South Pasadena Theatre Workshop presents “Our Country’s Good,” a dark comedy set in Australia’s penal colony circa 1790, on Thursday, June 2, starting at 8 p.m.
Based on Thomas Keneally’s historical novel, “The Playmaker,” “Our Country’s Good” is written by American playwright, screenplay writer, and translator Timberlake Wertenbaker who’s based in the UK.
The play tells the true story of Australia’s first theatrical performance in 1789. The new penal colony in New South Wales, in what is now the city of Sydney, is populated by British Royal Navy, Marines, convicted petty thieves, prostitutes, and murderers.
A Royal Marine lieutenant casts a motley group of convicts to present a Restoration comedy for the celebration of King George III’s birthday. In order to defend his production to both the British officers and the criminals, he must convince them that “there is more to life than crime and punishment.”
The play is produced against a backdrop of food shortages and barbaric prison punishments. Yet as the barrier between captors and captives breakdown, they start to discover each other both on stage and behind the scenes.
“Our Country’s Good” is Wertenbaker’s best-known work and received six Tony nominations for its 1991 production.
South Pasadena Theatre Workshop’s own Sally Smythe is directing.
Tickets for “Our Country’s Good” are $25 to $35.
To purchase tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
For more information, call (626) 644-3654 or visit www.
South Pasadena Theatre Workshop is located at 1507 El Centro Street in South Pasadena.
