Norpa News

Books with a life of their own

Nick Earls' novels have a life of their own.

Zigzag Street, which is coming to Lismore in June, is the third of his novels to become a play under the pen of Brisbane playwright Philip Dean.

Earls (pictured) said the first one, After January, was "a bit nerve wracking".

"What makes me glad about the plays is they actually happen," he said. "Films are a lot of flattering remarks and sometimes money changes hands, but a lot of people work very hard to make that very little happen...

"With La Boite, I didn't expect it to happen, I agreed to it, but I thought it would be like a film... Then they rang, and said it was happening. They had the script, they had the cast, and the first dress rehearsal was going to be at such and such a time and would I like to come along. It's a really rewarding experience when you sit in your back shed writing, and you get emails from people saying your novel meant something to them, that's really nice, but it's a different thing to sit in an audience of around 300 people and see it, live. It's a great experience."

Zigzag Street had its world premiere last year, and was the first show at La Boite's new theatre, just a few hundred metres from the actual Zigzag Street in Red Hill.

The play is a comedy about Richard Derrigton, 28 and single, whose been badly dumped by his girlfriend six months beforehand.

The play follows six weeks of his life, while he's staying at his grandmothers' house on Zigzag Street, which he is supposed to renovate.

Though the first draft of the original novel was written almost 10 years ago, Earls said some things haven't changed for blokes.

"Some of the preoccupations Richard has are timeless: being dumped, being in a trough will happen as long as there are humans," said Earls.

Zigzag Street will be on at the Star Court Theatre in Lismore on June 28 at 8pm and June 29 at 11am and 8pm. It contains some coarse language, but is suitable for anyone over 16.

This touring La Boite production has been directed by Jean-Marc Russ, and stars Caroline Dunphy, Cara McIlveen, Lucas Stibbard and Christopher Sommers.

Tickets are on sale now at the Northern Rivers Ticket centre (phone 6621 5600) or get details online at www.norpa.org.au.

Events and giveaways

• Drift off to celestial realms with the Australian String Quartet on May 14 at Lismore City Hall from 8pm. For tickets to Music of the Spheres phone 6621 5600 or go to www.norpa.org.au.
• NORPA's Actors Company will be touring Kaspajack to local schools this term and also term three. If your family's school has not booked this entertaining, locally produced play about difference, culture and tolerance, dates are still available. For further information phone NORPA on 6622 0300. Dates are also available for high schools to see the locally written musical Our Townies, which will be touring the region during term three.
• Win a family pass for two adults and two young people 16 or over to see the matinee performance of Zigzag Street on Wednesday, June 29, at 11am at the Star Court Theatre. All you have to do is tell us why you would like to win it. Put the answer in an envelope with an Echo masthead, put your name, address and phone number on the back, and send it by next Thursday, May 5, to: Echo Readers Theatre Outing, NORPA, PO Box 225, Lismore, 2480.