Anya Anastasia’s Rogue Romantic is part musical comedy, part deranged opera. Featuring all original songs backed by an all-female band!
Hi Anya, tell us about your new show.
Rogue Romantic is a deranged opera; crystal-encrusted wit, and humour-tinged glamour, this Aussie-accented diva sets her fiery gaze on her past and future in love, and every single person in the room is in danger of receiving it. These renegade serenades, lavishly boasting matched unlikely flavours of mambo, doom, calypso, lullabies, rum, maracas, and poorly executed handstands, and deftly executed confessions, which make the caricature unfurl to reveal an emotional rawness, and the essence of our humanity. I think that is the best way to describe it.
What does Edinburgh mean to you?
Edinburgh during the festival is at once terrifying and thrilling. Some people say it’s like a ROLLER-COASTER I think it is more like being strapped to a rocket ship with a whisky bottle in one hand and a bundle of flyers in the other and being launched into orbit around a golden orb… a planet of nirvana, you get to touch down on that planet when you’re singing to people or listening to someone sing or create a thing of beauty or hilarity, but then you go back into orbit at such high speeds that your nerves get shattered, and you weep with joy and angst but you know you’ll do it again given half a chance, because the other people doing it are as mad as you, and once upon a time, such company was hard to find.
Who inspires you and why?
People who can do things slowly. People who can take time to take time. People who know what is important in life, people who remember that all the time. People like my grandma.
Describe your best or worst experiences on stage.
My best experience on stage was on the very final night of Adelaide Fringe this year, my band after a month of playing together just clicked into this surreal joyous performance and the audience of about 160 were all just right there on that level with us, It was the most playful and simultaneously the most tight and switched on performance yet. We were all glowing the whole time I think.
Describe your best or worst review.
I respect people’s opinions. Whether they love something or hate something. To me the worst kind of review is a 3.5 star review that describes what happened in the show. Luckily, they’re easy to identify so you don’t have to waste much time reading them. My favourite reviews are those that have been sent to me by punters, who were previously strangers. Scratched on a serviette or emailed through my website. They’re impassioned, intelligent, insightful and complementary. I need and adore that connection with fans.
If you weren’t a performer, what would you be?
A spy.
What was the last book you read?
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro
Why are you still awake Anya, when it is currently 1.45am and in the morning you have to get up at 6am to paint yourself entirely gold and walk around in Australian Winter as a publicity stunt?
Because I have to finish writing this really important Q&A for Broadway Baby because they are fantastic and I would like to reach their readership with my strange and beautiful brand of cabaret that I’m bringing to Edinburgh this year.
Imagine that the BBC have asked you to produce a primetime show. What would it be and who else would be involved?
I’m already working on it. I can’t say too much.
