Entertainment News

A pivotal episode of Australian union and working class history will be brought to life in Redland Shire with the presentation of the Australian classic musical play Reedy River. Terry Annesley, Director of THEATRE GENESIS, has drawn together a cast of local actors for a dinner show that will be presented at the historic Redland Museum, opening January 26 2008.

Reedy River – the source
Reedy River is a classic of Australian theatre. Written by Dick Diamond in 1953, it was designed as a vehicle for the songs of the Australian bush, set in a major part of Australian history. The late Johnny Meredith spent years travelling the outback to collect and record the songs from
old-timers who still remembered them; even classics such as “Click Go the Shears” had almost faded into oblivion. The songs were given a new lease of life when Reedy River was staged at New Theatre in Melbourne and later in Sydney and has gone on to become a standard repertoire piece for theatre groups around Australia. As well as the traditional songs the score
includes Henry Lawson’s Reedy River, set to music by the late Chris Kempster and the stirring Ballad of 1891, by Dorothy Bridges and the late Helen Palmer.

Dick Diamond set the songs in the period of the aftermath of the great shearers’ strike of 1891. Despite a booming wool industry at the end of the 19th century, conditions in the shearing sheds were appalling, which led to a rapid rise in union membership; more than 90% of shearing sheds “shore union”. Then wool prices – and profits – dropped and the wealthy graziers
attacked the unions. When 2000 troops with Gatling guns and 1100 special constables were sent in to break the ensuing strike all was over bar the shouting; the unions and the workers were overwhelmed by the combined forces of the pastoralists, the government, the military and the courts. Several strikers were killed, fourteen union leaders were arrested, put in chains, tried and gaoled - and the sheds were left in disarray.

Reedy River is set in one such shed and is an inspiring story of Australia’s working class history, mateship, courage, humour - and, of course, there’s a touch of romance. With its proud defence of Australian culture and its shrewd commentary on social politics the story resonates
today as strongly as it ever did.

The THEATRE GENESIS production of Reedy River
Actor David Van Der Giessen will play the lead as Joe and Wendy Brewster from Woodford will play his wife Mary (the romance)! Local character Chad Sherrin has the challenge of portraying Thommo, the story teller and Mirko Grillini plays the colourful character of Tony the shearer (the character “Irish” in the original). Brodie the pastoralist is played by Terry Annesley and Daniel Saye plays Glover, his rouseabout; Jamin Samos plays Nugget the shearer and Dixon and Alf, the bullockies, are played by Greg Cook and Ralph Nankervis (formerly a blacksmith, jackeroo and shearer). Rose the barmaid is played by Amanda Grillini and Miss Andrews the
schoolteacher is played by Jan Nary. Well-known Redland Folk Club musician Vicky McDonald is the show’s Musical Director, with musicians Maxine Chisholm, Michelle Hartmann and John Allen.

Director Terry Annesley, winner of the Queensland Director of the Year 2002, is a popular and respected Brisbane actor with a wide breadth of experience gleaned over many years on stage and in film. Terry has designed this production as an outdoor dinner theatre, to be held at the Redland Museum.

“This is a rollicking bush musical with bush songs, bush people and bush ethics,” he says. “It is about an important part of Australia’s history and it is appropriate that it should be opening at such a historical venue - complete with a pre-show working blacksmith - on Australia Day.”

REEDY RIVER runs at 7.30pm (doors open at 6.30pm, meal at 7.00pm) on the following dates;
Saturday Jan 26, Friday Feb 1, Saturday Feb 2, Friday Feb 8, Saturday Feb 9.
BOOKINGS; REDLAND MUSEUM 3286 3494 $25 per head (sorry, no concessions).