Australia Day

Welcome to after hours at the lunchroom of the Coriole Shire Primary School, where the local Australia Day committee is gearing up for the big day.

Playwright Jonathan Biggin’s Australia Day pokes fun at well worn Australianisms – from the inhabitants of Coriole to the turn of phrase. It does it bloody well too.

Heading the Australia Day committee is Brian(Geoff Morrell), the Mayor of Coriole and hopeful for a seat in the Liberal Party. Robert (David James), his faithful deputy, is always by his side.

Making up the team is labourer Wally (Peter Kowitz) and Marie (Valerie Bader) both pleading for the ‘Australia that once was’. Helen (Alison Whyte) is the Greens member pushing for vegetarian sausages while Chester (Kaeng Chan), the local primary school teacher born to Vietnamese parents, seems to find proceedings more entertaining than insulting.

Australia Day‘s talented cast and cracking dialogue results in authentic and emotional performances across the board. The clash of different backgrounds and worldviews is cause for lots of laughs and eventually change, in (almost) all the characters.

Recommended.

Australia Day is showing at The Arts Centre until May 26.
To book tickets vists mtc.com.au.
Photo: Jeff Busby