The Fame Reporter interviewed Co-Director of The Little Red Company, Naomi Price ahead of their Brisbane Festival Queensland Premiere opening of their production – The Iso Late Late Show LIVE! at The Tivoli in Brisbane from 3-4 September.
Pour yourself a quarantini and lock in a night out with Australia’s biggest little cabaret powerhouse.
Online smash The IsoLate Late Show leaps off Facebook and onto The Tivoli stage in its first public outing especially for Brisbane Festival.
Hosted by Queensland’s first lady of song, Naomi Price (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ladies in Black), and leading man of stage and screen Luke Kennedy (The Voice Australia, Swing on This), The IsoLate Late Show has got the band back together and assembled a stellar line-up of special guests.
Performer extraordinaire and co-director of The Little Red Company, Naomi Price has cemented her credentials as a creative tour de force from Brisbane to Broadway.
We talked to Naomi about the upcoming Queensland Premiere of The Iso Late Late Show, how excited she is for musical theatre to grow in Queensland, what audiences can expect from the live version of the show, how important the arts are in times of hardship and more.
See our interview below!
Welcome to The Fame Reporter, as part of the Brisbane Festival how does it feel being one of the few shows to be able to open during this time?
We feel incredibly privileged to be ‘returning to work’ after six months of interacting with our computer screens! It’ll be such a huge buzz to finally perform for other people again, and share the communal experience of live music and theatre with a few hundred of our friends.
What was the inspiration behind starting the Iso Late Late Show?
Within hours of the Federal Government’s announcement of venue closures on 18 March, my entire years’ worth of employment disappeared, leaving me with no foreseeable income in 2020. It was an incredibly scary prospect, exacerbated by the fact that my partner works in the entertainment industry as well, so our entire household was devastated. More broadly, it meant the loss of work for our artists working across five different The Little Red Company projects throughout the year.
In many respects, The IsoLate Late Show was born out of necessity. The necessity to be vocal. The necessity to demonstrate leadership to our team and the sector more broadly. The necessity to remain creative. The necessity to be busy. The necessity to deliver hope to our colleagues and audiences.
The necessity to advocate for the vitalness of the arts and the essentialness of Australia’s creative workforce. While vital social distancing restrictions affect our ability to work in a traditional sense, it doesn’t restrict our ability to be creative and connect.
What can audiences expect from the live version of the show?
Audiences can expect full throttle energy, live performances from all your favourite artists from the show including Tom Oliver, Rachel Everett-Jones, Lai Utovou and Jason McGregor, and of course a very healthy sprinkle of Baby Zion content!
It’ll be the most fun you can have whilst social distancing!
What have you missed most about live theatre and performance?
I’ve really missed the interaction with the audience; a unique exchange that is different every single night. I’ve also missed having a performance schedule; I’ve worked mainly from my desk at home for the past six months, which is very unusual. During a normal month, my partner and I would probably take 6 to 8 flights each for various performing engagements so we are really missing travelling.
What 3 performers dead or alive would you love to have a dinner party with?
Adele, Meryl Streep, Kristen Wiig
What do you love about Queensland theatre in particular?
I think there’s certainly an element of drive and determination amongst Queensland’s creatives that I haven’t seen elsewhere. We are still growing and evolving as a city, and as a cultural hub, and therefore there is still scope for us all to have a monumental impact on our collective creative future.
Queensland’s arts and entertainment sector feels very connected; it’s a relatively small industry and so everyone really does know everyone. I personally love that!
What is the most rewarding and challenging part about getting this show up and running during this time?
The most rewarding part is probably ‘getting the band back together’ – I love our team so much, and any opportunity to collaborate with the brilliant musicians, singers, producers, creatives and crew is always the best part of my week! The most challenging part is the ever-changing rules and restrictions (obviously designed to keep everyone safe) which make it difficult to do things quickly and efficiently. Luckily – we are all creatives who approach problem solving creatively!
What do you hope for the future of the Australian theatre industry?
I hope that we can navigate this nationwide devastation to our industry, and keep as many professionals employed as possible.
I would like to see greater unity and collaboration between organisations, and I genuinely believe this experience can be the catalyst for long overdue change.
What importance do you think the arts and live entertainment play in times of hardship?
We’ve all turned to arts and entertainment at a time when we have been physically disconnected from our communities.
I think it plays a vital role in assuring us that we are not alone, that human experience is collective and shared, and provides an outlet for us to process a myriad of emotions and experiences.
Fame Reporter Word Play
Any secret talents
I am a great cook.
The Little Red Company
Growing constantly
Place you want to travel to
ANYWHERE RIGHT NOW!
Bucket list
Buy a house
Future dream
Artistic leadership
TV Binge
Succession
TICKETS
3-4 September
The Tivoli
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All photos – Supplied
The Fame Reporter 