Freeroam Theatre receives invaluable support from the community

Wagga’s Freeroam Theatre has received a $7500 grant from Riverina Waters to put on two Australian plays.

Co-directors and founders of the theatre company Jhi Rayner, Natasha Shimpf and Sally Jackson said the grant would upgrade their budget to put on high-quality productions for the community.

Ms Jackson said the most significant challenge they had faced as a growing company was funding.

“As an emerging theatre company, any help we can get the better. For Riverina Waters to provide this support is invaluable,” she said.

“The focus hasn’t necessarily been on the region for a little while with the federal and state funding, especially after the pandemic.

“We feel unsure about asking local businesses because we want to support them rather than ask them for money. It is challenging to get the funding to put on a production when everyone else is in the same boat.”

The theatre will open curtains on Speaking in Tongues this month. It’s billed as an evocative tale of love, lust, mystery and loss set against a film noir backdrop.

Written by Andrew Bovell Speaking In Tongues is about two couples who set out to betray their partners. A husband doesn’t answer the phone, a man picks up a woman from a mysterious back road, a long-lost lover emerges from the past and commitment issues lead to an empty pair of shoes on the beach.

The story explores the trials and tribulations of relationships, the devastation of lost love and the bonds that are formed between strangers.

Freeroam Theatre has also acquired the rights to perform Picnic At The Hanging Rock and will set the stage on 26 November 2022.

“It is full steam ahead at the moment. It is very exciting,” Mr Rayner said.

Established in November 2020, Freeroam Theatre’s vision is to create professional theatre in Wagga that connects the community with experienced performers and practitioners and upskills local performers.

“A professional platform for regional creatives to put their work on and be employed,” Ms Shimpf said.

Ms Jackson added that the company has been fortunate to live in a supportive community.

“Our board of directors, made up of previous Riverina Theatre Company members, wants to see theatre thrive in the region,” she said.

All three co-directors work at the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre and said it has been supportive and provided resources when needed.

“They go above and beyond,” Ms Jackson said.

The co-directors said managing work and running a theatre company is a balancing act.

“It is very challenging,” Mr Rayner said. He is also a lecturer at Charles Sturt University.

The trio said their ultimate goal is to make the theatre company their primary and only job.

Ms Shimpf, an aspiring actress, said the trio could not support themselves on what the theatre is making at the moment.

“None of us expected to get paid for the first couple of years at the very least because we started with no capital,” she said.

“It is a labour of love because Wagga and Riverina deserve a professional theatre base for people to express themselves.”

Since the end of 2020, the trio has been developing the theatre’s business model and a five-year plan.

The trio said they are constantly learning to structure the seasons and workshops and look at what they can afford to take on.

Speaking in Tongues will show four times from Thursday 16 June at CSU Riverina Playhouse. Tickets are $45 for adults and $40 for concession. Purchase tickets on the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre website.