David & WillJade Robran with the build up to the 2024 Christmas Pageant
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Oh, the weather outside is frightful.
To thirteen ninety five, Adelaide's five Double A.
This is early Breakfast with Jade Robert's Good morning and welcome to the program. We're coming to you from Stardar's Castle, which is a hive of activity this morning. We've got lots of Santa's helper is getting ready for the ninety second National Pharmacy's Christmas Pageant that gets underway in our beautiful city at nine thirty this morning. It is going to be a hot one today, thirty five degrees, so remember to pack lots of water, a hat, and put that sunscreen on. Slip slop, slap. We've got a very special pageant show in store for you today, and we hope it gets you in the Christmas pageant spirit and also stirs up some old memories from yesteryear. Walking in here this morning and seeing Nipper and Nimble and all the beautiful flowers and floats around it, it took me straight back to when I was a little girl. All I wanted to do was ride along Nimble along the streets of Adelaide and wave it all the kids. Seriously. Brings back so many gorgeous memories there are so many people involved in today. On average we're going to see around three hundred thousand people along the streets of Adelaide. And in this year's pageant there's going to be one hundred and seventy moving theatrical sets, including eighty five floats. Four of them are going to be new ones. We'll hear about that a little bit later in the program. Whole lot of dance groups, DJs, choirs, ballet dancers, skaters, circus performers, plus over three hundred clowns and elves to make killaugh along the way and make up artists. They have been here since six point thirty am and they'll be putting makeup on until nine am, so they've got to make up one thousand, two hundred clowns, elves and characters between those hours. So they'll start arriving very very soon, and from the week after pageant until Christmas Eve, three thousand pieces of costumes. They're washed, they're dried, and they're and it takes a whole village of people to get ready for this beautiful event, which is actually in its ninety second year, so it has been around for so long and has just brought joy to so many people for all those years. In fact, it's the largest public parade in the Southern Hemisphere and it really does just signify the start of the festive season. For me, it's an excuse to start playing Christmas crack carols. As of this day, we have got a special show in Stall. We're going to be talking to Brian Gilberts and the event's director. He has been in charge of this incredible event for twenty two years, over two decades, so he's gonna share his last minute words. He's running around like a headless putting the finishing touches to everything. We're going to talk to Natasha, who is the costume designer here. In fact, it's her last pageant. She's been putting hundreds of costumes together over the years. She'll share her special memories with us, as well as the mechanic, the guy that puts all the floats together and make sure that everything takes along really well. And we even get to meet and have a chat with the pageant queen from dairy farmer to working at National Pharmacies to now being the Queen, a very regal role. We've got so much install for you guys. Let's get started, Brian, it's early morning. Christmas Pageant day is here. What's everyone up to now?
Well, the whole city is preparing to shut down now we've got the road closures in so people are lining the Blue on a Line waiting for Father Christmas to come.
They're all very excited.
They'll be drawing chalk on the roads throughout the three point five kilometer.
Stretch of pageant route.
We've got breakfast going down there for two and a half thousand participants, so that's not for the general public, thank you very much. And there are security on board down there, so you know we'll feed them up so they've got plenty of energy to get out there into the pageant root and you know, celebrate with everybody behind the Blue on a line. We've got some people down in the park lands practicing Osland because all of our clowns and elves are oslanding Merry Christmas.
To the audience this year.
And also we're hoping that we get that back from the audience because we set out some social media so everybody should know how to say Merry Christmas in Osland, so that I'm looking forward to seeing what the reactions are for that. People are getting changed into costumes and getting their makeup on. That's a really exciting time for people because they tend to transform. You know, we've got all of these people from national Pharmacies who are members and also staff, and many of them haven't been in the theater before, so you know, they get their makeup on, they get the costumes on, and they suddenly look at themselves and think, wow, I'm a different person. And suddenly all of the characters that we've discussed at rehearsals come together and they'll go out and have that energy all that way through the pageant. I'm also looking forward to their experience when they turn South Terrace and look up that stretch at nine point thirty and they off and they turn around that corner and see all of those faces waiting for them to come.
That is an awe inspiring moment.
You know, the air is so thick with energy this morning that you could almost give breakfast up and still not be hungry.
It is an electric feeling out there. I'm excited to see nippery and nimble. I love seeing Nellie. Of course, Father Christmas, have you got some favorites?
Well, you know, if I speak too loudly.
Some of those floats might not be very happy with me, But you know, I think it's hard to say what a favorite is. All of them have incredible experiences, you know, the experience of actually developing my backgrounds in theater. And I think my favorite time was actually the development of everything.
Then the performance comes.
But it's all of that, comrade ree and the coming together of pulling things together that is so exciting. You know, some of the floats that we've developed over the years. I mean, I love the PS Murray.
Explorer this year.
The challenge of that was how do we make an eight meter float have that impact of a forty or fifty or whatever meters they.
Are of those river boats.
And John Boroni's design has achieved that. It looks so powerful. You know, the fact that there's this quilting on the bottom of that float. Natasha Fanelle created this quilting, and that's the first time we've quilted in the pageant, and so it gives this impression of water flowing in the river underneath the boat. So you know, there are little things like that that just stand out in my mind. You know, creative genius and things like that that you know, give me an incredible reward to see that we're actually I think, you know, it's part of the human nature to be creative, no matter what job you're in.
Four new floats in the pageant this year. What shall we were watching out for?
Well, there's a beautiful be Merry float.
That's the little mini float and what a wonderful thought behind that. Leah Mwett designed that and her thought behind it was, you know, there wouldn't be Christmas without the bees. And yeah, well I think it's you know, that's a really smart thing to be thinking about. And it says believe, behave and be merry.
Great.
Great, It's absolutely sensational and she was the winner of the mini float competition.
It's very cute. I must have met now. I want to ask you about Father Christmas. Now, why is the Adelaid Town Hall not the final stop for Father Christmas this year? Where is he going to be?
Well, Father Christmas will arrive at the Beehive Corner. We will then transfer him from the main float onto a smaller float and then he'll pass down through Galler Place in a mini parade. So we're hoping that people will come away from the blue on the line and pop in there and see Father Christmas go down Rundell Mall.
I was about to say Rundell Street.
Because in nineteen thirty three that's where he went Runnell Street for many years. So he goes back to that street for the first time in many years now because the town hall is under repair. So then we'll drop him off at Gawler Place where he'll give his message to the people of South sat Australia, and then he'll go in and visit the National Pharmacy staff at National Pharmacies. So you know, we're really looking forward to people coming in and joining us there and seeing Father Christmas arrive in the mall.
You've got two grandchildren. Do they think you're the coolest pop in the whole world having this job?
Oh? Not because of the job.
Because of you, of course.
Look, they're fantastic that you know, what a blessing to have those two boys in our lives.
It's amazing seeing.
The magic through their eyes. You know, you're so blessed to have this role, aren't you.
I am? I am?
You know I didn't think I would stay here for that long when I first started, you know, but twenty two years. Every year there's a brilliant challenge. I got this fantastic team that I can get to work with here, both at the pageant and in events.
So how Australia. You know we've put on all these events.
It's very exciting and of course you know, for us, the pageant is obviously the best event that there is.
That was Pageant director Brian gilbertson. We're going to take a really short break, but we'll be back very soon for much more as we build up to the start of the twenty twenty four Christmas Pageant. I am getting excited. But before we do, I thought we'd play one of my many favorite Christmas carols.
It's the most wonderful timely with the kids jingle bowling and everyone telling you be a good cheer.
It's the most wonderful timely Christmas.
On thirteen ninety five, Adelaide's five Double A. This is early Breakfast with Jade Robrow.
The Pageants Ahead. Mechanic Peter Melter joins us. Now it is pageant day. You are a busy bee. What's happening now?
All the preparations are going on, so we've got vans to load. I have four mechanical teams who rove up and down the line of cars and floats as they head into town. So we're doing the final preparations, getting all the tools out of the cupboards, packing the vans and trying to remember everything.
How much sleep have you had?
Yeah?
Not much? And even when I do try and sleep, my brain doesn't switch off.
Okay, it does it all run smoothly?
It does. It runs very smoothly. And I work very hard all year for that to happen. So it's all the preparation work for the day to me not to have to fix anything. That's the dream now.
I was told by the pageant director Brian Gilbertson that sometimes the vehicles out there, these floats tend to talk to themselves.
They do. See We've still got twenty five vehicles in the pageant that are more more than seventy years old, so they've been around a long time. So they they've been around and they know what's going on.
In all seriousness, they're old engines over the time. Have you had to upgrade them?
Have you?
Did you just give them extra love? What happens?
I do have an upgrading program going on. So in the background, I'm there's some toe motors that we use that were made in Adelaide back in the thirties and forties, and those engines were had a hard life before we got them. So pageant day's hard on machinery because it's just it's all go, all, go, all go, NonStop. And so some of the older engines I'm upgrading with more modern seventies Toyota engines.
Seventies Is that all just a few years old.
Yeah, that's modern technology for us here. So the newest, the newest vehicle that we would have in pageant would be from the nineties, and that's one that I introduced last year.
Have you ever had a breakdown?
I've in the pageant itself. Na, So heading into town and heading back out of town, sometimes there's issues, and so I then make sure that that never happens again. I use that as an example and I go, right, that can happen, So then I'll fix that from happening. But so far, like Touchwood, I've been, I've had a clean run within the pageant.
We're only a few hours away from getting started.
Good luck, Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
You will find us now in the little room out the back where all the magic happens. Joining me is Natasha Fennel, who's the head designer of the Christmas pageant. This is incredible. This is really where all those beautiful, magical moments come to life.
Yes, it is.
This is where we make everything. We wash everything, we iron everything. Everything happens in this little room.
How many costumes do you make every year?
It really depends on how many are required. Sometimes we make This year, I think we did about fifty. Last year we were up over one hundred and twenty. So it just really depends on what's real quiet.
When do you start.
We probably start about mid March is probably beginning of March. We start talking concepts, but we probably start actually production about mid March and we go through to the beginning of September.
These youno meis, I tell you what, they get a workout, don't.
They Absolutely, We're really lucky that we've been able to get some good machines, and they certainly do get a workout, and they get a good service. And I get got told by the workshop, the sewing machine people that I've given it another good, good year.
But they they're terrific and they keep going.
Do you come up with all the designs we do. It's a bit of a mixed bag. It's between myself and my assistant Mikhayla. We talk it through. We talk through with the artists about what their visions are, We talk through with Brian what he feels like, and somewhere in between all of that we come up with something that we're all happy with.
What happens if there's a missap on the day.
All pins a safety pins are excellent, we really most of the time, and it there have been the odd things that have gone wrong, but we just try to mask it and we just try to make sure nobody sees it. Like to say, no one goes out without pants, and so far they haven't.
So very important. Now our little elf has told me that this is your last Christmas pageant? Is that true?
It is my last Christmas pageant, which is a bit sad, But at the same time, sometimes you know, life office other things, so you have to go out and grab them. But I will be sad too. This has offered me a lot of really great memories. I've learnt lots and lots and lots and lots and mets and fantastic people who I've worked with and participants. I've got some really great memories of those people, and some people have been doing it for as long as I have. So since National Pharmacies took over, we've been done up from four. This is my seventh pageant, so for six years I've known those people, and they know me, and they know about what I'm doing and what my kids are doing, and so's it'll be a shame to say goodbye. However, I'm excited for the future.
You just really quietly and without telling anyone, take a little souvenir. No, of course, not a little Christmas had a little bit of tinsel, of course not.
No.
I've got lots of memories, lots of memories and lots of Fridays.
So what is your fondest memory?
Probably the people are my fondest memories, because there are some really special people that pass through here and have become you know, have I want friends, It's hey, you only see them once a year, but they We've had some really special people come through, often people with some disabilities who that I've worked with. Children are always fantastic. Yeah, and my family, my daughter has been involved helping with volunteering over the years, so I've seen her do a lots and it's just, you know, how can you not be happy working at the pageant.
It's an incredible group of people. Thank you for everything that you've done, and good luck in your pageant retirement. Thank you very much, Karen. The most beautiful role of the whole pageant, the pageant queen. And you're all dressed up. You look absolutely gorgeous. What's happening today?
Oh?
Today, I've got a slight what was the early start this morning driving up from Victor Today. I've got another interview a bit later on, and then I've got to go into the city and have a photo taken in front.
Of the giant Christmas tree in Victoria Square, So that'll be fun.
When did you find out your pageant queen?
Oh it was a couple of months ago, now, yeah, so sort of been building little things to do here or there, but it's sort of ramped up in the last couple of weeks.
I don't care how old you are. When you have told you're the pageant queen, that must be a goosebump moment.
Oh. Look, it was pretty excit.
I mean it was exciting to just find out I was in the royal family, and then we didn't know if I was queen or princess until we did the big reveal at Carrot Keill, So it was pretty special to actually get announced as the queen.
Did you grow up going to the pageant?
Well, I came from a dairy farm down.
Just outside of Victor, so we didn't really get to come much. Came once and my dad bought the truck dairy truck up and we all sort of it was a flatbed truck. We were on that, but we always watched it. We had to watch a replay because we played country sport on Saturday mornings, so but Saturday night we sat down every weekend. My mum was a real pageant n She was a city girl growing up, so she was very much a pageant lady.
So we always watch the pageant on a Saturday.
So who's coming down to watch you and do the royal Wave?
Well, just at this stage of my husband's coming.
My kids have all been into pageant with me over the last few years, so they're boys team, you know, sort of low twenties boys. They did do it with me, which was really good, and they will watch it, but probably not in the morning.
It's a bit early for them. They'll watch the replay.
I will make being twenty, they'll sleep till about two pm. But that's all right. They'll watch the replay.
That's all right.
One of them has actually got to work and one's got a place in Sport, but they'll.
Watch it later.
So what's your role on the day.
Well, on the day, we just have to just be involved and help spread the joy and the year and make sure that everyone's having a wonderful time and just experience the wonder that is the pageant and you know, make sure that it's we do go to the children's hospital after the pageant and go and see some of the patients there is, which is pretty special.
I think, what are you most looking forward to? We spoke to Brian Gilbertson earlier and he said, there's this moment where you turn around the corner and you look down South Terrace and there's thousands upon thousands of faces just lit up and just so happy.
That is the moment that is when it hits you. And I've not been on a float. I've always been walking beside one and now I'm not going to be just on a flat. I'm on the royal float and I'm up quite high, so I think that moment will be even better being able to look. We have to see further down and just you can see more of the people, and I think that is that is, that is the moment.
It is amazing moment.
Have you been practicing the royal wave?
Yeah, I'm not very good at the royal wave.
I wave quite enthusiastically, the royal waves a little bit reserved.
Try to get a bit more excited and just wave normally. But I'll try.
I'm a bit of a thumbs up kind of girl. I'm like you. I don't know how I could be so regal for a couple of hours, but you look stunning, and I have faith in you.
Thank you.
I have to forget that I'm a farm girl and remember that I'm regal today.
And yeah, I will try and be as royal as.
I can be, but I might get a bit overcome with the enthusiasm and wave a little bit less royally.
Your majesty, you look stunning. Have the best time.
Thank you.
I will have the best time. And happy Pageant day everyone tomorrow.
This year's pageant theme is come Together, Come Together and celebrate the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant. Let's start getting together. We're only a few hours away. Thank you so much for joining us, and a happy Christmas Pageant day.
