A satirical musical theatre piece will be presented at the recently renovated Albany Town Hall, thanks to funding from the McGowan Government’s Western Australian Theatre Development Initiative (WATDI).
Albany-based arts organisation Southern Edge Arts received $95,576 to redevelop and present The Ballad of Penelope and Marlin to Great Southern audiences in July next year.
The production will create employment opportunities for Great Southern artists, who will be cast in lead roles, and make up the creative and production teams. Young local performers will also be able to gain experience by volunteering as performers or technicians.
The script, songs and costume design for The Ballad of Penelope and Marlin were originally conceived in 2016 by artists from the Great Southern.
The work is particularly relevant today – it is set in a dystopian future where people are in lockdown and unable to go outside due to an uninhabitable environment.
The WATDI supports the production and performance of world-class theatre in Western Australia, by engaging audiences and providing valuable professional development and employment opportunities for WA theatre practitioners.
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
“The Ballad of Penelope and Marlin will be one of the first locally written and produced contemporary theatre performances staged in the newly renovated Albany Town Hall.
“Although it was originally conceived in 2016, the script is particularly relevant during this time of lockdowns and physical distancing, but I know Great Southern audiences will appreciate the humour and suspenseful plot.
“I am delighted to see the WATDI is supporting projects that will contribute to a vibrant and sustainable Western Australian theatre sector.”
