For the next three weeks it's Brisbane that's the city that never sleeps (or more precisely it's the city in which I get no sleep).Welcome to Brisbane Festival 2019. I feel the joy. So much joy.
Tonight was our first night of living the festival dream... and oh what a night.
SS Mendi was quite extraordinary. In 80 minutes we were treated to a tale so powerful it moved me to tears. For a start, it is absolutely outrageous that this story is largely unknown. How is it that 600 South Africans can be enlisted to the Imperial War effort (only to dig tenches because blacks can't be given guns) and then drown at sea in a collision with another British craft before getting to the front? How is it that this largest maritime tragedy in UK waters is pretty much invisible. And how the bloody hell can men be so horrible to other men. As is the violence of war isn't enough. But this story is more than that. It's funny, sad and oh so beautifully told. This music will warm your soul. And then we walked out into the festival where the River of Light tech run was happening - actually it had just finished but the tech team was still in the booth so we took a chance on the fact that is we hung around they would have another go ... and they did ... to pretty much no-one but us which was special. Winning. Listen to the review of SS Mendi here
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