CHRISTOPHER Stollery is no stranger to big roles.
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It should come as no surprise then that the veteran actor, who has appeared alongside the likes of Cate Blanchett, John Cleese and Tim Minchin on stage and screen, has relished the chance to sink his teeth into HURT, which will open at the HotHouse Theatre next Tuesday.
Penned by Catherine McKinnon, HURT takes place in a hospital waiting room, where Mel, the mother of injured four-year-old Hanny, is waiting for news.
A young businesswoman and witness to the accident, Alex, and Mel's estranged husband Dominic also arrive – with the links between the three slowly revealed.
“It's a fantastic piece of writing,” Stollery said.
“It really hits the ground running, the audience has to keep up to work out what's happened, what the relationship between all the characters is.
“It's quite raw, and a great piece to act in – very well-observed.”
Starring alongside Meredith Penman and Gabrielle Scawthorne, Stollery said he was excited to perform on the Border, and equally excited to work with director Kim Hardwick.
“I might have been in Albury in 2009 on a theatre tour, but otherwise I'm not sure I’ve been here before,” he said.
“It's great to have an opportunity to get down here.
“The cast is very top-line, and I've tried many times in the past to work with Kim.
“We did a lot of work on the show about two months ago. The text is just delightful.
“The more I read the script, the more I saw that Catherine has brilliantly chosen the right amount of words to paint the picture of what's happening below the surface. It's got a lot of stuff in it, lots of trigger points for people to relate to.
“Anyone with kids who have been hurt will know that the whole premise is a very high-stakes situation.
“It's a really great short play.
“There is some heavy subject matter, but it really goes.”