THE Upper Lansdowne Players will venture into new territory for its 2016 autumn season, promising it will be even more hilarious than usual.
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Committee member Sharyn Munro agrees, after her sneak preview on Friday night, when the elaborate costumes and masks were first worn.
"'Commedia Tonight', by Jeffrey Smart, is a fresh take on the early Italian street theatre style of Commedia dell'arte. This was the precursor of pantomine and gave us such familiar characters as Harlequin/Pierrot and Punch and Judy," said Sharyn.
"If you imagine over-the-top John Cleese, pantomine Dames and slapstick, you begin to get the picture.
"The play features young lovers, old schemers, mistaken identities, madcap antics, cross-dressing, masking and unmasking, money dealing, knockdowns and tumbles and much kissing (amidst audience interruptions)."
Director Cathrine Watson loves this larger-than-life genre and this play allowed her to give great roles to the teenage players in the troupe, Ciahn Pertzel, Mikaela Beckett, Quinn Patch, Joshua Lythgoe, Aiden Morris and Fabian Pertzel. Audiences will also be entertained by Vivenne Scott, Richard Coleman, Laurent Gonfond, Lorne Henry, and Ian and Sue Lythgoe.
Performances at the Upper Lansdowne Hall will be the dinner shows ($35 a head) on Saturdays May 14 and 21 and afternoon tea matin es ($25 a head) on Sundays May 15 and 22.
As seats are filling fast (one night is already booked out), Sharyn suggests people hurry to either book online at upperlansdownehall.org.au/bookplays/ or call Pieta on 02 5507 6066 or 0409 456 846.
The show will then "go on the road" as part of the Manning Winter Festival. After the May season at Upper Lansdowne, 'Commedia Tonight' will be performed on the evenings June 3 at Gloucester, June 4 at Killabakh, June 11 at Hannam Vale and in the afternoon June 5 at Tinonee.
Details available soon at venues or from www.manningwinterfestival.weebly.com.
Special weekend
THE Upper Lansdowne Players received an extra boost of acting encouragement at a special weekend workshop at the Lansdowne Hall with Lyn Pierse.
Lyn is Australia's acknowledged expert in improvisation and its teaching, and author of the bible on the subject, 'Improvisation: The Guide'.
