AustLit

'Teddy Tahu Rhodes is unsteady on his feet. Centre stage, the tall body waves a little from side to side. Irish singer Tommy Fleming is flat out in his room. Rumour has it, and I'm not sure if it's true, that Elaine Paige is unwell. The 870-seat Aurora Theatre is completely full, extra chairs are in the aisles. If there was an emergency there would be chaos. From somewhere offstage there is a loud echoing crash. The singer ignores the competition and leans slightly to one side to hold his balance. He ends "Some Enchanted Evening", and the audience response is enthusiastic. The Radiance of the Seas is pushing through the seas somewhere between Sydney and New Caledonia. It's about where I killed Gough Whitlam. That loud bang of a wave striking the ship has made me slightly uncomfortable.' (Publication abstract)