Performed November 2005

GOLDRUSH

The year is 1861. We are in Victoria, alternating between the goldfields and prosperous Melbourne.

Balgarrie, where most of the action takes place, is a town near Ballarat, not unlike Sovereign Hill. Madame La Bonque`s little dancing academy is located just around the corner from Parliament, and not too far from Melbourne`s Chinatown.

Oliver Bent, who owns almost every business in town is determined to add the Balgarrie Inn to his property list. Bridie Brennan, the licensee, however is determined to maintain possession.

The struggle involves a coach-load of Australian French-style dancers from Melbourne, a bar-load of busty barmaids, a scuffle of quarrelsome gold miners, a homesick trooper, a detective disguised as a Chinaman and a cook who hates wedding cakes. The music is melodic, the dances energetic, the plot intriguing and the comedy robust and rib-cracking

I first wrote and directed a different version of Gold Rush in 1997, so directing the 2005 version has been an opportunity to meet the characters again and see how they've been getting on.

There's no doubt that different actors bring different qualities to the characters they play. They also change the qualities of the characters they play against. This time around, I find a Bridie who is a little more abrasive, but a little more vulnerable. Oliver Bent is even harder and greedier than he was last time we met, and his side-kick, Shadwell, is more devious and even funnier. Adrian Leech, who plays Inspector Wombwell and Hi Pong Loo, has found a seam of comic bitterness in Hi Pong Loo that was never there before.

Mary Wyte has given the character of Madame La Bonque a power and passion that surpasses anything I ever imagined. My favourite character of the play is the chunky, cheerful Sophie Lawrence, who is determined to have a good time in life in spite of her little (or big) problems.

Tracy Ballard has found Sophie's character completely. Her expressive face displays all the emotions and inner humour that I wrote into the character, plus two hundred per cent more that I never thought of.

I could keep going through the cast, delighting in their work and imagination, but it would take up the whole program. So I'll say well done, everybody.

During the three months we have been rehearsing Gold Rush we've made new friends and discovered new qualities in old friends. We've had our problems and our quarrels, but we've worked them out and turned them into triumphs and successes.

We've enjoyed rehearsing Gold Rush and I hope that that enjoyment and the friendships here in Pelican Theatre will get across the footlights to you and help you to have a fun and entertaining evening.

Goldrush continues our strong focus on the Australian experience and Australian stories, one that we hope to continue in 2006. This is Pelican Theatre Company`s sixth show, since opening in 2003, and we are going from strength to strength. The commitment of cast, crew and the whole Pelican community to our program has been wonderful to see.

We have such an exciting and varied program for 2006, as we grow the company and seek to develop even further our strong links with the community.

We hope you continue to support this company as we endevour to bring the arts and theatre to this district and involve the community in the great benefit that creativity can bring,

SOME PHOTOS TAKEN OF THE SHOW 24TH NOVEMBER

Photography by Jeff Cox