Stafford-Clark invites audiences into rehearsals for Our Country’s Good

The play will tour the UK this autumn before playing London’s new St James Theatre in early 2013. Before that, audiences will have the opportunity to discover the secrets of the rehearsal process for three weeks between 31 July and 18 August.

Stafford-Clark, who directed Our Country’s Good back in 1988 for its premiere at The Royal Court, will revive the play for his company Out of Joint. “Opening rehearsals up for Our Country’s Good will give the public the chance to discover what is normally a very secret process and will be of value to students and aficionados,” he said. “It also allows my company, Out of Joint, the chance to raise money for the production after a cut in funding last year. I think it will be very interesting for both the audience and cast, who normally have until first preview before appearing in front of audiences.”

Set among the first British convict colony to land in Australia, where an earnest young officer attempts to direct the convicts in a play, Our Country’s Good is based on Thomas Keneally’s bestselling novel The Playmaker. Following a critically acclaimed run at The Royal Court, the play transferred to the West End and Broadway, winning the Olivier Award for Play of the Year and the New York Drama Circle Award for Best Foreign Play.

For more information on how to attend rehearsals of Our Country’s Good, please visit the website.

– by Stephanie Soh