Neighbourhood Watch in Adelaide

Inspired and touched by the stories told by her own elderly Hungarian neighbour Anna Bosjnak, playwright Lally Katz included several of Anna’s wartime tales in her play, Neighbourhood Watch. Out of her time spent with Anna, came Katz’s abrasive, manipulative, courageous and stoic Neighbourhood Watch character, Ana.

St Jude’s Players will present Neighbourhood Watch by Lally Katz from August 7-16 at St Jude’s Hall in Brighton, South Australia, directed by Lesley Reed (assistant director Mark Wickett).

80-year-old Hungarian refugee Ana lives in an Australian neighbourhood with her wartime memories and aggressive dog Bella. Ana amuses some neighbours, is suspicious of others and clashes with some. When she at last befriends one neighbour, young actor Catherine, who is also haunted by the past, life lessons come for each woman from a poignant and growing mutual dependence.

In an often funny, at times suspenseful and dreamlike story, the narrative moves from 2007 Australia into Ana’s memory of life in Hungary’s dangerous, WWII past, and back again.

Lally Katz wrote the play with Robyn Nevin in mind for Ana and they collaborated over quite some time as the script was edited to its eventual narrative and length. The play premiered to acclaim with Nevin in the role in 2011 at Belvoir Theatre. Years later, in State Theatre SA’s production of the play, Miriam Margolyes was Ana in a brilliant performance.

St Jude’s Players’ August 2025 production features well known Adelaide actor Julie Quick as Ana. The cast also includes Ellie Schaefer, Dylan Megaw, Nathan Brown, Taya Rose, Gail Morrison, Matthew Chant, Christopher Cordeaux and Megan Robson.

‘I reviewed State Theatre SA’s production of this play when I was a theatre critic,’ director of St Jude’s Players’ Neighbourhood Watch, Lesley Reed said. ‘I loved it. I was keen to one day direct it for Community Theatre. Little did I know then how challenging it could be to produce on such a small stage as the one at St Jude’s Hall. Set on an Australian street in 2007 and in memory in 1940s wartime Hungary, we have needed to be spare and use multi-use set design to create the present and the past for this wonderful memory play. It’s written almost like a film script, with several diverse settings.’

Lesley Reed added, ‘Audiences will likely be immersed in Ana’s story; such is the very real dialogue. They will need to suspend disbelief, as houses become other buildings, while at the same time one piece of stage furniture converts from a tram to a boat and more. The cast will shift the set pieces in this production, not stagehands, and with the actors also playing around thirty characters between them, this is no mean feat. The ongoing work by a skilled crew behind the scenes is extensive as well.’

The production includes haunting original music by Sarah Bradley, who also features as the Gypsy, with Taya Rose supporting her.

Audiences who saw the original play will notice that in this revised edition some character names have been changed by the playwright. Milova is now Jovanka, Christina has been renamed as Katrina and Doctor Valker is Doctor Vhite.

‘In these tumultuous times, fraught with the struggles of refugees everywhere, Ana’s story seems very timely to bring to St Jude’s Players’ audiences,’ Lesley Reed said. ‘Lally Katz’s Neighbourhood Watch grew out of a real-life journey not unlike those being experienced by many people in our world right now.’

Neighbourhood Watch is a humour-spiced tale of resilience and courage you won’t want to miss.

Evenings: Thursday August 7 & 14, Friday August 8 and 15, 7.30 pm.

Matinees: Saturdays August 9 and 16, 2pm.

Venue: St Jude’s Hall, 444 Brighton Rd, Brighton, South Australia.

Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/DCCMU

Or call 0436 262 628/email bookings@stjudesplayers.asn.au

Images: Rehearsal photos (top 3 shots, taken by cast) Ellie Schaefer, Julie Quick and Gail Morrison; Dylan Megaw & Gail Morrison, and headshots of Ellie Schaefer and Julie Quick by Les Zetlein.