A ‘Date with the State’ for Von
On Saturday 24 March, Mrs Veronica (Von) Berg of Resthaven Bellevue Heights was invited to high tea at the Adelaide Intercontinental Hotel, prior to a one-man performance by Johnathon Biggins in the ‘Gospel According to Paul’.
The experience was part of a program funded by the Office for Ageing Well, called ‘A Date with the State’, which aims to keep older people engaged with past-times they love, namely theatre.
For the price of a senior’s ticket, guests could enjoy a pre-show afternoon tea and mingle with State Theatre Company creatives, before heading to the theatre to see a performance.
Von’s daughter, Kerry, who accompanied her mum, says, ‘We were welcomed to the event with bubbles, followed by high tea of pretty cakes, beautifully presented on three tiers.’
‘The show was excellent, taking the audience through the political life story of Paul Keating in a comical manner.’
‘The set became a stage for song and dance.’
‘It was reminiscent of hat and cane acts from the Adelaide Tivoli circuit, when Von remembers her parents, Jim and Nellie Reid (with Von), performing sell out musical and slapstick comedy shows in Adelaide and country South Australia’.
Thank you to the Office for Ageing Well for making this possible, and to the State Theatre Company for hosting the event.
Established in 1935, Resthaven is a South Australian not-for-profit aged care community service associated with the Uniting Church in Australia.
Services are provided throughout metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Murraylands, Riverland, Fleurieu Peninsula, lower Barossa region and the Limestone Coast of South Australia.