1 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: The music of the people who will not be slaves again. 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: It's the famous refrain from a musical that defined the 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: late twentieth century, just as the novel and its spirit 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: of revolution had defined an age before. 5 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 2: Blame is a Rap. 6 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: The masterpiece and the musical theater phenomenon is back on 7 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: our cultural radar with an arena spectacular coming to Australia 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: and starring some of the superstar talent who took Australia 9 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: by storm four decades ago. Today, The Australian's Arts and 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: Culture editor Tim Douglas, who happens to be a lame 11 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: Is super fan, on why this musical endures. Tim Douglas 12 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: is the editor of the Australian Review section and Tim, 13 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: You've got a secret past as a Lamezerab super fan. 14 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 3: I'm not sure there's a past so much as I 15 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 3: just said, continuing interminable present, but yeah, no, I love it. 16 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 3: When I was eight years old, I looked in the 17 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 3: bottom of my sad a sack and there were tickets 18 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 3: to see Lamies in nineteen eighty nine at the Theater Royal, 19 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 3: and I went along with my mum and dad and 20 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 3: it was just a really kind of life changing moment 21 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 3: for me. 22 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 4: I loved every middle of it, and we. 23 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 3: Had the soundtrack blasting around the house through much of 24 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 3: the late eighties and early nineties, and I yes, still 25 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 3: love it to this day. 26 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: It's based on a novel, of course, by the Frenchman 27 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: Victor Ugo, who also wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 28 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: And I went back this morning and read a summary 29 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,559 Speaker 1: of the plot of the novel, which I haven't read 30 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: but I know you have. It's an incredibly complex, sort 31 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: of sweeping story. I had thought it was about the 32 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: French Revolution. That was my memory from childhood of having 33 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: watched the musical, but it's really not, is it. No. 34 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 3: It's based loosely on the June Rebellion of eighteen thirty two. 35 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 3: Victor Hugo was there in the Tuileery's gardens, apparently chin stroking, 36 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 3: thinking of a play to right when he heard gunshots 37 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 3: fight around the corner, and he kind of raced around 38 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 3: and saw these students waving flags, kind of dying this bloody, 39 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 3: glorious death against the government then King Louis Philippe. 40 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 4: Which they saw to be oppressive. 41 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 3: He of course wrote this novel while he was living 42 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 3: in exile on Guernsey in the English Channel. He was 43 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 3: exiled there for twenty five years after publicly calling Napoleon 44 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 3: a trader and sending a letter to Queen Victoria, which 45 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 3: was seen to be treasonous itself. So he started his 46 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 3: life as a loyalist and a royalist. His father was 47 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 3: a loyal member of Napoleon's army, and as he got 48 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 3: older in life he became a Republican. And that really 49 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 3: is the kind of rich vein that runs through the 50 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 3: middle of Lemisrabbler, which was standing up to the government. 51 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 3: But yeah, not the French Revolution, but a smaller one, 52 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 3: kind of posting the Boleonic Wars in the mid nineteenth century. 53 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: And it's a morality tale, really, isn't it about one 54 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 2: man's redemption. 55 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a redemptive tale centered on Jean Valjean, who 56 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 3: sentenced the night end years hard labor for stealing a 57 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 3: life of bread defeat his family. He's supposed to report 58 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 3: to the police Sergeant Javert for parole. He skips parole, 59 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 3: decides to go on this story of redemption where he 60 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,679 Speaker 3: becomes a good man and ends up becoming a mayor 61 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 3: of a town, adopts a child, all part of this 62 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 3: kind of Christian theme that runs through the tail itself. 63 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 2: Seems to save a lot of people's lives along the way. 64 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 4: He saves lots of lives, There's lots of characters. 65 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 3: They kind of end up colliding in dramatic circumstances at 66 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 3: the barricades and when the students take on the government 67 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 3: and all these stories come together and Valjean's story comes 68 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 3: full circle. 69 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 2: It's very complex, isn't it. 70 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: I Mean, there are sort of virtuous poor people who 71 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: are terribly oppressed I'm thinking of from But then there 72 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: are people like Valjean who are much more complex. They're 73 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: not cardboard cutouts of good peasants who are rebelling against 74 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: the evil authority? 75 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 4: Are they? No, they're not. 76 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 3: And and in fact, Valjean's kind of based really on 77 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 3: who Go's own idea of himself. 78 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:18,359 Speaker 4: His mother was Catholic. 79 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 3: He kind of saw himself for most of his life 80 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 3: as Catholic and believing that idea of original sin and 81 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 3: the need to repent, And so that story is kind 82 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 3: of really his in its own way. I mean, it's 83 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 3: an interesting tidbit too. Of course, family is very important 84 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 3: to hug His dad was in the army during that 85 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 3: time I mentioned earlier with Napoleon's army, but he was 86 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 3: born on twenty sixth of February eighteen oh two. He 87 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 3: obviously did the maths or had a frank conversation with 88 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 3: his father and realized that he was probably conceived on 89 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 3: twenty fourth of June eighteen oh one. Now those numbers 90 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 3: don't mean much until you think two four six one. 91 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 2: Now for six so one, your time is up and 92 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 2: your paroles begone. 93 00:04:58,720 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 4: You know what? 94 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 3: That, of course is the president and number of Jean 95 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 3: Valjean in his Tale of Course, one of the most 96 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 3: climactic moments in the musical, and those numbers are sang 97 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 3: out in Jean Valjean reveals himself to be who he 98 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 3: is to Javert. 99 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: This is Russell Crowe as Javert, the villain, and Hugh 100 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: Jackman as Valjean, the hero in the twenty twelve movie 101 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: adaptation of Lame Miserab Yes, two far six oh one. 102 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 4: Him is Jean Valjean, name Chavert. 103 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: It's interesting that as an eight year old this was 104 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: hugely appealing to you. I mean, this is a really 105 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: adult story, isn't it It is? 106 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 3: I was thinking about this earlier, and it was a 107 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 3: really kind of it is a revolutionary time. We're talking 108 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 3: about nineteen eighty nine. This is, you know, eight months 109 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 3: before the Berlin War came down, two years after Reagan 110 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 3: delivered that speech to Gorbletrov about tearing down the walls. 111 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 3: The iron curtains still up at this point. But there's 112 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 3: a lot of kind of revolutionary fervor. You know, it's 113 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 3: an interesting time for Australia. We floated the dollar earlier 114 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 3: that decade. Of course, we were more international looking than 115 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 3: we ever had. The monorails popping up everywhere. You know, 116 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 3: when monorails are popping up, that you know the world's 117 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 3: changing for the better. So that year the Sydney Festival 118 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 3: approached Cameron McIntosh, who had launched it in nineteen eighty 119 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 3: five in London. 120 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 4: It went gangbusters. 121 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 3: The Sydney Festival said we're put on this free concert 122 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 3: in the Domain. One hundred and thirty five thousand people 123 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 3: turned up, and I was one of them. Marina Pryor 124 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 3: was in the cast, Anthony Wallow Normal Row, of course, 125 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 3: how do I forget Normally Row playing Jean Valjean, and 126 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 3: Debora Byrne was playing Fontine. These are the great rock 127 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 3: stars of the seventies and eighties in Australia. 128 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: And of course Australia fell in love with Anthony Wallower 129 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: and Marina Pryor in The Phantom of the Opera, didn't they. 130 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 3: That's right, So that was the kind of their launching 131 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 3: pad onto what we know now as the household names 132 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 3: of musical theater. 133 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 4: It was a real moment. It was a great moment 134 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 4: for Australia. 135 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 3: I remember that day at the Domain because it was 136 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 3: the same day that Australia was playing the West Indies 137 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 3: at the Sydney Cricket Ground as the first day of 138 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 3: that Test, which we went on to win, one of 139 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 3: the only Tests we won against the Windies. 140 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 4: In their eighties. 141 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 3: But again it was a great moment for Australia because 142 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 3: we're really kind of we'd been thrashed for a decade 143 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 3: and Alan Border led us to a seven wicket victory 144 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 3: that week. 145 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: This is amazing markers of a young Tim Douglas and 146 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: learning more about you every moment. It's not dissimilar to 147 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: the way Hamilton, which is about you know, the American Revolution, 148 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,239 Speaker 1: not something you would think is going to appeal to children. 149 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: Is very appealing to children of that age from kind 150 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: of eight years old up, isn't it. There's something about 151 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: musical theater, about these kind of big ideas of revolution 152 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: that is very appealing to kids. 153 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 3: It is, And I think the eighties is a real 154 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 3: time for that. I mean there's a character, of course, 155 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 3: in lem Is called Gavroche. In the Bookie is actually 156 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 3: the son of the vile hoteliers, the thenardiers. In the musical, 157 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 3: he is he's just a kind of he might as 158 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 3: well be an orphaned child. He hangs around the revolutionaries 159 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 3: and ultimately dies in really dramatic circumstances. But there's a 160 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 3: song that he sings that it's in the original recording. 161 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 3: It was in the original musical, which was changed in 162 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 3: eighty seven. 163 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 4: Look A've we got s because it's just a book. 164 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 3: There's a line in it where he says, you know, 165 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 3: never never kick a dog because he's just a pup. 166 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 4: You better run for cover when the pup grows up. 167 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 3: And I remember as a child kind of hearing those 168 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 3: words and feeling really kind of energized and inspired by it. 169 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 3: And I think it's, you know, it's something he might 170 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 3: have stayed with me. 171 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 4: What was it exactly about lame is? 172 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 3: And what is it about that show that continues to 173 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 3: see it thrive in multiple literations, The twenty twelve films 174 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 3: Though and Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe and Hathaway, I. 175 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 2: Dreamed, Dream and Time Gone. 176 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 4: Hope and Life. 177 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 3: Worth Living a Man Sea Fred of Course two, and 178 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 3: the twenty eighteen TV series starring Dominic West. 179 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 4: It just seems to live on in popular culture. I 180 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 4: Dream would be fuck give It's. 181 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 3: Interesting too because you know music was written by Claude 182 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 3: Michelle Schomberg, and when it was premiered in London on 183 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 3: the West End, it was actually kind of panned. 184 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 4: Critics didn't love it. 185 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 3: The music was seen as derivative and samey and a 186 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 3: little bit schmaltzy, so it didn't kind of open to 187 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 3: rave reviews. Macintosh stuck with it and then the people 188 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 3: kind of, you know, maybe apply so rose up and said, no, 189 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 3: we love this. 190 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 2: Coming up. 191 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: Who's the real hero of this story and why we 192 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 1: are the eighties back in such a big way. 193 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,599 Speaker 3: So it's been thirty five years since The Arena Spectacular 194 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 3: appeared in the Domain at the open air free concert 195 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 3: that was part of the Sydney Festival. 196 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 4: It's been brought back to Sydney to the ICC. 197 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 3: Not open air anymore and not free either, I might add, 198 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 3: But really interestingly, it's just this incredible cart So we've 199 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 3: got Marina Pryor coming back. She's now playing Madame Thenardier, 200 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 3: the violin keeper we spoke about earlier. She of course 201 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 3: was Cosette in the original eighty seven production in Sydney. 202 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 3: She's the only person now to have played both those roles. Wow, 203 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,839 Speaker 3: both ends of that musical spectrum. Michael Ball is coming back. 204 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 3: He was the original Marius in the original London production, 205 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 3: so he's now playing sharing the role of Javert with 206 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 3: another singer. And Matt Lucas of Little Britain Fame is 207 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 3: Thenardier in his production. 208 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 4: He's played that on the West End too. 209 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: Thenardier is a bit of a shady grifter who rips 210 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 1: off the heroes of Lamey's rab. Matt Lucas took to 211 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: Instagram to point out his take is a little different. 212 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,719 Speaker 3: So Lamey's Arab is about a character called Thenardier, and 213 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 3: it's about his story, and then there's this sort of 214 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 3: other characters. Jean Valjean Jabert Mariusie vind Gazette and they 215 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 3: knows various people that sort of flit in and out 216 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,319 Speaker 3: of the piece, But it's very much a Thenardier focused show. 217 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,719 Speaker 4: That's what people can can expect. You know. 218 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 3: It's some really big names that are coming back to 219 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 3: do it. But I think having Marina and Michael baul 220 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 3: is really sweeten in a way. 221 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,199 Speaker 4: Let's me find you that. 222 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: So it's not part of the Sydney Festival this time around, 223 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: but how does it fit into the landscape of what 224 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: else we're seeing on stage in Australia at the moment. 225 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, So it's so interesting because Kat's premiered in eighty 226 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 3: five in Australia. Macintosh is big and then Angreel Lloyd 227 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 3: Webber the big kind of push for musical theater. We 228 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,320 Speaker 3: hadn't seen anything of that kind of stature before then 229 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 3: Lamy's comes. Of course, Lamy's is still the longest running 230 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 3: West endhow it's still running now in London. It's shot 231 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 3: on Broadway in two thousand and three. It's had three 232 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 3: theatrical runs in Australia. There's a second arena show. But 233 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 3: it really kind of just laid the foundation for what 234 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 3: we're seeing now we've got new impresarios like Michael Castle 235 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 3: popping up, who is you know, in addition to people 236 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 3: like John Frost, etc. Who are still putting on great works, 237 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 3: Michael's kind of taking at next level. And you know 238 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 3: we've got Beetle Juice coming up around the corner, back 239 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 3: to the futures on its way. 240 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:55,119 Speaker 2: You know, pretty commers to run the train. 241 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 3: Went sport for choice like that thirty years ago. And 242 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 3: so so the ongoing success of Lamis has really laid 243 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 3: the groundwork for you know, families such as ours who 244 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 3: enjoy the arts, but also for performers and musicians and 245 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 3: you know, the creative arts more generally. 246 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: It's got a real eighties theme to it, though, I mean, 247 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know if it's just that you 248 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,599 Speaker 1: and I had our heyday in the eighties, but that 249 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 1: decade resonates so strongly still in what's popular in music today. 250 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: Michael Jackson is huge again for good oil Cats is back. 251 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 1: As you say, we can't get away from the eighties, 252 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:29,959 Speaker 1: can we? 253 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 4: We can't. 254 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 3: It's a good point. I hadn't really thought about that, 255 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 3: but yes, you're right. Every book I pick up or 256 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 3: every time I walk in the front door. My kids 257 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 3: are playing Motley Krue or some song I didn't even 258 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:42,319 Speaker 3: know from the eighties because I wasn't particularly exposed to 259 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 3: that kind of stuff. So yeah, that's a great point, 260 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 3: and yeah, maybe we're tapping back into that nostalgia. 261 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 4: I certainly. 262 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,439 Speaker 1: Tim Douglas is The Australian's editor of Review, which is 263 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: available in print wherever you pick up the paper and 264 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 1: all the time at the Australian dot com dot au 265 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: Slash Review. 266 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us this week on the front. 267 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: Our team is Tiffany Dimack, who edited this episode, Jasper Leak, 268 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: who produced it, Kristen Amiot, our regular producer, Lee at Sammagloo, 269 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: Joshua Burton, Stephanie Coombs and me Claire Harvey.