By Alesha Capone
The Wyndham Theatre Company is this year celebrating five decades of entertaining the community.
Originally called the Werribee Theatre Company, the group began in 1968 and staged its first show that year.
The theatre group was instigated by a local book club, of which Werribee husband and wife Peter and Elizabeth Ross were members.
The couple went on to act in many of the company’s productions. They have also both served as company president, while Mr Ross volunteered as the treasurer for 20 years.
Other early members of the company included Alan Peel, Jan and Pamela Tulen, Joan Pearson, Norm McGregor, Merle Gardner, Gwen Laird and Bette Mantello.
The company staged its shows in many locations across the years, including the Diggers Road Hall and the Werribee Park theatre.
Mr Ross said Werribee Park was only meant to be a “temporary home” for the company, but they remained there for 20 years.
He said the dressing rooms at the park were “old wooden structures” mainly occupied by possums – which sometimes also joined the actors on stage.
The theatre company even gave out “Possum” awards to its members every year.
Mr Ross said one of the company’s most popular shows was
Dimboola, which they revived three times.
“If we were running low on money, we knew we could stage
Dimboola and fill the coffers,” Mrs Ross said.
She said that during the ’70s and ’80s the theatre company welcomed many members from the RAAF Point Cook and State Research Farm in Werribee.
