On Our Selection

Think On Our Selection and the work of Steele Rudd comes to mind, with remembered and loved characters of the Rudd family – Dad, Mother, Dave, Kate, Joe & Sarah. Director Rod Anderson has adapted the Bert Bailey play for this Hobart Repertory Theatre Society production. Although the play has echoes of the Steele Rudd literary characters it is not the same as his stories. The characters we have come to love from film, radio and theatre are all there, with all the classic Dad and Dave jokes and stories.

Set in the back blocks of Queensland, the action shows how the Australia humour has evolved in bad times, drought, and times of plenty. The funny, folksy, melodrama/comedy is the perfect vehicle for Director Rod Anderson to bring us this wonderful Australian classic. It will tickle your funny bone for days to come as you recall the antics of these quintessentially “Australian bush” characters, aided by bush band, the Cherry Gully Tunesmiths.

A high quality cast of Hobart’s best-known actors includes Robert Jarman as Dad, Noreen Le Mottee as Mother, Andrew Casey as Dave and Nicole Simms-Farrow as Kate. Jarman’s droll Dad and Casey’s knockabout slapstick Dave work beautifully together. With a fairly static set – the Rudd homestead against a painted backdrop of gumtree and farm scenery, scene changes come in front of the curtain, in this case a sepia-toned collection of the contemporary sponsors in the style of 20s/30s advertisers.

 Musical interludes featuring songs of the time – She’s Only A Bird In A Gilded Cage, K-K-K-Katie, The Wild Colonial Boy, I Want a Girl, I’m Going Back to Yarrawonga, and My Old Dutch gave the audience a chance for a sing-along.  Nicole Simms-Farrow’s beautiful voice set the standard, with energetic performances of other songs by Luke Visentin, Ivano Del Pio, Andrew Casey and Kate Choroziak, Noreen Le Mottee and Robert Jarman. In the large cast strong support came from Steven Smith as Cranky Jack and Ivano Del Pio as Maloney, with a feisty Tara Carroll as Sarah. All characters were believable and lovable. Trevor Gallagher played the baddies, the two Carey characters, Jim and Mr Carey, suitably different but equally unlikeable. An excellent night at the theatre.

Merlene Abbott