It was this same passion that once stirred him to boo Societas Rafaello Sanzio's performance of Giulio Cesare at the Adelaide Festival. I hated it. I thought it was exploitative of people chosen for their disabilities rather than acting abilities. It really pissed me off. I think that's a legitimate response.
People walking out is a legitimate response.
I think art should be controversial. The role of the artist is to challenge the status quo. And the role of arts administrators, he says, is to keep their ideas fresh by never staying too long in the one job. So here he is, only a couple of months since he stepped down after six years as chair of the Melbourne Comedy Festival, undertaking another demanding role. The Victorian Arts Centre may be a centre for theatre, opera and dance, but its size is akin to a large shopping centre complex.