Children tell tale in war of good vs evil
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Trent Bell - Kingpin Cannon Park from 6.30pm
The Grey Matter - Bohle Barn from 7pm
Headlights & The Hinges - Old Courthouse Theatre from 7pm
Lee Kernaghan & The Wolfe Brothers - Townsville Entertainment Centre from 7pm
Sarah Little - Bushland Beach Tavern from 7pm WHAT would you do if your innocent child was under suspicion of murder?
Townsville Little Theatre’s latest production of Wolf Lullaby asks just this.
Written by Hilary Bell and directed by Shelley Keehn Wolf Lullaby delves into why child murders happen, how it can be dealt with and whether a small child is more likely to tell the truth or say what they think adults want to hear.
Director Shelley Keehn said the show, set in Tasmania, was unlike any theatre production Townsville had seen before.
“It’s about the murder of a two-year-old boy, and he’s found scratched and bruised with puncture marks on his neck that seem like a wolf bite,” she said.
“The idea surfaces that the damage was caused by a child, so Sergeant Ray Armstrong questions all the parents in the town (including) Lizzie’s parents, Angela and Warren. It turns out Lizzie is the one that led him to the body. She eventually becomes the suspect.
“It’s all about how the murder of that innocent child impacts the whole family and the community, and that idea of generational secrets and a war between good and evil inside each person. I think it’s a really interesting tale because it’s Australian, it uses the bush and the idea of supernatural influences.”
Alleged child murderer Lizzie is played by Lucy Gounaris and understudied by Yasmin Babington, who Ms Keehn BY 9AM MONDAY THE WEEK OF PUBLICATION.
Airwolf & Latour - Otherwise Bar from 9pm
The Jamm - Molly Malone’s from 9.30pm
Paul White - Heritage Exchange’s Piano Bar from 10.30pm said may be the youngest actor ever to play the role at just 14.
“When Hilary (Bell) wrote it she did say she wanted an adult playing Lizzie because of the nature of the play, so as far as I’m aware, most people have stuck to that idea,” she said.
“Yasmin is one of my Year 9 drama students, and she wrote ... a piece about a murder, so she played that character in class. She was so amazing that I said to her ‘I think you should come to an audition.’
“Lucy has a Bachelor of Theatre and is a brilliant Lizzie, and I thought it would be a really good experience for Yasmin to be the understudy. She’ll be doing the Saturday matinee. It’s an awful lot of work to not get a chance to be on stage.
“It’s a really tight-knit cast. They were cast because of the way they fit together as well as individually how talented they are.”
Ms Keehn, a school drama teacher, said the genre of Australian Gothic is included in the new Year 11 ATAR Drama Program, and she encouraged high school groups to attend.
“I’ve timed it with that new senior curriculum so the local drama teachers can take their students to see something live that’s curriculum-relevant, and hopefully use it,” she said.
“There’s Year 9 students in the production, but obviously the parents were heavily consulted and totally informed about the themes.
“It’s a psychological thriller, there’s dark subject matter but you never see anything gory or violent happening.”
>>Catch Wolf Lullaby at PIMPAC from September 4 to 7. Visit www.townsvillelittletheatre.org.au for tickets and more info.