Entertainment
11 February, 2024
Absolutely true Rumours
TO kick off 70th anniversary celebrations of Cairns’ most prolific community theatre, the Rondo Theatre is coming back to the stage for its season opener with a hilarious farce, Rumours by Neil Simon, that will transport you to a dinner party from hell.
Theatre season is finally here, and cackles are on the menu with Rondo’s Rumours coming up from February 23 to March 2. The play will also mark the beginning of the theatre’s platinum jubilee.
Directed by Narelle Shorey, Rumours tells the story of deputy mayor Charlie Brock and his wife Myra’s glamorous 10th anniversary dinner party, but when the first guests Ken and Chris Gorman arrive to find Charlie wounded in bed, with his wife missing, and a dinner yet to be cooked, they decide to protect Charlie’s reputation over his life. What ensues as guests begin to arrive is absolute chaos with crazy stories, rumours and conspiracies being concocted in an attempt to continue the cover-up.
Producer Kevin Shorey said it was exciting to kick off the 70th anniversary with Rumours.
“Rumours is an exercise in comedic timing. Sometimes I worry more that the laughter is going to drown out the next comic line,” he said.
“My wife Narelle Shorey is the director and, as it is a play set in the 80s, we’ll also be paying homage to the Rondo building which was built 40 years ago.
“In Rumours we have four well-to-do couples getting together for their friend’s 10th wedding anniversary, so the couples begin to arrive and there’s a lot of confusion, and we have five very well accomplished actors and four very well accomplished actresses dressed beautifully in 80s outfits with 80s décor and it’s a laugh from beginning to end.”
Mr Shorey said the play would bring a laugh to the community during these tough times.
“There has been so much trauma for everyone with the floods and we’re all experiencing so much angst that there’s a need for distraction and total enjoyment and that’s what we want to do,” he said.
“So if you just want to laugh, sit back and enjoy a glass of wine in a very intimate theatre space where you can almost touch the actors, come along and join us.”
To buy tickets, visit https://therondo.com.au/
