Dancing At Lughnasa:

Hopefully you have seen promotion of the opportunity to participate in auditions for the upcoming Ballarat National Theatre production of "Dancing at Lughnasa".  We are thrilled that Mary-Rose McLaren has agreed to direct this production bringing it "alive and sharing the richness and nuance of Irish culture through this performance."

In case you weren't really sure the story is:
Brian Friel’s Olivier Award-winning play is an astonishing evocation of a family’s world on the brink of change.  It's harvest time in County Donegal, Ireland, 1936.  Outside the village of Ballybeg, the five Mundy sisters battle poverty to raise seven-year-old Michael and care for their brother, ‘Uncle’ Jack.
During the Festival of Lughnasa, Pagan and Christian meet and collide. The sisters fight each other, love each other, dance, yearn and survive.

Mary shared the audition information with us and if possible there are many ways that people can help:-
acting
set design
props
line running
help with accents
advertising
lights and sound
costumes
music
front of house
bump in 
bump out
and a squillion other things. 

Some objects that might be on set and also used to bring people into the space include:  Lace & floral curtains, a rug on the floor, metal buckets, wooden benches, wooden table and chairs, porcelain jug and bowl, hessian, aprons, wooden spoons, cutlery with bone handles, ceramic bowls, small knick knacks, gum boots, watering cans, knitted jumpers, knitting, flowers, kite wooden and tin toys, medals and charms, calendar, prayer books, spinning tops, hay, corn, wooden wheel barrow, old bike with wicker basket, basket of eggs, rosary beads, crucifixes, hard covered books, including an atlas, rolling pins and flour, grave stones - Celtic crosses, shawls. 

Mary has also offered to run a zoom info session to discuss ways that people can be involved.  But, the main way that you can help is by sharing the news.  

The production will run from Friday 27th September to Sunday 6th October 2024.  Tickets can be booked through:
Ballarat National Theatre - Dancing at Lughnasa - Ballarat National Theatre Company (bnt.org.au)
Her Majesty's Theatre - Dancing at Lughnasa - Her Majesty's Theatre Ballarat