The Very Model of a Modern Outback Theatre Company

One of the last places you might expect to witness Gilbert and Sullivan is a remote sheep station in the Western Australian Goldfields. But taking theatre to the people is the mandate of a relatively new theatre group in WA.

Stage Left Theatre Troupe Goldfields WA Inc set forth on their production in October last year.
It was the brainchild of "Big Quack" (President) Kevin Blair and "Little Quack" (Vice President) Lisa van Oyen, who wanted to expand on the thriving community theatre scene in the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Their concept was to "take theatre to the people." The ideas came tumbling forth with the help and energy of their committee, known as "The Gaggle".
In the last 16 months Stage Left can boast successful performances in small towns like Kambalda, Coolgardie and Esperance - performances at award nights and festivals in Perth and their particularly unique "Theatre in the Bush" production: dinner under the stars and a quality show, all staged on a sheep station 27 kilometres out of town.
Ms van Oyen said the aim was to create a really special theatrical experience and at the same time, to entice people to a show where they might not normally have dared to go.
"Our concept was quirky yet special and I am pleased to say that our entire troupe embraced it with gusto and we were strongly supported by the Goldfields community," Ms van Oyen said.
"We wanted to showcase the Goldfields and create a really special experience which has the potential to become a regular fixture on the city's events calendar.
"All four show nights were hugely successful and the weather was kind to us!"
Guests traded their tickets and money for gold doubloons upon arrival and then settled in for a gourmet buffet meal, fine wines and fun under starry skies.
Those who chose the accommodation option were able to stay overnight in comfortable dongas after lively sessions around the campfire. They were then loudly woken in the morning to the infamous "Duelling Banjos" and treated to breakfast cooked for them by cast and crew.
Attention to detail was equally important, with skulls on pegs along the driveway into the station, "Be ye warned" signs along the highway, intricate table decorations, a Pirate Penthouse with treasure for a lucky winner and a mangy crew all dressed in piratical finery looking after their guests.
The production itself harnessed the talents of performers aged from 11 to their mid-fifties. The colourful costumes, much-loved tunes and friendly rivalry between Police Bobbies and cheeky Pirates obviously struck a chord with the audience, many of whom are already asking "So what's the show for 2009 and when can we book?"
At the annual Independent Theatre Association (ITA) Robert Finley awards Stage Left was rewarded with a prestigious award for "innovative and clever concepts". Club members traveled to Perth to accept the award and presented an excerpt from the show.
No sooner had the troupe returned, than rehearsals were in full swing for the company's first production for 2009, a stage adaptation of the hit TV show "The Young Ones". In what was a ‘world first,’ they were granted permission by the show's writers to adapt episodes to stage for a debut in March.
The show was a runaway success and was sold out over its three week season. With news spreading once again to Perth, there are now negotiations underway to take the performance on the road.
Watch this space!
It’s clearly a case of "Enter" not "Exit" Stage Left.