Winter is here, Cosi is coming

Prepare to laugh, cry and revel in the fact live theatre is back when Off the Leash Theatre present Australian play “Così” next month.

Tickets are now on sale for the sixshow season, with six shows at Wesley of Warragul and two at Algie Hall in Neerim South over three weekends.

Directors Tracey Rabl and Kellie Bray said seating was limited to 100 people per show to ensure an immersive and involved experience.

A play on the bucket list of many performers, Warragul’s award-winning theatre company has gathered a cast with a whole gamut of experience to present this quick and funny ensemble work. Newcomers Taylah Bordonaro and Flynn Francis will impress alongside those doing their second or third Off the Leash production, as well as a few stalwarts such as Todd Miller, Amy Moss and Sharryn Marshall.

“Così”, written by Australian playwright Louis Nowra, is set in a burnt-out old theatre adjoining the grounds of a mental institution in the early 1970s. A motley crew corralled by the manic depressive Roy – in equal parts endearing and insufferable – and encouraged by social worker Justin, is attempting to stage a production of Mozart’s opera, Cosi fan Tutte.

Fresh out of university and somewhat adrift, Lewis has agreed to direct the amateur production. However, between the impossibly elaborate artistic vision of Roy, the laborious obsessive compulsion of Ruth, the escapist tendencies of pyromaniac Doug and the small hurdle that no one can sing, Lewis has his work cut out.

Rabl and Bray have opted for a raw and deconstructed production design, incorporated live music and let the characters evolve for a fresh twist of this classic play showcasing ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

To book your ticket, visit tinyurl.com/ OTL-cosi-W for the Warragul shows between July 7 to 16, or tinyurl.com/ OTL-cosi-A for Neerim South shows between July 22 and 23.