The Advent Calendar rolls on as we move through the holidays towards year’s end. Today Jonathan calls up good friend of the podcast and all-round wonderful person Alix E. Harrow to talk about what she’s been reading (lots!), what she’d recommend (also lots!), if she has any favourite holiday reads (yes!), and what she had out this year (the hopefully not-the-last-but-almost-certainly-the-last instalment in the Fractured Fables series, A Mirror Mended) and has coming up (a new novel!).
As always, our thanks to Alix for making time to talk to us. We hope you enjoy the episode.
Hugo and Nebula Award winner Charlie Jane Anders joins Gary for the 14th instalment of the Advent Calendar to discuss what she’s been reading, what she’d recommend, her favourite holiday reads, and her fabulous new novel, Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak, the latest in her new Unstoppable young adult space opera series.
As always, our thanks to Charlie Jane, and we hope you enjoy the episode.
With the Coode Street Advent Calendar now in its second half, Gary sits down with the terrific Stephanie Feldman, the author of Who Will Speak for America? and Angel of Losses, to talk about what she’s been reading, what she’d recommend, and her fabulous new novel, Saturnalia.
As always, our thanks to Stephanie, and we hope you enjoy the episode.
As we get towards day 12 and the halfway mark of the Advent Calendar, Jonathan calls up Canada and talks to the always fabulous Kelly Robson about what she’s been reading, what she’d recommend, what she’s working on, and her latest book, lesbian stoner comedy High Times in the Low Parliament , a book that you never knew you needed, but you do.
As always, our thanks to Kelly and we hope you’re enjoying the Coode Street Advent Calendar!
Some things make sense when you find out where they began. Six started life as a show at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, and that seems exactly right now that I’ve seen it. It’s short, punchy, fun, and has a fairly solid single concept it carries through. So, what is it?
Six is a 75-minute musical where the six wives of Henry VIII take a quick, rocky trip through their respective biographies before finding a moment of girl power at the end, where they (semi-successfully) attempt to recast their stories outside the context of their late husband
It’s light and entertaining and, if you want a quick snapshot of it – imagine the Spice Girls doing a short show on the above theme, and you have it just about exactly. Although there is a ‘book’ for Six, there’s no real story or non-sung dialogue, and the staging/costumes are pretty standard stuff for a modern rock show, though they are well done.
How was the performance we saw at the Crown last night? Entertaining. And some of the audience *adored* it. I think I might have enjoyed how much one young audience member was loving the show more than I enjoyed the show itself. That said, all of the performers were at least solid and several were excellent. The Anne Boleyn for the night was ok, but Katherine Howard (played by a ‘swing’ performer Karis Oka and not the regular cast member) was fantastic and provided the highlight of the evening.
Will you enjoy it if you go? Was it worth the $A85 per ticket? I think it was and if you want a loud, fun, feminist Spice Girls show that doesn’t outstay its welcome, then this is for you.
