Rodney Stevens
Lower Clarence theatre group Rocky Mouth Productions are in the final stages rehearsing for their inaugural stage performance of Steel Magnolias which is set to delight and entertain audiences when it debuts on July 28.
Formed in 2022, Rocky Mouth Productions was born from the collective vision of five talented local women, Kate Begbie, Lisa Eckersley, Jennifer McPherson, Julie Dimond, and Veronica Alexander, who were determined to establish a dynamic theatre company in the Clarence Valley.
Steel Magnolias, based on Robert Harlings original 1987 stage play, tells the story of the trials and tribulations of six close-knit witty women from a community whose lives come together at Truvy’s Beauty Parlour.
Rocky Mouth Productions President Jennifer McPherson said the show represents a true labour of love for the team and they are very pleased to share it with the community.
“Steel Magnolias is a story about the power of friendship and community,” she said.
“In the last few years, the need for this has never been greater, and we thought this was a wonderful message to have as our first show.”
Independent Director Margaret Ramsey Steel Magnolias features a cast of six women in a feel-good community play that details the relationships of the clients of Truvy’s home salon.
“One of the ladies, M’Lynn has a daughter (Shelby) who has diabetes, and the first scene is on her wedding day, and they are all in the salon when she gets ready for her wedding,” she said.
“The story pivots around Shelby because she’s not well and how they deal with it.
“In the second scene she tells her mother she is having a child, which her mother isn’t thrilled about because it is going to put stress on her body.
“In the third scene we find out after having the child that Shelby’s body is struggling, and her mother is going to give her a kidney transplant.”
Ms Ramsey said as the cast features women with a variety of ages from Truvy’s apprentice to older clients, Steel Magnolias will appeal to people of all ages.
“It is quite comedic, it’s got a lot of really good lines so it’s humorous, but it’s got this underlying storyline that is quite serious,” she said.
“A lot of people who see the play will probably resonate with different characters in the play and they will really connect with those characters and what they go through.”
In the last production at the Maclean Civic Hall before it is redeveloped, Rocky Mouth Productions will perform Steel Magnolias across three days, Friday, July 28 at 7pm, Saturday, July 29 at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday, July 30 at 2pm.
Tickets for the show are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Maclean Civic Hall on Sunday’s between 2pm and 3pm or online at https://rockymouthproductions.square.site