Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

If there is one constant throughout all of medical history, it is the value of urine. Our ancient ancestors believed they predict a patient’s recovery (or not) upon examination of their urine to the middle ages where they used a scale of colour, thickness, and sediment.

Urine was also used in a range of non-medical and even commercial uses that boggles the modern mind. This episode examines the history of urine, its uses, and its modern-day medical uses. The range of testing we have available for urine is staggering and it raises the question: is urine liquid gold?

This is the story of urine.

If there is one constant throughout all of medical history, it is the value of urine. Our ancient ancestors believed they predict a patient&rsquo;s recovery (or not) upon examination of their urine to the middle ages where they used a scale of colour, thickness, and sediment.
Urine was also used in a range of non-medical and even commercial uses that boggles the modern mind. This episode examines the history of urine, its uses, and its modern-day medical uses. The range of testing we have available for urine is staggering and it raises the question: is urine liquid gold?
This is the story of urine.

Welcome to the This Medical Life podcast. Our mission is to share stories about the triumphs and tragedies of diseases and illnesses from ancient times up until what we know today. It is about those scientific and medical minds who came before us and how, every single day, we stand on the shoulders of giants. This is a podcast about the stories of medicine.


Hosted by Dr. Travis Brown and Steve Davis, our target audience is General Practitioners, medical students, and other health professionals. We hope to educate, inspire and celebrate those who choose to care for others in their profession. From experience, we know that our audience extends beyond these fields and would like to welcome anyone to listen. The stories of those who came before us are nothing short of remarkable and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Production by Tim Whiffen

Design by Tom Buzz

Welcome to the This Medical Life podcast. Our mission is to share stories about the triumphs and tragedies of diseases and illnesses from ancient times up until what we know today. It is about those scientific and medical minds who came before us and how, every single day, we stand on the shoulders of giants. This is a podcast about the stories of medicine.
 Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/drtravisbrown">Dr. Travis Brown</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/stevedavis">Steve Davis</a>, our target audience is General Practitioners, medical students, and other health professionals. We hope to educate, inspire and celebrate those who choose to care for others in their profession. From experience, we know that our audience extends beyond these fields and would like to welcome anyone to listen. The stories of those who came before us are nothing short of remarkable and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Production by <a href="https://whimsyproductions.com/">Tim Whiffen</a> Design by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tom.buzz/">Tom Buzz</a>

This Medical Life

Auscast Medical Channel is a podcast channel that provides a wide range of medical-related content. The podcasts feature interviews with experts in various medical fields, including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, as well as discussions on the latest medical research and treatment options. The channel covers a wide range of topics, including general health, mental health, and specific medical conditions. The podcasts are aimed at both healthcare professionals and the general public, and provide listeners with the latest information and insights on healthcare topics. Auscast Medical Channel is a great resource for staying informed about medical issues and trends, and for learning more about how to care for yourself and your loved ones.

Auscast Medical Channel is a podcast channel that provides a wide range of medical-related content. The podcasts feature interviews with experts in various medical fields, including doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, as well as discussions on the latest medical research and treatment options. The channel covers a wide range of topics, including general health, mental health, and specific medical conditions. The podcasts are aimed at both healthcare professionals and the general public, and provide listeners with the latest information and insights on healthcare topics. Auscast Medical Channel is a great resource for staying informed about medical issues and trends, and for learning more about how to care for yourself and your loved ones.

Auscast Medical

A weekly podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us each week as a co-presenter to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, news, interviews, chat and quizzes. 

Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. 

The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis and Nigel Dobson-Keeffe.

Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday (when we have published a new episode) with an overview of that week's show. Plus, consider joining our Inner Circle; a small group of passionate South Aussies who allow us to pick their brains and gain interviewee suggestions.

This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us each week as a co-presenter to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, ...

The Adelaide Show

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, and general news. Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis, and ends with an original song by a South Australian artist. Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday with an overview of that week's show. This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, and general news. Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis, and ends with an original song by a South Australian artist. Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday with an overview of that week's show. This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

Episode 4: Urine | Liquid Gold

Rob Newman

Musical Pilgrimage

After 25+ years of reviewing Adelaide Fringe shows, Steve takes a sabbatical this year. But there’s one show he can’t help spotlighting: Rob Newman’s debut solo performance “Don’t Die Wondering”. Newman’s story offers something rare, a comedian willing to be deeply reflective about the journey that brought him to the stage at 60, shaped by a decade of hospitals and life-or-death moments.

This episode contains no SA Drink of the Week segment.

The Musical Pilgrimage features Steve’s own song about the Adelaide Fringe. Through “Centre Stage”, performed by Steve Davis and The Virtuosos, he offers a bittersweet love letter to a festival he’s watched change over decades. The segment includes his conversation with FiveAA’s Richard Pascoe about reviewing standards, five-star review inflation, and why the Fringe remains a jewel in South Australia’s crown.

You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We’re here to serve!

The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast in Australia at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.

And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It’s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we’ll add you to the list: podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store – The Adelaide Show Shop. We’d greatly appreciate it.

And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here’s our index of all episode in one concise
page.

Running Sheet: This Adelaide Fringe Don’t Die Wondering

00:00:00 Intro

Introduction

00:00:00 SA Drink Of The Week

There is no SA Drink Of The Week this week.

00:03:17 Rob Newman

Rob Newman appears on screen in full purple surgical scrubs against a hospital backdrop. It’s not a gimmick. Over the past decade, he’s spent considerable time in hospitals and operating theatres, told more than once to gather his family and say goodbye. These experiences form the bedrock of Don’t Die Wondering.

The path to standup wasn’t part of Newman’s original plan. He traces it back to a coffee conversation with Steve 10 to 12 years ago. “Your suggestion at the time was, come and try standup,” Newman recalls. “It’s a great way to get the confidence to do public speaking.” What began as preparation for property market speaking tours became something much deeper.

Steve shares his own early standup experience, driving across Adelaide to work with Glynn Nicholas, heart palpitating so strongly he could feel his pulse under his eyebrows. Newman agrees about the terror, offering perhaps the most vivid description of pre-show nerves: “It’s the best cure for constipation you’ll ever get in your life.”

But the terror serves a purpose. Newman describes managing the fear of judgment. “Not so much to lose it, but control it in the sense of embracing the fear of it,” he explains. That fear never entirely disappears. What changes is the ability to handle surprises, to relax into improvisation, to step away from verbatim scripts.

The conversation explores performing as yourself versus hiding behind characters. Steve admits he gravitated toward characters partly because “anything negative feedback that might happen is water off a duck’s back. In some ways it’s the cheat’s way out.” Newman has stuck with vulnerability. “Be yourself,” he says. “Basically unzip yourself and be vulnerable.”

Steve’s immediate response: “What’s your show rated?” Newman confirms it’s R-rated, though the rating speaks more to emotional honesty than shock value.

Newman’s been running around Adelaide dressed as a surgeon, offering free medical checks as promotion for the show. It’s playful promotion, but also a way of inhabiting the hospital world that shaped his perspective.

Newman’s journey through the comedy ranks has been patient and methodical. Starting in his early fifties, he’s spent years developing his craft before attempting a solo Fringe show at 60. The title “Don’t Die Wondering” carries weight when spoken by someone who’s genuinely faced that possibility.

Rob Newman was a grant recipient through the Adelaide Fringe Foundation.

00:38:30 Musical Pilgrimage

In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature Centre Stage (The Adelaide Fringe Song) by Steve Davis & The Virtualosos.

After 25+ years of reviewing Adelaide Fringe shows, often two to three per night, Steve presents his own song about the festival. “Centre Stage” is what he describes as “still a love song to the Fringe and just a cheeky fringe type, steampunk, gothic reflection on the state of play.” The lyrics trace the festival’s shift from experimental counterculture to celebrity-driven programming: “You were fringe to me / You did not need celebrities / But now a household name comes and cash in on fame / And crowds out smaller shows that have more soul.” His reviewing experience infuses the verses, cataloguing years spent in theatres, on blankets in parks, and sweltering in church halls without air vents, always writing reviews “to help all thinking people choose emerging art in our town.”

The conversation with FiveAA’s Richard Pascoe addresses reviewing standards and the proliferation of five-star reviews. “There are some reviewers who are promised critics, et cetera, but there’s a lot of light dusting out there,” Steve observes. “They have become cheapened, like the money in Argentina during their inflation.” Steve’s reviewing philosophy was always accountability: “I had to write them knowing that you would go and buy a ticket and you need to be able to look me in the eye and say, yep, that was accurate.” Despite his criticisms of how the Fringe has changed, Steve’s message remains clear: attend the Fringe, take chances on weird and experimental shows, support artists attempting something genuinely different. “Enjoy the Fringe. We should, no matter how we do it. It’s an absolute jewel in our crown.”

After 25+ years of reviewing Adelaide Fringe shows, Steve takes a sabbatical this year. But there&rsquo;s one show he can&rsquo;t help spotlighting: Rob Newman&rsquo;s debut solo performance &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t Die Wondering&rdquo;. Newman&rsquo;s story offers something rare, a comedian willing to be deeply reflective about the journey that brought him to the stage at 60, shaped by a decade of hospitals and life-or-death moments.
This episode contains no SA Drink of the Week segment.
The Musical Pilgrimage features Steve&rsquo;s own song about the Adelaide Fringe. Through &ldquo;Centre Stage&rdquo;, performed by Steve Davis and The Virtuosos, he offers a bittersweet love letter to a festival he&rsquo;s watched change over decades. The segment includes his conversation with FiveAA&rsquo;s Richard Pascoe about reviewing standards, five-star review inflation, and why the Fringe remains a jewel in South Australia&rsquo;s crown.
You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We&rsquo;re here to serve!
The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for&nbsp;Best Interview Podcast in Australia&nbsp;at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for&nbsp;Best News and Current Affairs Podcast&nbsp;in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.
And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It&rsquo;s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we&rsquo;ll add you to the list:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au">podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au</a>
If you enjoy the show, please&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/another-boring-thursday-night/id696302138">leave us a 5-star review&nbsp;</a>in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/theadelaideshow/shop?asc=u">The Adelaide Show Shop</a>. We&rsquo;d greatly appreciate it.
And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://theadelaideshow.com.au/complete-list-adelaide-show-episodes/">our index of all episode in one concise page.</a>
Running Sheet: This Adelaide Fringe Don&rsquo;t Die Wondering
00:00:00&nbsp;Intro
Introduction
00:00:00&nbsp;SA Drink Of The Week
There is no SA Drink Of The Week this week.
00:03:17&nbsp;Rob Newman
Rob Newman appears on screen in full purple surgical scrubs against a hospital backdrop. It&rsquo;s not a gimmick. Over the past decade, he&rsquo;s spent considerable time in hospitals and operating theatres, told more than once to gather his family and say goodbye. These experiences form the bedrock of&nbsp;<a href="https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/rob-newman-in-don-t-die-wondering-af2026">Don&rsquo;t Die Wondering</a>.
The path to standup wasn&rsquo;t part of Newman&rsquo;s original plan. He traces it back to a coffee conversation with Steve 10 to 12 years ago. &ldquo;Your suggestion at the time was, come and try standup,&rdquo; Newman recalls. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great way to get the confidence to do public speaking.&rdquo; What began as preparation for property market speaking tours became something much deeper.
Steve shares his own early standup experience, driving across Adelaide to work with Glynn Nicholas, heart palpitating so strongly he could feel his pulse under his eyebrows. Newman agrees about the terror, offering perhaps the most vivid description of pre-show nerves: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the best cure for constipation you&rsquo;ll ever get in your life.&rdquo;
But the terror serves a purpose. Newman describes managing the fear of judgment. &ldquo;Not so much to lose it, but control it in the sense of embracing the fear of it,&rdquo; he explains. That fear never entirely disappears. What changes is the ability to handle surprises, to relax into improvisation, to step away from verbatim scripts.
The conversation explores performing as yourself versus hiding behind characters. Steve admits he gravitated toward characters partly because &ldquo;anything negative feedback that might happen is water off a duck&rsquo;s back. In some ways it&rsquo;s the cheat&rsquo;s way out.&rdquo; Newman has stuck with vulnerability. &ldquo;Be yourself,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Basically unzip yourself and be vulnerable.&rdquo;
Steve&rsquo;s immediate response: &ldquo;What&rsquo;s your show rated?&rdquo; Newman confirms it&rsquo;s R-rated, though the rating speaks more to emotional honesty than shock value.
Newman&rsquo;s been running around Adelaide dressed as a surgeon, offering free medical checks as promotion for the show. It&rsquo;s playful promotion, but also a way of inhabiting the hospital world that shaped his perspective.
Newman&rsquo;s journey through the comedy ranks has been patient and methodical. Starting in his early fifties, he&rsquo;s spent years developing his craft before attempting a solo Fringe show at 60. The title &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t Die Wondering&rdquo; carries weight when spoken by someone who&rsquo;s genuinely faced that possibility.
Rob Newman was a grant recipient through the Adelaide Fringe Foundation.
00:38:30&nbsp;Musical Pilgrimage
In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature&nbsp;<a href="https://stevedavis.com.au/blog/centre-stage-the-adelaide-fringe-song/">Centre Stage (The Adelaide Fringe Song)&nbsp;by Steve Davis &amp; The Virtualosos</a>.
After 25+ years of reviewing Adelaide Fringe shows, often two to three per night, Steve presents his own song about the festival. &ldquo;Centre Stage&rdquo; is what he describes as &ldquo;still a love song to the Fringe and just a cheeky fringe type, steampunk, gothic reflection on the state of play.&rdquo; The lyrics trace the festival&rsquo;s shift from experimental counterculture to celebrity-driven programming: &ldquo;You were fringe to me / You did not need celebrities / But now a household name comes and cash in on fame / And crowds out smaller shows that have more soul.&rdquo; His reviewing experience infuses the verses, cataloguing years spent in theatres, on blankets in parks, and sweltering in church halls without air vents, always writing reviews &ldquo;to help all thinking people choose emerging art in our town.&rdquo;
The conversation with FiveAA&rsquo;s Richard Pascoe addresses reviewing standards and the proliferation of five-star reviews. &ldquo;There are some reviewers who are promised critics, et cetera, but there&rsquo;s a lot of light dusting out there,&rdquo; Steve observes. &ldquo;They have become cheapened, like the money in Argentina during their inflation.&rdquo; Steve&rsquo;s reviewing philosophy was always accountability: &ldquo;I had to write them knowing that you would go and buy a ticket and you need to be able to look me in the eye and say, yep, that was accurate.&rdquo; Despite his criticisms of how the Fringe has changed, Steve&rsquo;s message remains clear: attend the Fringe, take chances on weird and experimental shows, support artists attempting something genuinely different. &ldquo;Enjoy the Fringe. We should, no matter how we do it. It&rsquo;s an absolute jewel in our crown.&rdquo;

Standup comedian Rob Newman discusses starting his comedy career at 60, turning multiple near-death hospital experiences into the foundation for his debut solo Adelaide Fringe show "Don't Die Wondering", while Steve shares his musical reflection on the changing Adelaide Fringe through his song "Centre Stage".

427 - This Adelaide Fringe Don't Die Wondering

Robert Godden

As the March 21st, 2026 South Australian state election approaches, the Malinauskas Labor government maintains polling numbers that would make most incumbents envious. Yet beneath this apparent stability, questions linger about whether today’s ALP still embodies the values of the workers’ movement from which it emerged, or whether it has become something else entirely.

** The image features Gemini's best effort of imagining Steve Davis and Robert Godden as modern day Don Dunstans.

This episode features no SA Drink of the Week, a decision that tips its hat to both Robert Godden’s teetotalling preferences and to King O’Malley, the flamboyant insurance salesman who permanently removed the ‘u’ from ‘Labor’ while dodging questions about his own birthplace.

The Musical Pilgrimage presents Australia Day by Steve Davis and The Virtualosos, a song that addresses social cohesion and community connection in contemporary Australia, themes that connect directly to the political fragmentation discussed throughout the episode.

You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We’re here to serve!

The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast in Australia at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.

And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It’s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we’ll add you to the list: podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store – The Adelaide Show Shop. We’d greatly appreciate it.

And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here’s our index of all episode in one concise
page.

Running Sheet: Is The ALP Guaranteed Victory In The 2026 South Australian Election?00:00:00 Intro

Introduction

00:00:00 SA Drink Of The Week

There is no SA Drink Of The Week this week.

00:02:37 Robert GoddenThe Adelaide Show: Special Briefing — The Labor Machine

This conversation serves as the companion piece to episode 423’s examination of the South Australian Liberal Party. Where that episode explored the Liberal Party’s challenges, this discussion has our political commentator, Robert Godden, apply the same analytical rigour to the South Australia Labor Party‘s position heading into the 2026 state election.

The conversation begins with King O’Malley, that peculiar figure in Australian political history who was, in Robert’s memorable description, “50% staunch Australian politician, 50% carnival worker.” O’Malley’s legacy includes both Canberra and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, institutions that prompted Robert to reflect: “Most of us Australians can just give thanks to the days, you know, before you go to bed, you think, I’m glad I live in a country that has a bank with an appalling logo and a capital city in the middle of nowhere.”

The historical roots of the labour movement trace back to the Industrial Revolution, when workers were, as Robert puts it, “really the AI of the day, you know, come and get this. It’s cheap, it’ll do your work for you and you’ll make a huge profit.” This parallel between 19th century industrialisation and contemporary technological disruption threads through the conversation, particularly when Robert shares the story of a logistics company owner whose business is failing because “the work he used to do in working stuff out for people is now done by AI.”

The discussion explores how guilds differed from unions, with Robert explaining that guilds “were designed to move their members toward the ruling class. They weren’t, guilds didn’t really exist to lift all boats. They were a highly specific rising tide.” This distinction becomes relevant when examining modern Labor’s approach to worker representation.

Robert traces the evolution of Australian labor politics from its foundation in the shearers’ strikes of the 1890s through to contemporary challenges. The ALP emerged as the world’s first labour party to form government, a fact that speaks to Australia’s democratic traditions. Yet the party has undergone significant transformation, moving from representing primarily blue-collar workers to a broader base that includes professional and service sector employees.

The conversation examines whether modern Labor still serves its founding principles or has become absorbed into the political establishment it once challenged. Robert notes the irony that many Labor MPs now come from professional backgrounds rather than the shop floor, raising questions about whether they truly understand the working-class experience they claim to represent.

On the Malinauskas government specifically, the analysis reveals a pragmatic administration that has maintained stability during challenging economic conditions. However, Robert questions whether this stability comes at the cost of bold vision. “Is it enough to simply manage well, or should a labor government be pushing for more substantial change?” he asks.

The discussion touches on the tensions within modern Labor between traditional unionised workers and newer constituencies, between economic management and social justice, between South Australian interests and national party directions. Robert suggests that while Malinauskas has successfully navigated these tensions so far, the test will come when difficult choices force the government to reveal which interests truly take priority.

When examining Labor’s electoral prospects for 2026, Robert notes the Liberals’ current disarray creates favourable conditions, but warns against complacency. “Oppositions don’t win elections, governments lose them,” he observes. The question becomes whether Labor can maintain discipline and avoid the kinds of missteps that have undone seemingly secure governments in the past.

The conversation concludes with broader reflections on the state of South Australian politics. Robert suggests that both major parties face a fundamental challenge: reconnecting with an electorate that increasingly feels disconnected from traditional political structures. This alienation creates opportunities for minor parties and independents to claim territory that major parties once dominated.

Throughout the discussion, the historical parallels between past industrial disruption and contemporary technological change illuminate present challenges. Just as workers in the 1800s faced displacement by machinery, today’s workforce confronts automation and artificial intelligence. The question of how a modern Labor party responds to these challenges reveals much about whether it remains true to its founding mission of protecting workers’ interests.

01:24:41 Musical Pilgrimage

In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature Australia Day by Steve Davis & The Virtualosos.

The Musical Pilgrimage connects directly to the episode’s themes of social cohesion and political fragmentation. Steve introduces his original composition “Australia Day” by reflecting on how disconnection fuels the rise of fringe political movements.

The song addresses the transformation of Australian community life, opening with the observation that “The Australia which I was born had lots of backyards and lots of lawn, and we knew our neighbours down the street.” This nostalgia isn’t mere sentimentality but recognition of something lost: the neighbourhood connections that once helped integrate newcomers and build social cohesion.

Steve explains how two factors exacerbate contemporary division. First, physical disconnection: “My dad used to know everyone in our neighbourhood, and therefore we did too. Now most of us hardly know anybody. We’ve got our houses closed off.” Second, algorithmic isolation: “The communication we do have externally is very filtered. Algorithm-focused content that feeds more of what the big American corporations like Meta and Google think is going to pander to our vulnerabilities.”

Drawing on his own experience living in Hungary, Steve reflects on the immigrant perspective: “When you’ve moved somewhere new… you look for compatriots to connect with, so you’ve got something to hold onto.” This understanding shapes the song’s call for empathy and connection rather than fear and division.

The song’s chorus captures the core message: “Who’s here is here now let’s make it work. It starts with learning. We share this dirt, we share the same song, we share the flies, and there’s a vibe here beneath our skies. Just tone it down, be laid back, bend a little, and cut some slack.”

Steve positions the song as a counterpoint to political and social fragmentation, a reminder of Australian values that have, imperfectly but meaningfully, helped diverse groups find common ground. “Part of that is not blowing a fuse at the smallest thing. It’s actually calming the farm and being a little bit laid back, holding things a little bit loosely, drawing a line in the sand when it needs to happen, but not making that a knee-jerk reaction.”

The song is available on all streaming platforms, and Steve extends an invitation to performers who might want to bring their own interpretation to the material.

As the March 21st, 2026 South Australian state election approaches, the Malinauskas Labor government maintains polling numbers that would make most incumbents envious. Yet beneath this apparent stability, questions linger about whether today&rsquo;s ALP still embodies the values of the workers&rsquo; movement from which it emerged, or whether it has become something else entirely.
** The image features Gemini's best effort of imagining Steve Davis and Robert Godden as modern day Don Dunstans.
This episode features no SA Drink of the Week, a decision that tips its hat to both Robert Godden&rsquo;s teetotalling preferences and to King O&rsquo;Malley, the flamboyant insurance salesman who permanently removed the &lsquo;u&rsquo; from &lsquo;Labor&rsquo; while dodging questions about his own birthplace.
The Musical Pilgrimage presents&nbsp;Australia Day&nbsp;by Steve Davis and The Virtualosos, a song that addresses social cohesion and community connection in contemporary Australia, themes that connect directly to the political fragmentation discussed throughout the episode.
You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We&rsquo;re here to serve!
The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for&nbsp;Best Interview Podcast in Australia&nbsp;at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for&nbsp;Best News and Current Affairs Podcast&nbsp;in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.
And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It&rsquo;s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we&rsquo;ll add you to the list:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au">podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au</a>
If you enjoy the show, please&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/another-boring-thursday-night/id696302138">leave us a 5-star review&nbsp;</a>in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/theadelaideshow/shop?asc=u">The Adelaide Show Shop</a>. We&rsquo;d greatly appreciate it.
And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://theadelaideshow.com.au/complete-list-adelaide-show-episodes/">our index of all episode in one concise page.</a>
Running Sheet: Is The ALP Guaranteed Victory In The 2026 South Australian Election?00:00:00&nbsp;Intro
Introduction
00:00:00&nbsp;SA Drink Of The Week
There is no SA Drink Of The Week this week.
00:02:37&nbsp;Robert GoddenThe Adelaide Show: Special Briefing &mdash; The Labor Machine
This conversation serves as the companion piece to&nbsp;<a href="https://theadelaideshow.com.au/podcast-episodes/423-do-the-liberals-have-no-chance-of-winning-this-forthcoming-south-australian-election/">episode 423&rsquo;s examination of the South Australian Liberal Party</a>. Where that episode explored the Liberal Party&rsquo;s challenges, this discussion has our political commentator, Robert Godden, apply the same analytical rigour to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sa.alp.org.au/">South Australia Labor Party</a>&lsquo;s position heading into the 2026 state election.
The conversation begins with King O&rsquo;Malley, that peculiar figure in Australian political history who was, in Robert&rsquo;s memorable description, &ldquo;50% staunch Australian politician, 50% carnival worker.&rdquo; O&rsquo;Malley&rsquo;s legacy includes both Canberra and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, institutions that prompted Robert to reflect: &ldquo;Most of us Australians can just give thanks to the days, you know, before you go to bed, you think, I&rsquo;m glad I live in a country that has a bank with an appalling logo and a capital city in the middle of nowhere.&rdquo;
The historical roots of the labour movement trace back to the Industrial Revolution, when workers were, as Robert puts it, &ldquo;really the AI of the day, you know, come and get this. It&rsquo;s cheap, it&rsquo;ll do your work for you and you&rsquo;ll make a huge profit.&rdquo; This parallel between 19th century industrialisation and contemporary technological disruption threads through the conversation, particularly when Robert shares the story of a logistics company owner whose business is failing because &ldquo;the work he used to do in working stuff out for people is now done by AI.&rdquo;
The discussion explores how guilds differed from unions, with Robert explaining that guilds &ldquo;were designed to move their members toward the ruling class. They weren&rsquo;t, guilds didn&rsquo;t really exist to lift all boats. They were a highly specific rising tide.&rdquo; This distinction becomes relevant when examining modern Labor&rsquo;s approach to worker representation.
Robert traces the evolution of Australian labor politics from its foundation in the shearers&rsquo; strikes of the 1890s through to contemporary challenges. The ALP emerged as the world&rsquo;s first labour party to form government, a fact that speaks to Australia&rsquo;s democratic traditions. Yet the party has undergone significant transformation, moving from representing primarily blue-collar workers to a broader base that includes professional and service sector employees.
The conversation examines whether modern Labor still serves its founding principles or has become absorbed into the political establishment it once challenged. Robert notes the irony that many Labor MPs now come from professional backgrounds rather than the shop floor, raising questions about whether they truly understand the working-class experience they claim to represent.
On the Malinauskas government specifically, the analysis reveals a pragmatic administration that has maintained stability during challenging economic conditions. However, Robert questions whether this stability comes at the cost of bold vision. &ldquo;Is it enough to simply manage well, or should a labor government be pushing for more substantial change?&rdquo; he asks.
The discussion touches on the tensions within modern Labor between traditional unionised workers and newer constituencies, between economic management and social justice, between South Australian interests and national party directions. Robert suggests that while Malinauskas has successfully navigated these tensions so far, the test will come when difficult choices force the government to reveal which interests truly take priority.
When examining Labor&rsquo;s electoral prospects for 2026, Robert notes the Liberals&rsquo; current disarray creates favourable conditions, but warns against complacency. &ldquo;Oppositions don&rsquo;t win elections, governments lose them,&rdquo; he observes. The question becomes whether Labor can maintain discipline and avoid the kinds of missteps that have undone seemingly secure governments in the past.
The conversation concludes with broader reflections on the state of South Australian politics. Robert suggests that both major parties face a fundamental challenge: reconnecting with an electorate that increasingly feels disconnected from traditional political structures. This alienation creates opportunities for minor parties and independents to claim territory that major parties once dominated.
Throughout the discussion, the historical parallels between past industrial disruption and contemporary technological change illuminate present challenges. Just as workers in the 1800s faced displacement by machinery, today&rsquo;s workforce confronts automation and artificial intelligence. The question of how a modern Labor party responds to these challenges reveals much about whether it remains true to its founding mission of protecting workers&rsquo; interests.
01:24:41&nbsp;Musical Pilgrimage
In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature&nbsp;<a href="https://stevedavis.com.au/blog/australia-day/">Australia Day&nbsp;by Steve Davis &amp; The Virtualosos</a>.
The Musical Pilgrimage connects directly to the episode&rsquo;s themes of social cohesion and political fragmentation. Steve introduces his original composition &ldquo;Australia Day&rdquo; by reflecting on how disconnection fuels the rise of fringe political movements.
The song addresses the transformation of Australian community life, opening with the observation that &ldquo;The Australia which I was born had lots of backyards and lots of lawn, and we knew our neighbours down the street.&rdquo; This nostalgia isn&rsquo;t mere sentimentality but recognition of something lost: the neighbourhood connections that once helped integrate newcomers and build social cohesion.
Steve explains how two factors exacerbate contemporary division. First, physical disconnection: &ldquo;My dad used to know everyone in our neighbourhood, and therefore we did too. Now most of us hardly know anybody. We&rsquo;ve got our houses closed off.&rdquo; Second, algorithmic isolation: &ldquo;The communication we do have externally is very filtered. Algorithm-focused content that feeds more of what the big American corporations like Meta and Google think is going to pander to our vulnerabilities.&rdquo;
Drawing on his own experience living in Hungary, Steve reflects on the immigrant perspective: &ldquo;When you&rsquo;ve moved somewhere new&hellip; you look for compatriots to connect with, so you&rsquo;ve got something to hold onto.&rdquo; This understanding shapes the song&rsquo;s call for empathy and connection rather than fear and division.
The song&rsquo;s chorus captures the core message: &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s here is here now let&rsquo;s make it work. It starts with learning. We share this dirt, we share the same song, we share the flies, and there&rsquo;s a vibe here beneath our skies. Just tone it down, be laid back, bend a little, and cut some slack.&rdquo;
Steve positions the song as a counterpoint to political and social fragmentation, a reminder of Australian values that have, imperfectly but meaningfully, helped diverse groups find common ground. &ldquo;Part of that is not blowing a fuse at the smallest thing. It&rsquo;s actually calming the farm and being a little bit laid back, holding things a little bit loosely, drawing a line in the sand when it needs to happen, but not making that a knee-jerk reaction.&rdquo;
The song is available on all streaming platforms, and Steve extends an invitation to performers who might want to bring their own interpretation to the material.

Political commentator Robert Godden returns to scrutinise the Australian Labor Party’s position ahead of the March 2026 South Australian election, exploring whether the modern political machine still beats with the heart of the original labour movement, while the Musical Pilgrimage features Steve Davis’s original song “Australia Day” reflecting on community cohesion and national identity.

426 - Is The ALP Guaranteed Victory In The 2026 South Australian Election?

SA Drink Of The Week

Andy Packer

When a South Australian theatre company that began with The Tragical Life of Cheese Boy – performed more than 800 times worldwide – prepares to take its final bow, it doesn’t fade quietly. Instead, Slingsby is staging its most expensive and ambitious production yet: A Concise Compendium of Wonder, a triptych of three interconnected shows housed in a custom-built structure in the Botanic Gardens during the Adelaide Festival.In this episode, we settle into Slingsby’s Hall of Possibility in Parkside with artistic director and CEO Andy Packer for a wide-ranging conversation that explores the company’s distinctive aesthetic, their commitment to treating young audiences with intellectual honesty, and why nostalgia creates the perfect emotional space for processing difficult truths.

In the South Australian Drink Of The Week, we taste the company’s signature Hall of Possibility Tea – a bespoke blend featuring licorice root, organic lavender, red rose petals, spearmint and peppermint that Andy describes as both “invigorating and calming.

“The musical pilgrimage features the Slingsby Ensemble performing “Song for the Adolescent Seal” from their 2018 Adelaide Cabaret Festival show Songs for Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas – a piece Andy realised he’d forgotten to mention during our conversation, despite being extremely proud of it.

You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We’re here to serve!

The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast in Australia at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.

And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It’s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we’ll add you to the list: podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store – The Adelaide Show Shop. We’d greatly appreciate it.

And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here’s our index of all episode in one concise
page.

Running Sheet: A Slingsby Life Of Wonder With Andy Packer

00:00:00 Intro

Introduction

00:03:12 SA Drink Of The Week

The SA Drink Of The Week this week is Brewed by Belinda Hall of Possibilitea.

Belinda Hill of Brewed by Belinda created this bespoke blend specifically for Slingsby, capturing both the company’s aesthetic and the practical needs of artists in creative process. The brief: create something both invigorating and calming.

The blend looks almost theatrical. Organic lavender, red rose petals, organic blue cornflower petals creating visual layers in the pot. Licorice root provides the grounding bass note, with spearmint and peppermint lifting everything. There’s aniseed hiding in there too.
Andy explains the tea’s role in Slingsby’s creative practice. During those inevitable moments developing new work when “you get very lost,” the tea provides structured pause. “People go off and do different things and I’ll have a cup of tea and I might go outside for a little while. Usually you find the solution.”

What’s crucial is that Hall of Possibility Tea won’t get bitter or overly steeped. “There’s no black tea leaf or anything like that. It just gets better.” Andy keeps a flask throughout rehearsal days, taking sips during fifteen-minute breaks.

As we taste, the experience unfolds in layers. Initially, the mint notes dominate. Then the aniseed emerges from backstage, as Andy puts it, “ready for you, it knew you were coming, it was just waiting in the wings.”

By the end of our tasting, all the subtle players have made their entrance. No single flavour dominates. They’re holding hands across the palate like a well-mannered audience at a Slingsby show.

Slingsby has been gifting this tea to presenting partners around the world since 2019. After performances overseas, small tins of Hall of Possibility Tea remain behind, tangible tokens of the connections Slingsby creates between communities.

00:13:08 Andy Packer

Andy Packer describes A Concise Compendium of Wonder as “the perfect bookend” to Slingsby Theatre Company’s twenty-year journey. We’re sitting in the Hall of Possibility in Parkside, where families have gathered to experience work that never softened darkness for young audiences, never offered easy answers. In a few weeks, after the final curtain falls on this ambitious triptych at the Adelaide Festival, Slingsby will cease creating new work. The company that began with The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy, performed more than 800 times worldwide, closes with its most expensive, most ambitious production yet.

In this interview, you’ll discover:

The origins trace back to amateur theatre at La Mama in the late eighties, where Packer learnt that being involved in every aspect wasn’t just practical necessity but essential training. “You are crafting an experience for an audience, not just there for your ego to be on stage, but actually to prepare the space to welcome people into the church that theater can be.”

The crystallising moment arrived in Montreal in 2005, watching Danish company Group 38 perform The Little Match Girl. Packer sat in the audience afterwards and wept for fifteen minutes, unable to move. That company’s aesthetic showed him precisely what he wanted to create. Slingsby’s first expenditure as a company was flying their entire creative team to Hobart to see Group 38 perform again, establishing that benchmark from day one.

The distinctive Slingsby voice, that curious blend of the new and familiar, serves a specific purpose. “When you create a nostalgic space, it’s like you’ve gone on a holiday back in time,” Packer explains. “You let your guard down and that allows you to attend to the deep concern, the deep anxiety that sits deeper.”

Slingsby productions have never shied from exploring loss, loneliness, domestic violence and grief. “We can’t protect our audience, we can’t protect children. We have to prepare them.” But preparation doesn’t mean pessimism. Every show ends with hope.

The conversation hopscotches through key productions:
The Tragical Life of Cheese Boy (800+ performances)
Man Covets Bird (where a boy’s parents no longer recognise him)
Ode to Nonsense (a full opera celebrating Edward Lear)
The Young King (Oscar Wilde’s fable about capitalism performed without softening)
Emil and the Detectives (capturing post-war reconstruction with audiences building cardboard cities)
The Boy Who Talked to Dogs (an Irish-Australian collaboration about surviving domestic violence)

The final chapter confronts climate reality. Measuring carbon use revealed that flying sets internationally consumed vastly more carbon than shipping by sea or road transport. “We can’t be flying sets around anymore. We wanna make the world a better place, but we wanna do it now in a way that reduces our impact on the climate.”

The solution: A Concise Compendium of Wonder. Three shows, Hansel and Gretel, The Selfish Giant, and The Little Match Girl, performed by one cast on one regeneratively designed wooden building that can be disassembled and reused. The Wandering Hall of Possibility features 17 speakers, 5,500 pixels built into walls, seating that reconfigures for each show, all touring by road only.

The three fairytales trace a journey from medieval times to 3099 on a lunar colony. At the centre of each story sits a tree or forest, moving from living as part of the forest, to fighting for access to a single Moreton Bay fig, to finding the last tree on the moon whilst Earth re-greens in humanity’s absence.

For Adelaide audiences, the Wandering Hall sits on Plane Tree Lawn in the Botanic Gardens. This is both thank you season and goodbye. Audiences can experience one show or commit to the full “sling cycle” across one day.

“I think it is the most important thing happening in the universe right now,” Packer says about the intent behind every Slingsby show. “We want this for the people that have bothered to come and be with us.”

01:07:07 Musical Pilgrimage

In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature a piece from the Slingsby show that Andy Packer forgot to mention during our conversation, an oversight that left him “racked with angst.”

Songs for Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas premiered at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2018 and was subsequently invited for a three-week season at the New Victory Theater in New York and a festival in Atlanta. COVID prevented those tours. “Sometimes even the big fish get away,” Andy philosophically notes.

The Slingsby Ensemble perform Song for the Adolescent Seal with the distinctive musicality that characterises Quincy Grant’s compositions, spare and emotionally direct. The piece explores the necessary letting go that allows children to grow into their full selves.

There’s additional resonance hearing this now, as Slingsby itself prepares to let go. The song’s metaphor of adolescent seals venturing beyond safe shores speaks to trusting that what you’ve nurtured will survive and flourish independently.

When a South Australian theatre company that began with&nbsp;The Tragical Life of Cheese Boy&nbsp;&ndash; performed more than 800 times worldwide &ndash; prepares to take its final bow, it doesn&rsquo;t fade quietly. Instead, Slingsby is staging its most expensive and ambitious production yet:&nbsp;A Concise Compendium of Wonder, a triptych of three interconnected shows housed in a custom-built structure in the Botanic Gardens during the Adelaide Festival.In this episode, we settle into Slingsby&rsquo;s Hall of Possibility in Parkside with artistic director and CEO Andy Packer for a wide-ranging conversation that explores the company&rsquo;s distinctive aesthetic, their commitment to treating young audiences with intellectual honesty, and why nostalgia creates the perfect emotional space for processing difficult truths.
In the South Australian Drink Of The Week, we taste the company&rsquo;s signature Hall of Possibility Tea &ndash; a bespoke blend featuring licorice root, organic lavender, red rose petals, spearmint and peppermint that Andy describes as both &ldquo;invigorating and calming.
&ldquo;The musical pilgrimage features the Slingsby Ensemble performing &ldquo;Song for the Adolescent Seal&rdquo; from their 2018 Adelaide Cabaret Festival show Songs for Those Who&rsquo;ve Come Across the Seas &ndash; a piece Andy realised he&rsquo;d forgotten to mention during our conversation, despite being extremely proud of it.
You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We&rsquo;re here to serve!
The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for&nbsp;Best Interview Podcast in Australia&nbsp;at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for&nbsp;Best News and Current Affairs Podcast&nbsp;in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.
And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It&rsquo;s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we&rsquo;ll add you to the list:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au">podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au</a>
If you enjoy the show, please&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/another-boring-thursday-night/id696302138">leave us a 5-star review&nbsp;</a>in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/theadelaideshow/shop?asc=u">The Adelaide Show Shop</a>. We&rsquo;d greatly appreciate it.
And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://theadelaideshow.com.au/complete-list-adelaide-show-episodes/">our index of all episode in one concise page.</a>
Running Sheet: A Slingsby Life Of Wonder With Andy Packer
00:00:00&nbsp;Intro
Introduction
00:03:12&nbsp;SA Drink Of The Week
The SA Drink Of The Week this week is&nbsp;<a href="https://brewedbybelinda.com.au/">Brewed by Belinda</a>&nbsp;Hall of Possibilitea.
Belinda Hill of Brewed by Belinda created this bespoke blend specifically for Slingsby, capturing both the company&rsquo;s aesthetic and the practical needs of artists in creative process. The brief: create something both invigorating and calming.
The blend looks almost theatrical. Organic lavender, red rose petals, organic blue cornflower petals creating visual layers in the pot. Licorice root provides the grounding bass note, with spearmint and peppermint lifting everything. There&rsquo;s aniseed hiding in there too. Andy explains the tea&rsquo;s role in Slingsby&rsquo;s creative practice. During those inevitable moments developing new work when &ldquo;you get very lost,&rdquo; the tea provides structured pause. &ldquo;People go off and do different things and I&rsquo;ll have a cup of tea and I might go outside for a little while. Usually you find the solution.&rdquo;
What&rsquo;s crucial is that Hall of Possibility Tea won&rsquo;t get bitter or overly steeped. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no black tea leaf or anything like that. It just gets better.&rdquo; Andy keeps a flask throughout rehearsal days, taking sips during fifteen-minute breaks.
As we taste, the experience unfolds in layers. Initially, the mint notes dominate. Then the aniseed emerges from backstage, as Andy puts it, &ldquo;ready for you, it knew you were coming, it was just waiting in the wings.&rdquo;
By the end of our tasting, all the subtle players have made their entrance. No single flavour dominates. They&rsquo;re holding hands across the palate like a well-mannered audience at a Slingsby show.
Slingsby has been gifting this tea to presenting partners around the world since 2019. After performances overseas, small tins of Hall of Possibility Tea remain behind, tangible tokens of the connections Slingsby creates between communities.
00:13:08&nbsp;Andy Packer
Andy Packer describes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.slingsby.net.au/a-concise-compendium-of-wonder/">A Concise Compendium of Wonder</a>&nbsp;as &ldquo;the perfect bookend&rdquo; to Slingsby Theatre Company&rsquo;s twenty-year journey. We&rsquo;re sitting in the Hall of Possibility in Parkside, where families have gathered to experience work that never softened darkness for young audiences, never offered easy answers. In a few weeks, after the final curtain falls on this ambitious&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/whats-on/season-2026/a-concise-compendium-of-wonder/">triptych at the Adelaide Festival</a>, Slingsby will cease creating new work. The company that began with&nbsp;The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy, performed more than 800 times worldwide, closes with its most expensive, most ambitious production yet.
In this interview, you&rsquo;ll discover:
The origins trace back to amateur theatre at La Mama in the late eighties, where Packer learnt that being involved in every aspect wasn&rsquo;t just practical necessity but essential training. &ldquo;You are crafting an experience for an audience, not just there for your ego to be on stage, but actually to prepare the space to welcome people into the church that theater can be.&rdquo;
The crystallising moment arrived in Montreal in 2005, watching Danish company Group 38 perform&nbsp;The Little Match Girl. Packer sat in the audience afterwards and wept for fifteen minutes, unable to move. That company&rsquo;s aesthetic showed him precisely what he wanted to create. Slingsby&rsquo;s first expenditure as a company was flying their entire creative team to Hobart to see Group 38 perform again, establishing that benchmark from day one.
The distinctive Slingsby voice, that curious blend of the new and familiar, serves a specific purpose. &ldquo;When you create a nostalgic space, it&rsquo;s like you&rsquo;ve gone on a holiday back in time,&rdquo; Packer explains. &ldquo;You let your guard down and that allows you to attend to the deep concern, the deep anxiety that sits deeper.&rdquo;
Slingsby productions have never shied from exploring loss, loneliness, domestic violence and grief. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t protect our audience, we can&rsquo;t protect children. We have to prepare them.&rdquo; But preparation doesn&rsquo;t mean pessimism. Every show ends with hope.
The conversation hopscotches through key productions:
<ul>
<li>The Tragical Life of Cheese Boy&nbsp;(800+ performances)</li>
<li>Man Covets Bird&nbsp;(where a boy&rsquo;s parents no longer recognise him)</li>
<li>Ode to Nonsense&nbsp;(a full opera celebrating Edward Lear)</li>
<li>The Young King&nbsp;(Oscar Wilde&rsquo;s fable about capitalism performed without softening)</li>
<li>Emil and the Detectives&nbsp;(capturing post-war reconstruction with audiences building cardboard cities)</li>
<li>The Boy Who Talked to Dogs&nbsp;(an Irish-Australian collaboration about surviving domestic violence)</li>
</ul>
The final chapter confronts climate reality. Measuring carbon use revealed that flying sets internationally consumed vastly more carbon than shipping by sea or road transport. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t be flying sets around anymore. We wanna make the world a better place, but we wanna do it now in a way that reduces our impact on the climate.&rdquo;
The solution:&nbsp;A Concise Compendium of Wonder. Three shows,&nbsp;Hansel and Gretel, The Selfish Giant, and&nbsp;The Little Match Girl, performed by one cast on one regeneratively designed wooden building that can be disassembled and reused. The Wandering Hall of Possibility features 17 speakers, 5,500 pixels built into walls, seating that reconfigures for each show, all touring by road only.
The three fairytales trace a journey from medieval times to 3099 on a lunar colony. At the centre of each story sits a tree or forest, moving from living as part of the forest, to fighting for access to a single Moreton Bay fig, to finding the last tree on the moon whilst Earth re-greens in humanity&rsquo;s absence.
For Adelaide audiences, the Wandering Hall sits on Plane Tree Lawn in the Botanic Gardens. This is both thank you season and goodbye. Audiences can experience one show or commit to the full &ldquo;sling cycle&rdquo; across one day.
&ldquo;I think it is the most important thing happening in the universe right now,&rdquo; Packer says about the intent behind every Slingsby show. &ldquo;We want this for the people that have bothered to come and be with us.&rdquo;
01:07:07&nbsp;Musical Pilgrimage
In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature a piece from the Slingsby show that Andy Packer forgot to mention during our conversation, an oversight that left him &ldquo;racked with angst.&rdquo;
Songs for Those Who&rsquo;ve Come Across the Seas&nbsp;premiered at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2018 and was subsequently invited for a three-week season at the New Victory Theater in New York and a festival in Atlanta. COVID prevented those tours. &ldquo;Sometimes even the big fish get away,&rdquo; Andy philosophically notes.
The Slingsby Ensemble perform&nbsp;Song for the Adolescent Seal&nbsp;with the distinctive musicality that characterises Quincy Grant&rsquo;s compositions, spare and emotionally direct. The piece explores the necessary letting go that allows children to grow into their full selves.
There&rsquo;s additional resonance hearing this now, as Slingsby itself prepares to let go. The song&rsquo;s metaphor of adolescent seals venturing beyond safe shores speaks to trusting that what you&rsquo;ve nurtured will survive and flourish independently.

Andy Packer, artistic director and CEO of Slingsby Theatre, joins us for an expansive conversation about the company’s 20-year journey creating original, beautiful theatre that never softens darkness for young audiences, the ambitious three-show triptych closing their chapter at the 2026 Adelaide Festival, and the philosophy behind work that treats audiences with radical respect.

Episode 4: Urine | Liquid Gold

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