The Stirling One Act Play Festival once again reminded us why community theatre continues to thrive. On a crisp winter Saturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of making the journey to the warm and welcoming Stirling Community Theatre, where audiences were greeted not only with genuine hospitality (and the welcome comfort of a pre-show sherry), but with an afternoon celebrating imagination, creativity and the remarkable diversity of local theatre.
One of the real joys of a one-act festival is the opportunity to experience a wide range of theatrical styles in a single sitting. Comedy sits comfortably beside drama, established playwrights alongside emerging voices, and companies each bring their own unique artistic identity to the stage. It is a wonderful reminder that community theatre is not one thing, it is many voices, many stories and many interpretations, all united by a shared love of live performance.
Supporting this celebration of theatre was a remarkable team of organised magic-makers working quietly behind the scenes. The festival crew ensured each production moved seamlessly from one to the next, with Richard Parkhill leading lighting and technical operations, Tim Williams overseeing sound and production, Emily Currie and Laura Antoniazzi coordinating the festival, and Zoe Battersby designing the striking promotional artwork. Along with many other volunteers, they created the framework that allowed the artists to shine.
Group One showcased five productions from four companies, each offering something distinctly different.
The afternoon opened with The Dark Road by Laura Lundgren Smith, presented by Actually Acting. The play invites the audience to reflect on the life of a concentration camp guard during the Second World War, asking confronting questions about complicity, morality and the choices that shape the lives of others. It was an ambitious and courageous selection for a young cast, tackling material that demands emotional maturity and truthfulness. The ensemble approached the work with commitment and integrity. Mille Grainger delivered a strong performance, while Jasmyn Setchell was particularly impressive as Lise, bringing sensitivity and conviction to the role.
Play Every Day followed with two contrasting short works, These Boots Were Made for Walking and Starstuff, demonstrating the company’s versatility and flair for engaging storytelling.
Red Phoenix then revisited Chilled Wine, a work previously presented in their Promenade of Shorts season, this time with a slightly different cast. Laura Tregloan, Saruka Young and Kate Frazer formed a wonderfully connected ensemble, each bringing warmth, honesty and humour to the piece.
Across these productions there were several standout performances. Max Harris shone brightly as Brody in Starstuff, delivering a performance full of authenticity and charm. It was also a pleasure to see John Charles reveal a very different side to his acting following his recent appearance in The Taming of the Shrew. Here, as Dr Jackson, he offered a measured, restrained and controlled performance that demonstrated impressive range.
The festival concluded with Stirling Players’ production of Christopher Durang’s much-loved comedy The Actor’s Nightmare. Durang’s clever piece of meta-theatre demands pace, precision and razor-sharp comic timing, asking performers to effortlessly move between naturalistic acting, heightened theatricality and direct engagement with the audience. This interpretation occasionally lingered a little longer than necessary and would have benefited from greater pace and tighter precision. Nevertheless, the production captured the play’s absurdity and delivered plenty of laughter, sending the audience home smiling.
Festivals such as this are about far more than competition. They provide companies with an opportunity to challenge themselves artistically, performers and creatives with the chance to learn from one another, and audiences with the privilege of experiencing the extraordinary breadth of talent within South Australia’s community theatre scene.
The Stirling One Act Play Festival is one of those special occasions where creativity, generosity and community come together. Long may it continue.
