History to repeat at Vandemoimium show

ULUMBARRA Theatre will be the perfect backdrop in May for a topical stage show based on true stories from Tasmania’s convict past and the 1852 Victorian Government Convicts Prevention Act.

Its cast sports some of Australia’s finest musicians and performers ever, including Mick Thomas of Weddings Parties Everything fame, You Am I lead singer Tim Rogers and RocKwiz’s Brian Nankervis.

Much-vaunted indie singer-songwriters Ben Salter, Shelley Short, Van Walker, Sal Kimber, Darren Hanlon, Claire Anne Taylor and Jeff Lang will also appear along with a dead-set legendary backing band.

The show’s musical director Mick Thomas said Vandemoimium Lags – New Songs from the Prison Without Walls is far from a “dry” retelling of history.

“The simplest way I can put it is that it’s a musical based on a whole lot of stories that came out of the archives in Tasmania,” he explained.

“A lot of them had been parked in the museum down there and were rediscovered in the last couple of years.”

He promised that the show would be “really good fun”.

“It’s entertainment that really moves at a cracking pace,” he added.

“I think this is Tim Rogers at his best in some regards. The one thing about him is he never walks onto a stage and leaves anything in the tank.

“The amount of other performers that are in it as well – if this was a festival you’d buy a ticket, because you get all those people in a really nice, neat package.”

Vandemonian Lags – New Songs from the Prison Without Walls takes place at Ulumbarra Theatre on Thursday 22 May.

Purchase tickets to the show via the Gotix website.