Re-opening To Kill A Cassowary

PETER MCCULLAGH

IT is very rare in the world of theatre for a play to have a second opening night. To Kill A Cassowary will celebrate its second opening at the same theatre where 12 months ago it opened only to prematurely close due to COVID.

Based in the rainforests of Mission Beach, To Kill A Cassowary is a modern day struggle of balance and conservation.

The play centres of the world of Amos, played by Steven Tandy. Steven whilst well known for his starring role in the Sullivans has spent the past 50 years trotting the boards in some of Australia’s best known and well-loved plays including many a season with Queensland’s Twelfth Night Theatre.

Amos has left his life and family behind, and built an idyllic tropical lifestyle in the rainforests in the north. Amos is one with nature, the fish, trees and

cassowaries, but he isn’t one for his family.

Amos wants to keep the rainforest alive, however he fears his estranged daughter is going to come up from south with a plan to capitalise on the paradise and turn it into a tropical resort.

She has a vision for the transformation of Amos’s paradise and he fights her every step of the way. The relationship starts in a very unpleasant adversarial manner, as the play progresses they become more as they truly should. The relationship mellows slightly, still with drama and conflict, but ends beautifully. To tell you more would be a spoiler.

This play is beautifully crafted by local playwright Laurie Trott and narrates as story that’s only too common here in the north.

To Kill A Cassowary opens Friday night at Bulmba-ja and continues until next weekend. More details can be found at www.jute.com.au