Contents:
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The
principal cast showing the audience how to
clap: Nettie Lodge, Ian White, Roy Baker, Emma
Harvey, Betsi Beem & Larry Woods.
Photos courtesy of Oneill Photographics
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Secret Island, the latest Scotland Island play,
has opened to rapturous praise. And that's not just from
its cast and crew.
'Super night! Well done all', said Shane O'Neill, the man
responsible for marketing. 'I thought I was rather good',
mused one of the leading actors.
Even some unconnected with the production enjoyed it.
'Loved the play', wrote one long-term resident.
'Complexity from simplicity of props and diverse use of
lighting and electronics. Also, could hear and understand
everyone'.
'Excellent performance last night. Very entertaining and
we had a great laugh', said another audience member.
'It was great and very funny, well worth the trip', said
one mainlander, who crossed Narrabeen bridge just to see
the show.
And to prove that the play isn't as bad as the others say,
below are reviews written by two of Scotland Island's most
respected theatre critics. Chosen entirely randomly, of
course.
Tickets are still on sale. See the
listing below for details.
Secret Island: What
you didn’t or 'did' know about your neighbour!
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Your
chance to boo the villains: Larry Woods and
Betsi Beem
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A new island comedy, written by the secretive and
reclusive playwright Bogue Anthill, opened last night at
the Scotland Island Community Hall. As the play progresses
it becomes clear that what we think we know about our
neighbours most often is thoroughly mistaken. Yet what we
don’t know opens up a vast and almost endless range of
possibilities on which to create exciting gossip, laughter
and litigious action.
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Roy
Baker wonders how life led him to this
predicament, while Ian White benevolently
looks on
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Anthill, unknown to most Islanders (although Boyd claims
to be looking after his accounts) draws laughter and
excitement by revealing much of what we really do know and
experience daily on Scotland Island. The cast make the
most of these hilarious (??) every day experiences,
bringing laughter and howls of joy from the packed
audience.
Fitzy (Nettie Lodge) reminds us to laugh with and enjoy
those around us. Pat (Roy Baker) and Wendy (Emma Harvey)
bring us to laughter at the daily obstacles to island life
and the creative ways we overcome them. Angry possums,
emergency water systems, ferries, water taxis, the
community vehicle and yes, a Russian Spy ring led by
Natasha (Betsi Beem) and Alexei (Larry Woods) are all
there in this fun-filled romping adventure.
Sophie Lepowic, as Director, seems to have brought out the
same energy and life from the cast and text as she did
with last year’s Two Catherines. The players’ fun
and antics are reinforced with creative and hilarious use
of audio visual interspersions. Whitey, as Pat’s surrogate
SIRI, fills the screen with reminders and news updates as
well as reminding us, in action, just how angry a possum
can get when mating patterns are interrupted!
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Emma
Harvey and Roy Baker ponder the mysteries of
life, which include their next lines
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Pleasingly, the production manages to draw from and build
on the skills of many young islanders. Emile does a
fantastic job managing the lighting, no doubt showing his
mentor (Boyd) a thing or two. The young folk, Brayden,
Nakarin and Ray, with Gilly Unwin’s support, perform a
miraculous act in managing the clever and numerous set
changes.
One inconclusive aspect of this hilarious production
concerns the playwright Bogue Anthill. Strangely, the
program lists Boyd as the author. No doubt Anthill will be
thoroughly pissed off with this claim. But then maybe
Anthill, like Alexei (pseudo Davo), is just another
foreign interloper.
There is still time to come and see Secret Island
before it moves on to its next venue in Moscow. Perhaps it
will not manage to draw the same laughs there.
Tim Turpin
'Community at its best'
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The
opening night's audience was clearly engrossed
by the performance
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Who would have known that Scotland Island held such
world-shaping secrets.
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Nettie
Lodge and Larry Wood share a love of herbal
tea
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Secret Island revealed itself in an opening night
gala performance to a full house. Building upon the
momentum of last year's Two Catherines play, and
borrowing some of its devices, this international
espionage plot twisted in turns, with colourful characters
showing their stuff (almost too much) and their 'taking
the mickey' humour getting many laughs.
Even the two or three stumbled lines made it real, and all
was well-received by an appreciative and supportive
audience made up of locals and visitors.
The scenery, props, lighting and music (and food and
drink) all added value and the cameos and funny bit parts
on the screen on the side were really clever, helping to
engage and entertain the audience.
Well done to Bogue Anthill for his first play and
production. Accolades are well deserved by director Sophie
Lepowic. All the cast deserve special mention: Nettie
Lodge, Roy Baker, Emma Harvey, Larry Woods, Betsi Beem and
Ian White: I venture to offer no favourites.
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The
hidden talents: Boyd (sound, video &
slides) and Emile (lights)
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Similarly, all the accomplices did their thing perfectly:
Gilly Unwin, Brayden, Nakarin, Ray, Emile, Petra Godfrey,
Chris Hampshire, Lizzie Brand, John Travers, Shane O’Neill
and more.
This is community at its best: self-deprecating with love,
funny with a touch of drama and action, imaginative,
inclusive and generally well paced. None of this happens
without a large cooperative effort, including all those
who show up to watch, clap and laugh. So if that's not you
yet, there's still time, with three more performances to
go. So buy a ticket, and discover a well-crafted
secret.
Bill Gye, OAM
Scotland Island Community
Hall
Saturday 2 March, 7.30 pm
Friday 8 March, 7.30 pm
Saturday 9 March, 7.30 pm
(almost sold out)
BAR AND FOOD SERVICE
FROM 7 PM. NO BYO.
To buy tickets, click
here
Scotland Island Community
Hall & Rec Centre
Saturday 16 March, 6 - 9
pm
To buy tickets, click
here
Scotland Island Recreation
Centre
Sunday 17 March, 11 am - 3
pm
For details, contact
Anthea on 0480 470695.
Scotland Island Recreation
Centre
Tuesday 19 March, 11 am -
12.30 pm
The Recreation Club runs a
discussion group, meeting on the third Tuesday of each
month, from 11 am to 12.30 pm in the Recreation Centre.
Everyone is welcome.
Members take it in turn to
design a session. For the March meeting, Hazel Malloy
asks us to consider the nature of shame. What is it?
And is it good or bad?
Scientists
and writers from Charles Darwin to Brene Brown have
studied this basic, unpleasant emotion that most of us
experience from time to time. It can be used to restrict
anti-social behaviour, but it has also been associated
with depression, even suicide. That being so, how should
it be employed, and experienced, for our own good, as
well as that of others?
Readings:
1. The
Wikipedia
entry on shame.
2. The Scientific Underpinnings and
Impacts of Shame, from Scientific American, 9
August 2019.
3. Brené Brown's TED talk: Listening
to Shame.To understand the context, you may first
want to watch her more famous talk: The Power of Vulnerability.
The Recreation Club asks
for $5 per person per attendance to defray expenses.
Catherine Park, Scotland
Island
Sunday 24 March, 10 - 12
noon
Scotland Island
Community Hall
Saturday 30 March, 7 -
9 pm
To help defray
expenses, the Recreation Club ask for $5 per
person per attendance.
Scotland
Island Community Hall & Recreation Centre
Saturday 6 April, 7.30
pm & 9.30 pm
The Flaming
Doghouse & SIRA Recreation Club present the
ULTIMATE Beatles show.
Experience a magical journey through the
soundtrack of a generation with this spectacular
Beatles tribute. This performance brings to life
the timeless hits of the world's most iconic band,
The Beatles, in an electrifying show that's more
than just music. It's a history lesson in modern
sound.
Two show times:
7:30 pm - The Evening Show (6:30 pm
complimentary ferry from Church Point)
The Flaming Doghouse perform an unforgettable
ninety non-stop minutes of Beatles classics. Up
close and personal live electric music. Join the
band in The Green Room before (and after) the show
for something tasty to eat or drink. Make a night
of it. Prime-time entertainment. Ferry to Church
Point (via the Bays) after the show.
9:30 pm - The Late Show (no ferry available)
The Flaming Doghouse, in full electric mode,
perform the ULTIMATE Beatles show. Over two hours
of incredible music featuring hit after hit after
hit. Expect to be on your feet for this one - it's
Moon Dance time. Have a drink and bite to eat in
The Green Room before the show.
The Green Room backstage-themed bar & snackery
open from 6:30pm.
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newsletter?
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The
views expressed in this newsletter are not
necessarily those of the Scotland Island Residents
Association (SIRA),
or the Western Pittwater Community
Association (WPCA)
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