“Woman In Mind” is one of Alan Ayckbourn’s blacker comedies, dealing with the gradual mental collapse of a woman, Susan – a collapse that appears to be precipitated by being knocked unconscious by a garden rake. Starved of affectionate companionship and understanding love by an appallingly boring husband and priggish son who’s ashamed of her, Susan conjures up an ideal family who come to her idyllic, but also imagined, garden. Susan gradually begins to lose control over these idealised people and their visitations, until finally she breaks down completely in a nightmarish and climactic fantasy involving her real and imaginary families.

While this is Fred Lawson’s second directorial assignment for Harbour Theatre, he has also performed several times for Harbour Theatre and other community theatre’s in Perth, as well as being involved in acting, directing and producing on film. “Woman In Mind’ brings together a talented cast, including Harbour Theatre stalwarts Joan Scafe as ‘Susan’ and Mavis Glewis as Susan’s sister-in-law ‘Muriel’, with newcomers to Harbour, Rob Garton-Smith as Susan’s husband ‘Gerald’ and Cary Hudson as son ‘Rick’. Susan’s imaginary family are played by David McGarr as her husband ‘Andy’, Stuart King as her brother ‘Tony’ and Lauren Walker as her daughter ‘Lucy’.

Our thanks also to Stuart Riches who stepped in at the last minute to play the part of 'Dr Bill'.