A PLAY inspired by pioneering female swimmers of the 1900s will head up a revitalised theatre program that tours small towns in the Bendigo region.
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Bendigo Venues and Events' Small Towns Touring will present a full program to towns around the region for the first time since 2019. It partially presented a Small Towns Touring program in 2021.
This year will be the 12th time the touring program has been in operation with BVE manager Julie Amos excited to see it return.
"It's great to be back with a full program of Small Towns Touring to regional and remote communities in 2022.
"It has been a very successful program (since 2010). Across that period we have toured many different genres and styles of performance including music, drama, comedy and circus.
"Audiences appreciate seeing live performances in their home towns and their local halls and venues being used by the community."
Towns including Heathcote, Elmore and Boort will welcome productions this year with the first touring show - Waves - to hit the road in March. It will be at the Heathcote RSL on March 24, Elmore Memorial Hall on March 25 and Boort Memorial Hall on March 26.
"Waves is a solo theatre work written and performed by theatre-maker and performer Alice Mary Cooper," Ms Amos said. "It's the story of young Australian woman, Elizabeth Moncello, daughter of immigrants, and unofficial inventor of the Butterfly stroke.
"Elizabeth is a fictional character but the work is an homage to the incredible pioneering female swimmers of the early 1900s, and women 'of a certain age' that society has largely forgotten."
Following Waves, BVE will take productions Lost in Venice (May), Brass Monkeys (July), Hell Ship - The Journey of the Ticonderoga (October) and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra's - Beethoven's Last Quartet (November) on the road.
The program will also include Cushion Concerts for toddlers.
Ms Amos said it was important to drive a program like Small Towns Touring during the pandemic to help alleviate social isolation in rural communities.
"After so much social isolation these past couple of years, a night at the theatre with a friend or family member is long-overdue," she said. "These performances are a great conversation starter and provide the opportunity for a shared-experience 'in real life'.
"Every seat in a small town venue comes with a guarantee you will be close to the action.
"Instead of travelling up to 40 minutes to/from Bendigo these performances turn small towns into Broadway for a night. Distance can be a big barrier for rural communities who may not work standard nine-to five office hours."
Ms Amos said access to these sorts of programs also allowed regional and rural communities to access the arts in a way that didn't involve television or radio.
"There's something a little bit magical about being in the room when art is being created," she said. "It's a rare opportunity to step away from the challenges of day to day life and be totally absorbed in a different time and place.
"Town halls or memorial halls were specifically built for this purpose of bringing the community together. Each space has it's own personality and offers a rich history of experiences to the community.
"The local hall is more than a building, it's a place to dance, celebrate, sing, vote, meet, and mark important occasions."
Waves is on sale now and other performances will go on sale throughout the year at gotix.com.au
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