Bright Theatre group Frustrated Artistic Mothers are going on tour from Bright to Bundaberg

“I wanted to apply to NIDA after I finished school but my careers counsellor told me I would never make any money working in arts and that I should be a secretary,” she said.

“So I did and for most of my working life I’ve done administration through different industries.”

It wasn’t until later in life when the Bright resident rediscovered her love for acting that she joined the local amateur theatre during a tough time in her life. 

“In 1990 I moved to Bright and I met my husband Roger and we had two kids,” she said. 

“Roger had some health issues and passed away in January 2011. 

“After Roger passed, the only thing that got me going again was the Alpine Actors and the commitment we had to perform.

“It was a pretty tough five-and-a-half years and then last year I was hit with the breast cancer stick and everything was stopped again.”

Despite serious obstacles, Packham continued to perform and write in her local community as a creative outlet.

Packham and her “travelling buddy” Pauline Thompson, who make up Frustrated Artistic Mothers, will next week embark on their first national tour from Beechworth to Bundaberg.

“We have been performing this show since 2013,” she said. 

“It’s a scripted show with skits based on real people that we know such as Fran and Mavis, who were Pauline's football fanatic aunts.

“People always relate to the characters and as we're talking and watching footy, we are revealing parts of ourselves. 

“Pauline was also widowed in her 40s so we have similar stories and we thought we would draw on that experience in our performance and writing.”

The Cafe Session tour kicks off at Beechworth's Moments and Memories Tearooms. More information at www.famevents.com.au