Who is Virginia Gay?
A professional liar. Who sings occasionally. A professional singing liar – oh god, that sounds like the world’s worst musical telegram.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
Very little. Perhaps more Ibsen? But there’s very little call for Ibsen in network television. I know. I’m astonished too.
Who inspires you and why?
iOTA – brilliant singer, iconoclast, cannot take your eyes off ‘im on stage, and a top bloke who makes his own deliciously subversive work. And Jennifer Byrne. Such a terrifically radiant person, always positive, interested in other people, and she’s made a living doing what she loves.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Could I make all politicians actually work for the good of the people and for the future of our planet, and not big corporations? Could that happen? That would be awesome. Ta.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Somewhere with a beach and a hammock and very little else. People included.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
Chin Chin. Huxtaburger. A Pope Joan breakfast. Town Mouse for dinner.…. Mama loves the Melbourne café scene.
What are you currently reading?
The Lost Books of the Odyssey – Zachary Mason. Outrageously good fractured retellings of the Odysseus myth. Impossibly moving, beautifully rendered fragments of story.
What are you currently listening to?
Sia’s Chandelier over and over again. That crack in her voice slays me.
Happiness is?
Bright neon underwear under dark clothes. Having remebered to make your bed when you’ve left the house at 5am and gotten back after 10pm. Clean sheets on that same bed. Vegemite and real butter on fresh, tangy sourdough. An avocado that is as good on the inside as the outside promises. A perfectly turned phrase. A good friend with a clear eye and an easy laugh. As many kindnesses as you can fit into the day. Kisses on the cheekbone from a man with a beard.
What does the future hold for you?
More professional lying, I hope. Much, much more.
Virginia Gay graduated WAAPA in 2005 then pretended to be a nurse for four years on All Saints. Following that, she pretended to be Julia Gillard in the 2009 STC Wharf Revue Pennies From Kevin. She is currently in production on the fourth season of Winners and Losers where she pretends to know a lot about high finance. (This last one, particiularly, is a stretch)
Her one woman cabaret show Dirty Pretty Songs played to sold-out houses at the 2012 Adelaide Cabaret Festival and headlined The Famous Spiegeltent at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has made popular appearances on Good News Week, The First Tuesday Book Club and The Unbelievable Truth, and performed to great acclaim on the Seven Network’s It Takes Two.
Virginia will be hosting Twisted Broadway at Arts Centre Melbourne on Monday 4 August. For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/TwistedBroadway for details.
Image: Virginia Gay