Our People
3 February, 2026
Community invited to join stage debut
MEMBERS of the community are invited to be part of production written and produced by local author Eve Contencin. Based on her novel published last year, the production of The Stockman and His Rose will be staged for the first time with support from the Moyston Hall Theatre Group.
Ms Contencin said the book remains one of her most popular works and adapting it into a two-act play has been a long-held goal.
The story follows Lucy, a Scottish widow who travels to Australia and reaches the Murray River, where she boards her grandfather’s paddle steamer.
It is there she meets stockman Phillip Gray, with the romance unfolding against the backdrop of pioneer settlements in Swan Hill and Echuca.
Rehearsals began just over a month ago, with organisers now urgently seeking cast members from the local community to fill more than 17 available roles.
“We actually need leads, Lucy and Phillip, we really need them ASAP,” Ms Contencin said.
The production will include both senior and junior roles, with local school children involved in a bush school scene.
Even a well-trained kelpie could earn a role in the play.
Ms Contencin said she was proud and excited to see the project finally coming together after years in development.
“I am very proud and excited. I’m just grateful that it’s actually going to happen because it’s been a long time in the works,” she said.
She said her broader aim was to see more homegrown stories brought to the stage.
“My aim is to bring Australian stage productions back to the Australian stage,” she said.
The Stockman and His Rose will open on May 15 at 7.30pm, running across two weekends with a Sunday matinee performance included.
Anyone interested in joining the cast is encouraged to contact Eve Contencin on 0497 127 249 or Daryl Chaplin on 0439 525 529.
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