Have you ever wondered how romance can blossom when one partner is behind bars? Well, playwright Stephanie Ridings has, and this year Brisbane audiences will too as The Road to Huntsville debuts at the 2021 Wynnum Fringe Festival.  

To be performed by Brisbane based actor Jacinda Mclaughlin ‘The Road to Huntsville’ is a one woman play that depicts a writer who is bewildered as to why and how people fall in love when separated by bullet proof glass, some of these people are on death row. A dividing, at times hair raising topic with so much content she realizes she could write a play about this. Steph is corresponding with Jonny Demouchette, who is incarcerated on death row in Texas. The correspondence is purely research however Jonny’s letters are unexpectedly witty, intelligent and beautiful at times and she finds herself grappling to understand where the death penalty fits into society. The more Steph researches this topic she discovers some chilling facts, the over- representation of Black and Latinx inmates in the USA and not to mention the ethical and human rights issues associated with the lethal injection. This play will get you thinking and then unexpectedly laughing. 

First performed at Hampstead Theatre, London in 2016, The Road to Huntsville demonstrates the range, depth and richness of women’s writing for the stage.
Winner of the Arts Award Voice at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Road to Huntsville has been described by industry publications as “a carefully crafted and beautifully told story that makes you both sympathise with the decisions made and question what you might do in same the circumstances.”

Performing for two nights only on the 18th and 19th of November at this year’s Wynnum Fringe festival, Jacinda McLaughlin will bring this story to the stage, aptly at the Wynnum Library. 
Jacinda McLaughlin is known for her role as Amber in Amazon Prime series Full Disclosure, Jacinda has performed in numerous theatre, tv and film productions and worked with renowned writers, directors and casting directors including Scotty Mullen of Z Nation, Sancia Robinson (Blue Heelers and Spicks and Specks), Tony Rogers (Wilfred), Elizabeth Kemp and Alkinos Tsilimidos to name a few.

Jacinda encourages audiences to take the opportunity to enjoy a night at the theatre again. 

“There’s something very special about breathing the same air, connecting to each other, and allowing yourself to be taken on a journey by another.”