by timberlake wertenbaker
Hello and welcome to the home page for the Three's Company and Buxton Community School production of Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker. Here you can find notes on the production, cast lists, production news, and much more. Hopefully. Either way, the links are below.
Our Country's Good was written in 1988 for the Royal Court Theatre. It depicts one of the first convict colonies in Australia, as an officer attempts to put on a production of The Recruiting Officer (by George Farquaar), with the convicts as cast members. What follows is a touching story of transformation and oppression... for more details, click on the 'Historical Background and Directors' Notes' link.
Our producton will take place in the Buxton Community School Drama Studio, on Wednesday the 26th November and Thursday the 27th November at 7:30pm, with a matinee on the Thursday at 1:15pm. Tickets are priced at £4, or £3 concessions.
~ ____ ~ 
12.11.2003 - Concerns about the cast being ready for the performance on time are growing, particularly as, with two eeks to go, noone yet knows their lines! To top it off, one of our leads (Sinead playing Mary) has been rushed to hospital. We are concidering promoting Anna Beecher (The Aborigine) to her part, and giving her part to another year 10. Ms Thompson wants to change it to a 'Studio Performance' instead of a full production, Tom and I object strongly; the show must go on.
14.11.2003 - Sinead is back and well, thankfully.
16.11.2003 - Great rehearsal today; we tried out a seemingly crazy idea of adding music to the play ("Botany Bay" - a folk song dating back to the time the play is set), and it worked! This was largely thanks to the talents of Haroun and Tom D. on guitar, and the whole cast's singing abilities.
18.10.2003 - Anna Beecher has now been rushed to hospital, it remains to be seen whether she will be able to perform. Sinead left school early today, ill; we've found out that Connell has been off for days; and, most worryingly, Edd, (Ralph - our lead) is suffering badly from this flu going around. We're on in 8 days!!
19.10.2003 - Edd, Anna, and Connell are still ill, though Sinead's back and well. If Edd does not recover, then Kayleigh (Dabby) will take the role of Tench, Tom C. (Phillip) will take Arscott, and I will have to give those two up and play Ralph. Beth (Liz) will have to take on Faddy if Connell doesn't return. Dunno what we're gonna do about the Aborigine, though. Rehearsals are going... uncomfortably. The cast is great, but they don't realise that yet, so it's dodgy. And they dont know their lines. I strained my voice doing Macbeth last night, and, oh, and we're on in one week.
20.10.2003 - Sinead
was ill again today. At school, but ill. And this evening, Haroun (Sideway
and Johnston) says he feels ill, and my voice is getting worse.
I sometimes wander if this production is cursed.
23.10.2003 - Rubbish
rehearsal today. I don't what else to put, except I really don't know how
we can pull this one off. I don't see how that rabble of half interested kids
can be turned into a professional team of actors. Maybe we were too ambitious.
Maybe we should have done an easier play, or not expected the cast to be perfect.
Maybe I should stop feeling sorry for myself. But I know they all have it
in them, they're just not doing it yet.
[Kayleigh's Rehearsal Commentary]
24.10.2003 - Oh dear. This is bad. Never again... (didn't I say that last time?)
25.10.2003 - Today, the 9 hour rehearsal started okay. Then it went, well, pretty good . Then it got a bit better. Then we did our dress, and... well I don't quite believe it - they did it! they were professional and a team and worked together and stayed in role and almost got their lines and were amazing! Somehow, it's all gone okay.
26.10.2003 - First night - great success. They pulled all the stops, and were amazing. Wow. Two more performances to go... this time tomorrow it'll all be over.
