WHEN a theatrical production is locally written, produced, directed, has a local cast and sells out its three dates weeks in advance, we can’t help but sit up and take notice.

On Saturday night the final performance of Yours Sincerely, presented by The Wyz Wimmin & Friends, was on stage at the Nambucca Heads Bowling Club and News Of The Area was there to see what all the fuss was about.

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The first two performances of Yours Sincerely were put on in late October at the Utungun Hall and South Arm Hall consecutively in line with the Wyz Wimmin’s intent to take live theatre to the people.

All three performances were preceded by a meal and monies raised supported the Utungun and South Arms Halls for the first two shows and the Bowling Club show proceeds went to the We’re Here in the Nambucca Valley Initiative with cast and crew giving their time and skills free of charge.

Yours Sincerely deals with a range of mature themes through a collection of letters, some fantasy and some true, that are read by actors being completely in character.

Wyz Wimmin & Friends co-founder and script writer Carrolline Rhodes told News Of The Area, “The production promises to take the audience on a journey across the spectrum of emotions.”

We can report the Wyz Wimmin & Friends kept their promise and they took a spellbound audience of 110 guests at the Nambucca Heads Bowling Club on a ride which had them laughing, gasping, stunned to silence and wiping tears away all in the space of two hours.

While the thought of actors stepping up to a lectern to deliver words from a page does not sound particularly dynamic, in reality the dramatic effect achieved through meticulously crafted dialogue and totally convincing acting was extraordinary.

Actors Laurel Astle, Kathleen Crawley, Anne Joyce, who also directed, Helen Kirkpatrick, Frederick Millard and Anama Tesser were all utterly convincing on stage and quick study of their respective theatrical backgrounds explains why they were able to deliver such rich performances.

While every interpretation on the evening was riveting, it was the character change agility of Kathleen Crawley that is stuck in the mind of this reviewer.

Her portrayal of a young woman with mental health issues in a piece called Gran’s Bible was so credible the audience actually felt confronted.

When Kathleen reappeared in the second act as a political staffer wronged by her greedy boss she was once again so plausible it was hard to accept it was the same actor.

Yours Sincerely was a triumph, not just for the Wyz Wimmin & Friends but for everyone with an interest in the performing arts.

Selling out its three performances is the Nambucca Valley’s way of screaming out for more live theatre.

It is tantalising to consider what the Wyz Wimmin & Friends will come up with next.

By Mick BIRTLES