And I'm the Queen of Sheba
Penned by local playwright Kate Wyvill, new play And I’m the Queen of Sheba opens at Brown’s Mart Theatre this month, after a successful reading at the 2015 Darwin Festival.
The story centres on Alma who, despite living on a derelict cattle station sans cattle and income, refuses to give up her home. Adding to the excitement surrounding this play is the inclusion of veteran actor Melissa Jaffer (Mad Max Fury Road) in the lead role of Alma.
“Most of the roles I get offered at my age, apart from the wonderful Mad Max movie, are either dying in a hospital bed or riddled with Alzheimer’s... The character in Kate’s play is the same age as me and is a feisty, strong willed battler – a wonderful part to get your teeth into,” Jaffer said.
Melissa, who has never been to Darwin, is no stranger to our television audiences. She has starred in Packed To The Rafters, Farscape, Blackjack, All Saints, Mother And Son, A Country Practice, and as Dr Maureen Riordan in G.P., she has also performed for over thirty years on every major stage in Australia. Playwright and producer Kate Wyvill says Melissa is the perfect fit.
"As soon as I met Melissa I knew she was perfect for the role. She is just as I imagined the character, slight of build, wiry and nobody’s fool. Melissa is an extremely experienced and very funny performer, she will have our Darwin audiences in stitches and glued to their seats," she said.
Melissa is joined by Russell Kiefel (Breaker Morant, And No More Shall We Part – Griffin Theatre, The Blind Giant is Dancing – Belvoir Street Theatre), Leroy Parsons (The Circuit, Something Fishy, Proppa Solid – JUTE Theatre Company) and David James (Offspring, The Sound of Music, The Speechmaker – Melbourne Theatre Company).
Head along and check out this new local work with a talented cast who will make you laugh and cry.
