Photo: Dan Boud, Time Out
Photo: Dan Boud, Time Out
MTC NOW

Playlist

Drama in the Lounge Room

Ahead of our scheduled season of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It, Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall took some time out from composing its music to create a playlist of songs for MTC audiences to enjoy as they await our return to the stage.

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 thats been on high rotation in our house. We've been listening to full albums a lot more since all this started and its 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 shes putting it on this playlist for self-promotion reasons (and its a bloody great song).

Mountaineers – Susanne Sondfør

Susanne Sondførs 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

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