SMOKY DAWSON was, in the days before television, the country's first singing cowboy and the biggest star on Australian radio. However few know the stories of the man beneath the Stetson hat – until now.
"I'm not Smoky" he once said, "I'm just little old Herb! That's Smoky there in the chair..." he continued, pointing to the stetson and cowboy boots in the corner.

This is not a tribute show – it's a contemporary drama, in which theatre-goers are invited into a typical suburban living room for a personal audience with an Aussie show business icon - a poet, artist, philanthropist and country music legend. For the first time, they will get to meet the extraordinary man behind the famous name.

The audience will laugh at his anecdotes and be drawn into the heart-breaking stories of a brave little boy who grew into a great man - despite the odds being set against him from the start. They will be buoyed by the long standing love affair he enjoyed with his wife Dot, and will no doubt shed a tear when the ageing cowboy remembers his equine companion of 35 years - his pony, "Flash" As the early audiences said: "Every Australian should see this show!"

Venue Format
Theatre, Hall
Technical Rating
D
Touring Party
1 x performer, 3 x crew.
Considerations

This is a simply staged show designed for touring. The set can bump-in and be ready for "curtain" in under three hours. (Bump-out takes less than an hour). There are no unusual technical, staging nor rigging requirements. The subject matter is suitable for all ages (certainly from early high school age and up).

Formed in 2002 to stage the Australian premiere season of Broadway musical "LEADER OF THE PACK - The Ellie Greenwich Musical" at Star City (Sydney) and later at Crown Casino (Melbourne), Leader Entertainment has produced numerous live concert and special events in NSW and throughout Queensland. Leader Entertainment produced the TV documentary "TODAY on the Variety Bash" in 2006 (seen nationally on the Nine Network) and works closely with a number of large corporate organisations to stage private theatrical conferences and events. Key players in the company bring almost a century of professional theatrical experience to the stage in this exciting new venture, SMOKY & HERB.

Unique Selling Point

Taken from Smoky Dawson's own memoirs and from real-life experiences by a long-time friend of the Dawson family, this really is a personal insight into a great Australian and is staged with the support and blessing of the surviving members of the Dawson family. This play epitomises that great Aussie tradition of "battling on" in the face of adversity - of love, friendship, self-belief. Of looking out for your mates and and of survival. This is the original "Australian Story" told live on stage with words and music.

Marketing Materials

We have a full complement of marketing collateral and limited merchandise ready to go. Broadcast television quality footage and a large range of production stills were shot live on stage at QPAC in October 2015. We have a large amount of original footage and stills and celebrity endorsement to support marketing. There is a teachers' study guide available through the Australian Film & Sound Archive on the life of Smoky Dawson which we will make available to school groups. We can also offer a live post-show Q&A session with both the star and the playwright for attending school or tertiary study groups.

Community Engagement

The production has the full support and endorsement of the Smoky Dawson Foundation - their support extends to providing grants for local young artists (of all artforms) to realise their creative ambitions and goals as well as organising other opportunities for these artists (e.g. mentorship sessions with artists and foundation ambassadors) in the communities where the production is staged.