A bushranger-themed rock opera is set to be one of the highlights of this year's Wollongong Workshop Theatre season.
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Corrimal playwright Stephen Goldrick has had his new play Anvil chosen to be staged alongside classics such as Blackadder and A Few Good Men this year at the Workshop Theatre.
"Every year they choose one original local show to go with their regular season of established plays," he said.
Goldrick, 58, said Anvil had been in the works for a couple of years.
It was initially inspired by a trip to Abercrombie Caves, which is located between Goulburn and Bathurst.
In 1830, a group of bushrangers called the 'Ribbon Gang' used Abercrombie Caves as their hideout.
"It's where they had the final shootout of our biggest bushranger gang ever - 120 bushrangers and convicts," Goldrick said.
"I've written a rock opera around it. Two-thirds of the characters are historical, and others have been created."
Goldrick was enthused about working with a community theatre to bring his new rock opera to life.
"It's about a passionate Irish woman leading our biggest ever bushranger gang to rebellion and glory.
"It features powerful female characters seizing respect in a dog-eat-dog world of unjust laws and social pretence."
Goldrick said all parts had been cast recently, and Anvil will be on from July 12-27.
Goldrick teaches drama at St Mary's Star of the Sea College, studied play-writing at university and has written songs for ABC radio.
He said this was the first play he had written in several years.
Anvil's music has mostly been crafted by Illawarra composer Lisa Lockett, who also works at St Mary's Star of the Sea College.