Fresh from her starring role as Juliet in & Juliet, Lorinda May Merrypor (proudly descended from the Kuungkari tribe in Queensland) is set to light up the stage as Elsa in the First Nations musical Waltzing the Wilarra, written and composed by Palyku man David Milroy and directed by Brittanie Shipway (of Gumbaynggirr and Turkish heritage).

The show will be presented at Glen Street Theatre on Thursday 28, Friday 29 and Saturday 30 August and tours to metropolitan, regional and remote locations in Victoria, NSW, QLD and NT until October 2025.

Award winning Producer Christine Harris and Australia’s Premier Theatre Touring Company, HIT Productions (The Sapphires touring production) are thrilled to be presenting Waltzing the Wilarra marking the company’s 135th theatre tour since commencing touring in 1999.

Lorinda joins a stellar eight-member cast including Innawonga and Yindjibarndi man, Shaka Cook (Hamilton), Meriam/Yidindji/Dutch woman Lisa Maza (Stingers) and Clancy Enchelmaier (The Producers) in this high-energy musical celebrating love, resistance, and community in 1940s Aboriginal Australia. The show features a live band with original songs in a story full of heart and rhythm.

SYNPOSIS
Charlie, Elsa and Fay take you on a musical journey back to 1940's post war Perth. Against a backdrop of curfews, and the fear of arrest for consorting, white and black manage to form their own club. For a night they can forget their worries and experience rare happy times singing, dancing, listening to music, and with a little luck... romance.

Forty years on, as the club faces demolition, our three characters meet once again to stage a musical reunion and protest in an attempt to save their old stomping ground. As the trio reflects upon loves lost and found, old arguments and alliances resurface.

Dark secrets and ghosts that have lingered for more than half a century are revealed, and we discover that reconciliation is more than saying sorry.

“…a highly evocative musical tale of love, jealousy, friendship and family. It is a beautiful, heartfelt production about love and loss.” Australian Stage

DATES:  Thu 28 Aug, 7.30pm, Fri 29 Aug, 2pm and 7.30pm, Sat 30 Aug
BOOKINGS: Call or visit: www.glenstreet.com.au/whats-on/waltzing-wilarra
RUNNING TIME: Approximately 2 hours and 30mins including interval
PATRON ADVICE: Recommended ages 16+

HIT PRODUCTIONS’ CREATIVE TEAM, CAST AND BAND
This production is written and composed by David Milroy.
The exceptional creative team is headed by Director Brittanie Shipway.
The creative team features Musical Director Cameron McConville, Set and Costume Designer Harry Gill,
Lighting Designer Mitch Blaser and Choreographer Freya List

Cast
Lorinda May Merrypor: Elsa/ Old Elsa 
Shaka Cook: Charlie Runaway/ Old Charlie 
Lisa Maza: Mrs Cray/ Spirit of Mrs Cray 
Jalen Sutcliffe: Mr Mack/ Guitarist 
Juliette Coates: Fay Griver/ Old Fay 
Clancy Enchelmaier: Jack/ Spirit Jack
Hannah Underwood: Athena/ Young Harry/ Levinia Templeton
Leonard Mickelo: Old Toss/ Sandy Barr/ Detective

Band members
Cameron McConvlle: Musical Director, Guitar, Accordian, Backing Vocals
Matthew Morgan: Drums

For media enquiries at HIT Productions please Contact lzito2023@outlook.com

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body