Valley Artists

Date: 18 to 26 April 2008
Category: Performances

The much loved ‘Australian Classic' by Michael Gow

In 1967 - The Beatles produce "Sergent Pepper", The Vietnam War is in full swing, The Concord is unveiled and (closer to home) Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappears.

At times very funny, magical and yet painfully truthful, Away exposes the comedy and tragedy of three Australian families thrown together by a storm during the summer holidays of 1967/68.

Away opens with a school performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream and the great Shakespearean themes of suffering, regeneration and reconciliation persist. The characters and families of this play must confront and come to terms with loss, betrayal, love, anger, resentment, redemption, jealousy... in short, all the good stuff that makes an audience feel that it has experienced real ‘drama'.

This is a superbly written and popular play that captures the Australian spirit, makes us laugh at ourselves and tugs at our hearts.

Away was directed by Bob Philippe
(Come to Bits, The Removalists, Hotel Sorrento, Aladdin, Honour,
The Importance of Being Earnest and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.)