Director Rob Jorritsma said the contemporary play was character-driven and highly emotive.

“It is a highly emotive play that is pretty raw with some strong confrontations in it,” he said.

“It is such a great story, people will be moved by what's happening.”

The Peach Season was written by Australian writer Debra Oswald who has also penned a number of other plays and was the head writer for popular television show Offspring.

It tells the story of single mother Celia who, after her husband is shot in an armed robbery, relocates to the country and takes over a peach farm.

When her pickers don’t turn up for harvest, she is forced to take on two young people with a dark past.

It is the character dynamics that make The Peach Season particularly intriguing.

Mr Jorritsma said he and the cast worked hard on exploring the character’s motivations.

“We started in January and for the first few weeks we explored things and looked at what's happening in certain scenes without focusing on the text,” he said.

“We were looking at the dynamics, which worked well in a play like this. It is about what is happening to people. 

“I am fortunate to have this cast. They work well together and we are having heaps of fun.”

The play features a small cast – only six characters – making the pace of the dialogue particularly important.

April Bevin, Seamus Curtain-Magee, Bronwyn Lamb, Izrael Little, Sebastian Marshall, and Clare Shamier step into the spotlight to bring The Peach Season to life.

“We wanted it to be a snappy play, not many gaps,” Mr Jorritsma said. 

“There is the odd moment where things quieten down and gets still but there is always a reason for it. Otherwise it is a fast-moving thing.

“It is as if you are listening to a conversation. It’s so colloquial, the way the characters speak to each other.”

The Peach Season features original music by Charles Affleck, contains adult themes and is suitable for mature audiences.

It is on at Castlemaine Town Hall on May 6, 7, 13 and 14 from 8pm and May 15 and 22 from 2pm.

Tickets are available from Maine Shoes and Accessories Barker Street, Castlemaine, by phone 5472 1136 or at www.trybooking.com/KZYA