This April, Players In Exile are presenting their musical play, “Anvil”, featuring the amazing character Anne Woodville, Irish widow blacksmith, who helps lead the Ribbon Gang in their fight for freedom in the tumultuous world of 1830 New South Wales.
One hot day, ticket-of-leave man, Ralph Entwistle, takes off his clothes and swims in the river to cool down. Unluckily the governor’s carriage clatters by along the new mountains road and the authorities punish Entwistle with fifty humiliating and flesh-tearing lashes for “affronting the governor”. It isn’t long before official cruelty leads to rebellion. 120 convicts, farm workers and bushrangers roam with the Ribbon Gang across the wild country between Bathurst, Goulburn and the Abercrombie Caves, where the last brave gang members are rounded up and sent to Bathurst to be hanged.
In “Anvil”, our heroine challenges the thin façade of social graces and colonial hypocrites, and risks everything to show Entwistle how to follow his dreams of escape to the fabled inland sea, far away from the shadow of empire and the whip.
After full houses and standing ovations in its premiere 2019 season in Wollongong, we’ve re-forged “Anvil” for three local shows then we’re bringing the revolution up to Sydney as a celebration of how the past has shaped our present, and of how heart-rich live shows are coming back to Sydney – and of course it’s also a special Easter holiday event. The songs pulse with contemporary folk and soul, playing with styles from Gilbert and Sullivan to Gregorian to Irish ballad.
“Anvil” writer/director Stephen Goldrick has written for ABC radio, the Sydney Festival, Self-Raising Theatre, Theatre-in-Education, national conferences, cabarets and for Playscript Video; for Players In Exile, Stephen directed “The Recruiting Officer” and co-wrote “The Pyjama Girl”.
“Anvil” composer/musical director Lisa Lockett has written for and performed with bands and collectives across Sydney and the Illawarra. Fusing folk, rock and classical influences, Lisa’s original music has been nominated for awards, including winning the Rhema Song of the Year and has been a two-time finalist in the APRA/AMCOS MusicOz awards.
Wollongong performances 8 & 9 April at C3, 345 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul
Tickets at https://www.trybooking.com/BXPGH
Sydney performances 13 – 23 April at Flight Path Theatre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville
Tickets at www.flightpaththeatre.org
For further information please email: play@playersinexile.com.au