Arianna Huffington in Conversation with Annabel Crabb

Tags

Annabel Crabb, Anxiety, Arianna Huffington, Mindfulness, Sleep, Stress, Sydney Opera House, Thrive, Worry

(Image by TSL)

On Wednesday night, LM and I went to see Annabel Crabb interview Arianna Huffington as part of the 2014 season of Ideas at the House (Only it was not held at the Sydney Opera House; rather it was at Carriageworks, which is not even close!).

Of course, Arianna Huffington was the star attraction. But I’m quite partial to a dose of the endearingly quirky and intelligent political journalist, Annabel, too.

And, I do think the calibre of the interviewer matters a lot in talks such as this.

Ideas at the House that are not really at the House. 
(image by TSL)

Don’t really know who Arianna Huffington is…?

Her abbreviated bio from the Ideas at the House site reads: “Born in Greece, Huffington moved to the US by way of Cambridge University in England, becoming a renowned broadcaster and nationally syndicated columnist. In May of 2005, she launched the Huffington Post, which quickly became one of the most widely read and -cited online media brands. Huffington was soon named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, and is currently the chair, president, and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group. Her latest book, Thrive, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list reflects on her stunning success as well as her passionate and personal mission to redefine its meaning.”

She’s a pretty impressive woman. Obviously very bright, articulate and savvy, not to mention connected. But, she also has a great sense of humour and the ability to laugh at herself. I wonder if she’d like to be my mentor?

Annabel & Arianna
Taken on my trusty iPhone – please excuse the picture quality
(Image by TSL)

Bill Clinton said the biggest mistakes he made while President were when he was tired. He just forgot to acknowledge which mistakes these were. (Arianna Huffington)

I actually bought Arianna’s latest book, ‘Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder‘ (bit of a mouthful) when it was first published.

And, given the health caper I’ve been on over the last wee while, you may be unsurprised to learn that I kind of agree with many of the sentiments expressed in the book…

12 steps sourced from here
(Image by TSL)

The two areas that have really resonated for me are around sleep and worry. Let’s call them numbers 1, 4 and 9 from the 12 tips listed above. I never knew just how much I worried. Or, just how important getting enough sleep was. Until I didn’t worry as much. And, until I started regularly getting more sleep.

Which is all good. But, it’s not quite that easy to just start sleeping more and worrying less. It actually takes some work. Hard work. And, I suspect people are different in terms of how they can best achieve results.

And, then there’s a little cynical version of TSL sitting on my shoulder. The ‘negative version of me’. The one who makes excuses. And, she’s saying “64-year old Arianna Huffington (who looks 20 years younger), you made US$315 million from the sale of the Huffington Post to AOL in 2011. And NOW you practise ‘mindfulness’.” 

Where does a normal person find the time…?

The truth is, something’s got to give. Arianna is quite right when she says we are becoming slaves to technology. Well, I think she is.

And, she’s also right when she says we are mis-guided in our belief that multitasking is the answer to productivity. Juggling too many balls just means you achieve less. This is certainly true for me. It is impossible to be all things to everyone in your life. Work out your priorities. Then, focus on those. Humph!

There were many terrible things in my life and most of them never happened. (Michel de Montaigne)

Arianna suggests we shouldn’t hold grudges. We should aim to be permeable – let the grudge go into us and then out again. Through us, if you will. We should look to little children as role models for this. They get upset, throw a tantrum and move on quickly. I remember my little sister being a master of this as a child. Me, not so much. Perhaps there’s a lesson in there…

Arianna
(Image by TSL)

It was worth it – seeing Annabel interview Arianna. But, I do feel as though I have a long, long way to go until I’m really ‘thriving’…

Ideas at the House is Sydney Opera House’s annual Talks & Ideas program. It brings big ideas, extraordinary people and the best of contemporary culture to the stage, and to online audiences. Next up, Yotam Ottolenghi is having a conversation with Joanna Savill on 29 October…

Currently Crushing on Christina Vanko and Her Modern Day Snail Mail

Tags

Calligraphy, Christina Vanko, Cursive, Email, Emilio Estevez, Erik Estrada, Graphic Design, Handwriting, Indiana University, Modern Day Snail Mail, Snail mail, Technology, Text messaging

(Image by TSL)

Oh, Erik Estrada. I loved you when I was about 11…

If you’re old enough to know who both Erik Estrada and Emilio Estevez are without googling them, then you may better understand just why I love the quirkiness of Christina Vanko’s recent project, ‘Modern Day Snail Mail’.

There is something so much more personal in the handwritten word than of those merely typed onto a screen. There is a sense that the writer is closer to you. That a little piece of them is on the page.

I’ve always had a thing for beautiful handwriting. Especially, when one has such a fabulous calligraphy technique as Christina Vanko! 

Sadly, my calligraphy skills are not up to par with Christina’s
(Image by TSL)

Anyhoo, who is this Christina Vanko of whom I speak, you may ask?

A fairly recent graduate of Indiana University’s BFA Graphic Design, she started this whimsical project after trying out her father’s calligraphy pen and falling in love.

She decided to create handwritten text messages for a week – 7 days without using the keyboard on her phone to send a message. Instead, she wrote out all her messages on paper before taking a photograph, which was then sent as a text message.

Copies of Christina Vanko’s Handwritten Texts
(Image from here)

Copy of Christina Vanko’s Handwritten Texts
(Image from here)

In this modern age of texting in lieu of telephone conversation, or even face-to-face communication, this is no mean feat. And, if you think I am joking – consider this: the teenager has been known to sit on the same couch as his best friend while they text each other. Seriously.

And, don’t even get me started on whether he can write in cursive…

So, as I received so much pleasure out of Christina’s project, I am making my own wee pledge to hand-write whenever I can. Instead of dashing off an email ‘thank you’ note, I am promising myself that I will make the time to hand-write a card and send it via snail mail. And, who doesn’t love receiving a handwritten note or letter in the post…?

I’m Having a Billy Connolly Moment…

Tags

Billy Connolly, Billy Connolly Quote, Comedian, Lone Ranger, Random Stuff, William Tell Overture

(Image from here)

My definition of an intellectual is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger.                                                                                            – Billy Connolly

I’ve Got a Thing For Pukeko

Tags

Animal Photography, Art, Beatrice Carlson, Bird, Kiwi, Mixed media, Native Bird, New Zealand, Pukeko

‘Pukeko Kete’ by Beatrice Carlson
(Image from Essenze)

Like most Kiwis, I have a bit of a thing for the Pukeko. With its distinctive bright blue colouring and bright red beak, it is always easy to see against the green of the New Zealand wetland.

Also known as the New Zealand Swamp Hen, the Pukeko is a member of the rail family, and it is similar to other species found all over the world. There are apparently 15 sub species of the bird and their range includes southern Europe, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Melanesia, western Polynesia, as well as Australia and New Zealand, so it is a very common bird. In New Zealand, you can find them in almost any grassland area, especially in swampy locations.

Just why they have struck such a chord within the Kiwi culture is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it is because they are a little ungainly, but still full of character. It’s certainly not because of their flying ability – their take off is laboured and they are awkward flyers with feet dangling and often crash landing into a tree or bush, although they can fly long distances.

‘Blue Comme’ by Beatrice Carlson
(Image from Essenze)

For me, one woman who has captured the quirkiness of the Pukeko perfectly, is Beatrice Carlson. She apparently originally studied oil painting and it has given her an understanding of layers and transparency that she now uses in her digital work. Her works are dramatic in scale – the piece above is 1200mm x 1200mm – but she works with the smallest of details, adjusting the images pixel by pixel.

I think I would quite like Blue Comme on my wall…

Essenze sells Blue Comme for NZ$2,901 and will ship anywhere in the world. You can check out their site here.

 

Being Tempted by Sydney’s Living Museums

Tags

Australia, Childrens' Activities in Sydney, Christmas Markets, food, Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Jared Ingersoll, Kate Walsh, Museum, New South Wales, Sydney, Sydney Living Museum

Sydney Living Museums Food Table
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

There’s an awesome new set up in Sydney-town. In April of this year, the Historic Houses Trust of NSW launched Sydney Living Museums, its new collective name for 12 of New South Wales’ most important museums and historic houses.

The Trust, incorporating Sydney Living Museums, cares for significant historic places, buildings, landscapes and collections. Focusing on the lives that were lived in each of its museums and houses, Sydney Living Museums offers insights into the personal stories of how people lived, worked and played, and vital parts of Australian culture and heritage that are unique and fascinating.

From carefully curated exhibitions, events and ‘everyday’ experiences covering food, through household interiors, gardens and outdoor living, to social class, rural lives and crime and punishment – Sydney Living Museums has 12 of the best places to experience Sydney’s living history. And, the best part is that the team at SLM have created a brand that is exciting and accessible. It makes me want to visit all twelve of their sites…

Sydney Living Museums Eat Your History
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

The summer food programme, including the ‘Eat Your History’ exhibition looks fantastic – and, it seems to have a little bit of something for everyone. Inspired by the historic homes, and their gardens and kitchens, the programme presents a specially curated menu of enticing food experiences. SLM has partnered with some of Sydney’s most highly respected chefs, foodies and craftspeople to bring you a tasty mix of experiences.

Here are a few of the offerings that particularly appeal to yours truly…

Jared Ingersoll’s ‘Farm to Table Dinner’
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

The very talented Mr Ingersoll (you may recall him from here) has partnered with Kate Walsh of Real Food Projects to bring us the Farm to Table dinner on Thursday 14 November at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. I’m stealing shamelessly from the SLM sales pitch when I tell you, “inspired by menus from the 1800s, this unique banquet will use local, indigenous and heirloom produce grown in the Vaucluse House kitchen garden especially for the dinner”. YUM!

The combined talents of Jared and Kate (of Real Food Projects) make this sure to be an occasion.

Shape and Bake Gingernut Biscuits
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

Here’s one for the kids over the looooong summer school holidays.  Bring them along to Elizabeth Farm to learn the art of ginger-biscuit making and baking at the Shape and Bake. Afterwards, you can explore the house.

Baking sessions will be held on Monday 13 & 20, and Wednesday 18 & 22 January at Elizabeth Farm.

Elizabeth Bay House
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

No surprises that I’m heading to Stories From the Cellar at Elizabeth Bay House on 27 February. I’m keen to take a wee journey through the history of food preservation with Wildwon Projects. I’m going to delve into the preservin’, saltin’, curin’, fermentin’ (there’s that word again!) and smokin’ and see what I can learn. Can’t wait!

(Image from here)

I guess I should have put THIS one first, but perhaps I was just saving the best for last. The hugely fab’ Real Food Projects are putting on the Christmas Artisan Food Market at the Hyde Park Barracks on 18 December from 4 – 8pm.

There’ll be over 50 stalls featuring the best that Sydney has to offer by way of food makers using local, seasonal and sustainable produce. There will even be a wrapping station.

Be there or be square, I reckon…

This is only a wee taste of all the events the Sydney Living Museums have on offer for their summer season of food. Do go and check out their website (here) AND sign up to get the newsletter. It looks grand!

Australia v. New Zealand: the Great Pavlova Debate

Tags

Anna Pavlova, Anzac biscuit, ANZAC Day, Australasia, Australia, Bill Granger, dessert, food, Gallipoli, New Zealand, Pavlova, Pavlova Recipe, Recipe

ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli
(Image from here)

Tomorrow Australia and New Zealand recognise ANZAC Day; arguably one of the most important days in the year for most of us Australasians. It’s a day for us to reflect and remember.

I wrote about the significance of ANZAC Day for Aussies and Kiwis this time last year. (You can check it out here if you’d like a refresher! There’s even a pretty good ANZAC biscuit recipe!)

So, given tomorrow’s auspicious date, and the fact that I have already written of the importance of ANZAC Day, I kind of feel it would be almost un-Australasian not to give you some sort of post that relates to the mate-ship and sibling-like rivalry that exists between Australia and New Zealand. If I were a cricket fan, I could talk about the famous underarm bowling incident of the One Day International in 1981. But I’m not. If I felt more passionately about it, I could argue that because Neil Finn hails from Te Awamutu, Crowded House is obviously a Kiwi band.  But I’m happy to share (in this matter). So that brings me, still near the top of the pile, to the great Pavlova debate. Namely, in which country did the first giant, cream and fruit filled meringue concoction originate?

To follow, without halt, one aim: that’s the secret of success. (Anna Pavlova)

Suddenly, I’m salivating…
(Image from here)

One thing is clear – the dessert was created to commemorate the great Russian prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova when she toured both New Zealand and Australia in 1926. There is, however, considerable debate around whether it was New Zealand or Australia that first created the dessert in question.

Now, I wasn’t around in 1926, so I shall have to rely on that site of all things true and accurate – Wikipedia. Apparently, ‘Keith Money, a biographer of Anna Pavlova, wrote that a hotel chef in Wellington, New Zealand, created the dish when Pavlova visited there in 1926 on her world tour‘. I have heard that this chef may have originated from Australia. This could be pure supposition.

‘Professor Helen Leach, a culinary anthropologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, has compiled a library of cookbooks containing 667 Pavlova recipes from more than 300 sources. Her book, The Pavlova Story: A Slice of New Zealand’s Culinary History, states that the first Australian Pavlova recipe was created in 1935 while an earlier version was penned in 1929 in a rural magazine.’

I quite like former food critic, Matthew Evans‘ take on the whole issue….

People have been doing meringue with cream for a long time, I don’t think Australia or New Zealand were the first to think of doing that. (Matthew Evans)

In the spirit of the mate-ship of ANZAC Day, I propose that we share bragging rights to the creation of the pav’. What do you think?

Now, traditionally, a Pavlova is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside. It is made by beating egg whites to a very stiff consistency before folding in caster sugar, white vinegar, cornflour, and sometimes vanilla essence, and slow-baking the mixture. Amazingly similar to meringue, really!

Just to be a wee bit different, today I share with you the lovely Bill Granger‘s recipe for brown sugar pav’. Trust me when I say it’s a winner. LM and I fought over it the last time we had it at Bill’s (and we don’t fight over food). It’s served with a yoghurt cream mix which makes the whole thing a fabulously caramel-ly offering with some oh-so slightly tart scrummy stuff on top. Bill serves his with strawberries. I prefer mine with rhubarb…

Bill’s Brown Sugar Pavlova
(Image from here)

Pavlova with brown sugar and strawberries
(serves 8-10)

Bill likes his meringues to be old-fashioned and gooey in the middle, rather than bright white and explosive. Pavlova is traditionally a summery dessert, but this one, with its warmer colouring, also works beautifully in winter, with Bill suggesting torn figs instead of strawberries.

Ingredients

6 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
230g caster sugar
80g soft brown sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp arrowroot
2 tsp white vinegar

To serve 
300ml whipping cream
150g Greek yoghurt
500g strawberries, hulled and halved
1–2 tablespoons honey

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Draw a 20cm circle on a sheet of baking paper and place the paper on a large baking tray.

2 Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and vanilla until stiff peaks have formed. Add the caster sugar and brown sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating until all the sugar is incorporated and dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy. Stir in the cornflour, arrowroot and vinegar.

3 Pile the mixture into the circle on the paper and spread gently into shape with a spatula. Put in the oven and reduce the temperature immediately to 130°C/Gas ½. Bake for 1hr 20min, then turn off the oven, prop the door ajar and leave the Pavlova inside until completely cooled.

4 To serve, lightly whip the cream and yoghurt together and spread over the Pavlova. Toss the strawberries in the honey and then arrange over the top. Serve immediately.

Yum!

ArtExpress Turns 30 – That’s MUCH Older Than its Artists

Tags

Archibald Prize, Art, Art Express, Art Gallery NSW, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian art, creativity, Exhibition, Higher School Certificate, New South Wales, Painting, Sulman, Sydney, Visual Art, Wynne Prize

‘Love the Home You’re In’ by Lochlan Howard
St Francis Xavier’s College
(Image from here)

Arguably, the Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in the Australian art scene. Along with the Wynne (best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture), and Sulman (best subject painting, genre painting or mural project in oil, acrylic, watercolour or mixed media) Prizes, the Art Gallery NSW is currently exhibiting the entrants for 2013. It’s almost un-Australian not to go.

Well, even though I am not an Australian, I tootled along to see the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman. I go every year. All good. But, what I was really looking forward to was ArtExpress…

Regular readers may recall my post from last year on ArtExpress 2012 (here). ArtExpress is an annual exhibition featuring a selection of outstanding student artworks developed for the art making component of our Higher School Certificate examination in Visual Arts in New South Wales. It includes a broad range of approaches and expressive forms, including ceramics, collection of works, documented forms, drawing, graphic design, painting, photomedia, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and fibre, and time-based forms. And it is
A M A Z I N G. What these students achieve is mind-blowing, and this year was no exception (although I think 2012 just nudged ahead for me).

‘Double Think’ by Aoife Coleman-Clarke
Rose Bay Secondary College
(Image from here)

‘Babel’ by Rachel Cronin
Loreto Kirribilli
(Image from here)

‘Sweet Simplicity’ by Milli Wheeler
Oak Flats High School
(Image from here)

‘Conscience Vote’ by India Gates
Wenona School
(Image from here)

‘After Leonardo’ by Alexis O’Connor
Wenona School (a cracking year for Wenona School!)
(Image from here)

2013 marks the 30th anniversary of ArtExpress at the Art Gallery of NSW. If you haven’t yet made it to the exhibition, you have a few more days to do so. If you’re not in NSW, you can check out the works here.

Are You a Retailer’s Wet Dream, too?

Tags

Abigail Ahern, Business, Customer service, Facebook, J. C. Penney, Mavericks Laces, Myer, Peanut butter, Retail, Squint, Squint Limited, Stellar Service, Twitter

(Image from here)

Every great business is built on friendship. (JC Penney)

I am a retailer’s wet dream. You know the kind of customer I mean – I like nice things (who doesn’t?). If you are nice to me and I’m partial to your product, I’ll come back to you over and over again. I’m incredibly loyal – if you treat me well, I will go out of my way to shop at your establishment AND I’ll tell all my friends how fabulous you and your product are. And, I can be quite persuasive, too. I’m often told I should be on commission. I often wish I was!

My local grocer, George, stocks product that I have recommended (and featured in this very blog!), namely Pana Chocolate and Pic’s Really Good Peanut Butter. The girls at Mecca Cosmetica at Myer all know me because I love their whole customer service experience just as much as their products.

Just recently, I’ve had two really, REALLY great customer service experiences and thought I should spread the word.

First up, last week I told you about the groovy team at Mavericks Laces in Melbourne. Well! Not only did the lovely Luke from Mavericks comment on the blog post and advise they are now shipping internationally; today my laces arrived. Given I only ordered them after I posted last week, I reckon that’s pretty smart service.

Oh – here’s the new look brogues ‘in situ’. What do you think?

Robert Clergerie Brogue WITH Dylan Laces
(Image by TSL)

Secondly, you might just recall, if you have a very good memory, my post on Squint – the Willy Wonka of Furniture. I have coveted a piece of their furniture forever.

The Corbiere carved mahogany king size bed made in a classic French style as shown with a patchworked headboard and footboard.
(Image from here)

To be honest, I would probably still be coveting a piece of Squint furniture if it wasn’t for LM. My birthday present last year was a bespoke number selected from the wonderful Squint showroom. As much as I adore their trademark patchwork, being the slightly more conservative type that I am, I went instead for a velvet cabriolet leg bedside table in two-tone orange velvet. I know this is a pretty high-ticket item, but I gotta tell you, Catherine and the team were out of this world fabulous – from the initial face-to-face consultations as I kept changing my boggled mind about what I wanted, right through to the shipping process. A-MAZ-ING!

Here’s a pretty ordinary image of some of my table with Boris, my lamp I picked up at Atelier Abigail Ahern. What can I say – it was a great birthday!

Boris and the Orange Velvet Side Table
(Image by TSL)

In today’s world of social media offerings – with blogging, Facebook, Twitter and all the rest, there’s really no excuse for less than stellar service. But still, there are always some that stand a head and shoulders above the rest.

Have you received any AMAZING customer service recently?

This weekend I’m off to the Olsen Irwin Gallery…

Tags

Art exhibition, Artist, Australia, Fine art, Jackson Pollock, John Bell, Morton Feldman, Nicholas Harding, Sydney, Woollahra, Woollahra New South Wales

Estuary Figures (Swim-ring, Towel and Hat)
Image taken from Olsen Irwin Gallery © Nicholas Harding

I want to give my compliments to Australia. Ever since your government paid a few million dollars for a Jackson Pollack painting, I figure that it must be a marvellous country. (Morton Feldman)

Yes, it is a marvellous country but I’d rather have a ‘Nicholas Harding‘ than a ‘Jackson Pollock’ hanging in my living room any day. Truly. He is one Australian-based artist who, for me anyway, captures both the Australian landscape and culture in a wonderfully textured way. And, I’m not even an Australian!

Down here, he’s quite a well-known figure in the art world (which is another way of saying his works are outside of my budget by a considerable margin). He won Australia’s most famous portraiture prize – the Archibald – back in 2001 with his work of the actor and director, John Bell.

March is Art Month for us down here. To celebrate, the Olsen Irwin Gallery in the lovely, leafy suburb of Woollahra is holding a ‘Figures, Flora and Landscape’ exhibition of Nicholas Harding’s work. I think it looks pretty fab…

Estuary Figures (Ball and Bat)
Image taken from Olsen Irwin Gallery © Nicholas Harding

Estuary Figures (Swamp Oaks, Swim-ring and Dog)
Image taken from Olsen Irwin Gallery © Nicholas Harding

The exhibition runs until 10 March at The Olsen Irwin Gallery. The gallery can be found at 63 Jersey Road, Woollahra, Sydney, Australia. If you would like to see more of the exhibition, there is a full catalogue of works here.

I Love Sydney – Sydney Dance Company

Tags

Arts, Ballet, Dance, Kylie Minogue, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Modern dance, Performing Arts, Rafael Bonachela, Rambert Dance Company, Sarah Blasko, Sydney, Sydney Dance Company

Sydney Dance Company
De Novo – a mixed bill of premiere works
(Image from Sydney Dance Company)

Now there is in a way a renaissance of modern dance – suddenly, it is more respected and discovered. (Mikhail Baryshnikov)

I was not one of those girls who dreamt of becoming a ballet dancer. Pink was never my colour (and still isn’t). ‘Elegant’ and ‘graceful’ are not words that would ever be used to describe the way I move. In fact, I have been told I have a ‘purposeful stride’. I’m not even sure that’s a compliment.

Despite all that, I adore going to see the Sydney Dance Company when they perform.

Rafael Bonachela
Artistic Director for the Sydney Dance Company
(Image from Sydney Dance Company)

We are so very lucky to have the incredibly charismatic and talented Rafael Bonachela as the Artistic Director for the SDC.

Rafael was born in Barcelona where he began his early dance training before moving to London, and in 1992 joined the legendary Rambert Dance Company. 

His internationally recognised talent has seen him work not only with contemporary dance at the highest level but also with artists from popular culture, such as Kylie Minogue and Tina Turner.

Rafael was named one of the Sydney Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in 2012 for his efforts to popularise dance since taking on the job of Artistic Director with Sydney Dance Company.

From March 1, De Novo premiers at the Sydney Dance Company. It is a programme of three works. If the last four performances choreographed by Rafael are anything to go by, this will be well worth experiencing. Rafael has a way of introducing mixed media into his pieces that surprise you; coupled with a highly collaborative style – the first work in De Novo, titled ‘Emergence’, is an alliance between Rafael, singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko and composer Nick Wales.

I, for one, can’t wait to experience De Novo…

If you live in Sydney, and haven’t yet been to a Sydney Dance Company performance – please do so. It will blow you away. De Novo is on at Sydney Theatre from 1 – 23 March and tickets are still available.