ONE-ACT PLAYS STEAL THE SHOW By Alan Giles, President of the Ingham Theatre Club

Over the weekend of March 20 and 21, the thespians from the Ingham Theatre Group (ITG), came together to perform a series of one act plays, skits and other items, over three performances, for appreciative audiences at the Forrest Beach Progress Associations, community hall.

As a result of the Kelly Theatre being unavailable following severe damage from last year’s flood event, the Groups yearly One Act Play performance, had to be shifted to a new venue. The hall at Forrest Beach provided the ideal place for community theatre, and the staging of the yearly performance. We could not have chosen a better place!

Preparations for the event, entitled, In Good Audience, proudly produced by Steven Veltmeyer, started early this year with the group selecting and casting an eclectic range of short items featuring comedy, drama, improvisation and youth theatre. A hectic schedule of line learning and rehearsals ensued. It culminated after two months in a weekend of performance which not only involved the players but also supporting members of other community groups.

Three performances were scheduled for the weekend, regardless of the inclement weather caused by Cyclone Narelle. Friday night, Saturday night and for the first time, a Saturday afternoon matinee, for patrons who prefer not to travel at night. All of the shows were well attended with over to 200 patrons overall for the weekend.

The program, enjoyed by the audiences, was varied and included comedic skits, short dramatic one act plays, theatre sports and a vocal item. The items showcased the talents of club members from seventy-year-olds to primary school children.

A highlight of the matinee was the first performance of our Junior Theatre group, mostly young Primary School aged children, to the community at large. Their performance of The Magic Lamp, wonderfully directed by their club teacher Kimberley Veltmeyer, was well received by the audience. We are very proud of this group, which only commenced in 2025, as it allows our club to introduce to and involve younger members of our community in the dramatic arts.

Audiences at all three performances, which lasted for approximately ninety minutes, expressed a high level of enjoyment in the program and especially to the chance of experiencing drama at the Forrest Beach venue. For us the weekend was a complete success!

We would like to thank the members of the Forrest Beach Progress Association and the Forrest Beach Surf Life Saving Association who provided support for the performances and to the Hinchinbrook Shire Council who provided a Community Grant of $600 to go towards the costs of running the event. Thanks also to Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School and to Hinchinbrook Rotary Club who generously helped with provision of equipment for the event.

Thanks to all the drama lovers who attended. Where would we be without you? We are eagerly looking forward to next year’s One Act Plays.

COMMUNITY THEATRE IS ALIVE AND WELL IN INGHAM!

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