Fancy a night at the theatre, on the house?
LOCAL acting talent Andy Carolan will be taking to the stage with a homegrown production called “Happy as Gary” later this month.
Tickets are selling well, but when a friend told him he might have to miss out because of budgetary constraints, Mr Carolan thought he’d offer 15 tickets to teens or adults ‘on the house’ for people in a similar situation.
“No-one needs to explain their circumstances. They simply jump on my website and follow the prompts to get free tickets,” he said.
The comedy play, written by and starring the Dubbo-born Carolan, will run for one night only at Dubbo Regional Theatre on Thursday, July 26, with an intention of making live theatre accessible to all.
“Theatres are a place for anyone and everyone. Just because someone can’t afford to buy a ticket, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be there.”
While admitting there are a lot of expenses involved in staging the show, the team of theatre makers believe there should always be room to welcome the disadvantaged. “We’ve done our best to keep ticket prices as low as possible. But if we know there’s going to be ten empty seats in the house, why don’t we open them up to people who simply can’t afford a ticket?” Mr Carolan said.
Anyone can register their interest in the “On the House Initiative” by visiting www.happyasgary.org or contacting the Dubbo Regional Theatre Box Office before Friday, July 20.
Presented by Dubbo Theatre Company, “Happy as Gary” is Carolan’s latest work and follows an evening in the life of Gary Tucker, an Aussie baby boomer struggling to keep up with today’s fastpaced, tech-addicted world.
Carolan guarantees a heart-warming night of entertainment.
“Gary is a salute to Aussie dads. He’s a dork, he makes terrible jokes and sometimes he loses his cool. But he’s a gentleman and we love him. I want the entire Dubbo community, of all socio-economic backgrounds, to have the chance to love Gary too.”
All ‘On the House’ submissions will remain confidential. Seating is strictly limited, and the show is not recommended for people under the age of 13 (due to occasional coarse language). More information is available at www. happyasgary.org