The beloved, award-winning musical duo of Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall previously worked with MTC on Simon Phillips’ Twelfth Night in 2018, and they enjoyed the experience so much that they jumped at the opportunity to compose for another Shakespeare play.
In the meantime, they have put together a Spotify Playlist they've called Drama in the Lounge Room. Enjoy the tunes, and Kate and Keir's commentary about them, below.
Here's some listening notes from Kate and Keir, explaining their reasons for selecting each track.
Gopher – Yma Sumac
This playlist opens with a bang!
The Lost Sky – Jesca Hoop
This comes from an album that’s been on high rotation in our house. We've been listening to full albums a lot more since all this started and it’s so satisfying. This song is ascerbic lyric + repressed anger + gentle mesmerising ostinato + compoundingly ominous undertone. Great combo.
In These Shoes – Kirsty MacColl
While we were working on Muriel’s Wedding the Musical, PJ Hogan sent us this song as a reference for the character Rhonda. It helped us get a sense of her spirit. PJ has an incredible musical instinct and great taste in pop music. We defy you to not have fun while listening to this.
Ne me quitte pas – Jacques Brel
We felt the playlist needed a token male voice at this point.
Fetch the Bolt Cutters – Fiona Apple
This song will make you feel both trapped and liberated at the same time. Essential iso-listening.
Insomnia – Caroline Polachek
Obsessed with this. High drama, word-painting and a voice shot through with emotion.
Into the Unknown – Idina Menzel, Aurora
Our three-year-old has forced us to watch Frozen 2 over 100 times in the past month. Luckily the songs are SO GOOD and bear repeated ... and repeated ... and repeated listenings.
You Let My Tyres Down – Tropical F*ck Storm
This song has such a potent, raw theatricality – it commands your full attention and commitment.
Not Still in Love With You – Tina Arena
Kate co-wrote this song with the amazing Tina, so she’s putting it on this playlist for self-promotion reasons (and it’s a bloody great song).
Mountaineers – Susanne Sondfør
Susanne Sondfør’s live album, Music for People in Trouble, is a big favourite of recent times – it was recorded at the Barbican in London last year. Listening to this you can sense how electric it would have been to be in that audience. Behold the epic end to this song (the end of the whole concert). There is nothing like live performance. Nothing can compare. We will cry floods of tears when we get to sit in the theatre again.
Published on 6 May 2020
