Play reading brings Silver Stars of Freedom to life

A SPECIAL play reading will be part of the program for the 171st anniversary of the Eureka Stockade later this month.

Happening on Sunday 30 November, The Silver Stars of Freedom is a play by Australian playwright, Florence Spriggins (1880-1947).

It weaves a story around rebel leader Peter Lalor’s escape in the aftermath of the Eureka Stockade.

Spriggins was active as a playwright during the 1930s, writing both one-act and full-length plays, but her work has since been overlooked and largely forgotten.

In the upcoming reading, five local actors and director Miranda Donald are reviving Spriggins’ play which holds historical and cultural significance, particularly for Ballarat.

Overlook Productions co-founder Adam Turnbull joins the cast alongside Jane Gaylor, Linda Borner, Hedley Thomson, and Mick Zala.

Donald said that while the one-act play had actually won first prize as a script in the playwright’s time, this month’s public reading is thought to be its first ever public performance.

“It hasn’t been publicly performed in any capacity ever, we believe,” Donald said.

She said the actors, who are well into rehearsals, will play 12 different characters, bringing various accents of the period to life in the reading that is both educational and entertaining.

“It is a very visual play and I’ll also be reading the stage directions so people can really imagine,” Donald said.

“It is quite an exciting piece because of the uniqueness of it. It was written in 1936 and it’s an interesting and unique thing to do in the theatre world as well. It will be interesting to see how a current day audience responds.”

As a precursor to the play reading, at 11am historian Peter Freund will present a talk titled Commemorations and Crisis: Evocations of The Eureka Stockade 1930-1960 providing deeper insights.

Taking place at 1pm, the reading is just part of the wider program celebrating the 171st anniversary of the Eureka Stockade.

Tickets and the program are at eurekacentreballarat.com.au/event-category/eureka-171.