Conversations: Art & Passions

Jane Fonda's big life has included Barbarella, activism, three husbands, workout videos and hair epiphanies. Now in her 80s, she's devoting her energy to raising awareness about climate change

Jane has lived her entire life in the public eye, as the daughter of acting aristocracy.

Her father Henry Fonda was a Hollywood legend by the time she was born.

Jane grew up to study acting with Lee Strasberg, and Marilyn Monroe was a classmate.

Then she went to Paris where she fell in love with French film director Roger Vadim, who cast her in a camp sci-fi romp called Barbarella.

But behind the public adoration, Jane was battling some big personal demons, including bulimia and the legacy of a shocking family tragedy.

In her 30s she began re-assessing her life and work, and became a leader of the anti-Vietnam War movement, earning her the nickname of Hanoi Jane from the American Press.

After the Vietnam War ended, she remained committed to political activism, so she released a series of workout videos to help fund change in America.

After two more marriages, Jane had an epiphany about her 'third act' of life.

She decided to devote it to helping change the world, and in her 80s she now devotes most of her time to raising awareness about climate change.

Further information

What Can I Do? is published by HarperCollins

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Australian comedian on Nanette, her 'farewell' to stand up comedy; being diagnosed with high-functioning autism as an adult; and on Douglas, the show and the dog

Hannah made an instant impression with her first comedy set, winning a national contest in 2006. She quickly became a regular on the Australian and UK festival circuits, and on television shows including Adam Hills Tonight and Please Like Me.

After a decade of consistent work, Hannah wrote a show called Nanette, which she billed as her 'farewell' to comedy. In it, Hannah used the familiar context of stand-up to talk powerfully about trauma, her own trauma, and what her life's been like from the inside. It was confronting and raw, as well as tough for Hannah to perform, and made a huge impact with audiences, critics and other comedians.

Nanette was filmed for a Netflix comedy special, becoming one of the most popular ever. It earned Hannah prestigious Peabody and Emmy awards and a level of fame she never expected.

Hannah's most recent show was Douglas. In Douglas, Hannah explains that shortly before writing Nanette she received a diagnosis of high-functioning autism.

Further information

Douglas and Nanette are available on Netflix

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Helen recently published her diaries from 1978-1987. They include her thoughts on writing and work, parenting, love affairs, the quest for the right pair of shoes, and the pleasures of mowing the grass

Helen is the author of many books, including Monkey Grip, The First Stone, This House of Grief and The Spare Room.

Helen's also kept a diary for almost all her life. But until now those exercise books filled with her thoughts, observations, frustrations and joys have been locked away in a laundry cupboard.

Recently, she made the decision to get them out of the cupboard, and to publish excerpts covering the years 1978 to 1987.

Further information and listening

Yellow Notebook is published by Text

Helen at 75 in conversation with Richard Fidler (2015)

Helen's conversation with Richard on the case of Robert Farquharson (2014)

Helen's first Conversations interview (2008)

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

When David McAllister was a little boy growing up in Perth he would tuck tea towels into his undies and dance around in front of the TV.

He watched his own reflection, as he twirled, and leapt around the lounge room.

At 7, David went to his first ballet class at a suburban scout hall, and loved it right away.

But doing ballet was a kind of social death for a boy, in the 1970s in Western Australia.

David says the torment he went through at school helped to spur him on to become one of the best dancers of his generation.

After winning at place at the Australian Ballet School, he joined the Australian Ballet company in 1983.

One artistic director told him his nose was all wrong and he would never be cast as a prince, but he eventually danced many principal roles.

David was named as the Artistic Director in 2001, and he's been the longest-serving director of any in the Australian Ballet.

Next year he will retire after 37 years with the company.

Further information

Learn more about the Australian Ballet's 2020 season

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Archie tells of writing Took the Children Away and playing it in public for the first time, of his belated reunion with his siblings, and his love story with Ruby Hunter

Widely admired for his powerful lyrics and the grace of his pin-drop performances, Archie has overcome blow after blow throughout his life.

He was just two years old when he was taken from his Aboriginal mother and given to the Cox family to raise.

His foster family brought him up with love, in a house filled with music. But when he discovered the truth about his birth family, Archie's world shattered.

Years later, his song, Took the Children Away, would become an anthem for the Stolen Generations.

As a teenager, Archie found his way to the streets, where he found solace in alcohol, and eventually, met his great love, Ruby Hunter.

So many of the stories of Archie's life have become songs, starting with his debut hit record, Charcoal Lane (produced by Paul Kelly), and they're listened to all over the world.

Writing and performing have helped Archie endure many sorrows, as well as celebrate the strength of his culture.

Along with multiple awards for his music, Archie is a Member of the Order of Australia, and is the 2020 Victorian Australian of the Year.

Further information

Tell Me Why: the story of my life and my music is published by Simon and Schuster

The accompanying CD is also entitled Tell Me Why

Bryan’s played more than 80 roles on stage and screen. Raised in working-class Sydney, his talent, hard work, and unmistakable presence have been his ticket to the world. 

From Breaker Morant and Newsfront to Two Hands and Sweet Country, a huge number of classic Australian films feature Bryan, a testament to his talent, popularity and work ethic. 

Bryan also spent a period working in America, starring most notably in Cocktail and Gorillas In The Mist, before ultimately choosing Sydney over Hollywood.

In the 1980s, working on the American-made series The Thorn Birds utterly changed Bryan’s life. He and British co-star Rachel Ward fell in love and married soon after.

Their creative partnership has been enduring and they worked on Bryan's latest film Palm Beach together, with Rachel directing and co-writing, and Bryan also co-producing.

Palm Beach was inspired by a reunion of friends in later life, and a health scare that rocked Bryan’s confidence for several years. 

Further information

Bryan was awarded the Australian screen industry's top honour, winning the Longford Lyell Award at the 2018 Australian Academy Cinema Television Awards

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Exploring the drawings of children who've survived Syria's conflict. Australian artist Ben Quilty has made several visits with World Vision to camps in Greece, Lebanon and Serbia, housing refugees from the Syrian conflict.

On his first visit to Lebanon’s Bekka Valley, Ben asked the children there to draw for him.

The power of their pictures, expressing what they’d seen before fleeing their homeland, was immediate.

Ben has since made a number of visits back to the camps, often holding drawing workshops for the children, and has collated their artwork in a book.

Further information

Home: Drawings by Syrian Children is published by Penguin

(Proceeds from the book go directly to World Vision's work with children in the Middle East)

This conversation was recorded at the Brisbane Powerhouse

Live events with Ben Quilty and Richard Flanagan (for the School of Life):

Melbourne: Wednesday 28 November; Goldfields Theatre, MCEC 7pm

Sydney: Tuesday 27 November; Wesley Conference Centre 7pm

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Artist Davida Allen's true feelings about some of the trials of parenthood, bushwalking, and a raging attraction to actor Sam Neill have poured out through her paintbrush

When Davida Allen was in her 30s and stuck at home looking after her four young children, she'd reward herself on a Sunday night by watching the TV series Reilly, Ace of Spies, starring Sam Neill.

Davida is a painter, and around this time she made a series of works featuring Sam Neill as the object of her erotic fantasies, which culminated in the short film Feeling Sexy.

The Australian press went into a frenzy, calling Davida a 'Sex Mad Housewife'.

The reality is that she has rarely behaved the way that the world expected her to, in her art or in her life.

Davida won the Archibald Prize in 1986.

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

How a shy Mormon girl named Sharon became Poh Ling Yeow. Sharon Ling Yeow grew up in Malaysia, and moved to Adelaide with her parents at the age of 9.

She was a shy child, who loved to paint and draw, but found school and socialising overwhelming.

At home, her Aunty Kim taught her how to cook Malaysian food, and her mum taught her how to bake.

At 16, Sharon joined the Mormon Church, where she met her first husband, Matt.

Shortly after they were married, the couple left the church. Matt then encouraged Sharon to take the name Poh, which she'd been given at birth but never used.

The couple's marriage didn't last, but their friendship did. Poh had a flourishing career as a painter when she decided to enter a new TV cooking show, Masterchef.

In 2009, Poh was named runner-up in the final of the show. She met a man named Jono on the set, and later the two were married.

Since then, Poh has continued to paint, and she's opened a cafe called Jamface with Jono, Matt and her best friend Sarah.

Further information

Poh Bakes 100 Greats was published by Murdoch Books in November 2017

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

How the theatre tamed a wild child and helped him take on the world

Wesley was a violent child who was expelled from school more than once until a teacher took him under her wing and introduced him to acting.

Wesley credits the theatre with turning his life around completely, and he became a prolific playwright and director.

His plays include the award-winning 7 Stages of Grieving, which he wrote with Deb Mailman.

Wesley made a vow to himself he would become Artistic Director of the Queensland Theatre Company by the time he was 40.

It was a dream he accomplished in 2010, making him the first Indigenous Australian to head a state theatre company.

First broadcast October 2010

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.