If all the world's a stage and men and women merely players, then what is real?
Newcastle actress Lou Chapman definitely is. She's the real thing.
Well, a monologue that she performed to great success must be real, anyhow.
Written by high profile Newcastle playwright Vanessa Bates, it's called "A Real Thing".
Of all the things considered strikingly real in the world, domestic violence and murder must rank high among them. As a key part of Lou's monologue, these themes set the scene for a modern and grisly narrative.
The idea of a monologue does bring to mind a tool that actors use to hone their craft, but Lou says there is more to it.
"The monologue traditionally was a way of auditioning actors," Lou said.
"But I have a solo play where I do a series of six monologues. I play multiple characters."
The monologue, then, is an "artform in and of itself".
Lou does normal plays with a cast, but she's now inextricably linked with the monologue concept - having just won the endurance category of the World Monologue Games.
The online and streamed competition has been wryly described as the "Olympics for actors". And it does have some similarities with international sport. For one thing, there's the notion of representing Australia while competing against others from around the world.
In her final, Lou faced opponents from Kenya, Vietnam, Brazil, Italy and Australia.
But while performing the monologue, she's not thinking of opponents. She's more likely to be imagining the audience.
"You're on an emotional and psychological journey of the character. And the character in the monologue is on a rollercoaster ride.
"At the end of the story, you understand that this character I play has killed her sister and brother-in-law with a machete.
"I'm imagining two dead bodies on the ground and a social worker and policeman have walked in. I'm trying to win them over and explain what happened. She's a victim of domestic violence, who had the shit beaten out of her many times."
Used as a domestic slave, bullied and meanly treated, the character reaches breaking point and snaps.
Which does, sadly, sound pretty real.
Global Game
The pandemic forced actors online, enabling many to make new connections and rekindle old ones.
"I've just reconnected with a film director I worked with in New York many years ago. He's written me a monologue," Lou said.
And the monologue she entered into last year's World Monologue Games - titled It's Easier to Say Clitoris When You're Dead - was written by Australian playwright Fiona Leonard, who lives in Germany. She's also written Lou a new piece.
Monologues, then, really have become a global game.
Generous Places
GoFundMe has listed Australia's most generous cities in its annual Year In Help report, based on donations per capita.
Australia's top 10 most generous cities for 2022 are: Wagga Wagga (NSW), Mackay (QLD), Bundaberg (QLD), Hervey Bay (QLD), Mandurah (WA), Launceston (TAS), Bunbury (WA), Maitland (NSW), Ballarat (VIC) and Gosford (NSW).
Other places are, well, less generous. Possibly even stingy.
Except Newcastle. We're great.
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