Season Closed

PERFORMANCES	Friday 25th November, 8pm
	Saturday 26th November, 8pm
	Thursday 1st December, 8pm
	Friday 2nd December, 8pm
	Saturday 3rd December, 8pm
	Thursday 8th December, 8pm
	Friday 9th December, 8pm
	Saturday 10th December, 8pm
	Thursday 15th December, 8pm
	Friday 16th December, 8pm
	Saturday 17th December, 8pm

Matinees	Sunday 27th November, 2pm
	Sunday 4th December, 2pm
	Sunday 11th December, 2pm
	Saturday 17th December, 2pm

Venue	The Theatre, Morningside Campus, Southbank Institute of TAFE, CLEARVIEW TCE, MORNINGSIDE Air Conditioned, Free off-street parking Please click for a map
Prices	$15 / $12 / $5 ($10 groups of 10 or more)
Bookings	07 3395 5268

The Story

In the early 1900's in Australia, Lottie was the embodiment of a respectable, modest, conservative young girl. And there are certain things a good girl does not do.
Lottie fell in love with a married man, became a famous silent film star, secretly helped create classic films like The Sentimental Bloke, battled big business, and fought for her life.
But there was one thing everyone agreed on . . .
She was still a good girl.

The Creators

Aleathea Monsour (Music) is a long-standing member of VP, more often seen onstage, recently in "Rumors", "The Mayne Mystery", and "The Shifting Heart".
Katy Forde (Book and Lyrics) has also had a long association with the players, and most recently appeared in "Rumors" before tackling the arduous task of recreating Australia of the early 1900's for LOTTIE.

The Director

Michael Forde is a well known Brisbane actor, writer and director, appearing with QTC, La Boite, and TN! among other companies, with particularly memorable recent performances in "Milo's Wake" and "James and Johnno". VP audiences will remember his outstanding performances in "Little Me" and "Da", and his chillingly gripping direction for the VP's of "12 Angry Men".

Lottie - background to the story

To get an idea of the time, cinema had just been invented. It was a brand new technology, and at 1911 there were only a scattering of cinemas throughout Australia.
No-one in the whole wide world knew how to make movies. However, Raymond Longford - a stage actor - decided to have a go at it. His leading lady was fellow actress and long-time family friend Lottie Lyell.
Lottie never sought fame, and was by all accounts quiet, modest and very traditional. But circumstance pushed her outside the usual realm of women at the time. Secretly, she began producing and directing alongside Raymond. Their films became international blockbusters.
Meanwhile, over in Hollywood NOTHING was happening. The Americans didn't believe that long movies would take off, as obviously the general public couldn't sit still for more than ten minutes at a time.
It was widely recognised that Australian cinema really did lead the world.
Although Raymond was a married man, and much older than Lottie, he and Lottie fell in love. In the 1910s and 20s in conservative Australia, divorce was a scandal that could ruin careers and lives. It is little wonder that this fourteen-year romance was kept from the public.
After World War 1, American cinema burst out like a flood, and Aussie businessman were all too keen to distribute the flicks. Lottie and Raymond were a threat to the businessmen, as Australian audiences greatly preferred Aussie movies. The musical shows the outrageous tactics the businessmen used to destroy Lottie and Ray.
However, Raymond and Lottie fought back with classics like 'The Sentimental Bloke' and 'On Our Selection'. Nothing was going to stop them doing what they loved.
When Lottie became sick with TB in 1925, Raymond finally divorced his wife - but Lottie died a few weeks before the divorce was finalised. She was only thirty-five.