NEWS DESK
Child abuse play shows hope is important
n See The Truth is Longer than a Lie at Frankston Arts Centre’s Cube 37 venue on Thursday 21 July, 7pm. A panel of experts will hold a question and answer session, chaired by Monash University’s Professor Leon Piterman after the play suitable for those age over 15. Tickets $18 to $25. See artscentre.frankston.vic. gov.au or call 9784 1060.
Pen and camera point way to prizes KINGSTON Youth Service’s annual photography and writing competitions are helping local youngsters express themselves through the written word and on film. Winners of the annual Picture This competition were recently announced, while entries for the Ink About It writing competition are welcome. The winning picture Apparition – taken by 15-year-old Stephen Hatzikiridzis – was captured at Mentone beach at sunset. The runner up was 14-year-old Tess McCracken, who won last year, for her photograph Lake Tekapo taken on a school music trip in New Zealand. Third place went to 16-year-old Joshua Ratten for his alpine photograph Onwards. The mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley said she was impressed by the level of talent displayed by local young people. “Our young people are incredibly talented and it was great to see the
high calibre of entries for this year’s Picture This competition,” Cr Bearsley said. “I’d also encourage local teenagers to put pen to paper and enter our Ink About It writing competition to go into the running for some fabulous prizes.” The Ink About It writing competition invites young people to enter a short story or poem that interprets the theme Hero. Entrants, aged 13-25, must have a connection to Kingston. Entries must be G-rated and are limited to 1000 words. Three winners will be selected by a judging panel of Youth Services staff and local young people. Winning entries will be published in Kingston Youth Services’ Universal magazine. See kingstonyouth.org.au/inkaboutit or call Kingston Youth Services, 1300 369 436.
Daunting project: Playwright Kieran Carroll has tackled the harrowing subject of child abuse in his latest play. Picture: Yanni
O IT NL S Y AV FE AI W LA BL E
CHILDREN often pretend to be superheroes they admire in comics or on screen but a darker side to pretending to be Spider-Man features in a new play called The Truth is Longer than a Lie to be staged at the Frankston Arts Centre this month. Young Matthew, a character in the play based on real-life accounts of child abuse, adopts the persona of Spider-Man to try to escape from the brutal reality of a life of abuse at the hands of his stepfather in “a welfare-dependent family with drugs problems”. Meanwhile, Amy faces the nightmare of sexual abuse by her outwardly respectable father Ben in “a well-to-do family” where nobody suspects anything is wrong. Edithvale playwright Kieran Carroll was commissioned by Monash University to write the play about child abuse based on a PhD thesis by Neerosh Mudaly and Chris Goddard. Carroll says it took about six months to research and write the play and another six months to put the “large” 95-minute play together featuring nine actors. “Monash University wanted to react to some of the pretty dark statistics with regards to child abuse and family violence,” Carroll said. “They wanted to create more awareness about the problem.” The prolific playwright, the author of 16 produced plays since 2002, admits it was “very daunting” to tackle the harrowing subject of child abuse. “Sometimes I read things that were beyond belief,” he said. Real-life quotes from children featured in the university thesis are used throughout the play and become springboards for the narrative of The Truth is Longer than a Lie. “I suppose there are theatre shows where we’re
Guards lucky no injuries
going to go along and we’re going to laugh and we’re going to be entertained but there are those that are trying to challenge and educate and reshape thinking,” Carroll said. “It’s certainly not a play where you will come out feeling light-hearted but hopefully you’re moved by what the children go through and in the end there are some traces of hope for them that things are going to get better. “I try to show the recovery process is a long process but there is some hope for some of these kids. “In some ways, Matthew comes out of the play a lot better because he still has the love of his mother while the wealthier girl’s mother stays in complete denial of the situation. “For those sort of families keeping it in house seems more important than the child and having their reputations ruined.” No matter the circumstances of a family, Carroll hopes audiences will not look the other way if they suspect a child is being abused. “If they’re leaving with a message it could be if they suspect something is going on with a neighbour or someone in a house near you or something in the school system it’s a community responsibility in some ways to try to investigate that in a safe way.” For help or information about child abuse, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
A SOUTHLAND security guard who challenged a possible burglar was threatened with a stabbing and his partner almost run over by a woman getaway driver, 4.15am, Wednesday 6 July. The guards, who were protecting the Apple store after several recent burglaries, heard what they thought were two men arguing beside a damaged Nissan 300ZX with no number plates on the second level car park. One guard demanded the aggressive man’s name and address and was threatened with a stabbing, while the other questioned a woman in the driver’s seat. The man got in the car and the woman went to drive off but the guard opened the driver’s door to grab the keys. The woman may have panicked as she reversed quickly, hitting the guard with the door and causing him to fall in front of the car. She then drove forward and he fell across the bonnet. Luckily, neither man was seriously injured. The car sped off, driving through a red light on Nepean Hwy and heading south. At 9.20am, possibly the same car was found burnt out at Kingston Heath reserve. Police are matching this car with a report of a stolen car of the same make and model. The man is described as Caucasian, 25, athletic build, dark hair, 178-183cm, wearing grey track pants, grey windcheater with white stripes. The woman is Caucasian, 23-24, brown hair, dark pants, grey skivvy. Anyone with information is urged to call Cheltenham police 9583 9767.
INDEPENDENT LIVING FOR OVER 55’S
UN
Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au
Police patrol
2 bedroom & 3 bedroom units All with emergency call system High care nursing home onsite Boutique style clubhouse Low weekly fees Carrum Downs 1133 Frankston-Dandenong Road Open Thurs–Sun 11am–12.30pm 03 9822 9505 / 0433 974 494 Call today for an appointment
carrumdownsretirementvillage.com.au Ageing in Place Villages located at Mount Martha, Carrum Downs & Berwick
3 Course Lunch & wine
only $25
Bayside News
Sail to Queenscliff & dine at RORO Cafe on the Beach Monday - friday | 11th July - 2nd of september
FREE FERRY TRAVEL
FOR FULL DETAILS & HOW TO BOOK VISIT SEAROAD.COM.AU/WINTERS-LUNCH-BEACH/
Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
13 July 2016
PAGE 7