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

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

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

Settlement Secrets

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

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

Just another day ....

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

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

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

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

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

Leaving Strahan?

Yesterday on the Island I met a direct ancestor to one of the convicts that survived the brutality of the place.  This is part of why I do this work in Strahan.  You are telling real stories about real people and occasionally get to meet their descendants.   I will never forget the day I met Billy Nichols' great great great grandson.   If you've seen the play " The ship that never was", you'll know who I am talking about.
Just had an amazing Strahan big breakfast and am now about to head down the track to Hobart.

Hi.   Colin Dean here.   The purpose of this Blog is to just write down some of the fascinating things that happen in my life as a freelance entertainer.  This link,  www.antipodeanentertainment.com.au will take you to my website which has all my pics and contacts, booking information etc etc but this blog is just me blurting about the things that occur as I go throughout my day....and the people I meet.   No personal details so don't worry if your one of those people.

Let me start this Blog by explaining the title.   As a freelance performer you are required to say yes to a multitude of things...so you can pay the bills.   This is not a bad thing because you do find yourself in some amazing situations....but....invariably....when told to be at a certain place at a certain time you are met with..."I'm sorry we're running a little bit behind".  One day I will write a book about all of these adventures but for now.....welcome to my Blog.

Now this pic is just me experimenting with this blog application.  It's really very good once you get your head around things.  This pic was taken at the Cancer Council's Girls Day Out event at Prince's Wharf No 1.   Singing some big band hits with a couple of good mates, John X and Andrew Colrain as a promo for our show that was at the Theatre Royal last week, Croon.  How much fun was that and what an absolute pleasure to perform to the backing of Matthew Ives and His Big Band.  Our show was very well received so we will most probably remount it next year.    Anyway....more later.

Mon 28th October...

It's always nice to perform with someone new.  Today was my first show with Ellen playing Louisa and she was fantastic.  The comments received from the walkers afterwards supported this.  Well done Ellen.  The Louisa family is now a tight family of strong actors.  I love doing the show with Karissa Lane, an absolute joy to work with and of course Judith Cornish, the origional Louisa and co-creator of "Louisa's Walk", another amazing actor.  People often ask how you can keep doing the same show over and over again but when you work with amazing people as I have mentioned and with each audience bringing their own energy it truly is a different show each time.  Not to mention my new Doctor's hat......

Sat 2nd November...

Great show today but one of those days where you hit everything alfresco theatre can throw at you.  Walking through the gardens we had weekend fun seekers kicking soccer balls at us, a wedding party setting up with an obvious need to have doof doof music playing to help them, people yelling at each other from one end of the gardens to the other....then we hit the factory and battled against a constant flow of motorbikes passing and then a helicopter hovering overhead.  Great show though.  And we got in the wedding pics at the end so.....
Off to Strahan now for a week.

Mon 4th November...

Today I played my guitar and sang for a mate as he was shot out of a canon on an island in the middle of Macquarie Harbour.   Sound strange....?  Let me explain.   Richard Davey, storyteller who sadly passed away earlier this year, was laid to rest on Sarah Island shores in the middle of Macquarie Harbour.  When I say laid to rest, his ashes were literally shot out of a canon on the site of the shipyard on Sarah Island.  I had written a song for his wake earlier this year and was asked to sing it again as we said goodbye to Richard today.  Amazing.  A place where I associate tours of people trying to come to grips with the horror that was experienced on this island...over run with friends and families having a wine and enjoying a picnic, then skimming stones from the beach near the commissariat store.  I then sang my song called the Storyteller and we shot Richard out of the canon.   Awesome.  A gig that will take a long time to top.  Goodbye Richard.

Tues 5th November...

First day back on the tours and then the show "The Ship That Never Was".  Last tour was in May, last show was in June....it's like it was yesterday.  The words, the passion, the feeling of achievement that you have enriched someone with the knowledge of our convict heritage...it's all still there.  Some people on the island today who were at Louisa's Walk the other week.  Always a fun moment when they get off the boat and go "hang on a minute !  Weren't you the bloke......".

Fri 8th November...

Ah!.  The Strahan I remember...wet, cold and windy.  Still awesome though.   Must be doing something right when no matter how hard it rains and how cold it is, the tour group stays with me and is determined to hear the stories.  Loved doing the play with Jane but she has deserted me.  The warmer weather of the Gold Coast has her enticed at the moment.  Meantime...having a ball performing with Dave "Disco" Thornton.   A very sensible and restrained young lad as the following pic shows.  NOT!   So much fun.  
 
Also Reuben Jones survived his first tours of the Island.  Great job and took me back to my first tour.   Rain coming at you horizontally and the wind taking the words away from you.  He did it in style.  I should add that before Sarah Island, Reuben worked as a guide in Kakadu National Park.  Slightly different weather. He wears 4 T-shirts under his shirt, Jumper and jacket.   Onya Reuben.
Last day tomorrow for this stint in the West.  Pepper steak at Hamers tomorrow night.  Yes!