By Wombarra playwright Lindsay Fisher
My husband and both my children are professional performers, so I have collected a million stories around what it really means to make a career as an entertainer. From singing in a bar while the footy plays on the big screen overhead to being asked to perform for beers, entertainers are often undervalued and under-appreciated.
And so began Let Me Entertain You, a fun, musical ‘playsical’ that makes its debut at Coledale Community Hall in May.
It’s the story of a talented young woman, and a mother who would prefer her daughter gets a ‘real’ job, so does all she can to wipe out entertainment, and entertainers!
The show is a family affair because I’ve roped in my husband, Stephen Fisher-King, to play Barry Tone, an entertainer falling victim to the changes facing the industry. Stephen is an experienced musical theatre performer, having starred in major productions of Evita (Che Guevarra), Cats (Gus/Growltiger/Bustofer Jones), The Rocky Horror Show (Brad) and the Australasian tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber with Anthony Warlow and Sarah Brightman. He’s also a multi-award-winning Variety entertainer so is perfect for the role.
Our daughter, Darcy, will take the stage as Little Bird. Darcy is a Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts graduate who has performed in numerous musical theatre productions (most recently Bonnie and Clyde at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre). She’s currently releasing original music and performing in music venues, as is our son Billy, who performs with Jack Ladder and toured internationally with The Killers. They all have loads of experience, and lots of stories to share!
With a raw script in my hand, I joined the South Coast Writers Centre/Merrigong Playwright’s Program, where, under the guidance of Tom Peach, I did a lot of polishing before being offered the opportunity to stage the play.
And here we are!
We have a wonderful cast made up of experienced local actors, including Sally Evans, who is perfect as The President, Nick Kilpatrick as her long-suffering sidekick Hugh Jeffort, the wise Scribe is played by Tim Collins and The Elusive Agent of Mystery is brought to life by radio-stalwart David Rogerson, who is now a lecturer at the Australian Institute of Music and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS).
Basically, I have morphed from writer to producer and director, but I am loving every minute and can’t wait to share our wonderful production that will leave you singing, long after you leave the theatre!
Coledale shows on May 16, 17 and 18. Tickets via www.southcoastwriterscentre.org
