Theoretically, I should be able to shake Michael Cassel’s hand. As one of the first people to get the coronavirus in Australia – from singer Rita Wilson or her actor husband, Tom Hanks, no less – the 39-year-old theatre producer is also one of the first to recover. So I’m feeling pretty confident that this rare COVID-era face-to-face lunch won’t be too risky.
Alas, discretion proves to be the better part of valour. As I crest the stairs to his top-floor offices in Sydney’s trendy Potts Point we greet with an unnatural sort of half-wave across a two-metre divide.
Andrew BurkeAFR Weekend editorAndrew Burke is the editor of AFR Weekend, based in the Sydney newsroom. He has worked at the Financial Times in London, the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and reported from across Asia and the Middle East. Connect with Andrew on Twitter. Email Andrew at aburke@afr.com
