Queensland Theatre | The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race
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The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race

By Melanie Tait
Directed by Priscilla Jackman

ANY TOWN CAN FEEL SMALL WHEN YOU SAY YOU DESERVE MORE. Welcome to Appleton, a tidy country town with a population of 1557. Stop in at the pub in the arvo, try your luck with the pokies and why not stay for the annual Potato Race? It’s the highlight of the year. Only this year D...

ANY TOWN CAN FEEL SMALL WHEN YOU SAY YOU DESERVE MORE.

Welcome to Appleton, a tidy country town with a population of 1557. Stop in at the pub in the arvo, try your luck with the pokies and why not stay for the annual Potato Race?

It’s the highlight of the year. Only this year Dr Penny Anderson is back home in Appleton, and she has a question. Why should the prize money for the race be more for the men than for the women?

Cousin Nikki thinks Penny is up herself. Long-time resident Barb is up for a change but her friend Bev isn’t a fan of the tree-changers and their woke ways. Can they work together to smash through the glass ceiling, one potato sack at a time?

Playwright Melanie Tait takes real-life events and brings us a warm comedy showing the world that there’s more than one way to win a race.

Creatives

Writer Melanie Tait
Director Priscilla Jackman
Set Designer Michael Scott-Mitchell
Costume Designer Leigh Buchanan
Lighting Designer John Rayment
Composer/Sound Designer Brady Watkins

Stage Manager Grant Gravener
Assistant Stage Manager Nicole Neil

Cast

Nikki Rachel Gordon
Rania Natassia Halabi
Bev Barb Lowing
Penny Libby Munro
Barb Valerie Bader

  • Dates
    7 – 28 Oct
  • Location
    Bille Brown Theatre
  • Times
    Evenings: Mon & Tues 6.30pm, Wed – Sat 7.30pm
    Matinees: Wed 1.00pm, Sat 2.00pm
  • Buy Tickets
  • Ticket Pricing
    Adult
    from
    $68
    Senior
    from
    $68
    Concession
    from
    $68
    Youth - 30 & Under
    $35
  • Night with the Artists

    Monday 16 Oct 6.30pm

  • Duration
    90 minutes, with no interval.
  • Accessibility
    Auslan Interpreted Monday 23 Oct 6.30pm
    Audio Described Saturday 28 Oct 2.00pm
  • Play briefing

    Tuesday 3 Oct 6.00pm

  • Warning

    This production contains coarse language, smoke and haze effects, strobe lighting, dynamic sound and lighting blackouts.

    This production contains coarse language, smoke and haze effects, strobe lighting, dynamic sound and lighting blackouts.


  • Dates
    7 – 28 Oct
  • Location
    Bille Brown Theatre
  • Times
    Evenings: Mon & Tues 6.30pm, Wed – Sat 7.30pm
    Matinees: Wed 1.00pm, Sat 2.00pm
  • Buy Tickets
  • Ticket Pricing
    Adult
    from
    $68
    Senior
    from
    $68
    Concession
    from
    $68
    Youth - 30 & Under
    $35
  • Night with the Artists

    Monday 16 Oct 6.30pm

  • Duration
    90 minutes, with no interval.
  • Accessibility
    Auslan Interpreted Monday 23 Oct 6.30pm
    Audio Described Saturday 28 Oct 2.00pm
  • Play briefing

    Tuesday 3 Oct 6.00pm

  • Warning

    This production contains coarse language, smoke and haze effects, strobe lighting, dynamic sound and lighting blackouts.

    This production contains coarse language, smoke and haze effects, strobe lighting, dynamic sound and lighting blackouts.


"A very Australian, effervescently entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny new play with serious things to say and a gentle way of saying them."
— Limelight Magazine

Inside the rehearsal room

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