Culture Attack .....

Against our better judgement, we booked to see Are You Being Served last weekend. The reviewer in the local newspaper said it was predictable and full of double entendres. Of course it was! Did he never see the TV original?

The performance was in a small theatre with only 180 tiered seats, so it was quite an intimate atmosphere. The amateur cast did a great job in replicating the original characters and the old jokes ran thick and fast – Mrs Slocum’s pussy rated a mention, Mr Humphries was as camp as a row of tents and Captain Peacock was as self-important as ever.

The audience were all of a certain age seeking a nostalgic evening out. Getting up and down the tiered seating was a bit of a struggle for several of the less able. All in all, it was an enjoyable night.

A more satisfying experience was going to see La Traviata later in the week. Opera Australia has two travelling companies which take opera to regional Australia. The company which came to Launceston (the Cognac Company!) has 10 cast members, a chamber orchestra of 11 and the usual bunch of back-stage workers. They carry their own set and equipment and can perform in community halls, local theatres and even al fresco if needed. Each cast member learns two parts which they alternate.

We went with a couple of friends who, like us, had little experience with opera so it was an eye-opener for all of us. We also had tickets for the after-show party and enjoyed having a chat with the cast.

On Saturday night, we are booked to see Twelfth Night, presented by the Bell Theatre Company. This group can always be relied upon to give a modern twist to Shakespeare, so it should be good fun.

Sadly, this week, we said farewell to Cherry, one of the Filipinas I employed at Giant Steps. Cherry is a Speech Pathologist and did a great job in the 2 and a half years she was there. She is going back to the Philippines to take on some extra study.

Her friends organized a party for her and we were happy to take part. You can imagine the terrific food, games, dances and karaoke. Filipinos certainly know how to enjoy themselves. The photo is of Shiela, Cherry and Siaren. Shiela and Siaren are Occupational Therapists who came from Hope Intervention Centre and are now settled in Tasmania. Siaren is being married in September and Marilyn and I will be there to see it.