{"id":170859,"date":"2025-09-26T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=170859"},"modified":"2025-09-24T15:38:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T05:38:35","slug":"embers-ignites-apollo-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/news\/embers-ignites-apollo-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Embers ignites Apollo Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE Apollo Bay Theatre Collective (ABTC) began with a simple goal: to rekindle the spirit of live theatre and original music in the creative heart of the Great Ocean Road.<\/p>\n

A small troupe of seven in 2023, it is now a dynamic team of more than 20 talented local artists and volunteers, and opens its third production, Embers, tonight (Frdiay, September 26).<\/p>\n

An independent and self-funded initiative, the ABTC has become a vital part of Apollo Bay’s cultural landscape.<\/p>\n

“It offers an invaluable opportunity for young people in Apollo Bay to acquire hands-on skills in the theatre industry,” ABTC president Deb Bradfield said.<\/p>\n

The collective’s sell-out 2024 production enabled it to also make a significant contribution to the preservation of its home venue, the Mechanics Institute.<\/p>\n

Cast and crew have been hard at work in daily rehearsals at the “Mech”.<\/p>\n

This will be the final production directed by Terence O’Connell, who has led the team through two previous performances.<\/p>\n

Embers explores the harrowing yet inspiring stories of those who survived the 2003 bushfires in North East Victoria.<\/p>\n

“The strength, courage, and resilience of these communities in the face of disaster is truly remarkable,” O’Connell said.<\/p>\n

“Embers honours their fighting spirit and reminds us of the power of community.”<\/p>\n

Writer Campion Decent adapted these stories for the stage, and said she was deeply moved by their simple elegance and the profound sense of community strength they conveyed.<\/p>\n

“Embers is not just about the fires \u2014 it’s about human endurance and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds.”<\/p>\n

Embers will run at the Mechanics Institute until October 11.<\/p>\n

For tickets, head to events.humanitix.com\/embers-apollo-bay<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE Apollo Bay Theatre Collective (ABTC) began with a simple goal: to rekindle the spirit of live theatre and original music in the creative heart of the Great Ocean Road. A small troupe of seven in 2023, it is now a dynamic team of more than 20 talented local artists and volunteers, and opens its […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":170869,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-170859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEmbers ignites Apollo Bay - Surf Coast Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Apollo Bay theatre group ABTC presents Embers, a moving tribute to bushfire resilience. 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