This delightful, Kalamunda Dramatic Society presentation, just short of two-hours, can be seen at the Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society Theatre in Barber Street, Kalamunda nightly at 8.00 pm.

This fabulous show finishes its three-week season on Saturday 3^rd December.

The scene is the present day, in the sitting room of a rundown house in the North of England.

The stage apron and the auditorium aisle became the local club. The artwork was by Olivia Peters.

The set designer (Alastair Woodcock) has stripped the small stage back to the bare brick walls. The furnishings are meagre and tatty. To one side of the stage is a staircase leading to a teenager’s bedroom. The bedroom walls are pink and adorned by the LP covers of singing stars from the 1960s and 70s. The props were few but probably very difficult to source, well-done Linda Murray. The busy stage manager was Karen Woodcock.

The lighting (Stephen Marr) and sound (Julie Hickling) designs were very well thought out. With several special visual effects required from a limited lighting rig, a most impressive result. The efficient technical operators were Alexis Marr, Lesley Broughton and Anita Bound. Greg Rusha engineered the sound.

       After her husband died, Mari (Sandra Sando) feeling abandoned, took to the drink. She is desperate for affection – and a regular sex life. However, life has passed her by, and this tarty woman finds herself throwing herself at any man that shows even the slightest interest. Her immature, 15 year old daughter, Laura ‘Little Voice’, or ‘LV’ as her Dad called her (Madeleine Shaw) was devastated by her loving Dad’s death. With only a mug saying ‘The World’s best Dad’, a photo of him on her bedroom wall, and his LP record collection, LV locks herself away. All day she listens to his discs, hoping to find some ethereal, paternal connection by impersonating the singers.

      Mari’s friend, Sadie (Rose Weighell – enchanting) is short of a few brain cells, but understands the circumstances of her friend and her daughter, and shows LV genuine affection. As Mari and Sadie are having an afternoon nip of Bacardi, the telephone men arrive to install Mari’s lifeline to her clients. Mari moves in on the older technician, Clark (Stephen Marr) whilst the very shy young assistant, Billy (Jack Williams) smiles fondly at introverted, nervous LV.

     No sooner is the ‘phone installed but the village’s ‘impresario’, Ray Say (Keith Scrivens – best I have seen him) arrives to ‘see’ Mari. Her neckline lowers and there is more flesh on show than in a butcher’s window. He hears LV singing in her bedroom and cannot believe the quality. Anticipating being the agent to an international star, Ray calls the local club owner, greasy Mr Boo (Derek Russell).

     Could fame be just around the corner for LV? Will Mari find the man of her dreams?

Director Terry Hackett has once again worked her magic. This is basically an absorbing comedy, but with her clever direction and a magnificent cast – not a weak link anywhere – Terry has brought out the frustrations, deep sadness and pathetic lives of the mother and daughter. There are several poignant scenes where the mother grasps at ‘affection’, and poor LV just feels totally unloved and reclusive.

Narelle Belle mentored Madeleine’s numerous vocal characterisations, and in one scene, Madeleine rattled through several well-known personalities, with a confident, powerful, and beautifully melodic voice with the perfect style of the person she was impersonating. The cameos changed in microseconds, requiring a modification of vocal delivery, accent, and body action. A stunning performance.

Sandra Sando was outstanding as the debauched and pathetic mother, filled with jealousy and frustration. Her rough Edinburgh accent grated, and her whole demeanour was daring and repulsive. Superb.

Every aspect of this show was exceptional.

In 1988-89, the play won Laurence Olivier Awards for Best New Comedy and Best Actress, followed by two Tony Awards, one for Best Performance by a Leading Actress and another for Best Play. It went on to win the Outstanding Broadway Debut award.

This delightful comedy is now being presented by the Kalamunda Dramatic Society Theatre (KADS) at their theatre in the Town Square, Barber Street, Kalamunda.

The curtain goes up at 8.00 pm for 130 minutes of fun and tears each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until the 30th July.

Jodi Cant’s set is simple but effective. The scene is the kitchen of a working class home in Liverpool during the 1980s. A table and four chairs represent Shirley’s kitchen. The walls are flats painted pale lemon with a few black drapes. The Greek setting is a contoured lounger, with sky blue flats (built by Alistair Woodcock and Karen Woodcock-Hall). Steve Marr and Les Marshall operated Don Allen’s simple but effective lighting.

The simplicity focused the audience’s attention on the script and dazzling acting.

         We join 42-year-old Shirley Bradshaw – nee Valentine (Jenny Howard-McCann) – in her kitchen, peeling potatoes; yet another evening meal for her unappreciative husband. Over the years, Shirley has found that the kitchen wall is a far better friend, and more responsive, than her brain dead, boring husband.

      One day, Shirley’s best friend wins a ticket for two to Greece and suggests that they go to the Greek Isles together. Being a dutiful and conscientious wife, Shirley has grave doubts at first, and then after much discussion with ‘wall’, she realises how her lifestyle has changed with marriage, and so decides to go and rediscover her lost youth and vibrancy.

      How will her friends and family accept this unacceptable behaviour?

 

Amanda Muggleton, who, in true Amanda style, performed almost the whole of the second act completely in the nude, brought this one-woman show to Australia in the 80s. This production is still sexy, but without flesh.

The play takes the form of a 110-minute monologue, a huge task at the best of times. When you add the need for a quality Liverpool accent, the unique Scouse mannerisms and their dry innate sense of humour, the task becomes mammoth. Further, add the ability to engage the audience, as though you are gossiping in private to your best friend, whilst having the comedic ability to delivery hilarious stories that may actually incorporate tragic undertones. These demands on any actor are massive, even for a major award-winning actor like Jenny; but she shone in all departments, with a truly stunning performance. There were numerous belly laughs and a few tears. Jenny’s performance was crammed with energy, and even after a couple of hours, the pace kept bounding along.

Fabulous teamwork from the skilled director and her highly talented performer.

I can imagine a sell-out, so get your tickets quickly.

This two-hour play can be seen at the KADS Theatre in Barber Street, Town Square Centre, Kalamunda each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday until 28^th May.

For any new people in the area and potential audience members, may I suggest that your beautiful posters and first-class website mention which theatre the show is at, and where the theatre is situated?

The scene is the year 2014, in the shabby lounge room of Herringbone Manor in Sussex. Due to encroaching poverty, the buildings have fallen into disrepair, with many of the artworks and treasures having been sold off. The set is the work of Richard Woolman, Bill Weighell, Paul Hodges and the designer Geoff Rumsey. The stage manager is Liam Rogers.

       Act One – The pedantic and painfully overbearing, Lord Alfred Herringbone (Paul Anderson) is reading his ‘Times’ and sipping on a whisky. Meanwhile, his tolerant wife, Lady Penelope (Marsha Holt) tries to ignore Alfred’s demands for perfect syntax. Their aging butler, Wick (Geoff Rumsey) is now a luxury they can barely afford, but as the Wicks family have been attendants and loyal servants to the Herringbones for centuries, they keep him on.

       On returning from holiday, their daughter Caroline (Rachel Vonk) suggests that they contact her friend Alyce (Natasha Smith) who works as a producer’s assistant on a TV show, dedicated to saving old manors. Will she be able to help? What will she unearth?

 

     Act Two – We find ourselves back three centuries at the beginning of the Herringbone dynasty, where the first butler, Wicks (Les Marshall) takes care of handsome, debonair Amberley Herringbone (Paul Reed) who is being chased by a gypsy girl (Natasha Smith). When he rejects her, she puts a terrible curse on the House of Herringbone for generations to come. Perhaps antiques expert, Justine truelove (Charlotte Weber) may hold the answer to the misfortune.

 

The two stories are both very funny, the first Act was slick and worked well, however, the second Act suffered from the ‘Curse of the Herringbones’. With only days to go, two actors had to withdraw due to severe illness; unfortunately, this left the second story under rehearsed. A little bit of script editing would also help, but it was a good storyline and well thought out.

Paul Anderson gave a hilarious, supercilious performance, with Martha Holt brilliant as the frustrated, long suffering wife – great chemistry between the pair. Geoff Rumsey was perfect as the present day, gracious Wicks with all his subtle quirks.

Quite a complex lighting schedule designed by Don Allen and operated smoothly by Tiernan Stevens. Julie Hickling’s soundscape was operated by Jason Millman.

Having the author direct his own play can be a risk, but Bob Charteris has had plenty of experience both on and off the stage, and with this very good cast he did extremely well.

The scene (set design by Christine Ellis) is an empty stage in the St Ignatius Church Hall. Later a stage set with sitting room furnishings.

It is the mid-1970s, and so the costumes are bold patterns, lace and of course the flared trousers (costumes Gail Michalzik and Melville Theatre). The director employed the auditorium aisle in several scenes. The lighting – very good, atmospheric opening scene – was designed by Stephen Marr, and operated by Tiernan Stephens, Jason Millman and Joy Miles. Audio design was by Lindsay Goodwin and Callon Leam. Stage manager Melissa Skeffington.

       It is a rehearsal night for the local, suburban Amateur Dramatic Society. 20-year old Alan (Callon Leam) has arrived early to meet his new love, Margaret (Jay Shaw). She a woman twice his age and is married to the play’s unbearable director, Phillip (Paul Williams). As Margaret and Alan are cuddling, in the shadows lurks the new janitor, Ted (Ian Fraser) a pedantic, obstreperous man.

      The other cast members arrive, and the rehearsal begins. One of the older members, Phoebe (Julie Holmshaw) and nervous newcomer, Pat (Sarah Langridge) start reading through their parts. The third member of the scene Doris (Dee Rowlands) has not turned up, and is already an hour late, so the stage manager, Ronnie (Gino Cataldo) is given the task of filling in for Doris.

      After half an hour Doris staggers onto the stage in a terrible state, a prowler has molested her. Minutes later, someone is found dead in the kitchen.

       What evil has hit this little hamlet?

The story got off to a slow start, with a poorly written First Act, which is surprising considering the quality of the fast moving and intriguing Second Act. The authors have endeavoured to work into the First Act a bit of slapstick comedy, which – although well performed – just did not work and cheapened the story.

There were out of date references such as to ‘Chief Inspector Barlow’, a character from the exceptionally popular BBC’s 1960s series, ‘Softly, Softly’. However, the actors battled on and the end of the performance was filled with suspense and some fine performances.

The cast performed well, and rose to the occasion – when the script did. The play has a good story thread, and is certainly worth seeing. Can you guess who the killer is?

This Kalamunda Dramatic Society’s two and a half hour performance starts at 8.00 pm at the Kalamunda Theatre, Barber Street, Kalamunda – be warned the car park has disappeared, being replaced by a tasteless concrete monolith. This Sandra Sando production can be seen on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings until 5^th December.

The time is early October 1993, the one hundred and eightieth anniversary of Verdi’s birth. The scene is a sitting room / music room in Beecham House, a retirement home set up for elderly, famous musicians and singers by Sir Thomas Beecham.

The carpeted room has pale green and peach walls. With a fine collection of props (Jason Millman), it looks the genuine article. There are posters of famous classical concerts on the walls. The furniture comprises a writing desk and a solid oak sideboard, with several comfortable chairs and a settee. Various musical instruments are lying around.

The apron of the stage represents a paved veranda garden outside the music room’s French doors. Set design Rose Weighell and Jan Taylor.

The lighting design was quite simple, but operated smoothly by Stephen Marr and James Glasson. Julie Hickling and Alexis Marr’s sound design was clever with subtle low-level bird sounds from the auditorium speakers – placing the audience in the garden.

      Three aging members of a world famous operatic quartet have fallen on hard times and, thanks to charity support, now live at Beecham House.

      Despondent baritone, Reg (Kim Taylor) sits fuming at Matron’s (Lesley Broughton) control on his eating habits – especially breakfast. He consoles himself by silently doing a jigsaw. Across the room, dippy but loveable soprano, Cissy (Kerry Goode) – who was a bit of a girl in her time – sits with her eyes closed, listening to her CD player unaware that the wickedly funny larrikin, Wilf (Douglas Sutherland-Bruce) lusts after her body. In fact, the tenor of the group, Wilf hungers after every woman. However, Cissy much prefers lithe young men like Nobby (Jason Millman) the gardener. Wilf seems to receive most affection and attention from Bobby Swanson (Les Marshall), still struggling after 60 years to come out of the closet.

     Cissy returns from a wander around the home, searching for the latest gossip. She has just learnt that there is a new inmate in the house, non-other than the fourth member of their quartet, feisty Jean (Anita Bound). Jean was the contralto star of their group, but she is now a broken and miserable woman.

     Cissy’s surprise news brings mixed feelings to the group, Wilf is happy but Reg is horrified, because Jean was his only wife and love. 50 years later, he still has trouble coping with their breakup. Perhaps if they join in the retirement home’s celebration, by reforming their quartet and singing together, their ‘good old days’ may return.

As the promotional material said, ‘this is a script that could be an inert embarrassment if performed by less accomplished players’, how very true. The script demands, humour, tragedy, sadness, even a little lust – and so the list goes on – but with the magnificent cast breathing life into every second, the play comes alive. You don’t have to be old to appreciate the predicament of the inmates. Lonely and frustrated they fight in their own way with their aging bodies, whilst determined to have fun and attempt to regain their much admired youth.

The director is Terry Hackett, one of WA’s most competent leaders; she has been recognised numerous times in the Finley Awards. Terry has chosen an outstanding cast, whose names also appear frequently in the nomination and winners’ section of the awards.

KADS is a small theatre, around 70 seats, but Terry has employed every inch of the stage and turned the auditorium into ‘a busy garden’, this made the whole action much more exciting. Clever skilling.

Poor Douglas lost a very good friend on the morning of the show, but like the true trouper that he was on the stage, with a performance that was both hilarious and flawless. His heartfelt delivery of the foibles of old age had many audience members nodding sympathetically.

Kerry Goode was given the bubbly, excitable part of Cissy. One minute, as the Alzheimer’s took over, she was hugging her friends on their arrival home, when most had not even left the room; then totally confused, she would fall asleep, drugged, in the chair. Kerry excelled in the last scene.

Anita Bound had a complex part, upset at the quartet’s proposed reunion, whilst optimistically trying in her stubborn way to unite with her ex-husband. Anita had passages of fast moving dialogue, and next she would be struggling with her aging body, trying in her mind to find some logic. A very moving performance, with a superb final act.

Kim Taylor, as the shunned husband, had hilarious, well-timed, wild outbursts – mainly at Matron – and yet still he manged to show his deep love for his long lost wife. In one scene Kim had to give a bold and assured monologue, before crumbling back to his usual withdrawn state.

This stage play seemed far funnier and possibly bawdier than the film, whether the scripts were different or was it the enormous skills of the director and her outstanding cast? The pace, chemistry, comedy delivery and sad passages were all performed with colossal skill.

I suspect there will be even more Finley Award nominations from this production.

Martin married twice, becoming a father (a daughter) for the first time at the age of 67. A keen art collector, he sold a painting at Sotheby’s for $26.8 million. Already having an Emmy and a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for his banjo playing, he was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2013.

The first reading of this play was at Martin’s home, with Tom Hanks reading the role of Pablo Picasso. Martin then first work-shopped his play at the Malthouse in Melbourne.

This hilarious 80-minute play (no interval) can be seen at KADS Theatre, Historic Village, Barber Street in Kalamunda. Season runs until the 8^th August with shows on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8.00 pm.

For half an hour before each performance the Black Chooks, a group of a dozen ‘French’ musicians playing guitars, violins, accordions, a concertina and woodwind instruments combine to give a superb French flavour to the evening. A true highlight.

The scene is 1904 in a trendy bar in Montmartre, Paris, the ‘Lapin Agile’ (nimble rabbit). The walls are black and a dozen empty picture frames of varying size and colour hang on the wall. There is a bar and small tables with chairs (design Cicely Binford, built by Barry Carpenter). A large painting of a country scene with sheep in a field hangs above the bar (artwork by Andrea Berry).

The lighting called for some special effects that worked very well (design James Glasson, Steve Marr). The quality costumes were extremely well thought out, from the refined waitress to the horrendous ‘third man’ (costumes by Leonie Briggs, Hannah Ranford). Smooth stage management by Lesley Broughton.

There was a very good front of house display by Bill and rose Weighell.

       The dim barman, Freddy (Jason Millman) is serving and chatting to his prostate challenged customer, old Gaston (Adrian Lewis), when into the bar walks Albert Einstein (Lachlan Stewart – excellent) a scientist in his mid-twenties. Albert has a date with a woman, and although he had arranged to meet her elsewhere, he has decided to wait in this tavern in case she got lost. Such is his lateral thinking.

     Freddy’s hot-blooded partner, Germaine (Sherryl Spencer) arrives late to help in the bar, but she is more interested in having an active love life and what the 20^th century holds for her. Close behind her is young innocent, Suzanne (Naoimh Healy), with heart pounding, she is searching for the man who recently painted her, the egotistical Picasso (Nic Alexander). Seated in the bar is an avaricious businessman, a top art dealer, Sagot (John Bevan), who is making a fortune from Pablo’s work.

     With the sciences and art genres covered, a flash conman, entrepreneur and inventor, Schmendiman (Gareth Sambridge) annoyingly interrupts the calm. Into the bar bursts a red-hot Countess (Nicola Chapman), she has a wonderful mathematical brain, so on seeing Albert finds his work sexually arousing; she grabs him by the tie and drags him off to teach him a new theory on mass, energy and motion.

     Yet another virtuous admirer (Carmen Miles) enters the bar seeking the man of her dreams.

     The bar blacks out and a messenger (Alex Jones) ‘a musician from the future’ arrives. Will he save the day? Who will win the talent battle, the scientist or the artist?

I have never been a fan of Steve Martin, often finding his humour stupid or delivered with a total lack of finesse, so I was not looking forward to seeing this play. However, when half a dozen friends strongly recommended it, I decided to make the 45-minute journey each way – and I am so pleased that I did.

Martin’s script was very funny, beautifully constructed with plenty of subtle asides and filled with whimsical nonsense. The audience laughed aloud throughout the play at the rich characters and their strange habits.

The actors all had accents, there was German, French, Spanish and English which must have been very difficult to retain when talking to another person with a different brogue. Many of the cast were relatively new to the stage, but one would never have guessed as they boldly delivered their lines with assurance.

With a small stage and a reasonably large cast, it can be difficult to keep the movement interesting, but this wonderful cast threw everything into their performances and created the required riotous atmosphere perfectly. The interaction and energy was magnificent, the cast just glowed.

Congratulations to KADS on your bright, easy to use, new website. Please also promote your shows in ‘Footlights’ on the ita.org.au website, – it is FREE – where everyone can see what is on each day, rather than having to search every venue (there are dozens of community theatres in Perth area) individually.

Congratulations to director Tim Edwards on this, his third production of this play. Great fun and well worth seeing. With the Black Chook music and the professionalism of the play, a really good night out.

A couple of co-incidences? Pomfret Castle is the location of Scene V in Shakespeare’s ‘Richard II’; and in the mid-17^th century, John Pomfret was a famous poet and journalist.

The Kalamunda Dramatic Society is proudly presenting this two and a half hour, highly entertaining, adult drama at the KADS Town Square Theatre, Barber Street, Kalamunda. The play starts at 8.00 pm on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, and the season runs until Saturday 7^th March. Sunday Matinees start 2.00 pm.

There are two castle based sets, complete with wrought iron candleholders, rustic furniture and wall tapestries.

The first castle has cleverly designed ‘thick’ walls, and a beautifully painted heraldic picture on the wall. The second castle, in France, has a convincing, well-bossed, arched window and a large fireplace. Excellent design and construction by Alastair Woodcock, with superb props, medieval swords and daggers sourced by Karen Woodcock.

The lighting was designed and operated by James Glasson and Stephen Marr. The soundscape by Lesley Broughton, Lindsay Goodwin and Tim Edwards.

A little basic history. In 1066, William the Conqueror sailed across to England from Normandy, in north-west France. He killed Harold and became King William l of England. When he died in 1087, although he had three sons, he decided to divide his land only between the two French born sons. William Rufus got England and his brother Robert Curthose received Normandy.

The favourite son, Rufus – now William ll – squandered his inheritance, and then screwed every penny out of his subjects. ‘Fatty’ Robert, who detested his father, refused to carry on his father’s work and burned down many estates in Normandy, before settling in Domfront Castle near St Malo. The third son, the sickly Henry was born in England, and despite being, the only one to attend his father, William the Conqueror’s funeral, received nothing.

       It is the 1095 in Taunton (?)Castle. The lord of the manor, William Gifford (Kim Taylor), is talking to his Welsh friend, Gilbert of Clare (Keith Scrivens) – from a castle near Caerphilly. Neither of them is happy with the performance or attitude of Red Rufus (as King William ll was known). Rufus (Joe Isaia) has commandeered a third of England’s forest, is constantly the worse for drink and generally enjoys the highlife to excess. They decide he must go, but which brother should replace him, Robert (John Pomfret) or Henry (Rodney van Groningen)?

      In the north, a Scottish army led by King Malcolm lll of Scotland (of ‘Macbeth’ fame, generally known in England as Malcolm Canmore – Canmore being Gaelic for ‘big head’) is nibbling away at England and has just conquered Cumberland. Gilbert especially would be most happy to see the Scots move south and kill Rufus. Whilst Gifford and Gilbert plot Rufus’ overthrow, a guard (a cameo appearance by the author / director, Carl Pomfret) is put on the door.

       The Second Act sees us across the Chanel in France, at Robert’s home Domfront Castle. The third brother, impoverished Henry Beauclerc (who is quite ill from stress and eating lamprey – a sand eel) sounds out Robert to see if they should kill their regal brother and take over the Crown of England. The powerful guards are called in to help, the Captain (Jason Millman) and his chain-mailed guard (Owen Davis). The pathetic and weak attendant, Peter (Luke Heath) is allotted to look after the King on his imminent visit.

       Will treacherous Rufus continue as King? On the other hand, will he be overthrown by sibling rivalry?

 I have to admit that I really did not want to see this play. I did not fancy two hours of heavy Shakespearean style dialogue and a pedantic story, ploughing endlessly on. Instead, I REALLY enjoyed this play. The magnificent cast delivered the fascinating and exciting story superbly. At no time did the pace drop, and not once did the audience feel lectured to, by being fed endless facts. The storyline was rough tough and thrilling. With virtually no violence, the excitement came from the richly written dialogue and the perfect delivery. Three brothers with very different personalities, all of them a little unstable due to their paternal upbringing; this demanded a great deal of talent from the performers, but they fulfilled the demand easily.

A very minor point, I thought the spotlight for the monologues did not really work. Had they been soliloquies, with no response from the other actors in the scene, then it would have been a good idea.

Rarely is the writer successful directing his own work, but in this case, Carl did an outstanding job.

This is a most enjoyable play, beautifully written, superb acting and with quality costumes and set. Do not be put off by the topic, be sure to see it. EXCELLENT.

The first play of the trilogy was presented at Stirling Theatre, the second at The Old Mill and this final, 90-minute episode is now showing at KADS (Kalamunda Dramatic Society), Town Square Community Theatre, Kalamunda every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night at 8.00 until 9^th August.

The exceptional set is of a carpeted corporate office, complete with water cooler, coffee trolley and several chairs. The walls are dove grey, with a royal blue feature wall showing the company’s logo. The set was solidly built and gave a very spacious appearance to the limited stage area. Set design was by Chris Ellis, who was aided in the décor by Karen Woodcock-Hall.

          The office door opens and the youngish, casually dressed facilitator, Jack Manning (Rhett Clarke) enters the meeting room of the charity organisation, ‘Enabling and Caring’. He arranges the chairs and just as he sits, two middle-aged women enter. They are frumpily dressed Amanda (Caroline McDonnell), Head of Programme Management, with her best friend and colleague, the project officer, Stella (Karen Woodcock-Hall).

        Feeling that they have been bullied and insulted at work, they have asked the Chairman of the Board, Brian (John Pomfret) for a conciliation meeting. Brian confirmed to the facilitator that his company was a charity, supporting intellectually disabled children and adults.

        When the old and supportive CEO left, the new ‘get-ahead’, perfectly groomed female CEO, Bridget (Gael Campbell-Young), replaced him. She is attending the meeting with her young clique, marketing manager Guilia (Kristen Twynam-Perkins) and young Cassie (Kassandra Smith) who has just taken over as financial controller from Amanda.

       As Jack settles down to interviewing the group, he nibbles away at the various versions of what has gone on, confirming various points with the company’s HR specialist, Tamsyn (Natalie Aung Tan).

Do the two women really have a genuine case of bullying? Or are they just jealous of the new CEO and her daring and exciting new ideas?

This topic is very much in the news, with legal cases almost every day for various forms of bullying and sexual harassment.

The cast were all very strong, but the two main characters, Amanda and Bridget were outstanding. The actors who played them were both very new to the stage; Caroline captured the withdrawn and nervous Amanda perfectly. It is hard to believe that Gael has only been acting for a few months. She had a major part with a complex character, yet the dialogue flowed naturally and with all the correct body movements and expressions. The audience could be heard to gasp on several occasions and the truth was revealed.

The director, Christine Ellis, took over the third part of the trilogy from her son. Brendan did an amazing job directing the first two parts. The direction called for real, in-depth character studies for each actor, with their lines being delivered with subtlety. The cast melded beautifully.

A little bit of a hike to Kalamunda, but well worth the trip. An excellent show, great script and terrific performances. Try and catch it before it goes.