Written for noni
When Australian acting icon Noni Hazlehurst first read the script of Mother, she was brought to tears.
The story was about an imaginary homeless woman named Christie, a woman who’d fallen through the cracks and whose past haunted her.
"I was just so blown away by the writing and I couldn’t wait to bring her to life," she said.
The play, which was written in 10 days by talented Australian playwright Daniel Keene, was written specifically for Hazlehurst after discussions between herself, Keene and their mutual friend director Matt Scholten.
"Increasing numbers of homeless people really are an indictment on all of us," says Hazlehurst.
"Particularly more and more homeless women are showing up and there by the grace of God go most of us.
"Hopefully (the show) will encourage people to reflect on the people they see around them and perhaps not be so quick to judge."
The play toured Victoria and Tasmania last year between seasons of A Place to Call Home and now after bringing it to New South Wales, Hazlehurst and the team are touring Queensland.
She performed to an almost sold-out Empire Theatre on October 22.
“I love the journey, I love the leap into the void every time, to see what the audience brings and to see how the night unfolds," she says.
She says she loves the challenge of a one-woman show as she just "adored telling stories and taking the audience on a journey".
Hazlehurst believes the arts have a particular role to play with issues such as homelessness.
"It allows you to see it in a non-confrontational way, they encourage you to reflect and to realise that this is just another human being," she says.
She says taking the story out to regional communities in Australia was something that was important to her.
"I think it’s wonderful to give a variety of theatrical expressions in all ports of places.”
"It’s just been so rewarding. In a way people are more real in the regional centres – in the city there might be some pretention attached to the audiences that might go to the theatre.”