No Bed of Roses

Never invite someone into your home without considering the consequences.

A new play - written and directed by Noel O'Neill
A black comedy set in 1960s London.

Kalamunda Dramatic Society (KADS) proudly presents the black comedy No Bed of Roses, a new play by award winning playwright and director Noel O’Neill, which will open to audiences at the Town Square Theatre in Kalamunda on February 18.

The play takes place in London in the early 60s, when a controlling woman invites a stranger into her house and into her life without realizing who he is or what he really wants. This leads to circumstances beyond her control. Never invite someone into your home without considering the consequences.

Noel O’Neill says the inspiration for this new play comes from the early 60s when he lived in London. “I was always surrounded by what I like to call ‘a fine madness’. By that I mean I was among what used to be referred to as the lower classes.  In reality these are the people that made life exciting, so I wanted that excitement to come across in the play”.

“The play's characters are built on pure self-interest. Each character cares little of the consequences of their actions. In this house, the power shifts throughout the play, only the strong survive. If I had taken four animals and threw them in a cage the results would be the same. Look through any window and when a house is not a home this behaviour takes place,” he said.

“As I wrote it I just kept thinking, ‘what if this happened and what if that happened', and sure enough a story was built. The story you start out telling is never the story you end up telling, that's the beauty of storytelling,” he said.

O’Neill says directing is a thrill. “Getting the play off the page and pumping life into it is great fun, so it’s very important to me that the actors are having fun and bringing life into their characters. The actor must feel free to create up there on the stage, freedom is essential within the boundaries of the play and all these actors are working together towards one goal”.

“I expect a fun loving audience with open minds. There is coarse language but not to shock, as this is how these people speak. My characters are from life so that the audience can relate to them. If the characters are too distant from the audience then the communion between audience and actors will never take place and that is very important”.

O’Neill talks highly of his cast and thanks them for all they do and to allow the madness to take place. “I told the cast, above all let’s have fun, otherwise why do we do what we do?”.

Featuring:
Alexandra Nell, Kim Taylor, Anita Bound, Scott Lambert

Bookings: O'Hara's Pharmacy 9293 1412
Haynes St, Kalamunda (next to Brumbys)
Visa and Mastercard accepted

Season Tickets and pre-release group bookings of 10+:  Lyn 9291 6266