Melbourne Writers Festival – Day 4 ABCs Q&A

MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL: Tony Jones, host of the ABC Television talk show Q&A  

There was a pretty large crowd gathering in the Atrium, drifting in for the 8.30 start. Being part of an ABC Q&A audience had spruced them up a bit and they’re well read too, having received their info kits from the production. Taking this democratic opportunity to appear on television is serious stuff. It’s a slightly odd addition to the Melbourne Writers Festival mix, not as obvious as The First Tuesday Book Club which is part of the festival as well, but Q&A is a crowd pleaser.

The 400 or so audience members appear to come from the wide church of the middle classes. Most are in their 30s or 40s, a good proportion of uni types, young couples, Tony Jones fans and public forum enthusiasts, a scattering of the near and now retired all from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds. They all buy birthday presents at ABC shops. It’s getting squishy, like fish in a net, despite the space and the noise is animated talking.

So, it was nice to get the wave out of the crowd and walk around the retractable belt barriers into BMW Edge. I’m with her. The place was hushed, dark around the edges, bright in the middle, in the way that stages are.

From the lip looking down into the pit of raked seats to the flat stage area I could see eight cameras pointed at the set, five studio cameras and two field cameras.

Along one side of the balcony are the vision and sound mixing desks and the mysterious technical production people who twiddle knobs and get cross when stuff doesn’t work. They’re sitting, twiddling knobs and waiting. The floor manager, Hilary Firth walks back and forth on the set talking into her radio mic while five waterglasses were filled on the desk behind her.

TV is a lot like digging up roads, a lot of standing around while other people work. Groups of two and three whispered around the hall, a few individuals wandered in small circles like stir crazy zoo animals. There were people with clipboards. Others sprint up and down the stairs delivering messages.

Malcolm Fraser comes in with a minder, walking in that slow stiff way of someone who has painful hip problems. He’s still a towering man, a small curl of hair at the nape of his neck like a judge’s wig. He holds the railing as he is led down to the set, pauses subtly half way before continuing. He’ll need to get to make up and assistant director looking types greet him and usher him away.

I know despite the quiet that there is a lot of movement behind the scenes: scripts being marked up, shots numbered, quirks that have arisen from the run through being ironed, schedules being checked, producers and their assistants fine tuning the latest disaster, egos being flattered.

It’s nearly nine o’clock before the audience is filed in, tickets taken, rows are shuffled, no seat left empty. Hilary does the OHS warnings, smoking, phone and fire exits then introduces stand up comic Tommy Dean as the warm up guy.

Wow, he’s got a hard job tonight. Is it that this is a writers’ festival and I’m talking and you’re all used to reading, he quips. I’m like a Kindle with a press play. Another camera flies in over the audience on the jimmy jib from the balcony. The boom guy beside me gets handed his pre-questioner list as Tommy explains talking on camera.

‘When you ask your question, stand up. And don’t look at the mic! They won’t see the mic they’ll just see you looking like this.’ He mimics a skyward looking questioner and gets a ripple of laughter. ‘So, who knows about defamation laws?’

Executive Producer Peter McEvoy comes on and Tony Jones too. Time to run through the questioners. Each is asked to stand in turn so the cameras and Tony can note where they are. 8 minutes to go. They note what they’re wearing. 6 minutes to go. And how to pronounce their names. In case they forget the questions they sent in to the show they get laminated copies.

The panellists are walked on to the set, Chris Berg, Christine Wallace, Malcolm Fraser, Jessica Rudd, and John Keane. Tommy tries to warm them up too. ‘Tell me Malcolm, he says, Are you like just about everybody, do you still snigger when you say hung parliament?’ Fraser looks bemused, then gets it and laughs.

Time for the promo. Lights come up, music starts, cue make up artists to walk on set and powder and fluff the guests. Tony stares down the barrel, ‘Coming up on Q&A tonight.. It’s over in seconds. Three minutes to go. The set clears. The crowd waits.

And live in 5,4,3…’Good evening and welcome..’

ArtsHub coverage of the Melbourne Writers Festival - To be continued…

MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL
27 August to 5 September
For further information and ticketing go to www.mwf.com.au
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