The Play's Just The Thing

The Sunday Age

Sunday April 23, 2006

Paul Edwards

All of Gippsland's a stage; well, at least the part of it called Stratford, writes Paul Edwards.

It's just a tiny town on the way to many other places, but once a year the gentle folk of Stratford on Avon stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood and cry God for Harry, England and Saint George.

It's an annual demonstration that grips the whole community, spilling out of the Court Theatre on to the streets, in and out of the pub, down to the parks and river - a tribute to the world's greatest playwright from a land he'd never heard of.

Stratford (population 1450) is on the Princes Highway in the heart of beautiful farming country near Sale. No one is quite sure about the derivation of its name - some say it was named after a straight ford across the River Avon - but in all probability it was a tribute to Shakespeare's birthplace.

This year's Shakespeare Festival and associated merriments run from today to May 11, highlighted by the Bard's plays and productions. Today's launch is billed as Shakespeare meets Slow Food, a reference to the region's growing reputation for culture and cuisine. Plays and rollicking singalongs fill the week until next Sunday, when the Avon village fair fills the streets with visitors and the village green comes alive with folkloric demonstrations, Morris dancing, stalls, food and games.

The action continues through to the final performance of The Merchant of Venice on May 11.

The Gippsland whistle-stop village became a member of the Stratford Sister Cities organisation 10 years ago. Representatives from around the world meet every two years in one of the Stratfords for a week of cultural exchange. Last year, 45 people from our Stratford travelled to the UK for the event.

But it's more than just a bit of fun - the play's the thing, and through an arts-based youth exchange program, local girl Alissa Luxford is working in Britain studying theatre, dance and doing work experience with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

WHERE IS IT?

Stratford is 230 kilometres along the Princes Highway from Melbourne and about 15 kilometres beyond Sale.

WHAT'S NEARBY?

Neighbouring towns include Briagolong, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, and Maffra, a rich farming centre. Lake Wellington and the magnificent Ninety Mile Beach are a few kilometres south.

SEE AND DO

Overland Gold Adventures (5145 6701) offers four-wheel-drive tours with metal detectors; the Bataluk Cultural Trail follows a route that Aboriginal people have been travelling for 18,000 years. Samantha Abbott has an intriguing glass works specialising in jewellery (0409 534 7641).

EAT, DRINK

Falstaff would have approved of the groaning tables at the Avon Hotel (5145 6205) and the Peppercorn Cafe (5145 6888). The Wa-de-Lock cellar door has local produce and wines (5145 7050).

PERCHANCE TO DREAM

Tranquil B&B is an historic homestead offering self-contained or serviced accommodation with delightful gardens and log fires (5415 6094). Stratford Top Tourist Park has on-site accommodation (5145 6588). The Stratford Motel (5145 6500) has a spa room and family units. Sale has many accommodation properties should Stratford be full (www.tourismwellington.com.au).

MORE INFO

Visit http://stratford.gippsland.com or www.stratfordshakespeare.com.au.

© 2006 The Sunday Age

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