Could you give us a brief description of your new play Carol?

Carol is a play that takes our most familiar season and turns it on its head. Equal parts heart and humour, it’s a story of survival, shame and the search for connection at a time when expectations run sky-high.

Andrea Gibbs. Photo © Bo Wong

How do you yourself feel about Christmas?

For me, Christmas is equal parts joy and headache. I love seeing the lights around the suburbs, swimming in the dam on the farm and Dad’s giant waterslide that he makes out of black plastic. And, of course, demolishing Mum’s pavlova – which, sorry to everyone else’s mum, really is the best (#farmfresheggs). Me hosting though? Forget it. I’ve never had to do that. Being the youngest, I just get ferried around like lost luggage. Works for me.

You are known for combining comedy with serious issues in your plays. Is that the case here? And what was the trigger for writing Carol?

Yes, that is the case. The spark for Carol was realising how many older women are ending up homeless – and how quickly it...