing Like It”. It was such a great night. A group of friends hanging out, catching up, having a drink and discussing the novel. Releasing a novel has been something very different for me. I come a theatre background, so you know immediately if people have liked your work or not. It’s pretty obvious when a friend in the foyer didn’t enjoy the show. Making films takes longer, but once it is out, word comes back quickly. Literature is different. People don’t read it straight away and some read faster than others. So the occasional note from a friend was great, but I still had no idea what people thought as a whole. The book club was so wonderful to chat to people and discover that they got it. They understood what I was writing and why I did write it. Phew.

I decided I would write a blog and answer some questions asked on the night and answer some other questions from friends:

Q: What was the inspiration for some of the stories and characters that are so different from your life?

A: When writing the novel, I really wanted to cover as much of the 40s experience as possible. I thought about the things I have dealt with and what people I knew were dealing with. I also thought about issues people could face. I have never bought a house before, but I know that so many overcommit themselves when they do. Or I often think about the parents when a young person is arrested, just how do the parents feel? I wanted to explore these issues and try and make them as real as possible. And, yes, there were a few characters who were based on people I know and the experiences they have dealt with.

Q: Why a novel?

A: I have been wanting to write a novel for a long time but I was scared. I am known as a dialogue writer and a novel is not that. I love theatre and film, but sometimes the collaborative experience isn’t always easy. A novel is the work of one person, and that is alluring.  I did write a novel, but getting it published became heartbreaking. I had this idea rattling around my brain for a while and wanted to write it but was too scared. Then when I was in the US in 2019 the idea wanted to come out. I wrote ideas while in New York and then the morning after arriving in LA, I knew I had to start. Every time I stopped for coffee or lunch, I would write. By the time I left, the first chapter was done. I kept writing, though slow. Then lockdown happened in 2020 and it gave me time to really focus on the book. It was then finished in a few months and I felt such an amazing sense of achievement and was really happy with the result. I definitely got the novel writing bug.

Q: There were lots of people with different shapes and sizes in the book, was that important?

A: Very much so. As a “fuller figurer” gentleman, I wanted to write stories that many people could identify with. If I wrote a book about 40-year-old models, it wouldn’t be real, or the experience of the people I want to read the story. I also really loved having the character who appears in the book most, Blake, be a bigger guy. Our bodies change as we get older, hair goes or changes, weight loss is not as easy. It is important to stay true and write people that others can see themselves in.

Q: Why did you decide to self-publish the book?

A: In the end it was an easy discussion. A lot of friends had done it and were really happy with the process. Trying to get an agent and publisher broke my heart when I originally tried to publish a novel. It almost made me give up writing a novel. This was so much easier. People release films independently, as well as music. Literature is just another forum that is really embracing people doing it themselves. It was a great process for me and I will be doing it again very soon.

Q: How did you decide how much of yourself to put in the book?

A: There is always so much of me in what I write, sometimes it is more obvious and intended, but there will always be me in there – it’s the only way I know how to write. I did put a lot of myself into the character of Blake, but he is not me. Most of the things that happened to him didn’t happen to me, but identifying with the character allowed me to write like it were me in that situation. The same could be said for a lot of the characters.

Q: What was it like launching the book in lockdown?

A: To be honest, it was a bit of a nightmare. I had two launches planned. One for Sydney and one for Melbourne. The Sydney one was booked in a café in Penrith. I had held off the release of the book to coincide with my birthday, and had 80 people booked to come celebrate. If I had held it earlier it could have gone ahead. But you know what they say about hindsight? Then the Melbourne launch was supposed to be the following week at Hares and Hyenas and was going to be great. People have been wonderful and buying the book, but I know a lot of people have held off until they see me. Sales have been good, but, they can always be better. And wow I would have loved to have attended both these launches.

Q: There were some really strong descriptions of dementia, did that come from personal experience?

A: My aunty has dementia and is living in a care facility. My grandfather also had bad dementia before he passed. It is a scary thing and I fear it. I guess I took that fear and put it into words, and the chapter really dealt with something so many people my age are going through, caring for parents with decreasing health. Aging is a horrible thing and so many of us have to help care for our parents. I thought they needed their own story.

Q: How long have you been holding onto these stories before you got an opportunity to share them?

A: Some ideas I had for some time and others came as I was planning or writing. I always have a million ideas floating around my head, so often it is the one that fights really hard to come out that ends up having me want to write.

Q: Why do you say lip instead of plural lips when you discuss lipstick, ie, “red lip colour”?

A: Ha ha, was not expecting this question. It has been the trend I have seen lately. In fashion sense, people refer to it as a “red lip” and I have followed the trend. Literature goes through trends and I followed this one without thinking, just wrote what I personally.

Q: What’s next?

A: The novel I spoke about before, that I tried to get published years ago, I have been re-editing and will release in time for Christmas. I decided to re-read and still enjoyed it. I did some work and am ready to send it off for editing. It is called “Electricity” and is a Young Adult Fiction about teens who discover they have the ability to conduct electricity with their hands. Stay tuned for more details.

Thanks to those who asked questions and I hope if you haven’t yet, that you will consider purchasing a copy of “Normal or Nothing Like It” – available for order anywhere that sells good books or hit me up for a signed copy.

MY DEBUT NOVEL IS OUT NOW!!

It has taken me 46 years, but I now have a novel out, “Normal or Nothing Like It”. It’s very exciting, even though COVID managed to ruin all my plans. You see, I planned to launch this book in style. Now I’m kicking myself a little. The book was ready for release a couple of months back, but I held it off. It was my birthday on July 1 and I wanted to launch it on that day. I had to cancel a planned birthday party last year because of COVID, so thought I would do it this year with the book.

I had booked a café in Penrith for the launch / birthday party on July 1, and then the week later was going to do a Melbourne launch at the amazing Hares and Hyenas in Melbourne. As the first case hit Sydney; I just knew what was going to happen, and as the days went on and the numbers went up, I knew my plans were dust. Disappointing, but I know so many people had amazing events and plans they had to cancel. Onwards and upwards as they say.

The book still came out and I am so fortunate that people have started buying it. It means so much that people spend their hard-earned cash on my book. And even better, people are enjoying it. I can’t tell you how nervous I was before the release. I’ve done theatre, film and television. But literature is something new. And it’s a new writing style for me, I am known as a dialogue writer, so this was new experience. Waiting to hear what people thought has been agonising, but people have been loving it so far. Of course, I understand it won’t be everyone, but that’s okay, some people have loved it – and that is what makes me happy. Thanks to those reaching out with their kind words, it brings me so much joy.

This has inspired to get ready to publish my next work. Years ago I wrote a novel, “Electricity”, a YA sci-fi book. I was happy with it and tried to get it published, and the process was heart breaking. I left it behind, thinking it was best to walk away. It’s time I pull it back out. Starting tomorrow I am going to start a new edit and then publish it. I went down the self-publishing route for “Normal or Nothing Like It” and am really happy I did it. Time to get my actual first novel out. I have always been a, “Just Do It”, kind of guy, time to be him again.

So here’s the thing, I ordered a lot of books (and merchandise – though I don’t want to post mugs, totes are fine). I was expecting to sell them at the launches and with going to the classes I teach. We are now looking at an extended lockdown in Sydney. I have sold a lot of books already, which is great. Would love to sell some more. They can be posted anywhere in Australia. $20 for the book (signed and/or dedicated), with $10 delivery. Send me an email if you would like to order: wayne@tunks.com.au

They are great presents and a great read. Hope you can help out by ordering a book. Look at these legends below with their copies. Hope you’ll have a read too and enjoy these 16 stories I wrote from my heart.

Wayne

One month until we're normal .... or nothing like it!

It’s one month exactly until the release of my debut novel, and I am excited. Incredibly excited, but also very nervous. There have been a lot of metaphorical blood, sweat and tears and its nice that it is finally going to be out there for people to read.

I love to write, but until now, I have mostly been a script writer. I was a playwright for many years and more recently have been doing a lot of writing for film. A novel is something I always wanted to do, but it never happened. It is a big commitment to write a novel and then follow through and have it published. I did write a novel a few years ago, a supernatural Young Adult novel. People were interested, they weren’t, they wanted changes, they didn’t want changes. It was so hard and it kind of broke my heart, so I just left it behind. I loved that novel, but I just hated what it stood for in the end.

Then forward to the current novel. I had been thinking of the idea for a little while, story ideas had been brewing. I began writing ideas. I think I was nervous to begin. Then when I went to the US in 2019, I knew I was close to starting. In New York I was sitting in cafes writing notes and character ideas. By the time I reached LA, I knew I was ready. I love to walk when I’m on holidays, but that was when my hernia really started playing up; so I needed to take regular breaks when walking. My first morning in Hollywood, I went to a café on Hollywood Boulevard and I started writing. Over the next few days I would write whenever I stopped at a café, which is a lot. I began writing in a notebook, which I love to do. Then when I arrived back at LAX, I started to transcribe what I had written.

The cafe where I began writing in Hollywood

When I returned home, things got crazy again. I did some writing, and was loving the progress. Then COVID hit and we were all locked down. I was teaching from home and not leaving the house. It gave me the perfect chance to finish the novel. And finish it I did. I was loving sitting in my room, playing my favourite music and pouring my heart onto the page. It ended up being finished quicker than I thought it would happen.

The day I finished writing

I let my two best friends, Charlene and Jacinta, read it as I was writing and they were enjoying it. That made me feel good, though I always worry they are bias. Jacinta also helped me edit the book. I made the decision quickly I would self-publish. I didn’t want my heart broken again by the process of trying to get an agent and publisher. Plus, if it is published through them, there are no guarantees that the book will do any better. Anyone knows me knows that I am shameless self-promoter. I will be doing all I can to sell this book when it comes out.

The book is 16 short stories. I always think most people think of me as doing comedy, and while there is some comedy in there, these are dramatic stories. We always watch or read stories about people who are young, or in their 20s and 30s, then we get stories about old age. I want to tell stories of my age and the things that me and my friends go through. I have tried to be as honest as possible and show reality, and that is not always pretty. If people can relate to most of these stories, then I have done a good job. They are meant to be read and enjoyed and I hope that happens.

Head over to the book link on my page and see how you can pre-order the book now on either paperback or e-book. Or hit me up and pre-order through me. Happy to sign a copy of your book (paperback, don’t think I should sign your e-reader 😉.) You really should be able to pre-order through anyone who sells books.

I am nervous writing this, but so very ready. I hope you read, enjoy and tell me which of the stories is your favourite. I have my soft spot for a few characters and look forward to knowing yours.

Wayne

June 1, 2021

Bridesmaids Die in Tasmania

A travel diary by Wayne Tunks about traveling to Launceston for the latest production of “The Bridesmaid Must Die!” – this time by the Launceston Players. A full recap of my trip. Food is important, it needs to be written about. The same with drinks. And the theatre. Just have a read, please.

April 16, 2021

I haven’t travelled much in my life, but have had quite a few flights, especially within in Australia. So it seems strange to say I didn’t fly in 2020. Probably the first year I hadn’t taken a flight since the age of 20. This trip I am taking was actually meant to happen last year, but due to Covid, it was postponed. You see, I’m headed to Tassie to see a production of my play, “The Bridesmaid Must Die!”. This is the third time a season will be produced in Tassie, and I am excited.

This play is special to me. I wrote it and first produced it in 2004, which seems like a lifetime ago. It was the third full length play I had written and really cemented my love of theatre and writing plays. The production, at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, was also special, it was where I met my best friend, Charlene. Seventeen years later and we are still as close as ever. So yeah, this play is special to me.

I also got to come down for the first production in Launceston all those years ago. Had a blast and really enjoyed meeting the creative team. Since then I’ve gotten to work with some of that cast. Emma Hardy appeared in “37 Ways To Say I’m Gay” in Melbourne (and that was a sell-out season) and David A Quinn appeared in my award winning web series, “After Nightfall”. Plus, Amanda Phillips had directed a student production of my 16 women play, “Hell Hath No Fury”, and that offered me a chance to head to Launceston again. So I was delighted to hear that Amanda was returning for this production. I was also very happy to hear that the amazing Leigh Oswin was returning to direct the play. He is a great director and was the one who originally brought it to Tassie, so I knew it was in capable hands.

Now this all sounds lovely for a nasty little play. You see, in this black comedy, a bridesmaid must die. It’s not a who dunnit, it’s a who’s gonna get it. And the audience are the ones who decide which of these ladies will bite the dust. It’s all in good fun and I’ve loved seeing this play’s evolution.

So here I am, masked up, making my first flight since late 2019. It’s been a tough week, one project I am doing has been much harder than I could have expected, so a weekend in Tasmania seems perfect. I look forward to seeing the show and just sitting in some cafes, drinking coffee and breathing in the good air.

This is my third time in Launceston and I always forget how small it is. I landed at 9am and came to the CBD. There were five hours until I could check into my hotel. I started walking around and was happy to stumble across the theatre where my play was being held. The weather was cool, but beautiful, Tasmanian air really is lovely.

I had been asking on social media for coffee recommendations. A couple of people had said, Sweet Brew. And it just turned out to be around the corner from the theatre. It felt like everything was just around the corner from the theatre.

I got my standard long black and a lovely looking granola, that may be the fanciest I have ever eaten. It was nice coffee, strong in taste without the bitterness, and a sweet after taste. I guess the name Sweet Brew was fitting.

I did a good deep dive into the local shops and bought a blazer that was more than half price off – I can sense a bargain anywhere.

With two hours until check in, I was getting tired of carrying my bag, so went into Cocobean and had a beautiful hot chocolate. I was tired from walking but could feel myself starting to relax. The weekend was working.

After wandering around more, I found myself at Alchemy Bar and had a cider and some fries. It was nice to sit down and do some blogging for my radio show. Before long, enough time had passed and I checked into my hotel, the Cornwall Boutique.

Spent the afternoon chilling, went for another walk and decided to get a haircut, yes, I was brave going into a new place. In my defence, every time I walked past them during the day they were packed, so I felt confident they would be good, and they were. I was very happy.

Then it was time for some dinner. I felt like a big dirty burger, it was a holiday after all, and I knew I would be on a diet on Monday – so I wanted to go out in style. I had passed Burger Junkie earlier in the day and knew I had to go back. I ordered a pint of lovely cider and a Sweet Bourbon Chicken Burger. Holy hell it was good. It was really good. It felt almost indecent eating that in public.

As the lights went down, I felt the pangs of nerves. They were natural. I knew the show was going to be brilliantly executed, but you always get nervous. And I just hoped that no one would be offended by a play I had written 17 years ago that was VERY full on and touched on some edgy topics. I am happy to report, the production was incredible. Each member of the cast imbodied their characters perfectly, Leigh’s direction was incredible and the costumes and lights were all fantastic. I adored the show.

I have to admit, it has been a while since I have read the play, or seen it. It felt like watching something new. I remembered some things coming, other things I completely forgot. It was easy to forget that I had written this madness and just let myself be absorbed into the story and these wonderful actors creating this bonkers world. I really loved how much the first act was played with perfect farce and the second act really dug deep and found the drama. I found myself laughing and crying. I forgot that this play which seems superfluous on the outside is really filled with important issues involving classism, homophobia, mental illness and domestic violence. Leigh and his cast really highlighted these issues and I found myself very humbled by the production.

The show finished and I finally had a chance to meet everyone, and see just how lovely they all were. Many drinks were had in the foyer and I felt a genuine connection with these amazing people. We ended moving to a fantastic little hidden cocktail bar, Cinco. It was a small little bar where it felt comfortable, and the drinks were exquisite. I don’t know how long we were there, but I was happy and had had a perfect first day in Launceston.

April 17. 2021

The next day I slept in, which for me is a big thing, and then got myself ready to head to breakfast (brunch). I was meeting up with Jeff Hockley, the show’s lighting designer and the Launceston Players’ Senior Vice President; and his partner, Christopher Byrg. We met up first at Bread and Butter. It’s a great new little café / bakery that was packed. I had a long black and a Quince Tart (which could well be my new drag name). The coffee was good, thought the one from Sweet Brew was better; however, that Quince Tart was amazing. Flaky pastry and the fruit tasted beautiful. Enjoyed it immensely.

Then we moved next door to the Harvest Farmer’s Market. This place was amazing. Some of the best looking produce I had ever seen and again, the place was packed. We wandered around and checked out each stall and did some gin tasting. Then sat down for a Haloumi and Chorizo Burger, that was so Goddamn tasty. I would eat that daily if I could. Then it was on to another coffee, this time from the Provenance Coffee Company. I think this may have been better than the Sweet Brew coffee, just. It’s very close. The textures were incredible, the crème beautiful and the taste made me grin. All those people who joked on Facebook that Launceston had no good coffee, clearly have never had coffee in Launceston – it was amazing. I was having the best day, my hosts were truly wonderful and I felt very at home in this beautiful town.

Next it was onto the Cataract Gorge. I am embarrassed to say that I didn’t even know this place existed. I certainly didn’t go there last time I was here, and I am so thankful the gents took me there this time. We took a long walk around the Gorge, even crossing the suspension bridge. I must admit, I am not the fondest of bridges, and my heart skipped a little while in the middle of the bridge, feeling it sway from side to side; still, I loved the walk and crossing it. I had seen a new side to Launceston and I could not have been more thankful.

Then it was a quick rest in the hotel, only I thought the matinee was 2.30pm, not 2pm. So at 2pm I strolling out of the hotel on the way to the theatre and my phone rings. I am late, they are holding the show for me. I don’t run, I hate running, I won’t run. I sprinted to that theatre in about a minute or two, breathless, but I made it. Another great show. My only disappointment, the same ending. The audience voted for the bridesmaid to die. On opening night I saw the promiscuous maid of honour Bree die, and she did again in the matinee. Still, it was great to see the show again and watch it grow. The cast were getting accustomed to performing the show and it was a delight to watch.

That night I met with Jeff again and he took me to dinner at the Sports Garden Hotel, another fantastic venue. I tell you, these Tasmanians know how to make an eatery. A beautiful and massive fish and chips had me filled up and ready for my last night in the theatre. I tell you, for not having seen a show in a very long time, it was nice to be back in the theatre.

Final show for me and it was the best one yet, especially the second half. The cast really rallied and created exquisite drama in the second half. It was brutal and they handled it profoundly and beautifully. I was happy to see the lesbian beatnik poet, Julia, die. Not because I don’t like her, she’s actually my favourite character; but because I like her death the most. And it was everything I could have wanted and more. I was crying with laughter. Wow this team were great. 

More drinks after and again we ended up at Cinco. Got to sit down and chat with some more of the crew and just had a great night. Lockdown had been hard, I missed sitting in a venue, having a drink and talking to other artists. It felt like a palette cleanser, and I was so happy.

 April 18, 2021

The next day I got up early and packed my bag. I was happy to be headed home, it had been a great weekend, but I also would have loved to have stayed and spent more time in that lovely theatre. I headed to the café next door from the hotel, The Eatery. It wasn’t as strong as the other venues I had visited. The coffee was fine and the bacon and egg roll was tasty, but I had had better while in Launceston.

Soon Jeff came to pick me up and before I knew it, I was on the plane headed home. Happy I had finally been able to travel and watch this show I am so proud of. What an amazing few days, and one I will remember for a long time.

A big thank you to the Launceston Players. Thanks to President Grahame Foster for being friendly and inviting. Thanks to Leigh Oswin for once bringing my show to life. This production was so much more than I ever could have expected, I was truly blown away. You are a very talented man. Thanks to the cast, each one was fantastic and I loved getting to know you all, and Amanda, how I have missed you, you fabulous woman you. Then a big thanks to Jeff and Christopher for being such generous and gracious hosts. I am truly thankful. What a brilliant trip and an amazing theatre production.

Making "Upside Down"

In December, I had the privilege of shooting my second music video for the talented, Kylie Gale; “Upside Down”. It’s an upbeat country banger that showcases both Kylie’s brilliant vocals and song writing talents. It’s always lovely shooting a second clip for an artist, there’s unspoken trust in each other. I adored working with Kylie the first time, and the second time was even better. Plus, I wasn’t a week or two from recovering from a hernia operation this time! I love the result we achieved and am so glad that CMT (Country Music Television) has been playing the video.

We had such a great day filming. The schedule was very full getting it all done in one day, but we managed to do it, we worked so well we even finished early. Almost unheard of. That’s how good the team were.

The day started early. We shot around the Blacktown area and began with Kylie’s performance shots. There is a nature reserve very close to my house. I had shot two scenes for my web series, “After Nightfall” there before. During lockdown, I took a lot of walks in there and explored it further, really falling in love with the place and was keen to shoot a clip there. Kylie’s was the perfect vehicle. Director of Photography, Christine Anderson, did such an amazing job. She has a beautiful eye and it’s amazing to work with her. Kylie is at ease when she straps on a guitar and I loved watching her perform. The shots were done quickly with a lot of gold to choose from.

Next, we moved to my parent’s house. Got to work with my great mate, Emma Louise, as we played a fighting couple. I love working with Emma, after all these years we work together seamlessly. Kylie brought some friends and we got them to drink wine before midday. Acting is hard!

We had an early lunch and then headed to the other side of Blacktown to my lovely friend’s house, thanks Carolyn Griffiths. We had a ball shooting the wedding stuff. The ladies, Jade, Henri, Tayah and Annie, were all incredible. The improvisation from the performances was so funny, and a character called “Shit faced Simone” was born. She was the one who hilariously spilt wine on our very expensive looking Salvos wedding dress. We had one take to do it, so there were a lot of nerves. But the scene was nailed and is one of my favourite in the clip.

Then we moved to the nearby park, the interestingly titled, Nang Park. We were joined by my great mate, Suz and my nephew (and God son), Connor. We also had some great wedding extras. Quick shoot, but fun.

The day was going great and I was having the best time. Though the last scene had me nervous, I thought it was going to be difficult; we had several children doing a choreographed dance. I needn’t have worried. The kids were brilliant and our amazing dance teacher, and choreographer, Lisa Ancilleri, had rehearsed them perfectly before we arrived. A special shout out to the students and owners of Constant Groove for being in the clip and letting us shoot there. Also, to my great acting students, Imogen, Lucia and Madison. These girls were so wonderful and acted the story out beautifully. Amazingly, we raced through these shots. The dancing looked great and we finished early with me a happy man.

Shout out to these crew members, Dean Strothers, Jasmine Suivi and Abbie Gallagher; plus my amazing post production team, Paul Anthony Nelson and Thomas Wood. And thank you to Kylie for trusting me to bring her beautiful song to life with visuals. Please watch and share with friends, it is meant for enjoying.

2020 in all its glory

Well, it has been an interesting year to say the least. And I am not going to say it has been all awful, because it hasn’t. There have been some good things happen this year. Plus, I am one of these people who love to celebrate the positives. So, we’ll do that. Let’s celebrate the bright things that happened for me in 2020:

YOU, ME, THE 80s & THE 90s

My good mate, Emma Louise, and I decided to start a podcast this year. Anyone who knows me remotely, knows how much I love music. Even at 45, I still get heavily into new music; but my favourite era of music will always be the 80s and 90s. That’s what this podcast celebrates, this music and the artists who made the songs. We have so much fun getting together every fortnight and discussing these songs. We disagree, a lot. You will often hear me saying the phrase, “Hate Speech”. Then there is the stuff we love together.

The great thing, people are enjoying it. You make it, hoping people will like it. In reality, you just hope your friends will listen (which doesn’t always happen). So, to say we have had tens of thousands of listens, it is amazing. We even found out just today we have made the Apple Music Australian Podcast Music Charts. Plus, our online community is building and I love having all these chats about music.

We are ready to keep building in 2021, and I hope you all will have a listen:

https://youmethe80sandthe90s.buzzsprout.com/

OVERCATERERS ANONYMOUS

When Sydney began to emerge from lockdown I was very excited to do something creative. I had had the idea for “Overcaterers Anonymous” for a long time. I mentioned it to a few friends and they said should I should write it. In classic Wayne fashion, I wrote it a few days later. My amazing friends, Jacinta Moses and Suz Mawer, came on board to produce it with me, and was so happy to have such positive and supportive producing partners. We shot it over three days and it felt so good for all of us to be creative again after being stuck inside and behind our computer screens. The crew was phenomenal, I loved working with all of them. Christine Anderson, the Director of Photography, was a breath of fresh air. I want to work with her many more times. The post production crew, Paul Anthony Nelson, Nicholas Cavanagh and Thomas Wood, really brought the fun to life. The rest of the crew, Dean, Becky and Carolina, really are incredible. Then there was the cast, some of my closest friends. Always a treat to work with them. Got to work with some new actors, which is always nice and then there were my talented students. Any time I can cast a student, I am happy, and each of them did an amazing job. 

I was nervous before the release. Let’s face it, this film is batshit crazy and I hoped others would find my bizarre sense of humour funny. So happy they did, people seem to really love the film and can identify with these insane characters, or at least see a little of themselves in their flaws. We have also been blessed with some awards already and some great nominations. I was especially happy to see Suz Mawer win Best Supporting Actress for her work, well deserved.

I love mockumentaries, so it has inspired me to make more, watch this space….

And check out the film:

https://youtu.be/Jgnf7A0mvOw

AFTER NIGHTFALL

Several years after making this web series, it is still going strong. One of my favourite things this year was that one of my classes discovered the series and have been watching it and quoting it in class. I love they got so heavily into the story. The series continued to do well in festivals around the world (I have really begun to discover that people seem to like my work more overseas than here in Australia).

Some of the festivals we love were postponed, Miami and New Jersey. I was planning on heading to Jersey again, so it was sad to see it cancelled. Though I now worry I won’t be able to leave Australia to attend in September 2021, the government seem to be writing off 2021 for overseas travel.

We got a lot of nominations and selections early in the year, but it took to the end of the year before we started winning. Was so proud of the nominations we received at NYC Web Fest, Minnesota Web Fest, Seoul Web Fest, Toronto Web Fest, London Short Series and Apulia Web Fest.

Now these wins, they were incredible. Best Director (Horror / Thriller) at Baltimore Web Fest, Best Thriller at the Asia Web Awards and a massive 4 wins at British Web Awards for Best Actor, Best Script, Best Editing and Best Music.

We still have Miami and Jersey next year, but I am ready for us to give a big thankful farewell to After Nightfall. This series has been a big part of my life and gave me so much, I love it and am so proud of it. Now I want to build on what I have learnt and create some new and exciting things.

MY NOVEL – NORMAL OR NOTHING LIKE IT

While in the US in 2019, I started writing my novel, “Normal or Nothing Like it”. It is a series of connected short stories about Sydneysiders in their 40s. Lockdown meant I was able commit to the book and really loved spending days working on it. I managed to finish midway through the year (the photo is from the day I finished) and have been working on edits. Just got it back from my good mate, Jacinta, who gave me some great notes. I have made the decision to self-publish without even sending it to publishers or agents. I just want to get it out there and take my chances. I wrote a teen novel years ago and it broke my heart having people interested and then not interested, and even though the people closest to me loved it, I abandoned it. I want this one out there. I want to launch it for my birthday in July, so stay tuned. Here’s hoping things improve and I can have a book launch for you all to come to.

KYLIE GALE MUSIC VIDEOS

I am so thankful to the amazing Hayley Jensen for introducing me to the amazing Kylie Gale. We made her first clip, “Fading to Grey” a week after I had emergency hernia surgery and a week or so before lockdown came into effect. The team worked so well together, especially our great DOP, Emily Bui. It rained, and we planned on shooting outside most of the day, but the team did a great job finding new solutions, and I got to light the fire I wanted. I think it’s a great clip and Kylie is a talent. Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9dbM-MlCpI

In late December, we shot her next video, “Upside Down”. It is currently being edited by the brilliant, Paul Anthony Nelson. And I am excited about this one. We worked very hard to do it all in one day and there were three amazing stories we shot. I think they will turn out well. And Kyle was again brilliant in her performance. We managed to make the bush in Blacktown look like the country. It will be released in mid-February, and I can’t wait for you all to see it.

TEACHING
I love teaching, and I am so happy that so many of my students have been with me for years now. They constantly inspire me and I love to see their growth. So many of them are heading out now and doing work, and it brings such a big smile to my face. While it was a trying time with lockdown, and a whole term behind the computer screen, we made some great work.

My CASPA students shoot a great short film called, “The Way I Remember It”. It will be screened in Catholic Schools next year and I am so proud of the work my students did. My adult students at Sydney Talent Company made a cute horror film called, “One Eye Open”. I got the finished product yesterday, and it is FUN. Plus, my Centre Stage teens made some fun movie teasers, just shoot simply on my phone, and they make me chuckle. Check out Karen below:

https://youtu.be/rahvjpkpz-8

WAYNE

It wasn’t the easiest year for me. I got the surgery I needed, finally. 2019 was a painful end with my hernia and touring a kids theatre show. Thank God it was done, and just before they cancelled all operations. I have had some other illnesses, getting old sucks. Hopefully it means I will live healthier now.

I grew and evolved this year. I learnt more about myself. I learnt that I need to stay on my path and I can’t do things to please others. I am also trying to worry less about what others think, that one is never easy. I am a strong believer that no one wants you to succeed more than you do. And they shouldn’t. It is no one else’s responsibility to make you feel good about yourself or to see you succeed. I love collaboration, but it is up to me to do what I need to make myself the best version of myself and to get the success I have always craved.

So what does 2021 have instore? I hope to be having that vaccine sooner than later. My novel will come out. I hope to finally have my feature film finished and out. I cancelled my next feature, “Bitch”, for many reasons and it felt right. I am working on a new web series I hope to shoot in the next few months, and I am excited to make it. Plus, my next mockumentary short. Want to do a lot more writing and build up what I have already done. I am getting closer to 50 and now is not the time to rest. You quote the great Britney Spears, “You better work bitch”.

The Girlie Show - A Love Letter to the Early 90s

In 2015, just after Midsumma (the Melbourne LGBTQ+ festival) had finished, I came up with the idea for my next play. I was working in fashion retail, and while standing alone in the very quiet men’s department, I came up with the idea for “The Girlie Show” – a love letter to Madonna and the early 90s. I immediately started writing notes down and coming up with characters, and the following day I began writing. When an idea hits me, I need to start immediately.

A year earlier I had written a one man show which played La Mama in Melbourne and the Old Fitz in Sydney. It was an autobiographical show called, “Everything I Know I Learnt From Madonna”, it was the story of my love life as told through Madonna lyrics. The show had gone very well, and it gave me the chance to celebrate my love of Madonna. I had decided that “The Girlie Show” would be my second play in a Madonna trilogy. The third ended up being, “Diva Wars”, which played at the New Theatre in Sydney for Fringe in 2017.

I remember vividly lining up for tickets to see “The Girlie Show”. I was first year Uni in Wagga Wagga and the Ticketek, where tickets were being sold, was below the local radio station. I didn’t need to stay overnight like people in Sydney did, or the characters in “The Girlie Show”, but I got there at 5am and was the first. More joined and I made friends in the line, just like my characters. The concert itself was amazing, seeing your favourite artist for the first time is life changing. I have seen Madonna several times since then, including last year in New York, but that first time is just so special.

After the show was written and workshopped and it was added to the Midsumma Season at La Mama in Melbourne, I had made the decision to move back to Sydney after five years. I knew I had to do a Sydney season as well, and was so fortunate that the Old 505 in Newtown agreed to put it on. I got my good friend, Josh Karlik, as director for Melbourne. He co-directed with me the year before for Midsumma, with my play, “Silvertop Ash”; a play about gay teen suicide in rural Australia. I knew I could trust him with this personal play. I also got my good mate, Emma Louise, to come on as assistant director in Sydney. She was another I trusted unequivocally.

Before I left Melbourne, right as I was starting to pack up my house, we held auditions in my house in Brighton East. An amazing two days of seeing talented performers. It was important for the show that our actors had an understanding of Madonna fandom or at least were willing to try. We asked every actor their favourite Madonna track, and got some great and varied answers. We always knew when someone didn’t really know her songs, they would usually answer, “Like a Virgin”, with a blank look on their face. Then there were others, like Adam Noviello, who ended up playing Derek and will play him again in the read, who answered several songs, including albums tracks. I knew he was a fan. Of course, there was the one girl, who could see all the Madonna merchandise in my house and answered, “I don’t actually like Madonna”. No points for honesty there.

When back in Sydney, Emma and I held auditions and again the quality of actors was incredible. Josh began rehearsing and so did I in Sydney. I was so happy to head to Melbourne for the first read with the cast. I worked the day shift in retail in Sydney and then got the play down there, the plane was delayed, so I arrived at about 1am in Melbourne. The next night we had the reading and then I flew home on the first flight the next morning. Sydney first read was much easier.

Both shows rehearsed simultaneously, I did head to Melbourne a few times to rehearse my roles. It felt good to go between two states and rehearse the show with two completely different casts. Both shows were the same, but very different. As a writer, this was a treat to see your characters done by two people at the same time.

January hit and I drove to Melbourne a week before opening for bump in and rehearsals. Most of the drive was me trying to learn those damn lines. That first night I rehearsed and was so glad to be there, was also happy to be staying with my friends Perri and Paul, also happy Perri was in the show as well.

We opened to a full house and kept a full house the whole season, people were being turned away. The show created a great buzz with amazing reviews. It was also great that Madonna fans, with no connection to the cast, were coming to see the show and loving it. It’s nostalgic and it made them remember their first time seeing their favourite diva and seeing “The Girlie Show”.

During the Australia Day long weekend, I left my car in Melbourne and flew back to Sydney. It was weird not having my own car. We rehearsed and I headed back down south to finish the season. I was sad to leave, I love Melbourne and had such an amazing experience with this show; but it felt like a fitting farewell to this beautiful town.

Pretty soon, it was time for Mardi Gras and time for the Sydney season. Again, an amazing cast received with sell-out crowds, great reviews and an even better audience response. People were loving the show and it made my heart sing. When you sit alone and write a show, you hope to connect to the audience but never really know if you will. Sometimes plays work better than others, thank God this one was in the positive list.

As an actor, I loved this show too. I got to play two very different characters. There is Patrick, the conservative Catholic who doesn’t want his daughter Mary to go see Madonna. Then there’s Tony, or Tone as he prefers, who is a single dad with a very wild 16-year-old son, Sam. He loves his son and will do anything for him. Tone is one of my favourite, if the most favourite, character I’ve ever played. I am so excited to read him again on Friday night.

Reading online will lose some of the great things about the show. We dropped the two original songs we put in the show, and the 90s costumes were amazing. Plus, the scene changes were filled with iconic 90s tunes. But still, the heart is still there, and the cast for the read are all legends. This is a coming of age tale about finding yourself and your people with the help of Madonna.

Tune in on Friday night at www.facebook.com/TheGirlieShowPlay to see the live read. Covid-19 may be shutting everything down, but it won’t shut down our creativity or our passion.

9 Web Series to Watch While in Self Isolation

We are all stuck at home self isolating, and we need time to sit back and relax. All the TV shows will be running out of shows soon and you may be looking for good content to watch. Maybe now is the time to tuck into some good quality web series. Every year there are thousands of web series made, so we’ve tried to help narrow it down by highlighting 9 of the best around. These are all multi-award-winning series that really demonstrate how to make a successful web series. And there’s some great stuff on offer, comedies, rom coms, murder mysteries, cults and even singing vampires. Something for everyone.

So, grab a coffee, a wine, whatever makes you happy and watch these brilliant web series.

ADULTING

Country of Origin: USA

Director: Jenna Michelle Simmons

Writers: Cassidy Davis, Mallory Fuccella and Jenna Michelle Simmons

Cast: Cassidy Davis and Mallory Fuccella. Plus guest stars, Kolton Kolbaba, Eric Lewis Baker, Richardson Jones, Paige Gallagher, Lisa Cole and Samuel Hawkins

Synopsis: Adulting is a comedic web series about an unlikely duo, Katie and Charlie, who take their first stab at the real world together and attempt to be adults. (Key word: attempt).

Why people should watch it: Ultimately, Adulting was created to make people laugh, relate to each other, and bond over a common struggle: adulthood. Now, more than ever, we need to laugh at a fart joke and feel less alone about how bad first dates can be. That's where we come in. Because maybe we’re not that different after all, right?

Link to series: http://adultingwebseries.com/season-2/

Awards of Note: 

Audience Choice Award- Miami Web Fest

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy- New Jersey Web Fest
Official selections to over 10 festivals around the world

AFTER NIGHTFALL

Country of Origin: Australia

Director: Wayne Tunks

Writer: Wayne Tunks

Cast: Kristina Benton, Tristan Clark, Barbara Gouskos, Prudence Holloway, Chantel Leseberg, Jasper Lee-Lindsay, Robert Miniter, Jacinta Moses, Bronte Parkin, Nick Sinclair, Anton Smilek, Wayne Tunks and David Woodland. Plus, a whole heap more great Australian talent.

Synopsis: When an 18-year-old high school student from a small country is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Follow the clues and see if you can discover, who killed Troy McLeavey.

Why Should People Watch It: Everyone loves a good murder mystery and After Nightfall has loads of great suspects for you to pick from or rule out. Australians really are making exceptional web series, so check out one that has been awarded worldwide.

Awards of Note:

Best Mystery / Thriller – NYC Web Fest

Best Thriller Web Series – Baltimore Web Fest

Outstanding LGBTQ Series – New Jersey Web Fest

Best Director (Drama) – Web Series Festival, Utah

Where to Watch: All episodes can be seen at www.afternightfallseries.com or check them out at Seeka TV.

AWKWARDLY 

Country of Origin: USA

Directed by: 9 Women! Rebecca Benzell - E08 & E09, Nikki Coble - E01, E11 & E20, Jennifer Dean - E07 & E10, Jessica Alexandra Green - E02, E13 & E14, Annalise Leonelli - E06 & E15, Kristin McCarthy Parker - E03 & E16, Margaret Reed - E04 & E17, Stephanie St. Hilaire - E05 & E18, and Kate Wetherhead - E12 & E19

Writer: Nikki Coble 

Cast: Ours is a chain-of-connection story, so the ensemble cast is mighty. 31 in all, 20 of which are considered "main" with 2 episodes each.

Synopsis: A pocket-sized, chain-of-connection series with a mighty, quirky heart, linking twenty New Yorkers in a full-circle loop of endearingly awkward moments, all written & directed by women. 

Why Should People Watch It: At a time of overwhelm & isolation, this series is a light-hearted reminder of how we're all connected. 

Awards of Note: "Top 10 in the USA"- Web Series World Cup 2019

"Best Web Series" - NYCIFF (NYC International Film Festival) 2019

"Best Web Series - Sketch Comedy" - New Jersey Web Festival, BNM Web Fest (Baltimore Next Media Web Festival) 2019

"Best Creator in a Comedy - Nikki Coble" Asia Web Awards 2019

Links: Either visit the series home hub at Facebook.com/AwkwardlySeries and click on the Playlist for all 20 episodes. (views would count most for us here)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/AwkwardlySeries/2531672923517362/

THE HOLIEST ONE

Country of Origin: Australia

Director: Philip Speers

Writers: Philip Speers & Sarah Nicolazzo

Cast: The Holiest Sarah Nicolazzo, Catherine Glavicic, Anne Akhila, Tom Michelsen, Ida Monitto, David Meadows, Emily Joy, Helena Ruse, Nick Clark, Luke Goodall, Marc Gallagher, Brian Palermo, Ezra Parter, Rebecca Bastiaensz, Jessica Tanner, Samantha Greenwood & Chanella Macri

Synopsis: The Holiest One follows the trials of an Australian cult follower as she tries to start a new chapter in Los Angeles.

Why People Should Watch It: If you love cults, dark comedy and epic Netflix storytelling, this is the series for you.

Awards of Note:

WINNER: SYDNEY WEB FEST – BEST ENSEMBLE

WINNER: BALTIMORE WEB FEST – BEST DRAMEDY

Link to Series: https://vimeo.com/showcase/5861303 or https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBOa5U_1fnkpAvjwB0fq9-qRl7TfSGzyn

THE HUNTED: ENCORE

Country of Origin: USA

Director: Crystal Arnette (S2), Ryan Gibeau (S1)

Writer: Ned Donovan (S1 and S2) and Joe Pietropaolo (S2)

Score Composed by Marcus Thorne Bagala (S1 and S2), Steve Goldshein (S2)

Original Songs by Preston Max Allen (S1 and S2), Marcus Thorne Bagala (S1 and S2), Megan Bagala (S1 and S2), Danny K Bernstein (S1), John Gardner (S1), Ryan Gibeau (S1), Shannon Deep (S1), Scott Wasserman (S1)

Arrangements by Will Melones and Marcus Thorne Bagala

Cast: Megan Dorn, Ned Donovan, Adam Kaster, Andrew Mayer, John Gardner, Liz Damuth, Robert Chapin, Carly Kincannon, Hannah Rose, Adenike Thomas, Amanda D’Archangelis, Kyle Matthew Hamilton, John Krause

Synopsis: Swords, Songs, & Slayers collide in this musical action comedy that pits Megan and her band of vampire slayers against a sinister, bloodsucking syndicate.

Why Should People Watch: The #1 Action Comedy, Rock Musical, Mockumentary Web Series of all time! Winner of over 70 awards at more than 50 festivals worldwide.

Links: https://watch.seeka.tv/the-hunted-encore

https://www.streamingmusicals.com/#!/browse/tv/954/season/1/

MARKED

Country of Origin: Canada

Co-creators: John Krissilas and Lena Burmenko

Writers: John Krissilas and Lena Burmenko

Cast: Aman Corr, Lena Burmenko, Gabriel Gherutchi, John Krissilas

Synopsis:
6 years after an unexplainable ‘Event’ struck a film set, the former cast and crew begin to suffer strange side effects – prompting the two surviving leads to join forces in their quest to solve the mystery and its connection to a symbol from their past.

Why people should watch it:
It's the X-Files meets Lost for mystery lovers.

Awards of Note:
- Best Mystery / Thriller (New Media) at Miami Web Fest 2019
- Best Suspense / Thriller at Seoul Webfest 2019
- Best Writing in a Drama, Thriller, or Sci-Fi at New Jersey Web Fest 2018

Link to series:
Series website: https://www.MarkedWebSeries.com
YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAnnovYX5jA&list=PLl9dNFHeFbYD3rFNNvQ9s5QlMY_j-3uua&index=3

NEEM’S THEMES

Country of Origin: USA

Director:  Neem Basha

Writer:  Neem Basha

Cast:  Michael Lieder, Jenilyn N. Rodriguez, Erica Becker, James Lentini, Jessica Barrish, Danny Salazar

Synopsis:  Award-winning international sketch comedy series, with a different "theme" for every episode, always poking fun of real-life, everyday situations.  

Why People Should Watch It:  Neem’s Themes delivers comedy that is fresh, relatable, and engaging.  Each episode makes you go – “Oh my gosh, I do that!” or “I know someone like that!” or “Why didn’t I think of that?!”

Link to series:  www.NeemsThemes.com

SWIPE RIGHT

Country of Origin: Australia

Director: Cam Faull

Cast: Constance Washington, Lynn Hagele, Ben Watts, and Cam Faull

Synopsis: Follow 6 unique characters across 5 quirky episodes that focus on a search for connection...in all the wrong places.

Why People Should Watch: A comedic reminder for humanity that being single and dating in a pre isolation world isn't so great after all. 

Link to series: https://youtu.be/Trs5LesN9Po 

Awards: 

"Best Creator" Winner Asia Web Awards 

Nominated for "Best Actor" in Asia Web Awards, plus Toronto, Rio, and New Zealand Web Festivals 2019.

Nominated for Best Writing and Best Comedy in NYC Web Fest 2019.

Nominated for Best Comedy New Jersey Web Fest 2019

TROUBLE CREEK

Country of Origin: USA

Directors: Shea E. Butler (episodes 2, 4, 6) and Stacey K. Black (episode 1, 3, 5, 7)

Writer: Stacey K. Black

Cast: Jason Gedrick, Debrah Farentino and Dean Cameron.

Synopsis: Still waters run deep.  Behind the doors of Trouble Creek’s idyllic small town runs a century old strain of murder and madness that is finally seeing the light of day when bones are discovered in a nearby field.  Small town secrets lead to big time trouble.

Why People Should Watch: If you like mystery, madness and intrigue and if you enjoyed “Twin Peaks,” you’ll love “Trouble Creek.”

Awards of Note:

Best Dramatic Director – Baltimore New Media Web Fest 2018

Best Web Series – Idyllwild Cinemafest 2018

Best Dramatic Web Series – Studio City International Film Festival 2017

Best Director & Best Actor – Vancouver Web Fest 2018

Link to Series:

www.youtube.com/troublecreek

2019 - A Year in Review

2019 was a massive year, even by my standards. Some amazing things, professionally and personally. But I also struggled this year, health wise and emotionally. Things I will personally take stock of and grow. But these things aren’t for wallowing, they are for celebrating. So now it’s time to look back at the year, celebrate all the amazing things that happened.

ACCORDING TO OTTO FEATURE FILM

The year began with a very busy January, directing my feature film debut, the screen adaption of my play, “According to Otto”. This was a learning curve, 18 days of very full on filming. Acting in the film as well didn’t make it easier, but overall, I am happy. Some hard days on set, but thanks to an amazing cast and crew, the end result is looking fantastic and I am excited to finally have people see this film. Already planning the second film, so the bug has well and truly been caught.

37 WAYS TO SAY I’M GAY PLAY

So this wasn’t perfect, but there are some reasons to celebrate my only play of the year. For so many years, theatre was thing, my drug; but it’s now been replaced with filming and that is okay. It was good to say goodbye with a play I love. The positives, the audiences loved it (even though the critics gave us a hiding), we had a lot of full houses, I got to perform in a theatre space that was only there for a short amount of time and I worked with some people I really do love. And the play gave me closure, it allowed me to walk away from theatre (who knows if it is permanent or for now). I struggled with my mental health during the play, quite badly, but I made it through and can be proud of that.

FILMING APPARITIONS

It was such an honour to be asked by my wonderful friends, Perri Cummings and Paul Anthony Nelson, to have a major supporting role in their new horror film, “Apparitions”. I loved the script as soon as I read it and was excited to head to Melbourne to film. 5 weekends and I was wrapped, met some amazing people and had some real fun on camera. Can’t hardly wait for its release.

CELEBRITY NAME GAME

I hadn’t appeared on a TV Game Show since I was about 15, so this was fun. And it all came about because of my wonderful friend, Emma, who applied for both of us. We did the audition and thought we botched it because we were barely asked a question, but was told after that they knew they wanted us. I was so nervous the whole filming and was determined to at least make the final. We lost the jackpot, just, but still, we took home some money which helped me get to the US and see Madonna. So it was a lot of fun.

MAKING MUSIC VIDEOS

I have always loved music videos. As a teen I’d get up early to watch the Rage Top 50 on a Saturday morning. So to finally be able to make some clips was paying off my dreams. I directed three clips this year, two for the amazing Amber Lawrence, “Heart” and “Hell to Hallelujah”, both singles reaching number one on country charts and played on CMC. I also got to direct the new clip for the great Arna Georgia, which will see a release in 2020. I am very proud of all these clips and hope to make more in the future.

TEACHING

It’s good to love your job, and I do. Well, most days. I have some amazing students who bring me so much joy (again, not all, but so many good ones). I love seeing them grow in class and become better and better at their performances and also in life. Students who start quiet and shy and end up full of confidence. For the second year running I had students win an award at the Sharp Short Festival at the Riverside Theatre in Penrith, This year it was Sydney Talent Company Penrith students who won best acting ensemble. Very proud teacher moment.

ARLO SHORT FILM

The wonderful Blacktown Arts, through Blacktown Council, introduced a fund this year for local filmmakers and I was lucky to be one of 5 artists chosen to make a film. Yes, it was on;y a small amount, but every cent counts when making a film. That is how “Arlo” was born. It’s a sweet little film about a young boy who likes to wear dresses. And how special that one of my students, Kaden, played the titular role. People seem to love “Arlo”, it was selected for a number of festivals and that makes me happy.

AFTER NIGHTFALL

Another massive year for “After Nightfall”. Season two was finally released and the killer of Troy McLeavey was revealed and phew, people were satisfied and shocked by the reveal. Plus, the series continued to shine on the web festival circuit. In our second year submitting for Season One, we still managed to do exceptionally well, finishing 55th in 2019 in the Web Series World Cup. And with loads of entries ready for Season Two in 2020, we hope to do even better. I was also really happy with my performance in Season Two, and think it could very well be my best acting yet.

MY TRIP TO THE U.S.

After having an amazing trip to the US in 2018, I knew I wanted to go back this year. The New Jersey Web Fest just seemed like an amazing festival, and drunk Wayne had promised to go if selected. So I went, and just had the most incredible time, what a beautiful festival filled so many amazing souls. Reconnected with friends and made new ones, plus to cap it all off, we won best LGBTQ Series. Then after Jersey, I headed to NYC and LA. NYC was loads of shopping, catching up with friends, plus two great concerts. Saw the B52s in Central Park and then my Queen, Madonna, in Brooklyn. Best concert I have ever seen. LA saw me go full tourist and also catch up with more amazing friends. It was such a nice slice out of normal life and I want to go back again in 2020.

THE RELEASE OF FRAGMENTARY

My friend, Jace Pickard, had been working on his feature film, “Fragmentary”, for a few years. I had worked as Casting Consultant and had appeared in the film as a racist neighbour, who gets some great lines and a killer moment at the end of the film. It was so nice to finally see the film released and see it on the big screen. You always worry about your own performance, so it was nice to see and to be happy with it.

EM’S ENTERTAINMENT

Another great year working for my friend, Emma, and her children’s theatre company. Mid year with the shows, “Wombat’s Wild Weekend” and “When I Grow Up”, then at Christmas we launched a new show, “Carol Claus”, which audiences LOVED. I had a great Christmas tour partner, Demi, who is talented and so wonderfully put up with me being so ill (more of that later). Plus, how exciting, that all three shows I performed in this year were written (words, not music), by me.

So now it is time to look forward. 2020 will be a big year, again. I want to fill it with so much. “According to Otto” should come out, and I will film a new movie (details will be out soon of what that is), I am even toying with doing a new web series. I am writing a novel and am also working on a book of plays with a dear friend. I am also looking at doing my very first podcast. There is so much to achieve and I always like to take life by the horns. Nothing can stop me now.

Happy New Year friends and may we all succeed, grow and love in 2020.

Making Amber Lawrence's "Hell to Hallelujah" Music Video

Had such an amazing time making Amber Lawrence’s “Heart” video, that I was very excited when Amber’s manager, Karen-Lee, contacted me about directing the clip for the new single, “Hell to Hallelujah”. Excited and nervous, this was a big one for Amber, it was a song about marrying her husband, Marty. Knew we needed to make a great clip to celebrate such a momentous occasion.

Amber has been doing this a while, so she knows what she likes - which is great because it helps create something special for her. She had told me she wanted something fun and joyous with lots of movements, with moments of wackiness, and I think we created that.

We settled on am idea that begins in the day with a hen’s party / kitchen tea. Amber loved the idea of the ladies sitting at a table, which she then climbs and walks across. Then it would culminate with a night performance, almost like the wedding reception, where Amber would sing and party. While this was a song about a wedding, we wanted to keep away from schmaltz and keep up the joyous fun.

I knew the perfect location. My Uncle, Phil Chenney, lives on the most amazing property in Glenorie. We had shot a day there for my feature film, “According to Otto”, in January and it is a very filmic locale. So thanks Uncle Phil, looks great in the clip.

Nicholas Price would again shot the clip, as well as producing it with me. We had Lakme Iyenjar focus pulling, with Cayla Blanch camera assisting on day one and Michael Giglio on day two. Kim Surya did a wonder with production design, Mark Anderson was assistant director and Lisa Mangion was Amber’s make up artist. Abbie Gallagher and Carolina Maquina did make up for the other actors, with Carolina helping with Amber on day two. A great crew of hard working and talented people.

A big part of the clip was going to be the bridesmaids. They were going to be having a LOT of fun while Amber performed. We needed six ladies who could sell this, and I think we succeeded. Lara Duncan (purple dress) tours with Amber as her backing singer, and I was so happy Amber asked her to join the cast. Lisa Ancelleri (yellow dress) is my boss at one of the schools I teach at, and I loved the idea of having a heavily pregnant bridesmaid, added some great comic value. Krystelle Pratten (lilac dress), is a teacher at the same school and was happy she came on board. Tasha O’Brien (green dress) has been in two of my plays and plays my daughter in “According to Otto”, so was great have her join us, the same with Sally Williams (pale pink dress), who I have known for many years in the Sydney theatre scene. The cast was rounded out by Abbie Gallagher (fuchsia dress), who I got to know when she began blogging about my web series, “After Nightfall”. When you watch these ladies in the clip, they are fantastic.

We shot the clip in July, which meant it was cold. We were very fortunate that the sun was out, and it was actually a lovely winter’s day, just bloody cold. The property looked stunning, leaves were on the ground and it looked very autumnal. Nick captured some very beautiful images of the property and that gorgeous winter sun. We arrived early and all the ladies went into make up. Kim set up the table first. The cake was iced, the food was put out and the table set. It looked incredible.

We did a few of the bridesmaids solo shots before hitting the table scenes. Choreography for the girls was led by Tasha, with help from the ladies (3 of them were dance teachers) and Amber prepared. Amber looked stunning in her white romper with the crystal headband. We began shooting and it looked great straight away, there was a feeling that this was going to turn out well. Amber’s performance was great and the bridesmaid were selling it.

Was a lot of fun when we moved to Amber standing on the table. It looks great because Amber was having such a good time. It all looks so effortless when you see videos, but we have to do the same thing over and over again, to get different takes and camera shots. The performers have to keep up the energy for every take, and Amber brought it every time. It looks so fun, because it was.

Next up was the bridge section of the song, where the ladies came down from the front porch and gathered around the trees. Loved the movement of this section, the cinematography looks brilliant and Amber really commands an audience with her performance.

It was lunch and then we were down on the road leading into the property. The sun was perfect and it was time to shoot the beginning of the clip. We started with Amber walking in doing the opening verse. She is a pro, so it was done very quickly and looked great. Then we added the bridesmaids. These ladies made me laugh, especially when they had to run in excitedly to greet each other. Each take was something new and hilarious. Bonus points to Lara Duncan, who’s run across the back (you can see it in the final edit) is just side splittingly funny. Amber had the great idea for the slo-mo walk, which we used at the end of the first chorus. We finished on that for the day, and it looked great.

Day one finished early and I was happy, everyone had done an amazing job (we couldn’t have finished early if we hadn’t). It was time to head home, rest up and get ready for the following night’s shoot.

Even though we were only filming what would become a one minute section of song, it was going to be a big night. We had a lot of extras coming, as well as a big lighting set up. Kim had begun setting up the fairy lights the day before, but there were still so many to organise. The verandah ended up looking stunning, but it took a lot to get there. Thanks to all the crew for pulling that out, and my Uncle, who was a wiz when helping out. The extras began arriving and we were getting ready to start. It’s hilarious that when I shot at my Uncle’s property in January it was 47 degrees, I ended up with a little heatstroke after that shoot. For this shoot, Amber looked up the temperature a little later in the night and it was only 3 degrees, 44 degrees cooler than when I shot there last time. Ouch.

Amber arrived with some champagne, it was a wedding party after all. She really is a lady after my own heart. She had also brought her husband, Marty, and adorable son, Ike. Ike had been ill, so it was great to get him there. Fans have been loving the end of the clip, so I’m so happy we got to shoot it. We did it first, so Marty and Ike could head to the warmth of home. It felt special when we shot it, and I think is the perfect ending to the clip.

Then we shot our “party”. Poor extras, they must have gone home and had nightmares of me screaming, “Energy!” at them. We wanted it to look like a party, so wanted those extras dancing. They all did so well with repeated takes and such a cold night. Then of course Amber and the bridesmaids shone. And a special shout out to my good mate and assistant director, Mark Anderson, who appeared as the male dancer with our lilac bridesmaid, Krystelle.

Again we finished shooting earlier than expected. Amber, the crew, the cast and the extras had all worked so hard to create something I knew was going to be special.

Then it was into post production. Samuel Fitzpatrick did the editing, and Keiran Lee the colour grading. Then Nicholas Price put it all together. I’m so happy with how it all turned out and I love when it finally gets released and people can enjoy it.

I love music videos, I always have. When other small kids were watching cartoons, I was watching music videos. I have some many memories of watching, loving and being inspired by music videos, so I love that I have been able to create some. Especially with a wonderful artist like Amber. Her new album is exceptional, if you haven’t heard it yet, do yourself a favour. And please, have a watch of the clip.

USA - The Sequel - 2019 Edition

After having the most amazing time in the US last year, I knew I had to head back again this year for one helluva amazing sequel. Was heading over for the New Jersey Web Fest, but also was going to have a nice relax and explore more of the US. Read my travel diary below.

Friday September 20, 2019

Travel days are big ones, long ones. But at least when you are heading there you are driven by the excitement of the trip to come. My wonderful brother, Gary, picked me up at 6am and I was on the way to the airport. The bag drop line was longer than usual and seemed to be not moving, then I heard talk of delayed flights and my heart dropped. By the time I got to the front line, I asked one of the staff what was happening. Flights to Austin were being majorly delayed due to rain but San Francisco flights were just fine, phew.

After breezing through security quickly and having breakfast and coffee, it was time to board. It was a full flight but not too bad. I was planning on catching up on movies, and caught a heap. Sleep, maybe 30 minutes, ouch.

We landed on time in San Francisco, which was great since I had 2.5 hours until my next flight. Then I got to customs, what a line. I had been here 11 months before and it wasn’t this bad. Nearly 90 minutes later, and I was through. Last time my San Fran drama was at security, it took forever. This time, breezed through, not waiting at all. So had time to look around the airport a little.

The next flight had no screens, so it looked like it was just going to be my book and iPod, but tiredness hit and I dozed a lot through that nearly 6 hour flight. But I arrived, Newark, New Jersey. And we even landed early, Into the Uber and I was off to West Orange to find my hotel. I went down for a bite to eat and my first drink, a lovely cocktail. Then I was off to catch the tail end of day one of New Jersey Web Fest.

I got to sneak into the cinema for the last few series and then headed to the opening night party at the Montclair Social Club. What a great night, got to catch up with friends I made last year and meet some new folk. This small taste made me realise that this was going to be a special weekend.

Saturday September 21, 2019

The day began with breakfast in the dining hall, and this would become my favourite daily event. A delicious buffet breakfast that would set you up for not eating for most of the day, and sitting and talking with web series creators from all over the world. Got to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Loved my breakfasts.

Then it was straight to Montclair for some workshops. Up first was an acting workshop with Richard Kilne, who starred in Three’s Company. We looked at how to deliver comedy and I enjoyed working with the lovely, Angela Gunn, who played my wife for the session. That was followed by an incredible pitching workshop with TV Producer, Dan Pasternack. This was such a great workshop and I learnt so very much in a small amount of time. It’s always nice to know you’ve learnt things that are going to be used in your day to day life. Thanks Dan for an amazing workshop.

Following this was the screening block that included the pilot of my series, After Nightfall. I love when the festivals are in actual cinemas, the quality is better and it is so inspiring to see your work on the big screen. It was a great block of web series and it was fun to get up after to give the quick rundown on the series.

I was jetlagged beyond belief and headed back to the hotel for a rest, returning for the last session of the evening. Sarah and Phil, from the Holiest One, who are also Aussies, were screening in that block and I wanted to go there to support them. I ducked out quickly for a bite to eat and ended up having a great chat in the cinema’s foyer with Neem, the amazing organiser, Jessica, who I met last year in Baltimore and was up for an editing award this year, and Rich, who is one of the legends instrumental in creating this web fest circuit. This is one of the things I love about this festival, a small walk can get you into great conversations with like minded, fascinating people.

I skipped drinks for the night to head to the hotel and hopefully get a good night’s sleep. So of course the people in the room next door (with a literal connecting door) were having a party, singing Bon Jovi at the top of their lungs at 12.30am. Hated doing it, but I knew I would get no sleep (they had woken me the night before at 4am talking loudly), so I complained to security. She is my new hero, she quietened them down in no time and sleep finally came.

Sunday September 22, 2019

Breakfast again was a great one, loads of chats and delicious food - wow Americans can breakfast, just shame about the coffee. Then it was back to have some more workshops. First up was the pitch competition. Armed with what we learnt the day before, we had 90 seconds to pitch our show, the best pitch would get $500 cash. I was ridiculously nervous. It’s amazing how confident Americans always appear, they were committing and doing an amazing job. I was happy with mine, I forgot a little, but happy nonetheless, and everyone told me I did well.

The next session was a panel with a group of web festival directors, they included Seoul, Bilbao Seriesland, Miami, Baltimore and NJ Web Fest and chaired by the amazing, Rich Halke. It was great to here them talk about the past, present and future of web series. You can’t not walk away from these panels feeling inspired.

The final workshop for the festival belonged to actor, Anthony J Gallo. It was wonderful to hear from an actor who started a little later in life. He talked about his experiences, in particular his work with De Niro and Scorsese on the upcoming, The Irishman. Once again, I walked away feeling totally inspired.

I took the afternoon off and explored Montclair. I visited some beautiful little shops and even managed to find some Madonna vinyl in a second hand book store that was very cheap. I returned back to the hotel and went to the nearby shops (I love visiting shops when I travel). There was a Kmart, and I wanted to see if it was anything like the Australian one (quick answer, no), a 99 cent store, a Wholefoods and a wine store. Got some afternoon tea and some drinks and went home for a much needed nap before a massive night. Oh, I knew it was going to be a massive night.

The New Jersey Web Fest Gala awards was at the Manor in West Orange and grand would be an understatement. This was an amazing evening, I wished this night hadn’t ended, I was having a good time and I think people could tell. I dressed up in the amazing jacket i bought in Baltimore last year and quickly mingled with my fellow web series creators. Everyone looked great and everywhere you turned was someone to talk to.

I was so happy to sit with my fellow Aussies, Sarah and Phil, and my new “wife”, Angela, was on my other side. We had a great table right near the door, and we were closest to the bar. Trust the Aussies to sit closest to the bar. There were so many friends from my trip last year here and so many new friends made. Would love to list them all, but I would be scared to miss anyone. What a great evening, with amazing food, good drinks and the best company ever. Then to cap off the evening, “After Nightfall” was awarded the Most Outstanding LGBTQ Series. That was not an award I was expecting, but was delighted to receive. I have spent my life trying to tell gay stories, so to be honoured for that felt so incredibly rewarding.

Somehow it got to midnight and the night was ending. How was it ending? I had the most incredible time. The entire team of the New Jersey Web Fest, led by the legend, Neem Basha, created a beautiful festival. They said they wanted to make memories with this festival, and so many were made. This was one of the best weekends of my life.

Monday September 23, 2019

Everyone who staggered down to breakfast was tired, but still on a high from the night before. This morning was one of my favourite memories of the trip. People dropped into breakfast and then lots stayed. I arrived down there at 7.30am and didn’t leave until 10.30am. We all just talked. I also discovered that only Australians know the expression, “Pushing shit up a hill”. But I guess for many of us, we didn’t want the weekend to end, so we stayed and talked - an hour past breakfast supposedly ending.

I went back to my room, packed and headed for the local train station, I was ready to head for New York. I probably should have planned it better, trains were every 55 minutes and I had missed one by 5 minutes. A quick walk to get a drink and headed back to wait. I was having a great time chatting to a guy on the station, who may or may not have been homeless, but he was nice. Then Rich arrived, followed soon by Tom and Dipu from The Pantsless Detective and Sergio from Brazil. The train came while the guys were still buying tickets and Sergio missed the train, sorry Sergio.

Very quickly we were at Penn St Station and I completely got lost in Penn St looking for the right train. Ran into all the guys at various points, but soon found my train and headed to my hotel. I was staying at the Jane Hotel, which I found out later was actually where the passengers who survived the Titanic stayed when they first arrived in the US. I headed out quickly because, New York. I didn’t travel halfway round the world to sit in my hotel. I headed down to the West Village to check out some places I’d researched. First stop, The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, and I was not disappointed. The ice cream was divine.

Anyone who knows me, knows I love my coffee. My wonderful bestie, Charlene, bought me a coffee book that celebrated the best cafes in the world. I was determined to find good coffee in the US and visited my first place. It was only okay, a little too watery. But I loved sitting down and just soaking in the West Village. I looked through a few places, but the last place on my to-do list for the day was Record Runner, a pop themed record store. I knew I was going to love it straight away because they had several Madonna posters in the window. I went in and was not disappointed, they had a huge Madonna section, and I walked out with 5 records, including the pink vinyl of “Confessions on a Dancefloor”, that I had wanted for ages.

That night saw me headed to see an Off Broadway show. On the way I stopped off and had a great chat with my new friend, Nikki, who I met in Jersey. We were supposed to catch up quick, but 90 minutes later I had to head to see my play. I loved just sitting in a public square in New York talking.

Then I headed to see the show, it was called, “The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking”. I’ll be honest, I booked the show because they were giving you free drinks. I was sat at the bar with a lovely couple from Florida celebrating their wedding anniversary.(I know, I was thinking, “A Florida man …”) The show was great, there was singing, dancing, acting and booze that matched the stories. My favourite was the Old Fashioned that was ultra tasty. And cause I was at the bar, I got an extra drink - everything was coming up Tunks.

A great first day in New York, I truly love this city.

Tuesday September 24, 2019
Out and about early again, lots to do and see and this was my big shopping day. Headed to Times Square first, stopping on the way at the Doc Martens store. Not sure if it was a good sign or not, but the lady from last year remembered me. Then off to Times Square, always nice to stand and breathe in this iconic area. Then I decided I really needed to get a stranglehold on this subway system and got the train uptown to head to Bloomingdales.

Last time I was here I got some amazing moisturiser. Made in Australia, but only available in the US (go figure). And of course, this time, they were out, nooooo. They gave me a facial and I managed to get the same product but in a serum. Facial was amazing, and then she gave me freebies, so many freebies. Plus she had travel pots of the moisturiser I like. She gave me five, which equalled the same amount as a full pot, for free. Everything was coming up Tunks.

Visited Dylan’s Candy Bar for some presents and caught a train downtown to meet my friend, Ned, for lunch. I met Ned at NYC Web Fest last year and he is good value. He was also at New Jersey Web Fest and we promised to catch up. We went to a great little eatery and this Aussie was very confused when my cider came out in a wine glass. Apparently classy places in NYC do that, I had learnt something. We had a great lunch and an amazing catch up with a great friend.

Then I went to the other shop I love, I may even have a problem with how much I adore it. I feel like my new religion could be Bath and Bodyworks. We have a couple of stores in Sydney, but it’s not the same. And clearly others love it because every time I am there, they are packed. I bought a few things!!

Now for one of the highlights, I found some good coffee. The best coffee I have ever had in the US, and would have been great by Australian standards. I was talking to the server about coffee and she asked for it just the way I wanted and it was delicious. Thank you, Joe Pro Shop, for the amazing brew.

Then it was back to the hotel for a quick nap before a big and great night. I met up with my great friend, Nathan McBain, who I had gone to Uni with, many, many years before. We caught the subway and headed for Central Park. We visited the iconic fountain and then went to the Summer Stage to see the B-52s play live. This was exciting, an outdoor concert in a legendary venue. We arrived as Berlin were playing, “Take My Breath Away”. I had seen them a few years before in Sydney, and they sound great. OMD were up next, and while I only knew one song, the audience seemed to know them all and they were great. The venue was great, and the night was perfect weather. And in between sets it was the perfect time to catch up with a close friend. I miss Nathan and was good to catch up.

Then it was time for the B-52s, my first time seeing them, and they did not disappoint, Original members Fred, Kate and Cindy are still there and still have a bucket load of fun. The crowd went wild, and rightfully so, this set was epic. Two of my favourites appeared quite early, “Dead Beat Club” and “Roam”, and as the night went on, we knew the end would feature the two iconic singles, and both set Central Park ablaze. How amazing to yell, “tin roof rusted” with the B-52s, “Love Shack” was amazing and they finished with the classic, “Rock Lobster”. I am so happy we did that, another perfect New York day and evening. Thanks Nathan for taking me.

Wednesday September 25, 2019

My last full day in NYC, this went too fast because I love this city (I may have said that before, or many times). I began the day with a spot of clothes shopping. Headed to a few stores I quickly visited last time and wanted to spend more time in them. Had a great shop and got some amazing bargains on shirts, sunnies, socks and undies. Then it was time for some more coffee, and again, had one that wasn’t too bad. I was so thankful for this coffee book. Then I had a great wander around the Chelsea Markets. I discovered this place by accident but spent a few hours having a stroll and having some lunch. A great experience.

It was going to be a massive night, so I needed to have a rest, so in the late afternoon I took easy and had a massive nap. Because I needed to get ready to see Madonna. Anyone knows me, knows how much I love Madonna. I mean, I even have Madonna tattoos. I had only ever seen her in Australia. Once in 1993 for “The Girlie Show” tour and twice in 2016 for the “Rebel Heart” tour. But this tour, “Madame X”, promised to be something special. Madonna was only doing intimate venues, she began with a residency at the BAM Opera House in Brooklyn. Everything I had seen about the tour made it look like it was going to be amazing.

I was so happy I could catch the subway there, and I wouldn’t even have to change trains. Got my train to Brooklyn (proud of myself for that) and walked to BAM. In the most heart stopping moment of the trip, my ticket’s barcode wouldn’t scan. Slight panic. The woman called over her supervisor. I told him I opened it through the Australian Ticketmaster App and he said they had problems with that before and I would need to log in through the website. Naturally my reception was not good and it loaded so slow. Thank God the barcode on the website worked and I was in. Straight away they lock your phone in a case, there would be no photos or videos, and quite frankly, that was exciting. So many people spend the whole concert worried about their phones, and put them up in front of you. I was once at a concert where a girl spent most of the concert deleting photos to take more. So I was happy to have them all put away. I knew it was going to be a late start, I brought a notebook to do some writing. I also took a toilet break and went to the phone spot where I could open my case and took my one selfie for the night. (See below)

The show was incredible, my best concert ever. The small stage was used to such great effect, there were a series of stairs that were moved to create lots of different sets. There were twelve dancers and sixteen backing singers, plus three of Madonna’s daughters. Just because it was a smaller venue, Madonna was not stopping the spectacle, in fact, it felt even more theatrical - like she didn’t have to hold back or cater to the casual fans who always whine they didn’t hear enough of the old tracks. This was a very “Madame X” heavy show, and I was here for it. The show opened with the stunning, “God Control”, which led into “Dark Ballet”. What an amazing start and set the tone for a visually stunning night. “Human Nature” was exquisite, Madonna’s dancing is brilliant. I am guessing it is because of this number she has hurt her knee. “Vogue” is always great and “I Don’t Search I Find” is one of my favourite songs on the album. But how special to hear “American Life”, it is my second favourite album and is very underrated, so to hear the song was amazing and the performance was great. “Batuka” is one of those songs that needs to be seen live, it has given me a new appreciation for the song. The choir was exceptional here. “Medellin” was another highlight, as was the beauty of “Frozen”. The stripped back version of “Future” again gave me a new appreciation, and I loved hearing the Tracey Young version of “Crave” (my favourite song on the album"). The encore, “I Rise” was emotional and wonderful, but my favourite song of the night is my favourite song of all time, “Like a Prayer”. This was like a spiritual moment to me. The choir sang the hell out of the song and Madonna sounded beautiful. The staging was incredible and I shed more than a couple of tears. I am a concert crier, and the tears came out for this show.

What a brilliant evening, I am so lucky Madonna was performing when I was going to be in the US. This was like a dream come true. Then I got a train and managed to get back to the hotel within about half an hour, so that was great, because I had an early flight the next day.

Thursday September 26, 2019

I didn’t get much sleep, to bed after 2am and up at 6.30am. I had a flight to catch, and worse than that, I had to pack all the shopping into my luggage, as well as my award and I was carrying two awards for the amazing Soula from “Eating with Soula”. Bags sorted, checked out and then paid an incredible surcharge and headed back to Jersey in my Lyft. I was a little worried I had not left enough time because traffic out of NYC was terrible, but once we were in Jersey, it was a clear run to Newark. Check in was pretty easy, though TAC at Newark is no joke. Made my way to my gate and headed for the nearest eatery. Breakfast and coffee was needed.

The flight was easy, nearly 6 hours and got to watch a couple of films. It was great to finally be in LA, my first time. Took ages to get my bags, the carousel kept jamming, but eventually I was in an Uber heading for my accommodation in West Hollywood. I had found a great place on Stayz, just off Santa Monica Boulevard. Yes, the Sheryl Crow song was in my head the whole time. It had been a long trip and not much sleep, so a nap was needed before a quick explore of my surroundings.

That night I had booked a ticket to the Groundlings Theatre to see an impro show, “Cooking with Gas”. The show was hilarious and the 90 minutes flew by. In all honesty, this is probably the best impro I have ever seen. These guys knew what they are doing and it is hilarious.

This day was just a small hint at LA, but was already loving what I saw.

Friday September 27, 2019

I had a lot on the agenda today and was ready for a big one. I was up early and went for a massive walk. It was on this walk I spotted the Hollywood sign for the first time, wow that is a special moment. Ended up at a Denny’s first for some breakfast. I had to do it once, and I was full for a long time after that. Then it was off to the first of the LA coffee shops from my coffee book. Coffee okay, but locale amazing. Right on Sunset Boulevard, I even began writing a novel here. LA inspired me and I am so happy to finally start this book I have been thinking about for ages.

Next it was off to another place I had been planning, the brilliant Amoeba Records. It’s the kind of place you see in movies. A real record store that we just don’t have in Australia anymore (God I miss the HMV and Virgin Megastores that used to be on Pitt St). Got myself a Madonna candle and “Twin Peaks” T-Shirt. Then it was my first experience of Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame. Had a quick look before heading onto a sightseeing bus, I was going full tourist. I got on last, which meant that I was in the passenger seat, and I wouldn’t have wanted to have been anywhere else. I had the best view and personal commentary from the driver.

It was a great trip. We went up Mulholland Drive, which the David Lynch fan in me loved and up to a lookout where we saw the Hollywood sign better. Then around Beverly Hills and loads of celebrity houses, including Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani and Leonardo DiCaprio. We went down Rodeo Drive and back along Hollywood Boulevard. It was a great experience and I felt the most tourist I ever had.

Went to a bar and had a drink and some dinner before heading off the Paramount Studios for another very tourist moment. For Halloween, they run nighttime tours of the studio with ghost stories and then a visit to the cemetery next door. What a wonderful experience, my favourite in LA. We started with a few champagnes before the tour started, surrounded by Oscars for film like, “The Godfather”, “Titanic” and “Forrest Gump”. As they were just starting for the season, it was a quiet night, which was better. In my tour group it was just me and an Irish couple, who were lovely. We had a great time together. In the studio we visited a great props warehouse and toured a few studios, we went on the set of “Frankie and Grace”, as well heading into the “Dr Phil” set by torchlight. We walked through the New York backlot set and saw the iconic water tower, as well as hearing about some scandals and ghost stories. Then we headed into Hollywood Forever Cemetery, again by torchlight. We went into some crematoriums and visited the graves of some great actors. We saw Jayne Mansfield’s grave site, as well as Chris Cornell and the original Vampira. I was quite moved by the statue of Anton Yelchin. There were some fascinating stories, and the 2.5 hours flew by. What an exceptional day in Hollywood.

Saturday September 28, 2019

Was ready for my first weekend in LA. Hopped in an Uber and went to Los Feliz. Started with another of my coffee places, okay coffee, but great little place and got some writing done. I took a walk around some shops and went to a bargain store and found some cool jeans, but they didn’t have a change room so bizarrely I couldn’t try them on, so no purchase. Went for another coffee and did some more writing. Then it was off to my big activity for the day. I arrived at Rockwell Table and Stage for Ross Matthew’s Dragtastic Brunch. I ordered some lunch, including a bottomless Mimosa. So, you know I got drunk, I had to get my money’s worth.

The show was amazing. Sadly there were none of the Drag Race Queens, but there were 5 talented Queens who knew how to perform. Jackie Beat was the host, and OMG she is hilarious. And very talented, her songs were satirical gold. Her friend, and joke target, Sherry Vine, was also brilliant with some hilarious songs about being a whore. They were as catchy as crabs!! The other ladies lip synced and they were on fire, their moves were incredible. An amazing afternoon, and as always, I made friends. There was a couple next to me who were hilarious, Americans are so friendly.

Slowly made my way back to my place and had a nap, I had drunk a lot of bubbly and juice. Then my wonderful friend, Katharine, who I met last year in Baltimore, picked me up and we headed for a great bar. I love a good happy hour, and had an amazing gin drink that was all kinds of tasty. Katharine is brilliant, we had a great time just chatting for hours. I love when artists inspire each other, and that’s what this was, we were talking about what we had done, were doing and were planning on doing. A great night and made me feel very LA.

It was Saturday night and I casually and slowly walked back to my place, taking in all that Santa Monica Boulevard had to offer. I stopped for ice cream and headed back for some much deserved rest. Another great day, I was loving this trip.

Sunday September 29, 2019

Sunday in Hollywood. Up early again, I can’t sleep in. I went for another walk, this time to another of the coffee places. Lovely place at the beginning of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just before it all gets crazy. Had a not too bad coffee, some granola and sat outside, breathing in the inspirational atmosphere and got a few pages written in my notebook. I could get used to this lifestyle.

Then I took a better look at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Did the usual tourist thing and took loads of photos of the actual stars, everything from Dolly Parton to Mandy Moore, Ru Paul to Fleetwood Mac and Sonny & Cher to Reba McEntire. I also visited the Chinese Theatre and saw Marilyn Monroe’s hand prints.

After a big walk into the glamorous areas, I knew I had to go the 99 cent store on the way home. Wow, that store is epic and so much bigger than I thought. They have food, fruit and booze. They made the Reject Shop look like it has nothing. A burger for a late lunch and a quick rest.

Then I was so happy that my friend, Adam J Yeend, came around for a visit with his wolf dog, Magnum. We went for a great walk and sit down in Plummer Park. Adam and I were great friends in Australia, he acted in a few of my plays and we were movie buddies, attending a lot of cinema together back in the day. Adam has been living in LA for a number of years and we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. It was great to catch up and chat, filling in what had been happening over the years. Adam is another inspirational friend, and I walked away with a buzz. Was so glad we caught up.

Then it was time to hop in a Lyft and head to the Geffen Playhouse. I was off to see “Witch”, starring Maura Tierney. It was the play that been discussed a lot on social media because a woman wrote an opinion piece on a man telling the women in the audience and that it wasn’t that funny. I was keen to check it out. The venue was stunning and they had a wine tasting going on, so that was even better! I enjoyed the play, I didn’t love it. The set was phenomenal, I loved how the stage was broken into two by a screen rising and a moving stage. The performances were mostly great, I didn’t really enjoy the character who was closeted. It seemed a little too stereotypical and often took me out of the play. Script had some great jokes and some great points, though it could have had less grandstanding. Glad I went but my other theatrical adventures in the states were more enjoyable for me.

Had great Lyft drivers there and back who wanted to talk about the differences between Australia and the US. The first guy was very interested in healthcare and what we had. A great chat, just a little sad to hear about being not being able to get medical help they need for free. Had a late dinner and headed to bed, the next day was going to be massive.

Monday September 30, 2019

Today I would be flying home. I had an amazing experience, but I was ready to head home this time (I was also stone broke). I got up and went for a walk. I wanted to head to Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts. I love Danny Trejo and had to try one of his donuts. I got the Margarita, sour and sweet goodness. Then headed back to pack, worried I was overweight (the bags, I know I’m overweight). Then it was time to check out. With bags everywhere, I headed to the nearest Starbucks (I know, I know) and ordered some breakfast and a coffee. I sat down and did a lot more writing while waiting for my great mate, Lydia, to arrive. Lydia is one of my closest friends back home and was in the US working for a few months.

She arrived and we headed for lunch. It was back to Los Feliz and we went to the House of Pie. What a great place, looked like an old style diner complete with red vinyl booths. The meals were large and I knew it would get me through until later that night on the plane. Finished the meal with pie, it would have been offensive to not have some. Key Lime, and it was divine. It was great catching up with Lydia and we had a good chat and made some plans for when she is back home. Another example of friends who inspire, they really are the best kind.

Then it was in to my Lyft and off to LAX. I knew I was going early, but I know LA traffic gets ridiculous early and wanted to try and beat it. So this was my only bad driver experience in the US. He clearly didn’t want to go to the airport at this time of the day, I knew that, cause he told me, a lot. He was ducking and weaving all over the freeway and we nearly crashed into the back of someone once. His GPS kept telling him to get off the freeway, this again was accredited to me, I must have dome something wrong, even though my app showed the correct way. I asked him whether he had put his GPS to not take motorways, but he didn’t check. So it was good to finally arrive at the airport and get out of that car.

I had been told LAX can be a nightmare, but it was a breeze getting through, maybe cause the first flight would be domestic. Bag check in was quick (and yay, both bags just under weight) and then security was easy. Though the woman in front of me entering security was getting a hard time for the size of her hand luggage and was refused entry. Then I suddenly had a long time, which was fine, i had plans. I did some shopping, grabbed a drink and sat at the gate and transcribed the first chapter of my new novel from the notebook to my laptop.

The flight to San Francisco was quick and easy and then had the walk to the other side of the terminal for my flight home. Before long it was time to board (for my nearly midnight flight) and time for amazing adventure to be over. Now I would love to leave it there, but the flight home was a bit of a trial. The guy I was sharing a seating bank with stank, like really stank. And he immediately took his shoes off. We had a seat free between us and he treated it like it was also his seat. He spoke to me at the beginning and clearly thought he was better than me because he lived in the North Shore and I live in Blacktown. Good old Australian class-ism was still happening in the US. That was an uncomfortable flight and I often had to hold my hand over my face to stop the smell, especially when he crossed his legs and his sock got scarily close to my face. Sigh. Why do people with body odour never know they have body odour? Or do they know and just not care?

Anyway, got home on time and was glad to get home for a shower and a sleep in my own bed. What an amazing adventure. Did so much, saw so much. Met some amazing people and made some important discoveries about me and my career. Now to begin saving, I want to head back next year.

A Travel Diary to the US (Baltimore / New York) November 2018

Tomorrow I am headed to the US to attend the New Jersey Web Fest, followed by a few days in New York, where I will see the B-52s in Central Park and Madonna in Brooklyn. Then off to LA for the first time. I thought this was the perfect time to write about my first trip to the US last year where I attended the Baltimore Next Media Webfest and the NYC Webfest.

I have not done much traveling in my life. I have never really had the money (damn being a struggling artist) and neither did my parents, and my Dad has always thought travelling a suburb over was a long trip. I’d been to Vietnam and Hong Kong, but never to the US and had always wanted to go. When we started being selected for festivals early, I had made a promise to myself that if we got selected for NYC Webfest I would attend. I even started saving a little each week to pay for airfares. So, when the announcement came out, I knew I had to go, plus, we had also been selected for Baltimore and that festival was the week before. It seemed perfect and made me even more determined to make it happen.

November 1, 2018

I am a big child who never sleeps well the night before something exciting happens. My alarm was set for 6.15am, I didn’t need it. My amazing brother, Gary, picked me up and drove me to airport. With the worst traffic possible, I was there after about 100 minutes. I was gripped with both nerves and excitement as I checked in and passed security, naturally after taking the usual selfie in front of the departures sign. It all was quicker than expected and I sat down for something to eat and a wander. Ran into a friend, Gaston, working at the Duty Free, who let me sample some expensive spirits. The day was starting fine. After a wander around, I went to the gate, ready to board.

The flight was good, long, but good. I flew United, which I know some people have a problem with, but they were all lovely (one guy was a bit cranky, but he still had charm). I had planned to do a lot of work, but seats are not really designed for opening a laptop fully and working – plus the lights were out for most of the flight. So, I did a little, watched a lot of movies and attempted to sleep. I think I got maybe an hour, broken into 10 minute blocks. I was so jealous of those that were able to sleep well.

We were only a few minutes late landing in San Francisco. A good 13 and a bit hours away from Sydney. I was a little nervous knowing I had a small amount of time to clear customs and get to my next flight. The customs officers are very serious and I was remembering people said to not crack jokes. Who seriously would think this was a time to crack jokes? The line was long but I got through, got the bags, dropped them off again, got through security and made it to my gate as they were starting to board my flight. Phew.

On the very full flight to Baltimore I was sat next to a chatty guy who was excited I was from Australia. Apparently his favourite pistol is made in Australia. He was very much surprised I had never heard of it and even more surprised when I said I didn’t know a single person back home who owned a gun. He then told me I should check out the strip clubs near the airport if I had time. I was definitely in America.

I finally arrived in Baltimore, legged it to my hotel and had a much deserved shower. Then I was straight in another Uber to the museum where John Waters, one of my favourite directors, was doing a book signing for only a few hours. I rushed there, bought the book and then got to stand in the line for 90 minutes. But it was worth it, I got to meet one of my idols. He was charming and excited when he heard I had just landed in the country.

I went back to the hotel, bought a takeaway Korean burger, got some take out pre-mix vodka and retired to my room. Ready for my adventure.

November 2, 2018

After being awake for so long, sleep came quickly, but I was awake very early. So got up, had some breakfast and then started exploring Baltimore. First I walked around the pier, as well as checking out a Whole Foods. Then went for a massive walk to hit some malls. I wanted to experience America. I had the best time, walking around, discovering new shops and being a tourist (Barnes & Noble was my favourite). I think I went into nearly every shop that part of Baltimore had to offer. For an early dinner, I went to a bike repair shop that doubled as a bar. Chatted to a lovely server about how to tip, had a great meal and an exquisite espresso martini.

Then it was time for my first night at the Baltimore Web Fest. This was my first web fest, my first film festival as a filmmaker and I was nervous. But immediately, everyone was wonderful. Because I’m me, I showed up early. I was first there and was met by Elena, one of the Festival Directors, and was delightful. John and Lena from the series, Marked, were next there. And these two are just wonderful. We were soon joined by Tom from The Pantsless Detective, Katherine from Stellar Hosts and Dre, another Australian, from Blind. I suddenly had a room full of amazing friends.

Episode One of After Nightfall was screening that night and I haven’t been that nervous in a while. Nerves are a funny thing, I know the series is good, but something in the back of your mind tells you that you’re not good enough, that in a room full of other filmmakers they will see right through you. It began, had a massive pit in my stomach, and the room cheered when the title appeared. It was received so well, people loved it and I felt so much love. I learnt very quickly that the web series community is so generous, supportive and friendly.

That night we went to the James Joyce Inn and stayed till closing, I think it was 1 something. Apparently, there was a mini tornado that went through Baltimore, someone was killed at the Amazon Warehouse, but I didn’t see a thing. I was making friends and making memories. Also discovering a new favourite drink, the James Joyce Iced Tea. It’s like a Long Island Iced Tea, but instead of Coke, it has Cranberry Juice. I had a few. I was loving my trip.

November 3, 2018

I had big plans this morning before the festival. I wanted to head to a proper mall (yes, this trip was all about festivals, shopping and cocktails). I wanted to get a loud jacket, the kind of divisive piece of fashion that is either loved or loathed. After some google research I was off in an Uber to a long way out of town and found a great mall. It is was the type of mall you see in movies, and I loved it. I got my jacket and went bargain hunting in JC Penney. The line was long and I made friends with other bargain hunters, who were happy that when scanned, my shorts were even cheaper. On the way back I met the world’s nice Uber driver, who told me I was her favourite passenger ever.

Then I settled in for another long day at the festival. It was a chance to meet more awesome people. Cassidy for Adulting and Shea from Trouble Creek, both became fast friends. Loved watching the other web series and hearing the workshops. Though sleep had been tricky, and another Google search saw me and some others making a much needed Starbucks run.

We had dinner at another pub and a cover band was playing. It was so great to hang with these wonderful people who share the same passion. It was also lovely to chat to Neva, the other Festival Director, who told me how much she loved the series, which really touched me.

That became my earliest night, I think exhaustion had finally set in, so bed was early.

November 4, 2018

Boringly I began the day with work. I stupidly promised to do some work while away and had put it off, so I worked on a rehearsal schedule for a play I was directing in February. Then I decided to take a long walk to the theatre where the last screenings and the awards would be held. It was a few days after Halloween, so it was wonderful for this Aussie to walk along and see all the decorations and the rotting pumpkins. I got there super early so I went to an Italian restaurant. Food was okay, but they didn’t serve alcohol because it was a Sunday, strange.

Then it was time for the last day of the festival. We began with some more screenings, was loving watching them. Made some more great friends, Laura, Jody and Jessica from Scratch This, Stacia from Theater People and Neem from New Jersey Web Fest and Neem’s Themes. These people were all delightful. 

Then it was time for the awards and I was nervous. The experience was enough, I had loved coming and if this was it, I wouldn’t regret it. I just thought it would be nice to head home with some bling. They were announcing awards for series all together, and they introduced Best Thriller and Best Cinematography in a Drama, and it was After Nightfall. The audience gave a great cheer and it was a moment to remember, such a highlight. So honoured and so blown away to receive the awards, and I was very happy that Nicholas Price had received the award for his beautiful cinematography on the series.

I rang Mum and shed some tears, I felt so blessed. The party started inside on the red carpet, loads of photos and some interviews. Then we moved things back to the James Joyce Inn. I don’t even know what time that night finished, but it was a great one. Had the best night chatting, making friends and memories. It was that night that Drunk Wayne promised that if selected for New Jersey, I would go. And here I am about leave. I had loved every moment in Baltimore.

November 5, 2018

After my final hotel breakfast (man they were amazing), and a coffee with the Scratch This ladies, it was off to the Train Station to catch an Amtrak to New York. I got there way too early, but just loved hanging out there, people watching and going to the Dunkin’ Donuts. The train was late but I loved being in the midst of everyone rushing around. Then the train arrived and man, these seats were better than the airplane seats. I finally finished that rehearsal schedule I needed to do and watched the scenery. Loved passing through Pennsylvania and Jersey. The woman next to me asked why I was taking photos of train station signs, and when I told her I was an Australian tourist, suddenly I had new best friends in her and her husband. Had a great chat to them, and we arrived at Penn Station, they didn’t just tell me where I needed to head, they showed me. American hospitality is wonderful.

After we both got a bit lost, I finally met up with my best friend, Charlene. She had arrived a couple of days earlier and I was so happy to see her and explore this city she loved so much. We checked into the hotel and went to a café for our beloved coffee, though we were struggling to find a good one.

That night we headed to the theatre to see the interactive event, “Sleep No More”. Another epic night for us, the show was good, but it was before the show where the memories are made. While I am at the bar asking the staff what cocktails they recommend, Charlene had accidentally dropped all her cash in the toiler and it wouldn’t flush. We ended up with those drinks for free, and these smoky cocktails were amazing. Then, embarrassingly for Charlene, a staff member arrived with an envelope of slightly wet money. He had fished out the notes and tried to dry them, bless him.

After the show we went to a classic American diner and made our way to the hotel. I loved New York already.

November 6, 2018

Day two in New York and Charlene and I planned a big adventure. We were out early for breakfast, this was probably the best coffee on the trip, we may have also snuck a breakfast Mimosa. We went to Times Square and had a great shop. Then we kept walking, stopping for the occasional cocktail. Had an amazing appletini at an Irish pub and an average sour lolly cocktail at Dylan’s Candy Bar. We ended up in Bloomingdales where I got an amazing facial treatment (and spent a heap on creams).

We left at 8am and now it was 6pm and we had to race back to the hotel, because Jacinta Moses was arriving. Jacinta is our amazing friend, and plays my wife, Justine, in After Nightfall. We caught a cab and beat her there. The three of us went to a sports bar and had these cheap tacos and margaritas (this trip was about trying all the drinks). They were all wonderful. We finished the night on top of the Empire State Building, even though it was foggy and we couldn’t see much. Another winning day.

November 7, 2018

Our earliest start yet. Charlene, Jacinta and I decided we would try and get into the audience of the Jimmy Fallon show. When we’d visited the NBC shop the day before, we heard that you could line up for standby tickets the next morning. We got there at 7.30am, we were 7th in line, not sure what that meant. As the time passed (they took names at 9am), the line filled, a lot. We were glad we got there early. Our names were taken, we had to be back at 3pm to see if we’d get in.

We had a nice breakfast (good coffee still alluded us), and went to NBC for a Studio Tour, which was fun. Jacinta and I even got to make a talk show where she was the host and I was the guest. There was a bit more shopping and we returned to NBC. There were people everywhere. The people who had booked months ago were let in first, we just had to wait. We were told that some days heaps of people are no shows, Halloween the week before saw 60 not show up, and other days only 3 don’t show up. After an hour and a half, we were let in. Only 13 got in that day, so were lucky we were 7,8 and 9. It was fun to watch, Jimmy was great and the guest, Eddie Redmayne was charmingly British. The warm up guy was a dick, but it was a great experience.

We then hurried back to the hotel and we met up with PJ, our sound designer, who’d just arrived. We went with him and met up with my co-producer, Nicholas Price, and his Mum, MJ – who also just arrived. Nick had been shooting in Far North Queensland, so couldn’t go to Baltimore, so it was good to have him arrive for the NYC Web fest. We went to Chelsea and had dinner. Lovely food, horrid service. The guy was new and not good at his job, he kept talking to us, desperate for the tip and as he was collecting our money, that was all he was talking about. But another great day in New York, I really didn’t want to go home.

November 8, 2018

We began the day on the hunt for Australian coffee. We went to an Aussie café nearby, but it wasn’t opening. We waited, and an American lady came up and Mum yelled at us for not wearing thicker coats. When she heard we were Australian, she proceeded to tell us, in great detail, about the sunscreen she orders from Australia. After giving up on the café, a quick Google search found another place, a little far away, but we walked. We got to go past Grand Central Station, which was lovely. We found the coffee place, had a chat to the Aussie barista and happily drank the coffee. It was great for America, would have been okay here. We then did more shopping, the Doc Martens store saw Charlene and I splurging and then I ticked another item off the bucket list and went to Mood Fabrics (Project Runway fans will understand). Sadly, Swatch the Dog was not there.

That afternoon we took an adventure to Queens and headed to the Museum of the Moving Image, where they were having a Jim Henson Exhibition. I loved The Muppets as a kid, who am I kidding, I still love them. So how great it was to see some of my favourite characters. We then caught the subway back. Charlene and I were so worried we would get lost, we had to get on three different trains, but with the help of lovely locals, we were so proud when walked up the steps and we knew exactly where we were (at our favourite store, Bath and Bodyworks). As a JLo fan, I was also excited that we had ridden on the 6.

That night was a great one, we had the launch party for the NYC Web Fest. What a lovely festival, and the Festival Director, Lauren, is a very special lady. The launch event was a great night, we were there from woe to go. Glad to catch up with some of those who were also at Baltimore, but also meet some great new people, including Meagan from Seeka TV, Ned from Hunted: Encore, Pat from Homesick and Andrew and Robert from A Gay Victoria Affair. I love a good party, and this one was world class.

November 9. 2018

Started the day at a lecture as part of the festival, it was on funding feature films. Considering I was trying to fund a feature film, it was the perfect workshop for me. Then the day became about our screening, which was bloody exciting. They played Episode Two and it was great to sit amongst our peers while it played, and they laughed at the jokes. And there was a big clap. Phew. I get so nervous before screenings.

It was wonderful that my Uni friend, Nathan McBain, came to the screening. He is living in NYC and managed to get away from work in time to come, that felt special. He then took us all out for traditional New York pizza. Tasty as hell.

Then came one of the highlights of the trip. We went to a hidden cocktail bar, a speakeasy. We buzzed on a door, a woman came out, looked us up and down and took Nathan’s details. We went up the road to a crowded bar and had a drink and then Nathan got a text, there was a table for us. We went back and were let in. What seemed so unassuming at the front was massive inside. We got our own table with curtains for privacy. The cocktail list was the longest I had seen as was just delicious. A wonderful finish to a great day.

November 10. 2018

Charlene and I went and did a bit more shopping, just for something new!! We ended up at some markets in Bryant Park, where they also had built an ice-skating rink, it was lovely. Then we went to an Off Broadway matinee. We saw, “Apologia”, which starred Stockard Channing and Hugh Dancey. What a wonderful piece of theatre it was. At the end, everyone left, but Charlene and I hung around stage door. Just as we were about to give up, Stockard Channing came out. She is all glamour and truly fabulous. She spoke to us both, was delighted we were from Australia and loved it. She even presented her gloved hand for me take. It was brilliant.

Then it was time for the NYC Web Fest Gala Awards Night. It was a flash event in a Chelsea bar with an open bar, yes, that is my version of heaven. We were all dressed up, and I was nervous as hell. But it was lovely make some more friends, especially awesome Aussies, Sarah and Phil (Magdalena) and Luke and Marc. The competition was so fierce, I truly didn’t believe we would win. But we did, we picked up the award for Best Mystery / Thriller, and to make it even more special, Festival Director, Lauren, presented our award. This was the dream trip.

The night was late, drinks were had, laughs were shared and friends were made. I was a happy man.

November 11, 2018

Let’s get something straight, I did not want to go home. We started the day at the Aussie café we had tried to get into a few days before. Then I went for a wander and tried to go to lots of shops I hadn’t been too yet. I was having such a good time, that I was going to be late, so I had to run back to the hotel to meet the girls. Clearly going home was not my priority.

We flew out from Jersey to Texas, before flying home. It was such a brilliant trip, everything I hoped for, and so much more. And now, I ready for my next adventure. What will this hold for me? Don’t worry, I’ll blog about it.

Santa, a Wombat and a very big 5 year-old

The reality of the arts game is that you usually need a day job, even when considered successful. I have had many over the years. There have been many retail jobs, several bottle shops, Forty Winks (bedding for those non-Aussie readers), video stores, and most recently I was at fashion retailer, Witchery, in both Melbourne and Sydney.

However, over the past few years, my “day” job, has involved acting, and that makes me happy. So while working on my own stuff, I can pay the bills with jobs I love. I teach drama to children and teens in various places around Sydney. And I love when I see my students getting acting work, I have used many myself in my projects. My other job is pre-school theatre in education. Many years ago, I worked for a company called, Tell Tales, who had been successfully running for many years. My friend, Emma Louise, who I have worked with on countless projects with, bought that company, becoming Em’s Entertainment. I also went to work for her. I ended up in Melbourne for 5 years and when I got back, I was working for her again. By this stage, I was also writing shows for her. Now I work for her all year round. At Christmas, it becomes a full-time job, and if I do say so myself, I am a good Santa.

Currently the shows I have written for Emma are, Wombat’s Wild Weekend, Mrs Claus’s Christmas, When I Grow Up and this Christmas, we will premiere, Carol Claus. We still do some of the old Tell Tales shows, but this year I have gotten to do all my shows, which I love. Currently I am touring two one person shows, Wombat’s Wild Weekend and When I Grow Up, then for Christmas we have Carol Claus.

In Wombat’s Wild Weekend, I get to play a lot of Australian native animals, a kangaroo, a koala, a kookaburra and of course, a wombat. The show is about Wombat, who decides to bust out of the zoo for the weekend and head to the outback. But while there, a bower bird steals his lucky blue socks (which he can’t sleep without) and he has to call on all the native animals to help him get them back. Koala has had a few too many eucalyptus leaves, Kangaroo likes to box and rap, Dingo may not be the smartest around and Kookaburra loves to line dance. The kids have a ball, and so do I. Though, those costume changes and heavy onesies are killers.

I adore When I Grow Up, I think it may be my favourite of all our shows. I get to play a series of 5-year olds, and the kids never question that. My character Sam, well he is a bit of a neurotic mess. He worries because all his friends know what they want to be when they grow up, and he doesn’t. So, he gets them all out to talk about their jobs and see if he can be inspired. So, I get to play kids trying loads of fun jobs, a bus driver, a flight attendant, a builder. Then there’s the real fun ones, a magician, a sculptor who likes to play musical statues; and then there’s my favourite, Danny. Danny wants to be a sports star, even though he is terrible at everything he tries, but he never gives up trying. Oh, and he likes to rap, which all the teachers love. I think the audience enjoy it so much because I am having the time of my life. The 45 minutes of doing that show goes very fast.

Then at Christmas comes the new show. Always an exciting time, we have two teams of two touring, both doing the same show. And we can have up to three shows a day. This year I will get to be Santa, Rudolph and this year’s villain, Jack Frost. I am keen to get rehearsing. The thing I love about the Christmas show is the joy it brings the children. They are already so excited about Christmas, so to help them share that joy is infectious. Our shows are wonderfully inclusive and get the kids involved, they sing, they dance, they call out. It’s wonderful.

As an actor, it is the best training. I am performing several shows a day, each to a new crowd, in a new location (because we go to them). You have to be ready to expect the unexpected. Kids could yell out, come on stage, an entire group of small kids could cry. You learn to cope and make it go on, no matter what. We’ve had some tech issues over the years. One year during a preview, we were trying a new way to do the sound. Instead of the usual old school iPod, we tried just plugging the USB straight in. It was going fine, and then mid show, it skipped to a later number. Internally we may have panicked, but the kids would never have known something very bad was happening, and they loved the show.

At any given point, less than 5% of actors are making a living from their craft. I am one of the lucky ones. And while my job may seem like hell to some serious performers, I adore it. I am a big kid who loves fun. And boy do I have fun.

So if you run a preschool or a childcare centre, your friend does, or your child goes to one; check out Em’s Entertainment at: www.emsentertainment.com.au – I’d love to come do a show for you.

Time to meet Arlo

The short film, “Arlo”, will make its premiere this afternoon as part of the Blacktown Shorts Film Festival. “Arlo” is the story of a young boy who likes to wear dresses and just exactly what happens when his grandparents discover this.

“Arlo” was partially funded by Blacktown Council through their Magnify initiative, where they gave five Blacktown filmmakers $2000 to make a short film. I was lucky enough to be selected and we were able to shoot this lovely little film.

I was on location in rural Victoria when I wrote the script. I had a lot of deadlines and was unsure whether I would have enough time to write a script. I was acting in a horror feature film called, “Apparitions” and we were shooting in the middle of nowhere. As you may know, for actors, there is often a lot of downtime on sets; and in this film I had several days where I wasn’t need on camera much but was still on the set. It also helped that there was no reception, so I could concentrate on work (and watching the occasional TV show). I was finishing writing a preschool theatre in education show called, “Carol Claus”, about Santa’s long lost song writing sister. It has a deadline, so needed to work on that. But with all the free time, I got through it with plenty of time and decided to write a script to apply for the funding. I had an original idea and I just couldn’t formulate it, I was struggling and if I am not feeling something, it usually means I should scrap it. I took a lovely walk around this property and suddenly the idea was there. I sat down at the kitchen table, popped in my iPod and wrote the script, it was a fast process - which for me is always a good sign. The rest, as they say, is history.

The team at Blacktown Council, especially Maria were wonderful, and Vonne Patiag, who was curating the event; were very supportive and I was ready to get shooting. After being stuck in post production hell for so long with “After Nightfall” and “According to Otto”, I was so keen to do a project that had such a rapid fire turnaround. My producing partner and Director of Photography, Nicholas Price, was excited by the project and had some amazing ideas - so the film looked like it was going to be a good one. I cast the grand parents first. Janine Penfold and I have worked together twice before, on the stage, so it was great to get her in the film. I have admired Kim Knuckey for so long, and had been trying to find a great project for us to work together on. We weren’t sure about schedules, but when he became available, I was so very excited. Kaden Munroe, who plays Arlo, is a student of mine. He is very new to acting, but is keen and a has a wonderful exuberance that is hard to get past. We cast the lovely Kelly Monisse through auditions, and Tom Harwood and I had done a play together the year before, so I was really happy when he was the last cast member to come on board.

On a very early Sunday morning in June, we all got together to shoot the film. We had set the film on a bright and sleepy Sunday morning, so naturally it poured with rain. Nick, and his amazing crew, still managed to get a massive light (covered by many umbrellas) to shine through the window and used a haze machine to get that beautiful morning feel. One of my favourite parts of the day was everyone discussing what scent the hazer was releasing. Johno, our sound recordist, settled on molasses, and I had to agree. The actors did such a good job, they brought range and new offers with each take. We actually ended up ahead of schedule, something very rare.

This crew, what a crew. Most of us have now worked together many times, on “After Nightfall”, “According to Otto”, and the music videos we have been shooting. They are incredibly talented and I feel honoured to work with them. So thanks, Johno, Lakme, Cayla, Lisa (Mangers), Jess, and was great to have Sean join us for the first time. Sam did a beautiful job with the editing, Miro’s music is lovely and the wizardry of PJ’s sound editing and Keiran’s colour grading is wonderful. Nick’s camera work is so good here, it looks beautiful, picturesque and quite grand for a little low budget film shot in Blacktown.

This story felt important. I am a strong believer in letting children be themselves. I have taught drama for nearly 20 years and have met and taught so many wonderful kids. When parents let children be themselves, they thrive. People still judge if a little boy puts on a dress, they try to assign adult emotions to what the boy is doing. I remember once walking into a preschool, ready to perform a show. A little boy in a fairy dress, ran up to me, span around and said, “Do you like my dress?” He was smiling and happy. I naturally said I loved it. This was pure innocence, a child doing what made them happy. The world is depressing enough without stealing joy from children because it doesn’t fit into society’s version of normal. That is why I wrote this film.

So this afternoon, the film makes it’s premiere in Blacktown Showground. The place I used to compete in Little Athletics and play football. I had my 21st Birthday Party in the now demolished hall. It feels a part of me, so it’s exciting to launch the film here. I love the film, now, I just hope everyone else does.

Happy Birthday My Best Friend

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BEST FRIEND

Sorry for missing last week, I was away on a writer’s retreat. I was working on a feature film script and had no internet access. Got a lot of work done and really happy with what I wrote.

Now to this week. Today is the birthday of one of the world’s best people and I felt compelled to write a blog about her. So happy birthday to my very best friend in the whole world, the wonderful, Charlene Ramage.

I met Charlene in 2004. My career was still very new. My first show had been in 2000 and the year before I had had my biggest success yet, “Go West”. I had written a play I loved, “The Bridesmaid Must Die!”. As you can tell by the title, it was a very black comedy. I held auditions at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, where the show would play. I remember Charlene’s audition vividly. I was immediately struck by her character, she was a wonderful person and I loved chatting with her. The chat before the performing of a scene is just so important for me, to see if it is someone I can get along with. Charlene passed this test with flying colours. Then there was the audition piece, a monologue from the play. Again, nailed it. And this role was important to me, because they would be playing opposite me, as my ex-girlfriend. I cast Charlene and a friendship began immediately. Loved working with her on this show, a consummate professional and a bloody big talent.

Next up, it was time to move into Newtown for a play I wrote called, “The Subtle Art of Flirting”. I was nervous about this play. It was 2005 and there weren’t many rom coms for the stage. I needed a support network around me, so of course cast Charlene (as well as the wonderful Nicole da Silva). I wasn’t prepared for the success that show would have. Three sell out seasons, including a tour of venues. It was great to share that journey with my best friend. Charlene brought a warmth, humour and self deprecating beauty to the role of Anika, a woman who gets rejected a lot. Some of my favourite moments from that season include painting to 3am with Charlene and in the tech rehearsal, I hadn’t played the music for the cast. We were rehearsing and after a particularly heartbreaking scene of rejection for Charlene’s character, she exits and Kasey Chambers’ “Not Pretty Enough” starts playing. Poor Charlene felt that one.

There have been so many shows. Two seasons of “We’ll Always Have Wagga”, one where Charlene was very pregnant and the other when her daughter, Bronte, was tiny. One of my favourite moments from that second season was while we were in Wagga performing the show. Charlene was on tour with her wonderful hubby, Matt, and baby, Bronte. One morning we were about to go for breakfast and they knocked on my door, and the second I opened the door, Bronte nearly leaped out of her father’s arms and into mine. It made me feel such love in that moment and a lifetime connection with Bronte (after all, I did cast her as my daughter in “After Nightfall”).

There was “The Green in Mrs White”, where Charlene played a murderous 50s Housewife who began killing people to win to local bake off and a number of Short and Sweet plays. Charlene, now with three children, has since retired from acting – though I did lure her back to play a Mum in Amber Lawrence’s recent “Heart” music video.

One of the things I love most about Charlene is her unwavering support. I know, no matter what, she is in my corner. This business is hard, it can be soul destroying and you need someone who will always back you up. She’s the kind of friend who would show up with a shovel if I told her I’d “accidentally” killed someone. Whenever I write something, she is the first person I send it to. And whenever I have big news, the order is Mum, and then Charlene. Her family is like mine, we spend every Christmas Eve together and it really is a highlight for me every year. My love carries over to her husband and three children, Bronte, Zak and Ewan.

I love the rare times we have travelled together, always to support my work. She came with me to the Gold Coast to watch a production of my play, “24 Ways To Say I’m Gay”, and last year she joined me in New York for the NYC Web Fest and we had the best time (I will be writing about that trip just before my trip to NJ in 5 weeks time).

Her generosity is second to none (her house became the main location for After Nightfall and According to Otto) and I love her with all my heart. Her health hasn’t been the best the past few years and I hope so much that things improve soon. Anyone deserves to live a happy and healthy life, it is her.

I feel sorry for people who don’t have a friend like me, a friend they can truly depend on. It is rare and I am one lucky man. Thank you, Charlene, for being my constant, for being my drive and being my best friend. I love you with all my heart. Have the BEST birthday. See you for brunch very soon.

Making Amber Lawrence's "Heart" Music Clip

I have always loved music clips. From a young age I used to watch Video Hits, Rage, Countdown and Saturday Morning Live. I even went into the studio audience of Saturday Morning Live and featured on their game show, “It’s Rockademic”. I used to get up at 5am on a Saturday morning to watch the Top 60 on Rage. I needed to see every clip and even wrote down the weekly charts, I was obsessed. On the list of the many things I wanted to do in my life, was make music clips. This year i finally got to fulfil this dream. I have two more due out very soon, but the first clip I directed is out now and I am one happy music fan.

Amber Lawrence is an extraordinary talent. She is a Golden Guitar award winner and one of the best Australian Country Artists. So it was a little daunting that the first clip I would direct was hers, especially considering that the first single from her album, “Outrageous”, had reached number one on the Country Charts.

I loved the song, “Heart”, when I first heard it. When given the chance to pitch for the clip, I sat down and watched a few hours worth of Amber’s previous clips (she really is very accomplished) and listened to the song many times. It was over this time that the idea for the clip began to surface, stories of people with heart - all brought together by a main performance by Amber in a darkened room that gets brighter as the clip goes on. After a great phone chat with Amber and her manager, Karen-Lee; myself and my producing partner, Nicholas Price, were booked to make the clip. I was ecstatic.

We broke the clip into two shoot days. The first day we would be shooting the story elements of the clip. So on a Tuesday in April during the school holidays, we started shooting. And it was an early start. We had a 6.30am call time. We were shooting in a public pool and needed to be out by the time it was open to the public. Amber’s niece, Sienna, was playing the young swimmer. My brilliant friend, Sareena Barnes, was the swim coach and I had pulled my best friend, Charlene Ramage, out of retirement to play Sienna’s mother. In a lovely coincidence, Sienna’s mother and Amber’s sister, Peta, had actually gone to school with Charlene.

Nick did an amazing job with the camera and the crew were exceptional as always. The first location was a hit and my natural nerves were subsiding. I think the first day was a nice transition, we were shooting narrative and I know that. I had filmed two seasons of a web series and a movie, this was my wheel house.

We headed over to my friend Emma’s place to shoot the next three scenes - yes, all the house shoots in the three different stories were all the same house - the magic of cinema. Again, I had used friends as actors and it made it all so much easier. The thing that I really love is that I am able to use my acting students in projects. The teen who wants to be a fashion designer is my great student, Clare. The two bullies are classmates of Clare’s, Emily and Beth. And the grand daughter of the widower, is my student, Indee. Plus the tiny girl who drops the sandwich, Imogen, is a student at one of the schools I teach at. I really enjoy being able to give my students this on set experience.

The day was a great one and while we started a little behind, we got through everything and finished on time with a product I was confident was going to be great.

The next evening we were hitting the studio to shoot Amber’s performance shots. This is when it truly felt like a music video. Amber was off in her dressing room getting her make up done by the amazing, Lisa Mangion. We had a gaffer rigging lights and the studio looked incredible. The lights and Nick’s camera work were polished and on point. Poor Amber had been quite ill and was losing her voice, plus she was very close to the release of her album and her wedding. So she had a lot on her plate, but she was a delight to work with. She is a consummate professional and a real talent. I learnt so much watching her perform, making small changes with each take.

It was a long evening, but a rewarding one. It was one I had been dreaming of for 30 years. I was a music video director and I was happy to make teenage Wayne smile. And what joy I got when I first saw the clip playing on CMC. Since then I have directed Amber’s new video, “Hell to Hallelujah”, and last weekend shot the clip for Arna Georgia’s, “1998 (Catching Up To Do)”. Both will be out soon.

It doesn’t matter how old you get, you can achieve your dreams at any age. I may be 44, but I have so much more I want to achieve.

Head over to the music video section on this website and check out the clip.

A High School Comedy of Errors

Most people who end up as actors started acting in school. I was one of those kids. In Year 4 I would write my own plays and during my lunch break would direct my fellow classmates. We would then perform the plays for the class. I remember my first play was called, “The Lost Boy”, and no, it wasn’t about Peter Pan, it was about a kid who was separated from his family. It was my greatest fear as a child, so I was already writing what I knew. My wonderful teacher, Mr Colin Laundry, was very supportive of my endeavours and even gave me an A++ in Drama and called me, “The Cecil B DeMille of Year 4”. He was such a wonderful support, and still is, he and his lovely wife come to all my plays.

Then I hit high school and I desperately wanted to be in the school play. The first year I was only cast in a small role, but still loved every second. While in Year 8 it was announced that the next play was to be William Shakespeare’s, “The Comedy of Errors”. I wanted to be an actor, I HAD to be a lead role in a Shakespeare. My brother and his friends were auditioning, they had all been lead roles the year before. I wanted it bad, I spent ages on my audition piece and my brother was gracious enough to help. One lunch I auditioned and had no idea how I went, our teacher, Mr Dennis Long, was holding his cards close to his chest. My lovely brother, Gary, knew how bad I wanted this. He said if he got a role and I didn’t, he would drop out. A lovely sentiment, but I would never have let him do it.

Then the roles were announced, not only were Gary and I both cast in lead roles, we were playing twins. We were both playing Dromio, he was Dromio of Ephesus, while I was Dromio of Syracuse. We also found out that not only were we doing a season at our school, Doonside High (proud westie born and bred), but we would be touring the show. We were taking the show to High Schools, nursing homes and the season would begin with a show in the amphitheatre at Darling Harbour. Year 8 me was in heaven, hell, 44 year old Wayne would be in heaven with a great season like this.

Rehearsals were tough but exciting. Shakespeare was a completely foreign language to me in Year 8. So I had to learn the language, but Mr Long was a great director and teacher and painstakingly went through and explained every piece of dialogue. We all worked so hard and had an impressive looking show. The tour was amazing, a few low spots, but mostly people really loved the show. I remember being quite the hit in a Nursing Home in Rooty Hill - think I reminded them of their grandsons.

We were still doing school and would then head off on the bus to wherever we were playing. Gary and his friends were all in Year 11 and were starting to get a lot of work. One of the actors, who was playing the Abbess, was doing her homework backstage one day and completely missed her cue. I remember being on stage and knocking on the door she was supposed to come on from, she was not there. i could see her in the corner doing work. She couldn’t hear us calling for her (in character), she must have been right into that homework. Another actor realised she was meant to be on and grabbed her. Panicked, she ran on. It’s so funny, that all these years later (that was in 1988), I remember it as clear as day.

This tour taught me so much about the craft of acting and made me want it badly. I had a great time, with my friends and sharing a stage with my brother. Seeing that photo above reminds me of one the lines Gary would deliver when our characters met, “I see by you I am a sweet faced youth”, and wow, I look very young there.

A lot of people have bagged out Western Sydney schools in my life. Think I missed out because I went to school at Doonside. I missed nothing. I got to tour a theatre show, I got to be editor of a school newspaper that won a major state prize and I get to be nurtured to be the kick arse, take no prisoners, artist I am today.

The Subtle Art of Flirting - Season One

“The Subtle Art of Flirting” was a very special play for me. The year was 2005 and I had produced a number of plays, with my play, “Go West”, selling out a season at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta and having a second season at the SBW Stables Theatre. But with “The Subtle Art of Flirting”, it felt like it all started coming together for me.

“The Subtle Art of Flirting” is a romantic comedy for the stage, that’s even how we sold it. It wasn’t really done much at the time and some thought it was a cop out while many more loved the show. I had booked into the Newtown Theatre, which was a big turning point. It became my hub for a number of great years. I lived and made art in Newtown and loved it - I miss those days.

Such a big part of this show was the cast. We ended up doing this show many more times, and the core cast stayed the same. There was Nicole da Silva, who went on to massive TV fame. There were the awesome, Sean Kennedy, Rebekah O’Sullivan, Duncan Armitage and of course my best friend, the delightful, Charlene Ramage. This cast feel like family and were so integral in the show’s success.

There were so many highlights from this season, they include:

• The night that Charlene and I stayed at the theatre until 3am painting the set. We played music and talked. It was a year after we met (we first worked together in 2014 for “The Bridesmaid Must Die”) and we were fast becoming best friends - so it was the perfect night. 44 year old Wayne winces at the thought of being there until 3am (I like to go bed early now)

• It was a nightmare at the time, but hindsight makes it a good memory. Nicole struggled with illness during the show and one night lost her voice almost completely. She rang me in tears - with the tears and the voice it was hard to understand. It shows her professionalism and heart that she was so devastated she couldn’t go on that night. But the co-producer, Megan Wynn, stepped in, with script in hand, and did a great job. Nicole still came that night, sat up the back to encourage Meg. She took the stage next night, real professional!

• It was my 30th birthday during that season. The night before closing. It was a great full house. Of course, I was having a crisis in the backstage corner about my age. But the show was great. We went out afterwards to the Imperial Hotel and drank “creamy” cocktails (thanks Morgan). And that night I met a great guy when he came to the show, who I dated for quite a long time.

• Our lovely lighting operator, Srey. She was such a wonderful person. She sadly died a few years ago and I miss her so much and think of her often. She was loved and respected.

• My favourite show moment came in the final scene one night of a full house. My character, Foster, starts the play breaking up with his girlfriend. He goes on a disastrous date (love that scene with Nicole), before he realises he is actually gay. He finally accepts who he is in this scene and arrives at the house of Elijah (Duncan Armitage). Elijah is playing an old song, which just happens to be Foster’s favourite. They begin to dance and then they kiss. Audiences loved this moment, but this one night you can could hear a women audibly crying. She breathed in so loudly through her tears. It is the moment a theatre actor loves, when you know your performance has moved an audience member that much. It is up there as one of my favourite stage moments of all time.

This show has been such an incredible success for me. I produced two more seasons in Sydney - including one season where we also toured to the Riverside and Glen St Theatres. A student company has performed it. Neighbours star and director, Scott Major, directed a Melbourne season that featured some amazing actors, including Caitlin Stasey. I even did a modern rewrite and sold out a season in Melbourne in 2015 at the Butterfly Club.

This show will always hold a special place in my heart. If you saw it, what was your favourite part?