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<div style="direction: ltr;font-family: Tahoma;color: #000000;font-size: 10pt;">FYI all... details of a local author's book launch!<br>
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Let’s do launch: curtain up on book of plays</span></b></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">PERTH</span><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU"> writer and actor Chris Thomas is
launching his latest book, <i>SMS Mess and other plays</i>, at the Old Mill Theatre on September 16.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">It’s a compilation of several plays he has written over the years, ranging from comedy to the surreal through to a children’s
piece.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN">With a 19-year background in Perth theatre, Thomas has appeared in more than 30 productions including
<i>Red Dwarf, Dracula, Frankenstein, Popcorn, The Sum of Us, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Beast and The Beauty, Foreskin’s Lament</i> and<i> The 39 Steps.</i></span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN">In 2010, he set up his own production company Groovy Boots Theatre and co-directed and performed in a sell-out season of the wedding
farce <i>Dimboola</i>.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN">Thomas’ previous written works include the novel
<i>Journo’s Diary</i> and the <i>Doctor Who </i>short story </span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">One Step Forward, Two Steps Back,
</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">featured in the collection
<i>Short Trips: Defining Patterns</i>.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">“During my own personal experience in theatre over the years, as a performer and writer, I have seen a good selection of plays
written by WA authors,” he said.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">“But all too often they are only given one outing and then forgotten, simply because people are unaware these scripts exist.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">“Yet year after year, people are on the hunt for one-act plays, kids’ shows and monologues and can’t find anything suitable.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN">“Several of my plays have been performed in one form or another and rather than let them gather dust as so many other scripts do,
I decided to put them together in a collection.”</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">The book features eight plays, including:</span></p>
<p class="ecxListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-AU"><span>·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">SMS Mess</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">, a humorous one-woman show that explores the pitfalls
of text messaging. </span></p>
<p class="ecxListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-AU"><span>·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Reality Matters</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">, a surreal piece where one character is forced
to question his own perception of reality when confronted by an enigmatic character.</span></p>
<p class="ecxListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-AU"><span>·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Which One?,
</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">a comedy where three university students all make a move on the same girl.</span></p>
<p class="ecxListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-AU"><span>·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">The Bonza Land of Oz</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">, designed to give children acting experience
while highlighting other cultures are embraced in Australia. </span></p>
<p class="ecxListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-AU"><span>·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Who’s Your Daddy?</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">, a tale of a failed 80s popstar on the comeback
trail, followed by an obsessed fan and cynical music journalist. </span></p>
<p class="ecxListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-AU"><span>·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Pickles,
</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">a play where one woman plays a housewife, husband, small child, teenager and elderly lady.</span></p>
<p class="ecxListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-AU"><span>·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Appetite for Destruction</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">, an exploration of a character’s inner
turmoil over his weight. </span></p>
<p class="ecxListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-18pt; text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-AU"><span>·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</span></span></span><i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">King Bling</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">, designed for a teenage audience to highlight the
message of managing money, done in a hip-hop context.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN">“I always had a vision someone could go to a library and pick out the book if they wanted a play to perform, just like I did when
I was first looking for a play to direct many years ago,” Thomas said.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN"><span> </span>“This way, there will be a permanent record of my plays, available to a greater number of people to perform, if they
so choose.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN">“Some of them are MA-rated, others can be performed anywhere and there’s even one especially written for kids.”</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU"></span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Thomas launches
<i>SMS Mess and other plays</i> from <strong>2pm, Sunday, September 16</strong>, at the Old Mill Theatre and will be on hand to sign copies. Entry is free, all guests receive a free glass of champagne on arrival and a small excerpt from
<em>SMS Mess</em> will be performed. No bookings necessary.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">The book is also available through Thomas’ website
</span><span lang="EN-AU"><a href="http://www.journosdiary.biz/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana">www.journosdiary.biz</span></a><font size="2" face="Verdana"> for $15 plus postage and handling</font></span><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">.
</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">The Old Mill Theatre is on the corner of Mends Street and Mill Point Road, South Perth, opposite the Windsor Hotel and Australia
Post.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Ends</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">CAPTION</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt; line-height:115%; font-family:Verdana" lang="EN-AU">Chris Thomas is launching his book
<i>SMS Mess and other plays</i> at the Old Mill Theatre on September 16. [Picture: HELEN O’BRIEN]</span></p>
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