OBSERVER: The Ballad of Dan O’Malley
Monstrous Theatre and Paul Mitchell Productions have announced the cast for Paul Mitchell’s controversial new play The Ballad of Dan O’Malley: A Football Tragedy, being presented from August 12-22 at The Explosives Factory, Theatre Works St Kilda.
Justin Bell leads the cast as Dan O’Malley; the coach caught between his love of the game and big-league corruption. Joining him onstage will be Miles Paras, Julian Weeks, Adam Balales, Nick Mitchell, Lyndall Grant and Gregory Caine.
The Ballad of Dan O’Malley: A Football Tragedy – a new play by Paul Mitchell is directed by Therèsa Borg, with costume and set design by Dylan Lumsden and lighting design by Jason Bovaird.
The story tells of bright-eyed Dan O’Malley in 2008 taking the reins as coach of the Central Leopards, a fictional club in ‘The League’.
The Leopards are bottoming out on the field and at the bank, so administrators demand desperate, shady measures to win future draft picks.
Dan wants to do right by the club and the young men he leads, but the club’s demands tear at his soul.
When the truth comes out and the future of the game is threatened, there’s only one scapegoat in The League’s sights.
Dates: August 12–22
Venue: Explosives Factory, Theatre-works. Rear 67 Inkerman St (via Lyell and Market Sts) St. Kilda
Tickets: $32.64 – $51.63 from www.theatreworks.org.au
Cheryl Threadgold
GPictured: Gregory Caine (Simon), Justin Bell (Dan) and Julian Weeks (Chad)
in The Ballad of Dan O’Malley. Photo: Dan Rabin

