Seniors champion Jenny Davis is helping to bring the much-loved WA classic A Fortunate Life by Albert Facey to a new audience.
The Perth actress, director and founder of Agelink Theatre has won acclaim for her work creating shows based on the oral histories of seniors.
Agelink is now part of Theatre 180, through which the 71-year-old has adapted A Fortunate Life for the stage with director Stuart Halusz and composer Ron Siemiginowski.
The innovative combined cinema and theatre show will be performed live at cinemas in Albany, Midland, Busselton and Geraldton.
Cinema screens will show landscape scenes filmed by Albany-based Green Man Media, which will form a backdrop to the live theatre performance.
A Fortunate Life chronicles Facey's hard upbringing in WA, his experiences as a private during the Gallipoli campaign and raising a family during the Depression.
As part of her research Jenny met Albert's granddaughter Christine Harling, who has acted as an advisor throughout.
"Christine seems to be keeper of the family history, she has all the memorabilia," Jenny said. "She has been a wonderful support.
"Her grandparents Albert and Evelyn instilled a sense of service to the community in her and she has spent her whole life working as a nurse.
"She told me when the book came out, she didn't read it at first as she had already heard all the stories!
The family is glad the story is getting a new lease of life, Jenny said.
"There was a stage show and TV series in the '80s and now it is time it is revived for new audiences.
"When the book came out in 1981 there were still people of Albert's age alive.
"Now that generation has passed and, perhaps, we need to be reminded of their resilience, integrity, forthrightness and hope, particularly as we face these challenging times."
The moving images that are part of the show were filmed around Wickepin, the Wheatbelt town where Albert's old homestead is located.
"It gives a wonderful sense of place and the actors interact with what is happening on screen," Jenny said.
"After the first season we hope to take the show out on the road with a projector to some of the tiny Wheatbelt towns."
Jenny came to Australia in 1976 and has been involved in the Perth theatre scene as an actor and director ever since.
She also works with people with dementia, creating workshops that use the five senses to stimulate engagement and elevate mood.
A Fortunate Life is showing from February 20-March 23.