Screenwriter Samantha Strauss on her grandmother's vibrant last years in a Gold Coast retirement home where love, sex and startlingly pragmatic conversations about dying were all part of daily life. (CW: not suitable for children) (R)

Samantha Strauss started dancing from the age of 2, and as she grew up, she became increasingly serious about it.

Sam was 18 when her budding ballet career was cut short by a shocking injury.

After a year on the couch recovering, she reinvented herself.

A few years later, inspired by the story of her own life in ballet, she co-created a TV series called Dance Academy.

Dance Academy went on to screen in 160 countries, with Sam as the head writer across the 65 episodes.

Sam's next show, The End, was set partly in a Gold Coast retirement village.

Samantha got the idea as she watched how her own Grandmother's life changed after moving into a similar place at the end of her life.

She expected to hate it, but eventually she found a circle of friends who partied hard and talked freely about love, sex, and death, including experimenting with making their own Nembutal.

Further information

Originally broadcast April 2021.

Samantha has since won a Logie for her work on the Netflix program Apple Cider Vinegar, based on Belle Gibson’s life.

This episode was produced by Nicola Harrison. The Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.

It explores Belle Gibson, wellness, scam, scammers, Philip Nitschke, exit international, VAD, voluntary assisted dying, nursing home, aged care, grandparent grandchild relationship, sick parent, writing, being a writer, dance career, LA, Los Angeles, film industry, connections, Australians in LA, actors, nudists and naturalists.

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, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

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