Moonlite magic

By Matt Romania

Founded in 2017, the Moonlite Theatre, a name inspired by an infamous 1860s resident, has become a local beacon of creativity and entertainment.

Vice President Tim Hawthorne said the Moonlite Theatre began with a group of people who wanted to start an amateur theatre group in the local area.

“Moonlite Theatre, named in honour of one of our infamous residents, was home to their very own bushranger. Moonlite was the spelling Andrew George Scott adopted for his persona of Captain Moonlite,” Mr Hawthorne said.

The Theatre’s dedication to the arts is evident in their participation in BaccChat Christmas recently for the Moorabool community.

“We were invited to be part of BaccChat as an opportunity for our community theatre group to show the value of having an amateur theatre company in the Bacchus Marsh community,” said Tim.

Their most recent performances are a testament to their commitment to local talent and interactive theatre.

“We performed two radio plays written by a Melton playwright Alex McMurray, titled No Business Like… It’s all relative and No Business Like… Strike While the iron is hot,” Mr Hawthorne said.

“In the middle of both these plays, Moonlite (the theatre not the bushranger) tested out our cast with some live improvisation, which allowed for audience participation to keep our cast on their toes.”

This event allowed Moonlite to perform improvisation sketches and theatre sports, which are a tool used to develop local acting abilities.

“It is also a great way for our acting group to demonstrate their acting skills,” Mr Hawthorne said.

As for the future, April 2024 marks a significant milestone for Moonlite Theatre, with another ambitious production in the pipeline.

“We are having our next production in April, which will also include a radio play and Birds of a Feather, a comedy written by Deb Barker, also a local playwright.”

The theatre group’s inclusivity and community spirit are at its core and is proud to be a community-run theatre group for Bacchus Marsh and Melton, for all ages.

“We are forever thankful to our supporters, as without them, we wouldn’t be able to continue doing the work we love – providing laughter to you all.”