General News
16 August, 2023
Stars shine at sold-out performances
A SOLD-OUT performance of ‘Minefields and Miniskirts’ in Terang last week helped to share the often overlooked impacts the Vietnam War had on women.
A SOLD-OUT performance of ‘Minefields and Miniskirts’ in Terang last week helped to share the often overlooked impacts the Vietnam War had on women.
The production features members of the Terang Theatre Troupe and Camperdown Theatre Company Rosemary Knight, Jackie Nowell, Patricia Storr, Robyn Vale and Pauline Van Dijk.
‘Minefields and Miniskirts’ explores the impact of the Vietnam War through the experiences of five women, traversing the often-confronting aspects of war and trauma without pulling punches.
The production has been staged throughout August in a joint effort by the Terang Theatre Troupe and Apollo Bay Theatre Collective with direction from current Commercial Hotel artist in residence Terence O’Connell.
Mr O’Connell is among the few authorised to adapt the work penned by acclaimed author Siobhan McHugh, with his adaptation having been viewed by more than 50,000 people.
Ms McHugh’s original oral history ‘Minefields and Miniskirts’ was the culmination of two and half years spent interviewing 50 women.
Ms Knight said the response had been “unbelievable” with 150 people filling the Commercial Hotel across the first three performances last week.
“It was just fabulous to have sold out, and the responses from the audience was phenomenal,” she said.
“We’ve had people coming from Colac, Camperdown, Timboon and Warrnambool – which was interesting to see so many people coming to Terang from somewhere else.
“People were amazed it was so professional and so emotional, factual and full of so many horrendous stories and the realisation women had a huge role in the war and were affected afterwards without it ever being really talked about.”
Tomorrow (August 18) marks the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
Ms Knight said she had received comments after the performance from people who related to the content due to their own experiences and felt the production had served to shine a spotlight on the horrors of war.
“It’s so powerful the way it is presented,” she said.
“When we started reading the script to learn the lines, I said it was hard to be reading it over and over again; it was depressing.
“We present some shocking fact, but in an abstract way like it hasn’t impacted us, like you had to get over seeing so much because if you don’t shut down or disconnect with it in some way you wouldn’t be able to function.
“You see why there was so much Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which people had to fight for the rest of their lives – people didn’t go to a war zone and just slot back in to normal life.”
‘Minefields and Miniskirts’ will return to the Commercial Hotel on August 25 and 26 from 7.30pm, in addition to a Sunday matinee on August 27 at 5pm.
For tickets contact 0417 592 670.