Jen Croston

Jen has been involved in numerous shows at Spectrum, both on and off stage, since the beginning of the current millennium!

You may have last seen Jen gliding across the stage looking very much in need of a tan, during her ghostly role of Elvira in Blithe Spirit. As much fun as it was to be an ethereal character, she is very happy to be playing Lorna, one of the workcrew doing time tending the allotment, who is at least physically in the land of the living this time!

Jen’s quite amused that her character is tasked with looking after plants as well, because she admits that she’s somewhat of a murderer of flora of all kinds! But she will happily tell you that what she lacks in horticultural prowess, the characters in this play well and truly make up for with their steadfast dedication to sticking to their collective narrative.

She says she really loves how it enables the characters to stay a little longer with those they love and choose to have in their lives. They are able to not only attentively tend to all that grows in the garden, but also to each other’s personal stories as well.

Jen has absolutely loved working with everyone, and hopes you all really enjoy this beautifully woven play where friendships blossom, and where compassion nurtures and protects from the harsh realities of life.

Lilly Charles

This show marks Lilly’s second time performing in a secretary role after playing Julie in her Spectrum Theatre debut, Divorce Me, Darling. Lilly’s also starred in other Spectrum Theatre roles as Miss Emily Brent in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and as chatterbox Patty Hanslope in Her Tongue.

Lilly is really enjoying working with such a talented group of ladies, and is loving everything each performer is bringing to their role, as well as being very impressed with the good eye of director, Lin.

Lily feels the audience will have a lot to enjoy with this show from each character’s little quirks to the last detail of the set. She wishes to thank everyone involved for their contribution, as well as the audience for their incredible support.

Christina Charles

Christina first appeared on stage at Spectrum Theatre as Mr. Rogers, the butler in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, alongside her partner in crime, Lin Lattimer, who played her onstage wife, Mrs. Rogers.

When Christina was given the opportunity to work alongside Lin again, she accepted without hesitation. She is enjoying the role of Marcie as her first onstage female role at Spectrum Theatre (she’s also pleased she doesn’t have to glue on a fake beard and wear a wig!).

Christina also contributed by creating her own (fake) cigarettes, and a cute, handmade crochet shawl for the show.

Carolyn Forte

Carolyn is delighted to be playing the role of Norah in The Allotment, her second production with Spectrum Theatre.

Carolyn’s theatre experiences include many, many roles, mainly in Margaret River, from the wicked stepmother in Cinderella, to Hilary, the rejected wife, in The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband. She was involved with the Margaret River Theatre Group (acting, directing, writing, backstage) for over 20 years until moving to Denmark last year. Carolyn also founded ‘South-West Dames’, performing small theatre in small spaces with three other women ‘of a certain age’.

Carolyn loves being part of the Spectrum Theatre community and is very grateful to all the members for their warm welcome.

Maddi Sharpe

Maddi is pleased to once again return to the Spectrum stage as a performer, after her time co-directing A Composite Arrangement at Spectrum with playwright Aaron Murry in 2025.

She has enjoyed being a part of The Allotment cast and hopes audiences allow themselves to be swept into the play’s emotionally charged narrative, finding connection, reflection, and moments of unexpected humour along the way.

Laura Leach

Laura joined Spectrum Theatre in 2024, and has since had the privilege of being involved in many productions. A particular highlight was And Then There Were None, in which she played the moustached, self-serving detective William Henry Blore.

She has also been fortunate to co-direct and perform in the one-acts show One Actually alongside fellow Spectrum members Jen Croston, Tiger Bird, and Lin Lattimer, as well as getting to direct and appear in Blithe Spirit.

Laura hopes you enjoy her portrayal of Glenys in That’s Showbiz!, and continue on to enjoy The Allotment.

Lin Lattimer

This is Lin’s first time directing, although she has co-directed on a couple of plays in the UK many years ago. Lin absolutely loves the play The Allotment, having previously played the part of Norah — but Lin finds it lovely to see it re-enacted by so many great actors and bringing her vision to life.

Since joining Spectrum, Lin has had the honour of playing Mrs. Rogers in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, performing a very special monologue Ham Sandwich, which was written by a very dear friend in One Actually, and she thoroughly loved playing Dawn in A Composite Arrangement. She looks forward to hopefully performing in some of the fantastic plays Spectrum Theatre has lined up in the coming years.

Peter Cook

Peter Cook learned about stage-craft back in his student days and, since then, has enjoyed several different roles in various theatres. He arrived in Albany in 2001 and soon found Spectrum Theatre where he acted as Stage Manager for several productions.

He joined the Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company about 15 years ago and since then has stage-managed several productions, was Assistant Director for Musical of Musicals, and even, on occasions, been persuaded to appear on stage. Peter has enjoyed working with Findlay to build the set for this production.

Findlay MacNish

For many years, Findlay MacNish was a music teacher at Albany Primary School and, in that role, produced and directed numerous school plays and musicals, as well as being director or musical director for productions at the Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company.

He has extensive experience in designing and set-building at both Spectrum and the Port Theatre, and was responsible for both designing and building the new proscenium arch at the Port Theatre.

Following the Port Theatre’s production of Grease, Findlay received a Robert Finley Award for his set design.