Theatre veteran stars in ANZAC story with a twist

18 May 2015

From playing one of Australian television’s best-known nuns on Brides of Christ to a dodgy accountant on Prisoner, Sandy Gore has taken on a multitude of fascinating roles during her career and has graced the stage and screen for more than 20 years. Now she’s set to perform in Shellshock, a new play about Gallipoli, but with a twist.

Unlike many other stories about Gallipoli, Shellshock isn’t about the war itself, but the human side of the events, Sandy told Active Retirees. Instead, it’s a “good yarn” about a teenager’s best mate, a tortoise called Herman, who also happens to be the oldest living survivor of the Gallipoli campaign.

“It is so important to commemorate the ANZAC centenary, but it’s nice to come at it from another viewpoint, so the stories are not just about war and loss. It’s about a teenager’s love for this tortoise and his relationship with the war,” said Sandy. “In that way, it’s a love story. I think that’s great. It’s about family and that’s something we should be celebrating at this time with the centenary. So many families were torn apart during the war.”

Although Sandy has been nominated three times for an Australian Film Institute Award in the past and has starred in television shows such as Rake, Rafferty’s Rules and A Country Practice, she relishes the unique experience of performing on the stage. During her career, she has had 45 leading credits to her name in theatre and performed with the Sydney and Melbourne Theatre Companies and appeared in productions such as Uncle Vanya.

“I love television and I love film, but by and large, I just love the notion of walking into a darkened space in the theatre, where there’s an unwritten contract between you and the audience that you will hopefully transport them elsewhere,” she says. “There’s simply nothing like being in a moment with another actor on stage and you can hear a pin drop.”

Sandy is now 64 years old, and although there aren’t as many roles written for older women, she has still kept herself busy.

“With modern plays, the English are quite happy in television and film to embrace old age and maturity, but we’re inclined to follow the US, where they think you need two pretty 20-something leads to make it work,” reflects Sandy.

“But as it’s been proven recently with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, people do want to see older people. Meryl Streep had a huge box office hit with Mamamia and Cate Blanchett with Blue Jasmine. This isn’t just a one-off or a flash in the pan. People do want to see mature stories for mature people, but we’re still getting our heads around that, I think.”

Shellshock is playing at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, Sydney from 30 July - 8 August.