'Dot and Pearl live in Wittenoom; the blue asbestos mining town in WA’s Pilbara. So begin glorious days, when the Pilbara’s stunning landscapes, magnificent wildlife and close-knit community shaped an idyllic lifestyle; wild-natured Dot making the most of every second, while teenaged Pearl tries to make sense of what her own life might be.
'Wittenoom follows Dot and Pearl’s personal story, filled with humour, sorrow, and the friends they make along the way. Butler expertly weaves their journey into the frame of the Wittenoom tragedy, asking questions about accountability in an era where the health and cultural impacts of mining ricochet as heavily in 2022 as they did in 1962.' (Production summary)
Developed through Red Stitch’s INK program. World Premiere at Red Stich, Melbourne : 1-19 February 2023.
CAST & CREATIVES
Writer Mary Anne Butler
Director Susie Dee
Set & Costume Design Dann Barber
Lighting Design Rachel Burke
Compostion/Sound Design Ian Moorhead
Asst. Lighting Design Spencer Herd
Stage Manager/Assistant Director
Cassandra Fumi
Assistant Stage Manager Georgina Bright
Cast
Emily Goddard
Caroline Lee
'Mesothelioma in a mining town in WA is sensitively handled in this two-hander.'
'Deep in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia, the town of Wittenoom lies empty, desolate … and contaminated.' (Introduction)
'It’s starting to rain as I make my way past a church in Melbourne’s Hawksburn to the white shack behind it where the rehearsals for Red Stitch’s new play Wittenoom are taking place. Inside, it is warm and cosy. I’m met by Caroline Lee, who stars in the play alongside Emily Goddard. She brings me through the scaffolding being used as a makeshift set to meet director Susie Dee. I am charmed by Dee straightaway. She’s small in stature but authoritative. Her silver curls escape the clip atop her head in tendrils and her eyes sparkle as she speaks.' (Introduction)
'Deep in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia, the town of Wittenoom lies empty, desolate … and contaminated.' (Introduction)
'Mesothelioma in a mining town in WA is sensitively handled in this two-hander.'
'It’s starting to rain as I make my way past a church in Melbourne’s Hawksburn to the white shack behind it where the rehearsals for Red Stitch’s new play Wittenoom are taking place. Inside, it is warm and cosy. I’m met by Caroline Lee, who stars in the play alongside Emily Goddard. She brings me through the scaffolding being used as a makeshift set to meet director Susie Dee. I am charmed by Dee straightaway. She’s small in stature but authoritative. Her silver curls escape the clip atop her head in tendrils and her eyes sparkle as she speaks.' (Introduction)
