FOR seven years now, residents at Brookfield's Lifestyle Community Village have been treading the boards with their own amateur theatre group, and they're the first to admit it's driven them a little batty!
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The Brookfield Acting Troupe (BATs) started when co-ordinator and keen amateur thespian Pauline Knox moved into the village from Tasmania in 2008.
She advertised for interested fellow residents and before long a cast of 11 was rehearsing the pantomime 50 Winks for Beauty, while several others worked backstage.
It was the first of 16 comedies the group has performed over the past seven years, involving about 60 individual residents aged from 55 to 90.
They come from diverse cultural backgrounds and bring a variety of skills.
"Every year there are more newcomers joining in," Pauline said.
"A drama group can use a wide range of talents such as dressmakers, carpenters, electricians, artists, hairstylists and public speakers, to name a few.
"We always need people to help set up our portable stage and build the set, operate our lighting and sound effects and manage tickets at the door.
"Since our initial performance our audience has grown from 30 to around 200, and we now have two or three performances over one weekend."
She said the performances were all comedies, because the group recognised the importance of laughter.
"Our aim is to give our ageing audience something to laugh at."
There's also plenty of laughter during rehearsals, and members enjoy plenty of camaraderie and the satisfaction of bringing a project to completion.
The group now does two shows each year, and the next performance is Judith Prior's The Last Resort.
It will play at the village on October 17 at 7.30pm and October 18 at 3pm.
Tickets are $5.
Lifestyle Community Village Brookfield, Coburns Rd, Brookfield.
Details from Pauline on 8746-5128, pauline218@bigpond.com
