From Andy Booth

Artistic Director, Quondam, Penrith - 2007

Entry Date :

3/5/2009

The first thing that struck me as I walked into the auditorium was how full it was – so full it seemed there was no free passage to the bar! All ages were represented too – not just parents and siblings of the cast and company members, but friends as well, proving this was a piece that appealed to all age groups but young people especially. I enjoyed the play very much. What struck me about it was how the whole thing seemed to emanate from the cultural reference points of the audience. The language, the attitudes, the story of the young mother caught between the carefree life of her mates and the responsibilities of motherhood – all seemed to be real to the audience. Although this was a scripted piece, it was clear that cast and audience felt some kind of ownership over the material, hence the full house and the enthusiastic response. That is a difficult trick to pull off and I think the writer is to be commended. Many professional artists use community groups as a vehicle to develop their own agenda. ICE BABY didn’t fall into that trap, and the play seemed to be a collaboration in the best sense between two groups of equal status – the writer and the other professional artists on the one hand, and the young people on the other