Magda Szubanski is one of Australia’s best known and most loved performers. She began her career in university revues, then appeared in a number of sketch comedy shows before creating the iconic character of Sharon Strzelecki in ABC TV’s Kath and Kim. She has also acted in films (Babe, Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet, The Golden Compass) and stage shows.
Magda is a featured guest at Byron Writers Festival. She is also appearing in a special off-site Feature Event with playwright Hannie Rayson at Lismore City Hall presented in association with NORPA. Event Friday August 5, Tickets $30 www.norpa.org.au.
If you had met my father you would never, not for an instant, have thought he was an assassin. Warmhearted, friendly, engaging, intelligent, genial, generous, humorous, honourable, affectionate, arrogant, blunt, loyal. He was a family man. He was handsome, although he did not have heroic stature. He was 5’4”. He was stylish, fashion-conscious; a dandy even. He also looked incredibly young for his age. In his seventies he took to wearing his baseball cap backwards and, believe it or not, he carried it off.
He loved tennis, he loved ballet, he loved good conversation. Out there in the Melbourne suburbs – mowing the lawn in his terry-towelling hat and his Bombay Bloomers; in the lounge room doing the samba at cocktail parties; late at night playing his harmonica in the seclusion of the laundry – you would never have guessed that he was capable of killing in cold blood. But he was. Poor bastard.
• This is an extract from Reckoning by Magda Szubanski (Text Publishing) available in all good bookstores and online now RRP$49.99.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
