Entertainment
7 May, 2023
Play honours the women of CWA during 100th birthday
MORE Than Tea and Scones is a new theatrical production about the women of the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA).
It recognises 100 years of effort in 2023, its centennial year. Written by award winning Cairns playwright Angela Murphy, of Veranda Theatre, the show could be set in any CWA hall.
“I travelled over 2200km, visited 22 Country Women’s Association (CWA) halls across North Queensland and interviewed over 70 women,” said Ms Murphy.
“Their stories have been woven together to create a funny and insightful piece of theatre that will appeal to anyone who cares about their community,” she said.
“It’s an eye-opening revelation into what the women in the CWA do. It will surprise and amaze you.
“The show is heartfelt, honest and at times hilarious. It’s the QCWA in their centennial year and it’s coming to a hall near you.”
More than Tea and Scones is directed by Rachel Terry with actors Liz Christensen, Roz Pappalardo, Sarah Speller and Natalie Taylor.
Ms Murphy, founder of Veranda Theatre Co, is a Cairnsbased playwright. She completed a Master of Letters in Creative Writing at CQU in 2005 and the following year JUTE and Darwin Theatre Companies produced her first, full-length play, The Boathouse.
Drawing on her experiences as a high-school teacher she wrote Survival Instincts which was an award winner at the Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra Short and Sweet Festivals in 2009-10.
In 2011, Angela’s box-office hit What are the Odds? set on Melbourne Cup Day was produced by JUTE and in 2015 the company brought her office comedy Stewed to the stage.
In 2020, Prospect Terrace produced by Angela’s own Veranda Theatre Co, reignited theatre after the COVID-lockdowns, at the CPAC Studio.
In 2021-22, with the support of Arts Queensland and the FNQ community, she embarked on the journey of interviewing, recording and writing More Than Tea and Scones which is being performed at seven venues in the Far North:
• Freshwater CWA Hall (May 19 and 20)
• Clink Theatre, Port Douglas (May 27)
• Tolga CWA Hall (May 28)
• Cooktown Shire Hall (June 3)
• Mareeba CWA Hall (June 4)
• Tully CWA Hall (June 10)
• Millaa Millaa CWA Hall (June 11).
Bookings are available from trybooking.com
