February 29. Day 60. Such a drag

 Award ceremonies can be such a drag. Recipient after recipient thanking everyone from their Year 1 teacher to the person who delivered milk to their house. Having never been to a Matilda Awards ceremony, I was unsure where south-east Queensland's Theatre Awards would score on the entertainment scale. I needn't have worried. They certainly weren't a drag. For a start there were the naughty hosts: choosing fashion designer and cabaret star Leigh Buchanan in his alter ego Barbra Windsor-Woo and comedienne Carita Farrer Spencer in her gender bending role Larry Paradiseo ensured it was not going to be a dull night. And then there was awards founder Alison Cotes pretty much tipping a bucket on the awards as a parting gift as she walked out the door. Apparently the award sculptures look like something fit only for keeping the toilet door open. Ouch. Throw in performances by the singers and dancers of the Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts and an unexpectedly quick and a little naughty one liner by the Lord Mayor Graham Quirk. And finally, for good measure, see Employment Minister Grace Grace take being serenaded to a spoof of Amazing Grace with, well, good grace. And as a fitting end the Gold Matilda was awarded posthumously to Carol Burns. Nope, these awards were not a drag in any man's language.

Guest host Leon Cain

Naomi Price accepts her Matilda

APRA performers

With good Grace