Z-PAC Theatre

Z-PAC is the Fraser Coast's Premier Community Theatre, producing a high number of quality productions each year, using local actors, directors, technical and support staff. We are always very happy to welcome new people into our theatre community. Z-PAC is available for hire to visiting artists as well as local individuals, businesses and groups looking for a venue for their meetings, events and performances.

The Lovely Bones

Between Friday 10 May 2024 and Sunday 26 May 2024

Susie Salmon is just like any other young girl. She wants to be beautiful, adores her charm bracelet and has a crush on a boy from school. There’s only one big difference - Susie is dead. Now she can only observe while her family manage their grief in their different ways. Her father, Jack is obsessed with identifying the killer. Her mother, Abigail is desperate to create a different life for herself. And her sister, Lindsey is discovering the opposite sex with experiences that Susie will never know. Susie is desperate to help them and there might be a way of reaching them... Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones is a unique coming-of-age tale that captured the hearts of readers throughout the world. Award-winning playwright Bryony Lavery has adapted it for this unforgettable play about life after loss. Contains strong adult themes which may be confronting.

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Children of the Black Skirt

Between Friday 9 August 2024 and Sunday 25 August 2024

Written by Angela Belzien, directed by Katanee Draheim This story takes place in a mythical, timeless Australian orphanage. Two orphan children, Old One and New One, are always wary of The Black Skirt (the cruel Governess who floats up and down the dormitory corridors, dangerously wielding her enormous scissors), and tell terrible tales of other poor lost children to escape the reality of their own lives. The play delves into the history of Australia through the eyes of children, from convict times to early white occupation, to the vast era of the Stolen Generation to World War Two and beyond. These actors create a highly theatrical, physical and visually spectacular gothic fairytale, as they slip in and out of the perspectives of different characters to tell us the tales of children from Australia’s past.

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The Crows of Darkmore Common / Tracks

Between Friday 11 October 2024 and Sunday 27 October 2024

Tracks - Written by Peter Tarsi, Directed by Jonathan Canning Ten strangers find themselves at a subway station, they have no idea of how they got there or where they are going… Journey Beyond Life’s Last Station. Uncover the secrets, confront your past, and choose your platform – Heaven or Hell? The ultimate decision awaits as the train of fate arrives. All aboard for a gripping exploration of life, death, and the unknown. The Crows of Darkmoor Common Directed by Jonathan Dunn Welcome to Darkmoor, a comically dystopian world with steam punk vibes. In this odd 1860s setting, all words are banned for their ‘toxic effect’ on well-being. Amidst a diabolical plot to steal golden eggs from Ninja Nuns (Darkmoor Crows), an anti-hero and a heroine add romance to this unique theatrical nonsense. Get on board the express train to crazy-town in this all original, romp through the world of weird.

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Object Permanence

Between Saturday 21 December 2024 and Sunday 22 December 2024

Improvised show after series of workshops directed by Jamie O’Neill Tailored for teenage and young adult performers, scenes are suggested by the audience, each actor advancing the plot with personal goals. The twist? Props added randomly, challenging actors to integrate seamlessly.

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Inspector Drake and the Black Widow

Between Friday 8 March 2024 and Sunday 24 March 2024

When oil tycoon John Johnson is found with a huge sword in his back, it looks like a straightforward case of dying illegally. But things in Drake's world are never as they seem. Why was Johnson badly disguised as his own wife? Why had he eaten a tortoise? And why do all the women in the house look similar? For once, Sergeant Plod thinks he knows all the answers. And so he should. After all, he's relating the events through a series of flashbacks, so he knows how it all ends. But if Plod is right, the legendary Inspector Drake is about to make a terrible mistake. And there's something even more disturbing. The trusty Sergeant has been troubled by a recurring nightmare. It's a nightmare involving spiders, and the image of a man, lying dead. That man is Inspector Drake. Is this just another confusing flashback? Or the horrible truth of Drake's final destiny? After all, when the Black Widow lays her deadly trap, it's just a matter of time.

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Chook Chook & Snagged - 2 short plays

Between Friday 24 November 2023 and Sunday 10 December 2023

Directed by Judith La Forest Chook Chook is a very funny, satirical look at the various ways we can respond to the knowledge of confinement- political, emotional, traditional. A story about some chickens in a shed but with a human moral issue. Battery hens Valmai, Crissy, Georgia and Bron refer to their cages as 'apartments' and eat the same food day after day, under the same continuous 'sun' (fluorescent light). Valmai, an older chook, tries to educate young 'hormonal' Crissy, explaining that "you just get on with things and don't think of roosters or the outside world". Snagged is a poignant, yet seriously funny story about coming of age, discovering who you are and, of course, vegetarian sausages! Sam and her best mate Beth plan to head to Brisbane as soon as the last year of High School ends to start their new careers and cut a swathe through Brisbane's eligible bachelors. That is until Sam meets Josh...

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Actors Workshop - Finding the Truth

Sunday 29 October 2023

For actors to develop the skills to see beyond the surface level of a script and to develop the tools required to engage emotionally and realistically with the text.

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Rock Painting Workshop

Tuesday 26 September 2023

Join us for a fun afternoon of painting chooks on rocks in the lead up to Z-PAC's next production 2 One Act Plays - Chook Chook & Snagged. Led by talented local artist Miss Shelly Seashells, participants will learn techniques to create visual masterpieces to keep or share the joy of discovery by hiding them around Hervey Bay. When: Tuesday 26 September, 1pm - 3pm Where: Z-PAC Theatre, 15 Zephyr St, Scarness Cost, $15 per person

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Sense & Sensibility, by Jane Austin, adapted by Kate Hamill

Between Friday 4 August 2023 and Sunday 20 August 2023

Pace, comedy and uncompromising wit – expect it all in the dazzling, on-steroids version of this classic you just won’t want to miss! Newly widowed and under much reduced circumstances, Mrs Dashwood is forced to move herself and her daughters (the prudent practical Elinor, the exuberant romantic Marianne and the sprightly Margaret) from their grand family home to a humble country cottage. But diminished social circumstances do not translate to reduced torments of the heart. Suitors surround and gossip whirls as all of the Dashwood’s fight for purpose, place and love. Directed by Theresa Saunders, this version of Jane Austen’s literary masterpiece explodes with invention and fun. Watch as the Dashwood’s navigate society with shrewdness, warmth, and comical folly. “...an unconditional delight...invigorating...a bouncy, jaunty take on Austen...” - The New York Times “Perhaps the greatest stage adaptation of this novel in history.” - The Huffington Post

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Dry Rot

Between Friday 12 May 2023 and Sunday 28 May 2023

Only Fools & Horses meets Benny Hill... By John Chapman, Directed by Roger Jennings A very funny British farce about some dysfunctional potential criminals and a horse ring-in. It deals with a crazy, but very likeable gang of bookies who, in order to be near the racecourse, are staying at a country hotel run by a retired colonel and his wife and daughter. Perhaps crime does pay……

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Cosi

Between Friday 31 March 2023 and Sunday 16 April 2023

By Louis Nowra, Directed by Jon Sharpe A heart-warming and hilarious Australian comedy set in a psychiatric facility. Così is a play about friendship, romance, community and difference. It’s 1971 and Australia is protesting the war in Vietnam. But inside the hospital, the resident patients are listening to Mozart, learning their lines and occasionally skipping their medication. It’s art, it’s mayhem, it’s a wonderful roller coaster all the way to opening night. Rated M - coarse language, drug use & sexual references.

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Death in a Minute

Between Friday 21 October 2022 and Sunday 23 October 2022

Directed by Marjolijn Dudgeon A weekend of mayhem and madness where three teams of actors improvise glorious wacky scenarios for an audience and three judges! The culmination of twelve weeks of workshops where actors hone their skills in improvisation. This is the third year we've run Death in a Minute and it has been really successful and a great opportunity for actors to play – and for audiences to gasp and laugh and admire the sheer virtuosity of the actors and their hilarious antics.

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Pride & Prejudice

Between Friday 26 August 2022 and Sunday 11 September 2022

Adapted by Kate Hamill, Directed by Theresa Saunders Based on the novel by Jane Austen starring Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, Pride and Prejudice is a romantic and comedic satire about love, manners and imperfections. This theatrical version of the period romance is bold, surprising, boisterous and fast-paced, uproarious fun: the perfect mixture of the familiar and the unexpected!

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Puffs

Between Friday 1 July 2022 and Sunday 17 July 2022

By Matt Cox, Directed by Tim Holstein For seven years a certain boy wizard went to Wizard School. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of The Puffs who just happened to be there too. PUFFS – a play for anyone who has never been destined to save the world.

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Long Gone Lonesome Cowgirls

Between Friday 29 April 2022 and Saturday 28 May 2022

By Phillip Dean, Directed by Marjolijn Dudgeon A "feel good" - sad but hilarious - two-hander, set in a tiny, far outback Queensland town in the late 1960's about an unlikely friendship between two young women of wildly differing temperaments, united in their abandonment by the men in their lives and their passion for country and western music. The play features great country and western classics, sung by the two women as they traverse their rocky paths to happiness.

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Red Riding Hood

Between Friday 26 November 2021 and Sunday 12 December 2021

Written by Norman Robbins; Directed by Jeff Sweeney Once upon a time, the original Red Riding Hood was rescued and the Wolf defeated. Many years later, her granddaughter is now a new Red Riding Hood – and the Wolf has returned looking for revenge. With both a greedy Squire and a new woodcutter seeking her hand in marriage, it’s going to be an interesting time for the new Red Riding Hood.

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Between Friday 17 September 2021 and Saturday 9 October 2021

Directed by Judith LaForest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a funny, yet disturbing roller coaster struggle for status between the jaunty, testosterone heavy McMurphy and the orderly and manipulative Nurse Ratched. This power play reveals a world of emotional button-pushing, chaos and rebellion. You would be 'mad' to miss it!

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Flummoxed

Between Friday 2 July 2021 and Sunday 18 July 2021

Written and Directed by Jonathan Dunn Passion! Intrigue! Murder!.... and great period frocks! Sisters Lucille and Annette hilariously stumble their way through a bizarre odyssey of laugh-inducing events with Italian proportions. Will they triumph or be flummoxed by fate?

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Death in a Minute

Between Friday 28 May 2021 and Sunday 30 May 2021

Come along to Z-PAC's Death In A Minute where teams of actors have to improvise their way through seemingly impossible challenges like staging a murder in a minute...in a chicken coop! Or act out a scene in rhyme making it up on the spot. See some of the Fraser Coast's most dynamic and versatile actors create fabulous performances right before your eyes with a bare stage and just their imagination and wit

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Who Would Have Thought

Between Friday 23 April 2021 and Saturday 24 April 2021

A film made with support from Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council is funny and light-hearted and explores the characters' reactions to the situations they find themselves in because of COVID-19 restrictions. Who Would Have Thought? was written by Louise Fantinel, filmed by Matt Ninnes and features locations around Hervey Bay. The characters represent the stories we have become familiar with during our own personal experiences of the impacts of COVID-19.

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Two Weeks with the Queen (Feb/Mar 2021)

Between Friday 26 June 2020 and Sunday 14 March 2021

A wondrous combination of comedy and tragedy as 12-year-old Colin slights the adults in his life and embarks on a hilarious mission to visit the Queen and save his brother's life. Adapted from the best-selling novel by Morris Gleitzman.

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2020 Nov/December - Almost, Maine

Between Friday 27 November 2020 and Sunday 13 December 2020

Welcome to Almost, Maine. Experience love, lust, loss, overwhelming joy and understated humour in this absurdist romantic comedy, which explores that most familiar concept - one we've all felt at some time in our lives - of feeling 'Almost'.

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2020 February - Shakespeare In Love ... and Out!

Between Friday 14 February 2020 and Sunday 23 February 2020

Directed by Marjolijn Dudgeon A celebration of the Bard’s most delicious love scenes from Romeo and Juliet to A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Much Ado About Nothing to name but a few. Laugh and cry and sigh with the fabulous creations of the world’s greatest playwright and poet!

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Tea At 5

Between Friday 6 December 2019 and Sunday 15 December 2019

Directed by Marjolijn Dudgeon Tea at Five is an intimate look at the life of Katharine Hepburn. From her childhood in Hartford through her start in show business to the triumphs of her career and her heart-breaking romance with Spencer Tracey.

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Dracula - by William McNulty

Between Friday 11 October 2019 and Thursday 31 October 2019

Directed by Katanee Draheim Enjoy some Blood-curdling entertainment as Professor Van Helsing and his brave comrades must hunt down and destroy the profundly evil Count Dracula. (Note: Adult Themes, Horror. Recommended ages 15+)

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Miss Bilby and the Moss Covered Cleric by Linda Aronson

Between Friday 16 August 2019 and Saturday 14 September 2019

Directed by Graeme Roberts. Hilarious Live Radio Show When Clementine Bilby, an Australian opera singer and Miss Marple clone stumbles across the corpse of the vicar, she’s amazed to discover only moments later that the vicar himself is alive and well. This show is a light hearted spoof both of an Agatha Christie whodunit and of bad radio drama, with the sound effects being the stars of the show.

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Snapshots from Home by Margery Forde

Between Saturday 3 August 2019 and Sunday 4 August 2019

Directed by Jonathan Dunn. This play was Commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII in the Pacific. It combines a series of ‘snapshots’, linked together by visual images, radio broadcasts, dance, music and song. It's an honest, heartbreaking, and hilariously funny glimpse at the realities of life on the home front during World War Two.

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Bombshells

Between Friday 31 May 2019 and Sunday 16 June 2019

Written by Joanna Murray-Smith Directed by Theresa Saunders A fabulous, funny Australian play about six women who are either on the brink of a break through or a break down.

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Jon Vea Vea's Nite Groove House Party

Saturday 18 May 2019

Annual Fundraising Concert for Z-PAC Check out Night Groove Videos on — https://www.facebook.com/MusicianJonVeaVea/

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The Games Afoot (Or Holmes for the Holidays)

Between Friday 15 March 2019 and Sunday 31 March 2019

Written by Ken Ludwig. Directed by Liane Mills. This award winning, hilarious quirky Murder Mystery play gives you everything you love about a slick comedy thriller/farce where you are swept along for a wild and funny ride. Acclaimed actor of the 1930s, William Gillette, invites his Sherlock Holmes co-stars to his eccentric mansion for a Christmas Eve celebration. When one of the guests is murdered, Gillette employs the persona of the master detective he's made famous on the stage.

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Babes in the Woods

Between Friday 7 December 2018 and Sunday 16 December 2018

By The Creative. Directed by Graeme Roberts. A traditional pantomime, based loosely around the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Strong characters, slapstick, visual jokes, puns and mayhem throughout. Fun for the whole family.

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Wolf Lullaby

Between Friday 26 October 2018 and Sunday 11 November 2018

Written by Hilari Bell. Directed by Jonathan Dunn. Is there intrinsic evil in the world? In a bleak, remote town, a small child is murdered. Suspicion falls on 9-year-old Lizzie. Convinced her daughter is guilty, Lizzie's mother must make the torturous choice between ignoring her intuition and presenting Lizzie to the police. The adults around her, full of denial, find their accepted beliefs crumbling around them in a play which explores the sources of violence and its legacy.

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Z-PAC Theatre Presents - A Night of Hope

Friday 12 October 2018

A Fabulous Evening of Entertainment by local artists, raising funds for Breast Cancer Research

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It's Only a Play

Between Friday 27 July 2018 and Saturday 11 August 2018

A Sizzling comic celebration of theatre at its best and theatre people at their not-so-best. Written by Terrence McNally. Directed by Mark Thomson and Theresa Saunders. Some Adult language. It’s the opening night of “The Golden Egg” on Broadway and there’s a lavish party at the producer’s townhouse. The action takes place in the bedroom above the party where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to be the first to hear the reviews.

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Duets

Between Friday 22 June 2018 and Sunday 1 July 2018

Written by Peter Quilter. Four sets of characters, four crucial moments. This play is a gloriously funny examination of the chaotic world of love. Jonathan and Wendy are on a blind date and hoping to get it right this time; Barrie is not really interested in women but Janet sees that as no reason to stop trying; Shelley and Bobby have decided to holiday in Spain to finalize their divorce whilst drowning in cocktails; Angela is marrying for the third time to the dismay of her sister Toby.

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Driving Miss Daisy

Between Friday 11 May 2018 and Sunday 27 May 2018

Written by Alfred Uhry. Sparklingly funny and irresistibly heart-warming, Driving Miss Daisy is the charming, poignant and utterly compelling tale of the unlikely, long-lasting friendship that blossoms between a prickly, elderly Southern matriarch and her kindhearted chauffeur, Hoke. As the decades roll by against a backdrop of prejudice, inequality and civil unrest, the pair transcend their differences and ultimately grow to rely on each other far more than either of them ever expected.

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Sing with Gunilla - Colours

Saturday 28 April 2018

Enjoy a Magical Afternoon in Song with the Students from Gunilla Myren School of Singing. Kyle Downes on Piano Guests Timbre Vocal Ensemble

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Godspell

Between Friday 16 March 2018 and Sunday 25 March 2018

Composed by Stephen Schwartz. Spoken parts by John-Michael Tebelak. Directed by Cherie Treloar & Tim Holstein. A well-loved musical based on the Gospel according to Matthew, Godspell, features a comedic troupe of eccentric players who team up with Jesus to teach his lessons in a new age through parables, games, and tomfoolery. Godspell also features the international hit, “Day by Day”, as well as an eclectic blend of songs ranging from pop to vaudeville, as Jesus’ life is played out onstage.

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Cinderella - The Pantomime

Between Friday 8 December 2017 and Sunday 17 December 2017

Fun entertainment for the whole family, this traditional British Pantomime incorporates visual comedy, slapstick humor and lots of audience participation. Add in bright songs, dancing, colourful costumes and a live orchestra! What a way to end the year!

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The League Studios Presents... Immortality

Between Thursday 9 November 2017 and Saturday 11 November 2017

Enjoy the amazing dance talents of the awe inspiring students from The League Studios, Hervey Bay's newest dance school. Relax in Z-PAC comfort for an intimate two hour show spectacular. Grace, poise and raw talent will come to the fore through well choreographed routines that showcase Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary,Musical Theatre, Hip Hop and Acrobatic styles. Tickets just $20 adults, $15 Children/ Concession available from Z-PAC Theatre.

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Sex Please We're Sixty by Susan & Michael Parker

Between Friday 20 October 2017 and Saturday 4 November 2017

Directed by Liane Mills. You'll love the jokes, the characters and the physical comedy in this zany fast-paced hilarious show.

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Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas

Between Friday 4 August 2017 and Saturday 19 August 2017

Under Milkwood is a unique and touching depiction of a village that has fallen head over bells in love. The play is very beautiful and touching while being at times bawdy and funny. The language is sumptuous.

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Hit Productions at Z-PAC Theatre - Everybody Love Lucy

Between Friday 7 July 2017 and Saturday 8 July 2017

Everybody Loves Lucy written by Elise McCann & Richard Carroll and Directed by Helen Dallimore is a tribute to a true trail-blazer. This cabaret-style show is a great for audiences young and old. It is equal parts amusing and bittersweet. A fitting tribute to the paradox that was Lucille Ball.

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I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

Between Friday 19 May 2017 and Sunday 28 May 2017

Books and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro, Music by Jimmy Roberts. Presented by permission of ORIGIN Theatrical on behalf of R & H Theatricals, www.rnh.com Artistic Director of Z-PAC Gavin Bolderrow will be Directing this award winning musical comedy. What's this show about? It's Everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit.

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Travelling North - By David Williamson

Between Friday 3 March 2017 and Sunday 19 March 2017

Directed by Judith La Forest This humorous iconic play, tells of a couple who find new life in a twilight love affair, to the consternation of their children. It is a search for meaning in a life shortly to end.

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1001 Arabian Nights... and a Matinee

Between Friday 16 December 2016 and Sunday 18 December 2016

Traditional Musical Pantomime for all the Family.

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Arsenic and Old Lace

Between Friday 23 October 2015 and Sunday 8 November 2015

A farcical black comedy revolving around the Brewster family, descended from the "Mayflower," but now composed of insane homicidal maniacs including two spinster Aunts who murder lonely old men by poisoning them with a glass of home-made elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine, and "just a pinch" of cyanide.