LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE Comes to Melville Theatre Tonight

A play written by two women responsible for several Hollywood hits comes to Melville Theatre this month.

Love, Loss and What I Wore is written by Nora and Delia Ephron -- together they wrote the screenplay for You've Got Mail while Nora has received original screenplay Academy Award nominations for When Harry Met Sally, Silkwood and Sleepless in Seattle.

Based on the book by Ilene Beckerman, the play is a series of monologues about women's relationships and their wardrobes and how the two sometimes interact, providing a time capsule of a woman's life.

The clothing and accessories trigger memories of funny and often poignant stories to which many women can relate.

"Love, Loss and What I Wore is a funny and touching montage of monologues and ensembles pieces about memories and mothers and the material they were wrapped in," director Vanessa Jensen said. "The play is about more than just clothes -- it's about memories and the moments that shaped a person's life. It also looks at the role of family and why dressing room mirrors make you look so hideous!"

"The play is moving, touching and raises some interesting issues yet is also humorous, all done in such a way that someone in the audience will recognise and relate to nearly every line delivered," she added.

Jensen has a wealth of theatre experience behind her, after first appearing on stage as an eight-year-old and directing her first show at 14.

She wrote, directed, stage managed and acted in various shows at Curtin University's Hayman Theatre over a four-year period and has staged several successful productions at the Old Mill and Melville Theatres, including The Venetian Twins, Emma, Three Tall Women, Pride and Prejudice, Away, Amadeus and her own award-winning script Jamie's Chooks.

Away won Jensen the Constance Ord Award for directing at the 2010 Milly Awards and she also received a best director nomination at the annual Finley Awards for Amadeus in 2011.

Awards continued in 2013 and 2014 when her productions of Rabbit Hole and Twelve Angry Men at Melville Theatre both won best play at the Finley Awards - the latter also scored her the Susan Hayward Award for Best Director.

"After directing two quite heavy dramas, Rabbit Hole and Twelve Angry Men, I wanted to do something different; something a little lighter," Jensen said. "Love, Loss and What I Wore appealed to me because, in style, it is something very different to both what I usually do and what most plays are. It has an unusual format and while the play is lighter in content than my most recent shows, it still has a lot to offer."

Love, Loss and What I Wore plays at 8pm tonight, September 4, through September 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 with a 2pm matinee September 13. Tickets are $20, $15 concession -- book on 9330 4565 or at www.meltheco.org.au. Melville Theatre is on the corner of Stock Road and Canning Highway, Palmyra.

Pictured: Cassandra Gorman, front left, is part of the ensemble cast playing a variety of roles in Love, Loss and What I Wore with Susan Lynch, Kayti Murphy, Petrina Harley and Joy Northover.

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