G’day! So White has been back on the it’s travels again, this time in Australia and New Zealand, and we thought you might like a wee update of what we’ve been up to for the last fortnight…in the sun….in our shorts…did I say it’s been sunny?…
So, we started off at the Arts Centre in Melbourne where we have been really well looked after by Emer and her team. The show has been in Melbourne before so it has been lovely to meet so many audience (and also staff) who have come back to see it again. It’s always funny to hear that Wrinkle and Cotton are part of the family but it’s been lovely to introduce the newer members to their white world. Though it has to be said that the older ones seemed very happy to be back there too. Melbourne is a beautiful city – and it has been great getting to know it’s various areas over the past 10 days. I did spend a few days thinking it had a serious traffic noise problem until I discovered that the Grand Prix was happening the weekend we left.
The children’s responses to the show as ever have really made us smile. And there has obviously been quite a struggle between right and wrong going on. We have had a fair bit of fibbing, like the little boy the other day who when I asked what his name was, smiled at me sweetly and said Abigail. His mum quickly corrected him, but did concede that he was going through an Abigail phase. He seemed to have figured out that lying was quite good fun as he fixed me with a stare and told me he was 6; he was actually 3. Another little boy in answer to what age are you? said very earnestly “20†but seemed happy to repeat his mum’s correction of 2.
One little girl was clearly on a more righteous path and felt the need to share it. When I took the red egg out of the bin she shouted “Put it Back!†and when I didn’t she grassed me up and shouted “Wrinkle!†Fortunately Ian has his dark side too, so he carried on sleeping in the tepee.
Last Friday we said a sad but fond farewell to Emer, Ebony, Emma and Ryan and put the set on one plane and ourselves on another and headed over to New Zealand. Fortunately both the set and we arrived safely so today we were able to open at the lovely Auckland Arts Festival. We were here with Pondlife a few years ago so it has been great to come back and see some familiar faces. And of course it’s a great way to catch the shows you missed – we are sharing a brilliant venue with Mark Thomas who is here doing Bravo Figaro in the main space downstairs – so that is one of our evening’s activity planned.
Lastly, in the show today I struggled with the Kiwi word for flip flops. It doesn’t feel right saying to a little girl at the end of the show “I love your pink thongs!†She was oblivious but I kind of winced inside. Maybe my favourite though was the little boy who walked up to me and said simply “Thank you show!†It was kind of succinct but I knew what he meant.
More soon from White Down Under Again
Andy Manley