GET ready to laugh, cry and experience just about every emotion in between, because one of the most famous family classics of all time is coming our way in January.
Members of the Players Theatre in Port Macquarie will be heading down the yellow brick road to perform The Wizard of Oz from 10 January until 2 February. The play is particularly apt next year because it is the 75th anniversary of the first screening of the famous MGM film version starring Judy Garland as Dorothy.
But don’t be put off seeing it if you’ve seen it before, because there will be some new twists in this version which will help you rediscover why it afresh.
At a media preview, 20-year-old director Andrew Cockroft-Penman promised a new and different approach.
“Like most of us, it’s a film I’ve grown up with so we had two ways we could approach it,” he said. “We could try and emulate Judy Garland – which I didn’t want to do – or try and make it our own, go from scratch with a new approach, which is what we have done.”
What this means is that – while they had kept the same script, lines and much-loved songs – Kansas had been updated to the 21st century. Everyone has also developed their own characters from scratch.
“One of the biggest character changes is that Scarecrow is now being played by a woman and that automatically makes her a blonde, dipsy sort of scarecrow, which is really fun,” Andrew said.
They had also worked hard to involve the audience, which was particularly important for a play aimed at capturing children’s imaginations.
“There is a catwalk leading out into the audience, so you have actors and wicked witches within two feet of audience members, which is quite terrifying when you’ve got a wicked witch cackling away,” he said.
“We have action right through the auditorium, bubbles filling the auditorium, a fireball and a few other things – but you’ll have to see the play to find out about those.”
Despite the cackling witch, Andrew said the play was still suitable for all ages.
“It’s a family classic, fun for the whole family, so it’s cackling in a nice sort of way,” he said.
In all, the production involves about 80 people, including high school and university students who hope to go on and make a career in musical theatre or film or TV.
The play will run from the 10 January until 2 February every Friday and Saturday night at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm at the Players Theatre on the corner of Gordon and Lord streets.
Tickets can be purchased at the Glasshouse 6581 8888, or at the Players Theatre box office one hour prior to any performance or through the theatre’s website at www.playerstheatre.org
