Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon helps entertain audiences and shift perceptions about theatre

Director, Libby Daniewska, said the comedic and creative theatre show was a change of pace for her as a director but one that she, the cast and the audience all enjoyed.

"I was thinking of ideas and about how we can make theatre evolve," she said.

"Alice in Wonderland was an option but the Brothers Grim production jumped out at me because it had such a diversity in acting, and a lot of freedom and creativity in the script.

"I was more interested in theatre that was unusual and my goal's were to grab people's attention and break the fourth wall."

The Spectaculathon certainly managed to achieve Libby's goals with the show actively involving the audience and sparking discussion about the acting styles.

A cast of nine actors managed to portray 42 characters while attempting to combine 209 Brothers Grimm classics including Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel, all into one dinner show.

Owner of Keystone 1889, Trish Carr, said hosting the production as a dinner show really helped create the perfect atmosphere.

"People in Bathurst are ready to come out and have a night of entertainment after COVID, so it's fantastic to see people enjoying local theatre again," she said.

"We spent a lot of our downtown last year cleaning up, researching different theatres and look at doing more dinners and live shows so this has been a great start.

"We are also looking at doing some improvements to the building including upgrading the stage rigging, while still preserving the historic nature of the building, to provide a better location for local and travelling shows."

The venue certainly helped to add to the character and atmosphere of the production with the dining area taking in the stage, and a separate lounge bar for the audience to mingle before the show and during intermission.

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Libby said that it was an amazing experience to work with Trish along with the talented cast, to make the show so successful.

"The venue was perfect for us because it provided us so many different spaces to perform in and really allowed creative interaction with the audience," she said.

"I really enjoyed watching the actors play all the different roles and push the envelope.

"It was exciting watching the cast manage the crowd and their performances and just be in the moment, it really helped make the show an amazing success."

Libby is set to take a break before looking at directing a similar type of play in spring this year, while Trish and the team are getting set for a Mardi Gras event before opening the doors to the public and encouraging community groups, musical acts and theatre groups to view the location for any upcoming events they might want to host.