Scrubbed up

 We, (Leo, Hans and I) did a wee gig last night and decided not to go full clown, so I did a Frida look.

I don't think I've worn this little slap in years! Well, when wearing slap that is! I put MASCARA on, can you believe it?! It's probably the second time in 5 years. Normally I just put on false lashes, it's easier.

It was a fun gig -we did Catering Song, So Happy Together and the mash up of The Winner takes it all, I'm not OK and Dust in the Wind. We call it inter-generational angsty wailing. I'd love to think of a song from the 50s to replace Dust in the Wind as it is very close to Abba erawise. Except that existential crises songs really only started coming out in the late 60s!

Not born this way.

 Sometimes I have to do The Work in order to achieve the outcome. Bah. Lady faffing irritates me unless I'm doing it for stage.

However, last night I decided to pink my greys. This is not a euphemism!

Awkward gladwrap time waiting for it to "take"

Interim result before properly brushing out. The hair framing my face is the greyest so I get a lovely halo of pink this way.

It's apparent from the background that I took these on Sunday, which is laundry day in our house. Many of my clothes need hanging to dry not tumble drying and the dry things are piled on the ironing board over my shoulder.

I made a promise to myself that we wouldn't just leave the ironing board up all the time, but the reality is, it is a very useful surface. If I could choose to add a room to our apartment it would be a laundry! I love laundries - a room dedicated to doing practical things.

In our first house, I painted our laundry the colour of a fresh lawn. Loved it. Miss it. It had a concrete floor and I used it as a place to spray costumes and such - and when we sold, it still had the pattern of Ynci's tab skirt-armour laid out in silver spray painted silhouette. Sadly I have no photos from that production (Lords and Ladies 2004)

Ah the compromises of apartment living. If we win the lottery, the only possible access to an alternative domestic arrangement, I want a not very big house, with a bath and a laundry that has access to the outside.

None of which is related to pink hair, but that's where my thoughts went.

Money! We all need it!

 A bit of a laugh for you all. On the 24th Hansel and I did a gig in Christchurch - we did a couple of spots but this is the first one I got video for so here you are!

People love this act because after the first song, which is from 42nd St, it's all really famous songs - but it takes a couple of moments to recognise them and the laughter tracks on that.

I blinking love getting on stage in this ridiculous costume!! But it someone told me seven years ago that I'd be doing it, I'd have died. Just goes to show you can do anything if you get used to it! ;-)

Huge props to Ray Shipley our MC. It was their first time hosting a variety show and they warmed up to it over the course of the night to being so hyped they were shrieking by the end and jumping around the stage! Total babe!

Comedy School

 This year I am taking on learning new things. It's been a while since I put myself into a course of any kind, and it's awesome!

First up - NZ Comedy School, with this guy, Neil Thornton. One of the kindest, funniest and most aware men I've ever known.

We hosted an award show together once. Didn't actually plan our costumes, but this happened!

Neil is from New York, came here with his doctor husband, and decided to take on the stand up comedy scene like a boss. 

It's a four class, two one-on-one sessions course culminating in a graduation show at the Fringe Bar. Mine is this Thursday. Eep!

I've done stand up before and I do funny stuff on stage all the time, but never with any kind of writing basis, because the idea of planning to say something and crafting it is confronting. What if it's no good?

But I'm pushing through and having fun. Why? OMG i would love to do gigs where it doesn't take 2 hours of hair and makeup and costuming!

Put your lashes on?!

 I'm internationally famous in my own home town. Yee Haw. 

This article come out in print tomorrow but thanks to the cleverness of the interwebs, the online is available today.

Photo by Aden Meser Photography

Cuba Dupa at last!

 Cuba Dupa actually happened this year. The last two were curtailed by the mosque massacre in 2019 and the plague in 2020. So, much relief when the early showers cleared well before noon and an estimated 120,000 people took to Wellington's Cuba Quarter with fun in mind!

 Me? I heard it. I went in the back door of our Cuba St shop, and out again. I never left the shop. I knew people would come to say hello, we had a wonderful guest artist in our shop, and I was happier out of the crowds. I love that it happens and I am happy to stay on the perimeter. Crowds are not my jam.

Here are some photos screen captured from the Facebook page. The originals are here.

My friend Jane second top left in full colourful steam punk

 I feel these photos capture the spirit of the event. It is HUGE. I can't believe we get to do this in the times of plague, but we're case free for some time now. I hope you all, whatever country you're in, get to mix and mingle safely again soon xo

The Menagerie

 Alright, stop me if you've heard this one: What's huge, terrifying, and hangs out in an alley?

Us!!! Photo of Clever Hansel pointing to a poster of us on the day of The Menagerie. I thought I had posted about it already, but as I didn't here we go!

 

The original photo by Aden Meser Photography. Colourful!!! Somehow in every photo from this photoshoot, my legs were hidden and it became quite a running joke. 

 And here's proof it actually happened!!!!! The stage is huge -the venue has 1500 seats and 1100 of them had bums on.