A larger-than life adventure is coming to Coledale

DUST Theatre Collective is back with another thrilling, edge-of-your-seat show, Montana Smith and the Temple of Treachery! It’s on for six performances only at the Coledale Community Hall from 7 to 16 August.

If you loved Indiana Jones, Tarzan, The Mummy – or really any of Brendan Fraser’s 1990s oeuvre – this is the show for you! 

An original pantomime written, developed and starring lots of local talent, Montana Smith and the Temple of Treachery sends up all of your favourite adventure serials and brings them to the Illawarra in a ‘live action reboot’ for all ages – as in, the action all takes place live on stage.

Plus – a cast of zany and hilarious characters, from the tragically quixotic Monty himself; snooty British baddies; evil Russians with questionable accents; cowboys; cowgirls; ninjas; badass vigilantes and a Keystone Cop straight out of Cluedo. Not to mention fun songs that you know and love, gut-busting jokes, inspired choreography, a mine cart sequence, two heists and half a wedding – all in under two hours! 

Whilst this instalment of Montana Smith’s exploits is a sequel to the 2022 SPAT production, Montana Smith and the Raiders of the Lost Land, you can watch this one as a standalone and easily follow the action.

Writer Bernadette LeMesurier loved working in this world and with these characters, plus Monty was a fan favourite, so it was a natural fit to write a sequel and introduce the inept archeologist and pals to a whole new audience.

I was the director who led the first production. In this show, I have infused a visual feel inspired by classic board games and 8-bit video games, and there are certainly a bunch of film and video game easter eggs to spot!

Adam Wade, who is reprising his role as Montana Smith, couldn’t wait to get back into Monty’s (mud-caked, leather) boots.

"I enjoy being Monty because, well, a lot of the time he's me – a bumbling oaf who likes being loud and being heard but still seen as loveable for his innocence.

"A lot of us are the Monty in the room at some point, sometimes too much that we need the perspectives of others to make us greater than we previously are. We aren't always the hero and this pantomime does a great job of teaching kids that the heroes we idolise are sometimes a Monty too far. Come for a laugh at the loveable oaf (or roar or cheer at me), stay for the important messages it will give the kids." 

DUST Theatre Collective is an inclusive theatre group based in the Northern Illawarra with a focus on developing emerging creatives. The cast and crew have been working hard to bring this show to the community, and they can’t wait to share it with audiences.

Tickets via Humanitix.