Cirrus@Austlit

'It's 1919 and Isaac and Elsie make people laugh. They've teamed up - unlikely as it is, an old East End Jew and a cheeky young Aussie - to make a quid, but their act is tired. Do people really want to sing and clap and giggle in the aftermath of The Great War? Isaac has a flash of inspiration: Aussies want to mourn, not have jokes cracked at them; families want to hear from the sons they lost at Gallipoli or the Somme. Spiritualism is big business and even better showbiz. When they enlist a young black housemaid, Theresa, as a seer, they reckon her looks are guaranteed to sell tickets. But there is a slight problem. Theresa really does have an unsettling, other-worldly gift. And she can't control it.

Michael Cove's new play is an affectionate, astute and timely look at those who soldier on with the show and those who have to soldier on with life. This is a play about commemoration and the place of war in our history. Through popular song, soft-shoe shuffle and seance we travel across the outback to a new cenotaph and a dedication ceremony destined to make history.'

Source: Sydney Theatre Company website, http://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/
(Sighted: 02/01/2007)