From Art in the Triangle, May 2025

Cobargo’s own David Newell is stepping into the spotlight in Theatre Onset’s upcoming production of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, playing the iconic role of Roo – one of the most enduring characters in Australian theatre.

Dave’s performance is set to be a highlight of the production that opens at the Old Anglican Church in Bega on May 30.

‘Roo is a man trying to hold on to the identity he’s built over a lifetime – even as the world around him begins to shift,’ says Dave. ‘There’s a vulnerability in him that really speaks to me. He’s tough, but there’s a deep heart underneath it all.’

I performed alongside Dave in Crimson Rosella’s Dead Horse Gap in 2024 and, when I became the director of this play, I knew immediately that he was the right actor to take on Roo – I didn’t give him much of a chance to say ‘no’. Roo is the emotional centre of the story, a proud man wrestling with change, and Dave brings the groundedness and intensity that the role demands.

Set in 1950s Melbourne, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll follows two cane cutters who return south each year for a summer of love and celebration – until the seventeenth visit, when long-held rituals begin to unravel. Lawler’s classic play explores loyalty, change and what happens when reality no longer fits the stories we tell ourselves.

Catch Dave and the rest of the cast on stage from 30 May to 8 June at the Old Anglican Church, Bega.

Tickets are available now through Try Booking. Visit their website and put Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and Bega in the appropriate fields of the Find Event section.

Eva Mills, Director
Photo: Dave Newell