God’s fun waiting room
Local theatre back with hilarious production about growing old
GROWING old disgracefully is at the heart of the latest production at the Townsville Little Theatre.
Waiting for God is a barbed, funny and thoughtful exploration on the effects of old age on the young at heart.
With plenty of twists and turns among the residents’ relationships and their attempts to subvert the regime set by the penny-pinching manager, the script’s exploration of “growing old disgracefully” will entertain audience members of all ages.
So great is the pull of the production that director Alan Cooke needed no second thoughts when he read the script.
“Waiting for God was a wonderful television series of the ’90s or late ’80s, which starred Stephanie Cole,” Mr Cooke said.
“Another member suggested it and she had a copy of the script so I borrowed that. It was written in 2017 by the original author of the TV series and he kept the same beautiful comic characters and I said, ‘That’s it, we’re doing it’, quick and easy as that.”
After COVID-19 caused the cancellation of their production of Bedside Manners this year, the crew at Townsville Little Theatre was keen to get back on stage.
“All told we probably have 20 or more people involved in the show with the creative team and support people and we are all working as a team,” Mr Cooke said.
“It’s just a beautiful group of people working together to get the best out to the theatre
community who much this year.
“My production manager and I wanted to get it on before Christmas because people have missed out.
“People are sort of chafing at the bit.”
Waiting for God, starring Christine Scott as Diana and Eric Blyth as Tom, is a lighthearted comedy focusing on residents of a retirement home and flies in the face of conventional expectations about how the elderly ought to behave in their old age.
missed
so
“This 2017 stage version has presented a wonderful challenge,” Mr Cooke said.
“The cast have handled this job amazingly and the whole creative team, cast and support people alike, have melded to create a wonderful rehearsal period.
“The rehearsal period has been hard work but lots of fun.
“The play is set in an old folks home primarily and traces two of the inmates, he’s newly arrived, she’s been there for a while, they’re both elderly.
“They become really good friends and it traces some of the events that they go through, almost like mischievous young adults.
“The lead female character, Diana, is an actress’s dream to play, she’s very, very atypical for the age group, got a very blunt and sharp tongue at the same time, really some beautiful, beautiful one liners that just come out of her mouth at the right time, in the right way and guaranteed laughter from go to whoa just about.”
Mr Cooke is no stranger to
the fans
Theatre.
His first production in Townsville was in 1980 in Old Time Music Hall and he soon became a regular performer in both drama and comedy.
Mr Cooke has won several awards for his contribution to the arts and his theatre career in Townsville involves crewing, performing, stage management and directing, and spreads across Townsville Little Theatre, Townsville Choral Society, New Moon, Tropic Sun, Full Throttle, NQOMT
of Townsville
Little and a couple of special roles with Barrier Reef Orchestra.
He has also directed numerous school productions while working in Townsville secondary schools.
While performing is his favourite, Mr Cooke said he enjoyed directing and had done everything from small, “straight” plays through to large whole-scale musicals.
“I started when I was in primary school in England and I had to be in the nativity play,” he said with a laugh.
“I bullied the principal when I was in Year 10 so we could form a drama club. I did drama as an extra at teachers college and I haven’t stopped.”
Townsville Little Theatre is a non-profit organisation looking to foster both experienced and beginning theatricals and support people.
“I make it quite clear to the cast, they can do all the learning and performing they want, if they don’t have a support crew, then they don’t have a show,” Mr Cooke said.
“I think that’s one of the things in TLT that I’m fostering is that we recognise those people.”
>>Townsville Little Theatre’s Waiting for God will run from December 2-5 nightly at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2pm at PIMPAC (Pimlico Performing Arts Centre), Fulham Rd. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for TLT members and $15 for concession/students. Group bookings are available. Tickets available at the door or via www.trybooking.com.au/ 677364. Visit www.townsvillelittletheatre.org.au