Inspired by real life events, The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race, written by Melanie Tait and directed by Priscilla Jackman, really digs the dirt.
After a sellout first season at Ensemble Theatre, The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race takes its all-female cast on the road in a mash-up of spuds, sisterhood and sexual politics as a small town's gender inequality is brought to the boil.
Appleton is a small country town being forced into the present with a recent influx of wealthy city slickers, treechangers and refugees. Simmering tensions come to a head when new GP Penny Anderson discovers that the famous Appleton Potato Race awards $1000 prize money to men, and a measly $200 to women. When Penny decides to take steps to restore gender parity and coax Appleton into the 21st century, little could she have anticipated the spiralling, hilarious culture war that would follow.
Inspired by real life events and featuring a cast of five fabulous women, The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race is a funny and heart-warming story about upsetting the potato cart and standing up for your principles.
The author, award-winning playwright and former ABC journalist Melanie Tait, grew up in Robertson - the potato capital. It and features the original Ensemble cast: Valerie Bader (The Let Down, Murder Call), Merridy Eastman (Playschool, Packed to the Rafters), Sapidah Kian (Rake, Gallipoli), Amber McMahon (Girl Asleep) and Sharon Millerchip (The Rocky Horror Show).
Grab your gal pals and get set to be charmed, tickled and outraged.
Time Out said: "Playwright Melanie Tait has written a shrewd, big-hearted love letter to the women of country NSW... It's near-impossible to resist being charmed."
The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race is on at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre on Friday, June 11 at 7:30pm and Saturday, June 12 at 2pm and 7:30pm. Tickets: Standard $60, concession $55, seniors matinee $40, 10% discount for Penrith Arts Lover members. https://www.thejoan.com.au/events/the-appleton-ladies-potato-race/.