September 7th 2023

I jumped with joy when I received my invitation to the red carpet premiere of Moulin Rouge last month. The first time I saw this spectacular, spectacular show, I took my daughter Carly and we were all on the brink of a COVID lockdown, so opening night was a seriously pared-back affair. This time around there was a red carpet and an afterparty – exactly the kind of welcome back to Melbourne this grand old dame of a musical deserves.

Special shout out to my outfit for the night, which was from As If Designer Recycle, and jewellery by Mesh Jewellery Design. Thank you for covering ALL the bases! It was perfect for the pomp and ceremony of a theatre premiere, pink is so hot right now because of Barbie and, when I went home that night to catch up on And Just Like That, I saw Carrie was wearing an outfit adorned by an equally extravagant flower.

This time around, my son Jess was my date, and the show was just as magical, energising, electric, and sexy as I remembered. The cast onstage at the Regent Theatre is stacked, the players oozing so much talent it’s almost obscene! We were fortunate to sit close to the front in the middle, which meant we could see every bit of the action. The first time I saw the show, my eyes were flitting everywhere trying to take it all in and not miss anything. This time I had more time to fully appreciate everything so it was almost like seeing it for the first time. If you haven’t booked your tickets yet, I highly recommend you see this most spectacular of spectaculars! Meanwhile, I’m off to practice my Can Can!

Changing gear, I was also invited to the opening night gala for the Melbourne International Film Festival last month. The featured film was ‘Shayda’, the story of a brave Iranian mother who finds refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter, seeking new beginnings, who finds their path to freedom jeopardised by the reappearance of her estranged husband. Having produced The Fort with Jess and Carly as filmmakers, it was incredibly gratifying to see a film about domestic and family violence (DFV) headlining the festival. It warms my heart to see the arts increasingly being used to grow awareness and conversation around the scourge that is DFV.