The Spring production from The Phoenix Theatre Company is the seminal classic of Australian drama, ‘Summer of the Seventeenth Doll’ by Ray Lawler.

Roo and his mate Barney, two swaggering cane-cutters from Queensland, have flown south to Melbourne for the past sixteen years to spend the summer lay-off with their girlfriends, Olive and Nancy.

However, in this the seventeenth summer of the relationship, Nancy is gone ‘married to a city fellow’ and is replaced by Pearl. Will Pearl be able to live up to the expectations of the others and fill the void that Nancy has left behind?

As part of the yearly ritual, Roo has always brought his girl Olive a tinsel doll as a token of his love but things are different this year, the sparkle has gone and cracks begin to appear in the relationships. Old patterns must be broken, new ways found and all four lovers are made to face up to unpleasant truths about themselves as the play draws to an explosive conclusion.

Packed with energetic and direct language coupled with a wry humour, the play brings a breath of freshness to the stage. This is not just an Australian classic but, in dealing with universal aspects of the human condition in a down-to-earth setting, Ray Lawler has created a supreme example of English language dramatic literature.

“I was first attracted to this play by the freshness and energy of the language and its down to earth setting. Couple this with a very moving story that truly holds up a mirror to all humanity and Ray Lawler has created a play that is an essential experience for anyone who loves drama,” states director David Pollard.

The show opens at the Phoenix Theatre in Ross on Saturday, May 28th and will run until Saturday, June 4th.

Tickets are £8.50 (or £7.50 for the show on Monday, May 30th) and can be purchased from the Box Office at Rossiter Books. Call 01989 564464 to book.