Another critically acclaimed work by award winning playwright Elizabeth Coleman will feature in the Blackheath Theatre Company's 2019 performance program.
Following on from its box office success with Coleman's Secret Bridesmaid's Business in May, BTC is going to stage It's My Party (and I'll Die if I Want To) in August.
Speaking from her Melbourne home, Coleman recalls what inspired the hit play: "I wondered about the impact of someone being told they had only a certain time to live. I created the father, Ron, as a product of his generation. In his last few hours he wanted to bare his soul, so he summoned the family around him for a farewell party.....plus the undertaker."
The play has been performed in Australia, the US, Europe and New Zealand. The New York production starred F Murray Abraham. Reviewers raved about the play being "deliciously dark and very funny".
Coleman adds another reason for its success. "Many people told me that the familiarity of it really hit home. A dysfunctional group, nursing unspoken secrets and carrying some baggage of their own, called to a family gathering. Many people have told me that Ron 'is just like a relative of ours...a father, uncle or cousin'."
She has fond memories of the "beautiful" Blue Mountains with Katoomba as the base for several holidays when she was living in Sydney. She gave a positive verdict on the Blackheath Theatre Company's recently unveiled three-year plan to establish a widely recognised centre of excellence for community theatre, based in Blackheath and provide a centre for personal growth in the primary theatrical arts. The program includes performances, unearthing new authors, and staging workshops in acting, stage management, design and production.
"It is incredibly impressive. That is a tremendous vision and can only be valuable for the next and future generations of actors, directors, writers, producers and theatre managers."
It's my Party (and I'll Die if I Want To) will be performed at the Blackheath Area Community Centre (BANC) on August 15, 16 and 17 at 7.30pm plus 2pm matinees on 17 and 18 August. Tickets are available at blackheaththatrecompany.com or at Century 21 in Blackheath
