Rayson on a roll

TOUR: Playwright Hannie Rayson. Picture: DAVID CONNELLY

One of Australia’s greatest playwrights hopes for a beautiful set of crowd numbers when she appears solo in her new show at Drysdale next weekend.
Hannie Rayson said she was thrilled to be on the road for a Victorian tour of Hello, Beautiful.
“At last, I’m excited. I can’t wait,” she said.
“I’ve been stuck working at home for years! I’ve been waving my plays off at Tullamarine airport for years, now it’s my turn for an adventure.”
Rayson’s 60-minute show is based on stories from her recent book of the same name while adding some saucy additional tales.
She recounts her childhood in the early ’60s, with an emphasis on her time at the vanguard of the sexual revolution.
The tales then proceed through her student life in the ’70s, covering everything from shared household chores to her relationship with journalist Michael Cathcart.
Rayson has authored 14 plays performed throughout Australia and overseas in both English and other languages. Some of her plays include Hotel Sorrento, Life After George and Extinction.
She is a graduate of Melbourne University and the Victorian College of the Arts, with an honorary doctorate of letters from La Trobe University.
Rayson will perform Hello Beautiful! From 8pm 26 May at Drysdale’s Potato Shed, with tickets available from the venue or City of Greater Geelong customer service centres.