A new production set to open at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre on Thursday will provide a musical interpretation of a celebrated Jewish fable.
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The Persian Queen, written by Phil and Cath Snitch, is a musical theatre production centred around Esther, the Jewish queen of Xerxes, the king of Persia.
Ms Snitch said the story is part of Jewish tradition [The Book of Esther], and the production uses song and stage to tell a tale of "a young girl who faces her fear and stands up to be counted in a difficult situation."
"Around 500 B.C., Esther was kidnapped along with 400 young girls and forced to join the king's harem, where she was chosen to become his queen," she said.
"A decade later, the king's right hand man takes a disliking to the Jewish people and orders their annihilation, which forces Esther to decide between her people or her status."
The Persian Queen stars Monique Grima as Esther, Michael Lindsay as Xerxes, Kurt Booth as Haman and Troy Oxley as Mordecai.
Ms Snitch said the story's key message of hope will resonate with audiences who have endured a disrupted year due to COVID-19.
"The story shows how there's always light at the end of the tunnel, as crappy as life can feel at times," she said.
"It examines why it's important to never give into fear, which I feel is a vital theme for an audience who has, for the most part, experienced a rough 2020."
The show features 23 cast members and a small music ensemble, and Ms Snitch said production has stayed small on purpose to ensure a COVID-safe environment.
"We've been operating production under a Live Performance Australia COVID-safe plan, and BMEC's own plan will be in place for the audience," she said.
"Cast members will sanitise whenever they enter and exit the stage, props won't be shared and tickets will be limited to ensure adequate spacing in BMEC."
The Persian Queen will launch on Thursday [7pm], with further sessions on Friday [7pm], Saturday [1pm and 7pm] and Sunday [1pm].
Tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for BMEC members/concession and $15 for juniors/students. To purchase, visit bmec.com.au.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
