Auditions for “Pack Up Your Troubles” – a commemorative musical revue
Auditions: Wednesday 28 January at 7.30 pm
The plan for this show is to open in time for ANZAC day.
We would like to take the show to a number of RSLs rather than stick to our standard three week season at the Dural Soldiers’ Memorial Hall. The show is suited to venues where people can sit around tables, have a drink and something to eat – celebrate this milestone of 100 years – thus ideally suited to an RSL. We still need to establish our venues, and would obviously be happy to hear from any RSLs that may be interested in having our show at their venue.
Our main need at the moment is to find a rehearsal/show pianist and the seven cast members so that we can commence rehearsals in February. We will audition on January 28 & January 29. Loriel Smart, the author, will fly over from Adelaide to assist in casting the show.
Cast must be of the stage age 25 – 35. One couple who carry the story will need to age 25 years between Act I and Act II. The other members of the cast will play a variety of characters with accents that are Australian, English, French and American. All performers will need to be strong singers and actors.
Interested people can call Eddie Bruce (outside of business hours please), on 0412 865 203 for further details.
This show was a great success in Adelaide and also country South Australia and Western Victoria where it travelled as a theatre restaurant show a number of years ago. Loriel has recently updated the show to ensure that it is historically accurate and also true to the spirit of celebrating the 100th anniversary of our men landing at Gallipoli.
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Pack Up Your Troubles
by Loriel Smart
Pack Up Your Troubles provides us with an opportunity to reflect on lives of the men and women who were unfortunate enough to be caught up in the two world wars. Through the reflections of a long term soldier, Michael Rieldon, we are taken back to France in 1916 where we meet the men and women that had a memorable impact on his life. In a small cafe we find Harry and Chooka, a couple of Aussie soldiers on a break from the front line. They enjoy nothing more than ‘pulling the leg’ of Johnny, the young English soldier they are fighting alongside. Teasing the young French waitresses is also a distraction for these men who are seeking a break from the horrors of war. The cafe owner is Dominique, and she and Michael have a clear attraction for each other. Breaks are too short and our soldiers find themselves back at the front line waiting for the next ‘push’ into enemy territory. We join Harry, Chooka and Johnny at the field hospital where their injuries are being taken care of by the gallant young nurses who travelled to Europe to ‘do their bit’ for the war effort. Thankfully, in 1918, the war came to an end, and we find ourselves back at Dominique’s cafe for the celebrations before the sad farewells are said and the men return home to their families.
Returning from interval, we find ourselves in London where our long term soldier reflects on his life during the Second World War. We meet Johnny’s son Barry and his Aussie mates Bill and Ted in a Serviceman’s Club, enjoying themselves while the Aussie lads wait to be shipped back home to defend the direct threat to Australia. We also find ourselves in the company of Dominique who has escaped to England and is running the Serviceman’s Club. Her reunion with Michael is memorable, but short lived as the war in the South Pacific sees him fighting a new enemy as he takes up a position overseas working in a liaison function with the American troops. To ‘cheer up’ the men, he decides to put on a musical revue, and that gives us an opportunity to join in the fun of a sing-a-long as Michael’s story brings us to the end of hostilities and his readiness to go back to a ‘normal’ life, changed by the horrors of war, but enhanced by the people he has met.
Pack Up Your Troubles is a musical review that pays tribute to the men and women who experienced the two world wars. It gives us all an opportunity to reflect on the part that Australian soldiers played in supporting the Allies as we enjoy tunes such as “Pack Up Your Troubles”, “It’s A Long Way To Tipperary”, “La Vie En Rose”, “White Cliffs Of Dover”, “Waltzing Matilda”, “We’ll Meet Again”, and many others.