The Ladies Foursome

IT’S like Sex and the City – but on a golf course.

Written by Norm Foster and directed by Jarrod Buttery, The Ladies Foursome at Harbour Theatre follows a quartet of women playing golf, although the sport rarely comes up in their conversation.

Over the course of 18 holes, secrets and confessions unravel as the women discuss love, sex, children and everything in between.

Foster is considered Canada’s most-produced playwright, known for his humour and insight into the trials and tribulations of everyday life, and is frequently compared to US playwright Neil Simon.

“The ladies’ conversation could almost be held in a workplace or a restaurant, except it happens to be on a golf course and regularly jumps ahead each time they tee off at a new hole,” Buttery said.

His journey to directing The Ladies Foursome began in 2015 when he saw another Foster play, Under The Bright Sun.

Loving the playwright’s wit and naturalistic dialogue, he was cast in The Love List – also by Foster – at Harbour Theatre in 2016, followed by the award-winning On A First Name Basis the following year.

“I read several more of Foster’s plays and fell in love with The Ladies Foursome,” Buttery said. “I was laughing out loud by page two of the script.

“It’s beautifully written with believable dialogue, alternating between hilarity and poignancy, delivered by three-dimensional characters.

“The script and my cast make me laugh at every rehearsal.”

Involved in theatre for more than 30 years, Buttery was one of the founding members of Blak Yak Theatre and has performed in a plethora of productions with Melville, Roleystone, Garrick, Limelight, Playlovers, KADS, Old Mill, Kwinana and Harbour Theatres.

He directed the first Terry Pratchett play to be staged in Australia and was named best director at the 2004 South West Drama Festival for his production of Heide’s Last Hit.

With The Ladies Foursome, Buttery’s biggest challenge is the fact neither him nor any of his cast are regular golfers.

“But none of us are expected to be,” he said. “We can’t actually go hitting golf balls into the audience, so the actions are simulated.

“But that’s what theatre is all about: pretending.”