The words of Oscar Wilde's play A Woman of No Importance might be more than 120 years old but many of its themes are as relevant today as they were back then, says the young Arts Academy cast who are tackling the play as part of the graduating class performance.
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But their six performances of the classic tale come with a twist, with the male cast rotating through different roles every two showings.
"Every second night the male cast changes whereas the female cast stays the same through the whole run of the show so the guys have more chance of having a leading role, because their characters are quite small," said cast member Petea Stark.
The group chose A Woman of No Importance to provoke more examination of gender bias.
"For us there's a feminist movement. There's a woman of no importance who rises up against the male protagonist, so there's gender equality going on as well, and class division which isn't such a big theme at the moment," Ms Stark said.
Written in 1893, the play was considered radical for its time as it satirised the morals of the English upper class and their double standards regarding men and women.
The 12-member cast have been rehearsing since mid February under the creative influence of director Kirsten von Bibra.
A Woman of No Importance runs at the Helen Macpherson Smith Theatre until April 7, the first of two seasons featuring the third year acting company from Federation University's Arts Academy.
The other show The Caucasian Chalk Circle runs from April 10 to 14.
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