The Show Must Go On...

Pete Malicki, Artistic Director of the short play festival Short+Sweet currently running at King Street Theatre Newtown, received a call on Monday from panicky director John Wood. An actor in his play "Just the Ticket" - set to preview the next night - had come down with pneumonia and was in hospital. Pete (ever the optimist) eventually talked him into finding a replacement and performing it with one day's rehearsal time.

Amazingly, John found someone and started organising urgent extra rehearsals. Two hours later, he rang again - his other actor had also been hospitalised with pneumonia!

Another stand-in was organised - they met at 9am on Tue morning, swatted, rehearsed and performed that night. More impressive still, they were both 'off-book' (script-free in actors' parlance) by Wednesday's opening night. Michelle Pastor and Alastair Buchanan - take a bow!

The piece by Newcastle writer Sally Davis - one of ten in this week's program - is about a young man attempting to avoid a parking ticket...

Photographer: Kerry Fluhr (from the preview performance)

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