Photo Flash: HAIL MARY Begins Tonight at Old Mill Theatre

A David versus Goliath story comes to the fore at the Old Mill Theatre this April as a group of nuns try to save their convent from demolition and being turned into a housing estate. Written and directed by prolific Perth playwright Noel O'Neill, Hail Mary is an irreverent comedy about some unconventional nuns who discover their Swan Valley convent is to be sold because of its high operating costs. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

A young nun with a vivid imagination insists she has seen the Virgin Mary walking on the convent roof, inspiring the nuns to proclaim the convent a holy place. Visitors flock to the convent and the spin-off from selling the nuns' home-made wine and bread soon helps to raise money. The Archbishop hurries to find out what's going on and, although initially suspicious, concedes the money-making efforts do not contravene any Christian principles.

"I really have no idea where half of my ideas come from," O'Neill, who also plays Father Costello, said. "I wanted to do something comedic about nuns. I do have great respect for those who devote their lives to one religious order or another but my comedic side allowed me to indulge in a little fun, hopefully without being too offensive."

Born in Ireland, O'Neill moved to New York in his late teens and studied acting with Lee Strasberg and Herbert Berghof, appearing in many off-Broadway productions including One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Of Mice and Men. Since moving to Perth 14 years ago, he has appeared on stage and directed and written numerous shows for the Old Mill and KADS Theatres, Graduate Dramatic Society and Irish Theatre Players. O'Neill has won numerous awards for writing and directing and currently lectures for the WA Academy of Performing Arts and Perth Actors' Collective.

With Hail Mary, he says the convent is fictional and the challenge is to put an enormous amount of energy into each character he has created. "To assist me in directing, I have Valerie Dragojevic who directed my script It's All Greek to Me last year, and Caroline McDonnell, who assisted me with The Big Casino, also in 2014," O'Neill said. "Given their skill in helping to bring my works to life, I'm in safe hands."

Hail Mary plays at 8pm tonight, April 10 and April 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23 and 24 with a 2pm matinee April 19. Tickets are $25, $20 concession - book at http://oldmilltheatre.com.au/tickets or on 9367 8719. It is the second show in a year of all-Australian plays at the Old Mill Theatre to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli landing in 2015. The heritage-listed Old Mill Theatre is on the corner of Mends Street and Mill Point Road, South Perth (opposite the Windsor Hotel and Australia Post).