The Oak Tree at Peninsula Farm

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Posted 2023-12-09 by groover ⇒ follow

Thu 18 Jan 2024 - Sat 27 Jan 2024

Kate {Fiona Blakeley, left} is haunted by the ghost of Sarah {Fiona Wildsmith} in The Oak Tree.

Following the success of its debut season, the beautifully haunting The Oak Tree is branching out with performances at the historic Peninsula Farm in Maylands. Located by the idyllic banks of the Swan River, history, nature and art converge under a 190-year-old oak tree planted by early settlers in the area, the Hardey family .

Directed by Jane Sherwood for Fifi Productions, The Oak Tree is written by Fiona Blakeley, who also appears as the main character Kate. In a case of art imitating life, the play itself centres on a real oak tree planted by early European settlers at Wungong in Perth’s foothills.

The Oak Tree director Jane Sherwood, right, with cast members Fiona Wildsmith, Matthew Mckail, Fiona Blakeley and Ron Arthurs.

The play follows the trials and tribulations of Kate and Lennie on their Wungong farm. When the bore, their only source of water, dries up two months after they move in, their dreams have already begun to crumble. But there is hope for a new source of water... all that's in their way is a huge, old oak tree that has stood guard over the property for the past 170 years.

When the day comes to fell the tree, nothing seems to go right; equipment breaks, workers are injured and the tree won’t seem to budge. When Kate sees the shade of a woman in a long black dress with mad eyes staring at her from between the branches, it seems her nightmare has only just begun.

Tree-lopper Marty {Ron Arthurs, right} sizes up the job of cutting down the oak tree for {Fiona Blakeley} as the ghost of Sarah {Fiona Wildsmith, left} looks on.

The woman is a ghost of someone who lived there years before, vowing to protect the old oak tree. Kate can either ignore the warnings and stand staunch in the face of adversity – or face up to what she longs to run from and risk everything that matters. A tale of sorrow and love, The Oak Tree is story of how two women find each other across the barriers of time to share their grief, heal their loss and touch each other hearts.

“We are so excited to bring back The Oak Tree to audiences in this magnificent setting,” Fiona said. “And it’s truly magical we get to do it in a place that lends so much depth and meaning to the story. The true star of the show has always been the grand old oak and, this time around, we’ll be sharing the stage with the real thing.”

The ghost of Sarah {Fiona Wildsmith, left} has vowed to protect an old oak tree from Kate {Fiona Blakeley}.

A seasoned performer with more than 25 years in the industry, Fiona has appeared in numerous television commercials, short films and feature films and has performed at KADS, Melville, Harbour and Roleystone Theatres, Graduate Dramatic Society and the Short + Sweet 10-minute play festival. She has also flexed her creative muscles as a writer with shows at Short + Sweet and Fringe World and is currently refining her historical fiction novel on Isobel Gowdie, renowned queen of Scottish witches.

“I’m fascinated with history and its relevance in our lives today,” Fiona said. “It inspires me how people living in those times still have relevance, together with the themes of grief and loss that cross the barriers of space and time to unite us. One of the themes in The Oak Tree is honouring the past – just because something is dead in our time does not mean it should be forgotten.

The marriage of Kate {Fiona Blakeley, left} and Lennie {Matthew Mckail} is put under strain in The Oak Tree.

“I also love ghosts in stories, as characters or metaphors for what they can represent, whether it be the past that needs to be acknowledged, things that haunt the living or as a messenger aiding the present. I'm interested in this genre because it can help link stories set in the present to stories from history and perhaps can give that history context.”

The Oak Tree plays at 8pm January 18, 20, 21, 24, 25 and 27. Tickets are $29.50, $24.50 concession – book at tinyurl.com/oak2024 . Patrons are advised to bring a picnic, chairs, blankets and insect repellent. Gates open 6.30pm. Peninsula Farm is at 2C Johnson Road, Maylands (walk up the driveway on the left from the car park).