Soldier Boy play premiers in Melbourne 21 June 2021

A wonderful first night when Soldier Boy the play opened at Theatre Works, St Kilda, last night.  We had virtually a full house, with Ian and Cheryl Cruwys from Sydney representing the Martin family. They were as moved by emotionally-charged drama as was everyone else. They spent some time chatting afterwards to Oliver Tapp who plays Ian's great-great nephew, 14-year-old Jim Martin, the youngest Australian Anzac.

Jim Martin and Oliver Tapp (right) who plays the Soldier Boy  in the Theatre Works production

I cannot speak more highly of the wonderful way that director and dramturge Beng Oh and assistant Jessica Fallico directed the play, always with an eye to authenticity and the human tragedy of war and family at the heart of this story. Nor of the talent and artistic creativity of the eight cast members who made their own contribution to realising my original vision:

Philip Hayden, Laura Iris Hill, Emily Joy, Marc Opitz, Ashlynn Parigi, Oliver Tapp. Charlie Veitch and Mark Yeates, I salute you all, with our producer Dianne Toulson; Ella Thompson, our ever-efficient stage manager and assistants Jade Hibbert and Kade Lightfoot; sound designer and composer Jack Burmeister; lighting designer Sidney Younger; set designer Viv Hargreaves; photographer Steven Mitchell Wright; and publicist Eleanor Howlett.

Icing on the cake on opening night was a splendid feature piece by Nick McCallum on Channel 7 News, which did the play and Jim Martin's story proud. I acknowledge the lovely final still from the item.