Four works chosen for Little Theatre season

Works by David Williamson, Neil Simon, Agatha Christie and Bill McIlwraith will comprise the Woy Woy Little Theatre's 2017 Season at the Peninsula Theatre.

David Williamson's 2011 comedy, When Dad Married Fury, will be the first production to be presented in March.

The comedy follows septuagenarian Alan Urquhart who has made millions.

Twelve months after the death of his wife, he flies back to Australia to introduce Fury, half his age, to his two sons and daughter.

How will the sons react to the beautiful young gold digger on their father's arm?

The play has been described as a "blackly funny story about family, loyalty and new beginnings".

It will be directed by Ms Terry Collins, who threw herself into rehearsals with her talented and excited cast to bring another David Williamson play to the Peninsula.

The Odd Couple was one of the bigger hits for the Peninsula theatre company two years ago and director, Ms Shea Wicks, has dug deep into the Neil Simon canon in the hope of striking gold again.

Rumors is Simon's first farce set at the 10th anniversary party of Charlie Brock, deputy mayor of New York City.

Unfortunately, things aren't working out as planned as his wife, Myra, is missing, the kitchen staff has disappeared and Charlie has shot himself in the head.

"I can't see any reason why Rumors won't be as big a hit for Woy Woy Little Theatre as The Odd Couple was," said Ms Wicks of the play that will be presented in May and June.

Most community theatre companies like to stage an Agatha Christie murder mystery every few years and Woy Woy Little Theatre is no exception.

The company has announced Christie's 1950 classic A Murder Is Announced for August.

Ms Christine Vale is directing and will have her hands full with a cast numbering 23, including the obligatory retired Indian colonel and amateur sleuth Miss Jane Marple.

"This delightful mystery twists and turns starting when a notice is published in the village newspaper announcing a murder to take place on Friday at Little Paddocks at 6:30pm," Ms Vale said.

"A great plot, thought out brilliantly by the only writer in the world who could pull this off," she said.

A Murder Is Announced is set to be staged in August.

John Hickey held his hand high when the company was looking for a director to tackle the black comedy The Anniversary.

"It's probably one of the best plays featuring a dysfunctional family," said Mr Hickey, adding that "the Simpsons have nothing on the Taggarts".

Set in London in 1966, Tom brings his pregnant fiancee Shirley home for the annual wedding anniversary ritual orchestrated by his widowed, scalpel-tongued, deviously possessive mother.

Mum's arsenal of bitchy comments and Machiavellian stratagems is a creation of darkly glittering and consistently funny beauty.

Bill MacIlwraith's The Anniversary is scheduled for October and November.

Woy Woy Little Theatre is trying something new with auditions for these plays.

When Dad Married Fury is already cast and rehearsals are off and running, but auditions for the three remaining plays will be held over three nights in January.

An information evening where the directors will speak about each production and their thoughts about each play is scheduled for Monday, January 9, at 7pm.

Auditions for Rumors will be held on Tuesday January 10, A Murder is Announced on Wednesday January 11 and The Anniversary on Thursday January 12, all with a starting time of 7pm and all at the Peninsula Theatre.

Media release, 1 Dec 2016

David Wicks, Woy Woy Little Theatre