26 October 2004

An innocent card game becomes a metaphor for life for the two central characters of ‘The Gin Game’, coming to WestSide this Friday and Saturday.

Written by playwright DL Coburn, ‘The Gin Game’ is a scathingly funny battle of wits between two older people, played by well-known Australian actors Julia Blake and Terry Norris, whose lives have gone from ordinary to absolute misery.

The Council’s Manager of Performing Arts and Conventions, Mr Rob Robson, said the play is set in a nursing home where the two characters, Weller and Fonsia, appear to have been abandoned by their families.

“They never receive visitors and so strike up an unlikely friendship with each other,” Mr Robson said. 

“Weller convinces Fonsia to join him in a game of gin rummy.  After he teaches her the rules, she proceeds to win every game, frustrating and enraging him.”

“With each win, it becomes apparent that the card game is like their lives – Fonsia is lucky in cards, but not lucky in love, and Weller has lived with cards stacked against him.”

“It presents a humorous and heartfelt look at family relationships, friendships, and the issues of loneliness and growing old in a society in which age is not respected.”

‘The Gin Game’ will be presented by HIT Productions and Riverlinks at 8.00 pm on Friday 29th October and Saturday 30th October, at the WestSide Performing Arts Centre.

For more information or to book tickets, please contact the Riverlinks Box Office on 5832 9511, or visit the Box Office at the Eastbank Centre, 70 Welsford Street, Shepparton.