On a Friday night back
in September, my dad (Farmer Bill) and I attended Outback Theatre for Young
People’s original and brilliant production, “A Town Called Mills Acre”… Namely
to watch the youngest Barr and budding thespian, Henry take to the stage.
Henry
and his great mate, Tom Mason, had been chosen to mentor the debuting actors
and actresses from Barham Primary School – Mrs Laughlin’s class of K/1 Red.
Built in 1921, the
School of Arts Hall in Murray Street, Barham, swelled to capacity with over 300
people attending the final night’s performance. A culmination of more than six
month’s work with our Outback Theatre for Young People’s (OTYP) Angela Frost
and Richie Hallal.
OTYP Artistic
Director, Angela and Designer, Richie worked tirelessly with a core cast of
five students from Barham High School - Jesse Buchanan, Shanelle Faul,
Katherine Loomes, Annie Stewart and Eddy Wilson – together they developed and
wrote the play; a story about the families within the rural community of Mills
Acre.
The story of a small
rural community facing the reality of massive water allocation reductions for
irrigated crops, falling commodity prices, of essential services being closed
and the drift of country families to cities. A town called Mills Acre could
have been Barham or Hay or Wakool or Moulamein or any number of small towns and
communities within the Murray Darling Basin in rural Australia.
The full cast included
over eighty additional students from Barham High School, Barham Primary School,
Moulamein Primary School and Wakool Burraboi Primary School.
“Shelby McCoy and her family run an
irrigation rice farm. Their livelihood comes under pressure due to changes in
water access, environmental concerns, and the growing fear of an uncertain
future. The McCoys are forced to question their own lifestyle and very fabric
that holds their community together. This heart-warming story of a family
paving their way forward through innovation, creativity and courage.”
The play very aptly
conveys to the audience what it feels like to face the prospect of losing the
job you had always assumed was yours for life and with it your house, your
possessions, your security and your dreams.
It is hoped with further funding and sponsorship this
powerful play will go on to dazzle audiences in our national capital, Canberra.
Stay tuned…
