It’s busy in The Dome tonight, with Tim Minchin fans readying to listen to the man himself in interview with journalist, author and broadcaster Helen Lewis in this short book tour in this format covering Manchester, Brighton and London in that order.
On arrival in the auditorium you’re met with the standard two chairs and low table format on stage behind which is a screen emblazoned with a QR code via which you can put questions to Tim. The woman in front of me is very excited “I’ve got so many questions” however she’s struggling to get in to place hers! There could be a meltdown but after a while she’s nailed it.
As we count down the minutes I considered the fact that Minchin probably did have a dream which has exploded into a broad, exciting career. Not that he hasn’t struggled in the beginning but diversification, hard work and dogged determination won through.
There’s a moment of hilarity when he’s announced and starts to enter, holding his phone, only to shoot back off and return sans “f**king phone” as he says despairing slightly of himself. Note that Tim Minchin is very “sweary” (his own words) which my plus one comments is “a bit much” but I find charming and pleased that there’s someone else who swears more than myself which is, I admit, a rarity.
He’s been looking forward to this …
“Hello my English friends: I am genuinely stoked to announce this lovely little Book Tour …. chatting about the ideas in You Don’t Have To Have A Dream (Advice for the Incrementally Ambitious) and answering some of your questions. Can’t wait!”
He’s genuinely thankful, as well as somewhat surprised, that so many people are happy to come out and listen to him chat.
Helen Lewis was a perfect choice as interviewer for this event as she and her interviewee spark off and tease each other from the get-go. Helen Lewis is a respected journalist, author, staff writer at The Atlantic and accomplished interviewer in my personal favourite platform – the long-form interview. She is the former deputy editor of the New Statesman, and has also written for The Guardian and The Sunday Times. At The Atlantic, she writes about the intersection of politics, society, and digital culture.
They discuss the writing process including procrastination “I don’t work if I’m not scared” says TM. It pleases me to hear Lewis introduce the subject of “chain procrastination” – no one’s houses are cleaner than writers’. I’m also guilty of this as well as getting all the washing done and weeding in the garden to skirt around my date with the laptop. Minchin laughs commenting that however he also knows a lot of dirty writers.
He knew what he wanted to do when he was 20 but it took him until the end of that decade until doors started opening for him. In that period in between he undertook a variety of jobs to keep the wolf from the door enabling him to continue writing his songs. He loves his work and the life it has enabled him to have but clearly doesn’t take it for granted.
At the end of last year, around the time when tragically his mother died “too young”, he made a decision to ditch social media and the news, only dipping in intermittently when required. Although he feels disconnected from what his friends are up to, he now delights in reading books instead and his concentration has come back.
References to social media continue to crop up throughout the evening as do discussions over the quality of life, appreciating the small things more and spending more time on the positive things rather than the subjects that engender fury. Literary and artistic references are batted between both Lewis and Minchin with him teasing her for her breadth in those areas. In a nutshell his is a rallying cry for creativity, critical thinking, and compassion in our daily lives which will affect our world globally.
His love for his family, currently at home in Australia, is apparent. He misses them and plans to be back with them soon; he is now “fed up of touring”, when although working on new projects he aims to spend more time with them.
Our time with him rushes by and they run over their allotted time but there was still time to cover audience questions to which he gave considered and, where suitable, humorous responses.
On leaving the crowd was equally buzzing and thoughtful following this relaxed and delightful insight into the man and I hope that once the London gig is over he gets to make that long flight home to his beloved family and chill a little. This is Tim Minchin however and I think chilling might not come without some effort to this creative, insightful, funny and utterly delightful human.
