A Month of Sundays by Bob Larbey. Courtyard Studio, CTS, October 18-November 3. Tickets $35/$30. canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
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At 83, Graham Robertson is about the age of the main character, Cooper, in A Month of Sundays. But he's faring a lot better than Cooper, who he's revisiting in a new production of Bob Larbey's 1985 comedy.
Anne Somes directed it for her company Free-Rain about eight years ago with Robertson in the same role. Now they've reunited and Robertson is pleased.
''It's a very good play, well-written,'' he says.
''The play is set in a retirement home-cum-rest home or some other euphemism for an old people's home.''
Cooper is mentally fit but physically deteriorating. His friend Aylott (played by Oliver Baudert) is more robust but forgetful.
They're looked after by Nurse Wilson (Joanna Richards), with whom Cooper has a fatherly relationship.
''His real daughter, Julie [Lainie Hart] who comes to visit him the first Sunday of every month hasn't got a very warm relationship with him,'' Robertson says.
''Her husband Peter [Paul Jackson]also visits and tries constantly to mend fences between his wife and her father.''
After his wife died, Cooper put himself in the home - quite some distance from Julie - in order to not be a burden on anyone.
It might sound serious but Robertson says Larbey - whose television credits include the comedies A Fine Romance and As Time Goes By - makes it funny as well as poignant.
''You can laugh and cry at the same time … it's quite light-hearted but it's serious as well.''
Cooper makes escape plans with Aylott as they do their best to avoid becoming ''zombies'' in the home.
The play is quite a memory challenge for Robertson, too.
''It's a massive role - I never leave the stage. Everyone comes to my character.''
Robertson's mobile life as a teacher didn't give many opportunities to act.
When he came to Canberra and married Norma, his second wife, that changed.
''She played piano for music hall for 19 years. Her interest in theatre rekindled my interest.''
He did a lot of music hall and other plays with Canberra Repertory - most recently Under Milk Wood this year -as well as taking roles with Free-Rain and Everyman Theatre.
He says it's always a challenge - ''You don't know if you will remember the lines'' - but he seems to be going strong at the moment.
