Outdoor theatre takes the stage in grounds of UQ Ipswich

UQ Ipswich will resound with revelry on September 14 and 15 when Sandy Gallop Dances with the Moon - a unique processional performance beginning at sunset and ending under a starlit sky.

A cast of 80 will lead the audience in and around the historic buildings on campus. And everyone can stay on after the show for a sausage sizzle, a live band, dancing and other festivities.

Music, dance, allegory and physical theatre will trace the site's history as Sandy Gallop Racecourse, various psychiatric hospitals and, since 1998, the UQ Ipswich campus.

A lot of research and community consultation has gone into the story-line, which describes events and experiences through a mythical central character, Sandy Gallop, who is on a quest for self-knowledge - facing the past, interpreting it in the present and drawing hope for the future.

The production includes performers from Redbank Plains and Bremer State High Schools, St Mary's College, the Leichhardt Community Centre and S Troupe (an Ipswich-based theatre group for people with disabilities).

They researched and scripted the show, with guidance from artistic director Sue Rider and the University of Queensland's Cracka Theatre Troupe. The Ipswich Regional Arts Development Fund and the University of Queensland Arts Faculty are supporting the production.

The University established Cracka in 1992 as part of its postgraduate drama program, with an original focus on devising short shows suitable for touring to secondary schools. Since then, Cracka has extended its activities and become one of the University's major community service activities.

For tickets to Sandy Gallop Dances with the Moon ($7 adults, $5 concession, and free for children under 10 and previous Challinor residents), contact Cracka Theatre Troupe (telephone 3365 3269 or www.uq.edu.au/drama/cracka); UQ Ipswich Student Centre; Ipswich Tourist Information Centre (telephone 3281 0555); or at the gates on the night.

Access to the performance is via the Salisbury Road entrance to UQ Ipswich, and audiences are advised to gather at 5pm for a 5.30pm start.

For more information, contact Amanda Lynch at Cracka Theatre Troupe (telephone 0403 024 195) or Moya Pennell at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2846). Information is also available on www.uq.edu.au/drama/cracka