Low Pay Don't Pay

Written by Dario Fo. Directed by Larry Waller

November 2026 production

14 February Workshop & 28 February Audition

This production reimagines Dario Fo’s Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! as a fast, funny, political, community-driven piece of popular theatre that speaks directly to a 2026 Australian audience experiencing the pressures of rising costs, economic strain, and social inequity. While the play is set in Italy, our version is modern South Australia, and although comic and chaotic, it remains anchored in real human struggle. The humour emerges from truthful desperation, not caricature. 

This is a show about people trying to survive — and laughing in order not to cry.

Director's Brief

Low Pay Don’t Pay is a bold, joyful, and sharply political ensemble comedy that places actors, audience, and action in constant relationship. This production celebrates the play’s greatest strengths: its relentless physicality, rapid-fire farce, and deeply human heart. Through heightened comedy and collective storytelling, the play exposes injustice not with heaviness, but with laughter, agility, and rebellion. Download the full Director's Brief here, to read more about Larry's vision for this production. 

Ensemble Theatre Production – Company of Actors required

We are seeking 16 actors aged 18+ to form a bold, playful ensemble for an action-packed comedy theatre production, performed in the round and inspired by Commedia dell’Arte.

Performance dates:
Friday November 20, 7:30
Saturday November 21, 2:00 and 7:30
Sunday November 22, 2:00
Friday November 27, 7:30
Saturday November 28, 2:00 and 7:30
Sunday November 29, 2:00

Performance venue: Blackwood Memorial Hall (21 Coromandel Parade, Blackwood).

Audition process includes a Comedia dell'Arte Workshop & formal Audition - see below for details.

Comedy in Theatre: Commedia dell'Arte Workshop

The Audition process kicks off with this workshop, led by Commedia dell'Arte expert, Corinna Di Niro
Date: Saturday 14 February 2026
Time: 12:00–3:00pm
Location: Blackwood Memorial Hall (21 Coromandel Parade, Blackwood)

About the Workshop

This practical and high-energy workshop introduces actors to Commedia dell’Arte, a foundational comic form that continues to shape contemporary theatre and performance comedy. The workshop is designed specifically for performers
interested in being involved in a Blackwood Players' production scheduled for November 2026.
Led by Corinna Di Niro, the workshop draws directly on her current creative and teaching practice, including material from her newly released book, Commedia dell’Arte Reimagined: Contemporary Practice and Pedagogy for a New Generation (launching February 2026). Find out more here.

The workshop will feed directly into the development and casting of the November production, Low Pay Don’t Pay by Dario Fo, directed by Larry Waller, an experienced theatre director known for ensemble-led, physically driven productions and a strong focus on actor process and collaboration.

Participants will explore Commedia dell’Arte as a living, contemporary form—one that is playful, embodied, and responsive to modern performers and audiences.

Participants will explore:

• Physical comedy and expressive movement
• Archetypal characters and comic status
• Rhythm, timing, and ensemble play
• Improvisation techniques that support bold, playful character choices

The workshop functions as both a skills-based learning experience and an early development and exploration space for actors considering involvement in the upcoming production. It offers insight into the ensemble approach, performance
style, and creative expectations that will inform rehearsals later in the year.