Parrot

ALL-AGES TOUR

AUSTRALIAN youth music organisation The Push is bringing the All-Ages Tour back on the road in 2022 –kicking off this February across regional Victoria, including a stop in Stratford in March. Each event is being staged by teams of local young people, as a part of the Victorian Government FReeZA program – a youth development initiative that provides young people with industry skills and experiences in staging events in their local communities. “After a devastating 18 months for both young people and the contemporary live music sector, The Push is excited to have this opportunity to bring Australia’s best artists to regional and outer-suburban Victoria,” The Push chief executive officer Kate Duncan said. “We’re supporting a stack of incredible artists to get back on the road and into local venues – generating important employment opportunities in areas that have lacked cultural tourism throughout the pandemic, and rejuvenating the all-ages live music scene across the state.” The Stratford show will take place at the Knob Reserve on Sunday, March 20 and will feature performances from Thelma Plum, Dallas Woods, Emily Jansen, Spring Thing and Misty. All shows are all-ages, drug, alcohol and smoke-free, fully supervised events. Visit thepush.com.au for more information.

Misty & The Rollers

LOCAL Gippsland trio ‘Misty & The Rollers’ welcome you to their very own concert at Kilmany Park on Saturday, March 5 from 4pm-7pm. Misty is a singer-songwriter known for her captivating voice. Joined onstage by Rowan Salerman on drums and Calvin Capraro on bass. The trio's sound bridges alt-country, roots, flavours of jazz and easy listening rock. Guided tours will be offered on the day and a lucky door prize will be included to win a nights stay at Kilmany Mansion. BYO picnic rug and fill your basket with treats and refreshments - come celebrate the afternoon with some homegrown live music!

Standup comedy show at the Briagolong Hall

“RUOK?” is a new standup comedy show at the Briagolong Hall. Kline, director of eye2eyetheatre company, premiers his new show and joins a few friends for a night of laughs at the Briagolong Hall. In this new show about ‘everything’ , Kline wants to inject the local scene with some much-needed comedy. He is joined by local legends Sally May, Robert Leggett, and David Frazer, as well as a few surprises. Book a table and bring your own drinks and snacks. Bookings essential Email Gill on gilliankline@bigpond.com for reservations. It all starts at 8pm on Saturday, February 26.

P h o t o : C o n t r i b u t e d K l i n e i s h e a d i n g t o t h e r e g i o n .

PREPARATIONS ARE ON TRACK FOR MAMMA MIA!

MAFFRA Dramatic Society's production of Mamma Mia! is in full swing. The cast is going full steam ahead into their last month of rehearsals before their performances at The Wedge in Sale from March 3 to March 13. Boasting a cast of 40 local volunteers from both Wellington and Latrobe Valley, director Grant van Brummelen is capitalising on the fun and excitement that ABBA’s musical extravaganza brings. “It really is infectious,” Mr van Brummelen said. “We’re doing everything we can to make this the best show it possibly can be. We’re having such a blast in rehearsals and just can’t wait to bring the show to the stage next month.” And what better time to bring the ABBA spectacle to the stage in Sale. After a long two years in and out of COVID restrictions, audiences are jumping at the opportunity to get back to the theatre, as shown by Sale Theatre Company’s recent season of Strictly Ballroom in late 2021. The long-running musical was only just recently made available to community theatre companies after many professional tours and a couple of popular film adaptations. The story follows Donna (played by Catherine Hicks) who owns a taverna on a Greek island and is helping daughter Sophie (played by Ashton Hicks) prepare for her wedding. What Donna doesn’t know is that Sophie has secretly read her mother’s diary in a bid to find out who her father is, and has gone ahead and invited her three potential dads (played by Glenn Crawford, Leo O’Brien and Paul Lee) along to her wedding. As you would expect, Donna isn’t too pleased by the surprise and chaos ensues as Sophie tries to figure out who is her actual father. Tickets for Mamma Mia! are available now at thewedge.com.au

Maffra Dramatic Society is preparing for Mamma Mia!

Photo: Contributed

GET READY TO WIGGLE AND PLAY IN OUR BEAUTIFUL PARKS!

IT'S time to dust off the kids' costumes, as everyone's favourites Emma Wiggle and Elsa from Frozen will be making special appearances at our local parks during Wellington Shire Council's Parks Week events. Parks Week runs from March 5 to 13 and council has a calendar of events for everyone to enjoy our beautiful green spaces throughout the shire. Kids are guaranteed a great time during Parks Week at one of our Day Out events, with activities including a jumping castle, face painting, balloon twisting and a petting zoo. Baby's Day Out will take over Sale Botanic Gardens on Tuesday, March 8 for children aged 0-4, and their parents and carers. This year's theme is 'Frozen' - Elsa will make a special appearance and kids are encouraged to dress as their favourite character. Then on Wednesday, March 9 is Kids Day Out at Yarram Memorial Park. This event is a free, family fun day for children aged 0-6 years, as well as their parents and carers. Emma Wiggle will make a special appearance and children are encouraged to dress as their favourite character from The Wiggles. Our parks and gardens teams have worked with our community to put together a fun calendar of Parks Week events right across Wellington Shire. From forest therapy to community markets, skateboarding sessions to tree planting and culminating in the Sale Music Festival on March 13, the activities are a great way to appreciate and spend time in our parks. For more information, head to Wellington Shire’s Event Calendar on their website.