8 More Years

Tracey Baxter is not happy! Brisbane’s going Olympic, her favourite park’s getting bulldozed, her brother’s training for the Games AND her mum’s got a thing for his swim coach. Set in 2024, in the 8 year lead-up to the Games, 8 More Years splashes through chaos and pure Aussie absurdity. Between red frogs, swim meets, and big changes, one feisty little girl is determined to keep up with the madness and shake up her family, her city, and everyone in between.

This play was developed during PIP Theatre’s Canopy play development program, headed by Harrison Allen. An amazing initiative to support new playwrights, free of charge, with a opportunity to be programmed into PIP Theatre’s Toucan Club.

Please support PIP Theatre and local artists by getting tickets to all the other wonderful shows!

From the Playwright In August 2024, Milton locals were asked to participate in a quick video outside the Eiffel Tower replica on Park Rd to show Brisbane’s support for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (ahead of our own 2032 games). After, they handed out little pins that said '8 YTG' (8 years to go). Randomly, I thought, that sounds like a title for a play.

What started as a silly passing thought got me thinking about what Brisbane might actually look like in 8 years time (now 7 years!) when the Olympics arrive. The traffic would definitely be worse (I already get bad road rage living inner-city), and then I started seeing all these news stories about Queensland gearing up for the Games with new stadiums, new villages, new developments.

And I couldn’t help but wonder, how would all of that affect the local people of Brisvegas?

That question, along with that tiny pin, became the seed for this play. I wanted to write something local, funny, and a bit ridiculous, but that also looks at how we change with the world around us. 8 More Years is a story about family, belonging, and identity, wrapped in the chaos of the Brisbane Olympics countdown.

This play is not for or against the Olympics. Neither is it making a comment on the people that may be for or against the new developments. It is intended to spark a conversation about navigating change, not only socially and economically, but within a family unit.

Amelia x

AMELIA SLATTER - PLAYWRIGHT, PRODUCER, “TRACEY” Amelia Slatter is an actor, writer and producer. She trained at QUT (Bachelor of Creative Industries, Drama) and continued her training through the Screen Actors Studio program at NIDA. On stage, her credits include Banging Denmark, Murder on the Not So Orient Express, No Dinner for Sinners, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Baal and The Actor’s Nightmare. Alongside performing, Amelia is a familiar face at PIP Theatre working behind the scenes in venue and production management,

CALUM JOHNSTON - DIRECTOR Calum Johnston is an established actor, director, writer, theatrical clown, and stilt walker. After graduating with a Bachelor of Acting and Performance Making (University of Canberra), Calum continued to train with Circa, Franz Vogel, and Garry Starr. He has worked with several companies across Brisbane in the last six years, including Glitter Martini, Spy Monkey and Dead Puppet Society. Through his company, Moth Light Theatre, Calum writes and produces original works, including Moon With a View, which received rave reviews at Wynnum Fringe and PIP Theatre.

He is also a Teaching Artist with NIDA, sharing his expertise with emerging performers.

MERYN COOPER - “MUM” Meryn Cooper is an Australian actor and singer whose work spans theatre, screen and cabaret. Trained in Theatre and Media at Charles Sturt University, her credits range from Hating Alison Ashley (Erica) to Twelfth Night (Sebastian), alongside short films, music videos and TV commercials. A passionate children’s entertainer, she has written two books and released a children’s album. Meryn is a former classical singer turned festival-stage performer, and she loves creating original characters and comedic work. She also brings a decade of on-camera experience as a journalist, and six years in publicity with Queensland Ballet.

SAM HERBERTSON - “JASON” Developed in an underground government lab from old socks and recycled plastic bags, Sam escaped the facility to pursue a life of acting. Having studied a Bachelor of Acting at TAFE UC, Sam has acted in a variety of short films including Spectre (2024), Shopping With Satan (2025) and Keeping Up With the Swines (2022). Sam has also made appearances in stage productions such as Georgina Sawyer’s Works In Chaos: This Was Human Generate-d and Edward Bond’s The Balancing Act. If he isn’t working at Bluey World or Movie World, Sam can be found eating, sleeping or (and this has actually happened) both at the same time.

HAYDEN BURKE - “COACH” An all round storyteller, Hayden is a VCA Acting graduate, Director, Producer, Clown and Theatre maker. His Devised works include: “The Personification Of An Arctic Woolly Bear Moth” - Pip Theatre/Dir: Hayden Burke, “Godlike Status” - Melbourne Fringe, True North Festival, Cracked Festival/Dir: Hayden Burke, “Silent Comedy” - Solo Clown Routine - Channel 31/Dir: Dean Watson.

Hayden is the Artistic Director of 7th Floor Theatre which has founded and run several initiatives including:“7 th Floor PLAYground” Running since 2021 exhibiting over 70 staged readings in Melbourne and Brisbane. Selecting several of these plays for its professional seasons which Hayden has directed and performed in including: “Sprout” by Jessica Bellamay - Weatherman -Melbourne/Dir: Hayden Burke & Catherine Ward, “Where’s My Money?” by John Patrick Shanley/Dir: Hayden Burke & Beng Oh, “Australian Open” by Angus Cameron/Dir: Hayden Burke.

Special thanks to: Harrison Allen Jenna Todd Deidre Grace Kris Anderson

Sausage Mix (aka Curried Sausages) Ingredients ▢0.5 tbsp oil ▢600g / 1.2lb sausages , of choice (Note 1) ▢2 garlic cloves , minced ▢1 onion , halved and sliced ▢1 carrot , peeled, sliced on the diagonal ▢1 tbsp curry powder , or more (Note 2) ▢3 tbsp flour , any type (Note 3 for GF) ▢2 cups (500ml) chicken stock/broth , low sodium ▢1 tsp sugar ▢1/2 tsp salt , plus more to taste ▢1/2 tsp black pepper ▢1 cup peas , frozen

Method 1.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

2.Cook sausages, turning to brown all over then remove. Optional: slice sausages into pieces on the diagonal.

3.In the same skillet, add garlic and onion. Cook for 2 minutes until translucent.

4.Add curry powder and stir for 30 seconds.

5.Add flour and mix for 30 seconds.

6.Gradually pour in chicken stock, mixing constantly.

7.Add carrots, sugar, salt and pepper, stir well.

8.Add sausages and peas, bring to simmer and cook for 3 minutes or until sauce thickens.

9.Serve over mashed potato, rice, pasta or noodles. For low carb, try mashed cauliflower!