ALMOST, MAINE
by John Cariani

Director: Zac Bridgman

Season: 18 – 28 March, 2026 at The Mockingbird Studio, Belconnen Arts Centre

ABOUT THE PLAY

LOVE, ON A WINTER’S NIGHT.

Under the northern lights, the residents of Almost, Maine discover love — lost, found, and wonderfully unexpected.

Almost, Maine is one of the most produced plays in the world — a tender and quietly magical portrait of love in all its fragile, funny and surprising forms. Set on one clear, freezing Friday night beneath the glow of the northern lights, the play unfolds in a small town so remote it almost doesn’t exist.

Across a series of loosely connected scenes, neighbours, strangers and longtime partners stumble into moments of connection, heartbreak and hope. People fall in and out of love, mend what has been broken, and discover that even the smallest encounter can change the course of a life. Hearts are bruised, repaired, and sometimes lifted clean off the ground — quite literally.

By turns romantic, gently comic and deeply moving, Almost, Maine speaks to the universal experience of longing and belonging. It is a play about the courage it takes to love, the risks we take when we open our hearts, and the quiet miracles that can happen when people allow themselves to be truly seen.

“Utterly enchanting.” New York Times

PLACE: Various locale in Almost, Maine, a small town in Northern Maine, That doesn’t quite exist.

TIME: The present. Everything takes place at 9 o’clock on a cold, clear, moonless, slightly surreal Friday night in the middle of the deepest part of a northern Maine winter.

SCENES

PROLOGUE

ACT ONE:

Scene 1: HER HEART

Scene 2: SAD AND GLAD

Scene 3: THIS HURTS

Scene 4: GETTING IT BACK

INTERVAL: 20 minutes

CAST:

Alexander Wilson – PETE, STEVE, LENDALL, CHAD, and MAN

Wendy Wakwella – GINETTE, SANDRINE, GAYLE, DEENA, SUZETTE, RHONDA

Jayde Dowhy – GLORY, WAITRESS, MARVALYN, SHELLY, MARCI, HOPE

Alastair McKenzie – EAST, JIMMY, RANDY, PHIL, DAVE

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Director – Zac Bridgman

Assistant Director – Anna Hemmings

Stage Manager & Sound & Lighting Operation – Rhiley Winnett

Set Design – Chris Baldock

Set Realisation – Chris Baldock and cast and crew

Lighting and Sound Design – Rhiley Winnett and Zac Bridgman

Costumes – cast and crew

Props – cast and crew

Projections – Chris Baldock

Publicity & Photography – Chris Baldock

Intimacy Coordination – Steph Evans

FOR MOCKINGBIRD THEATRICS:

Artistic Director & Head Tutor – Chris Baldock

Technical Manager – Rhiley Winnett

Publicity, Graphics and Photography – Chris Baldock

Associate Directors – Zac Bridgman, Steph Evans, Céline Oudin

MOCKINGBIRD SUPPORTERS: Special Friend of the Theatre: Jane Ahlquist, Tracey Pulli / Season Supporter: Sarah Byrne & Peter McDonald, Anonymous / Season Patron: Liz St Clair Long

FROM THE DIRECTOR:

Almost, Maine is a play about love that doesn’t knock politely. It shows up unannounced, says the wrong thing, lingers awkwardly, and occasionally does something miraculous before disappearing again. Set on the coldest night of the year, the play follows a series of brief encounters across a small town where emotions seem to have warmed up far more than the weather.

All nine stories unfold within the same ten minutes, scattered across the town like constellations sharing the same sky. The play doesn’t move forward so much as it orbits, returning to the same moment from different angles, revealing how lives overlap, echo, and quietly collide. What happens in one corner of Almost often resonates, just out of sight, in another.

Written by John Cariani and first produced in 2004, the play draws inspiration from the rhythms of small-town life in northern Maine, where long winters stretch time and neighbours’ lives intertwine. Almost, Maine has since become one of the most widely produced plays in the world, finding a home in theatres of all shapes and sizes.

Mockingbird is proud to bring the magic of Almost, Maine to Canberra for the first time, as part of our 2026 season as theatre-company-in-residence at the beautiful Belconnen Arts Centre.

You will be transported to a wintry land of love and wonder through Chris Baldock’s imaginative set design and Rhiley Winnett’s lighting and sound. With only a handful of actors and a single shared environment, the world of the play emerges through transformation, rhythm, and imagination.

Jayde Dowhy, Alex Wilson, Alastair McKenzie, and Wendy Wakwella each take on five roles across the evening, bringing to life twenty distinct inhabitants of Almost. Their versatility, bravery, and sharp comedic instincts are at the heart of this production, and it has been an absolute joy to watch these characters take shape and soar.

The humour of Almost, Maine comes from taking emotions seriously while never taking ourselves too seriously. These are people trying, and often failing, to say what they mean. Love here is awkward, inconvenient, funny, painful, and occasionally timed so perfectly it feels like magic.

In the end, nothing in Almost is quite complete. Conversations trail off, connections falter, and moments pass before they can fully be understood. But perhaps that’s what makes them feel true. As Leonard Cohen once said, “We’re all a little broken. That’s how the light gets in.”

Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone at the Belconnen Arts Centre, and to the Canberran community for your ongoing support.

— Zachery Bridgman, Director

 

ABOUT THE TEAM:

 Zac Bridgman – Director

From a young age, Zac knew he was destined to become a tragic romantic. He now relishes the chance to project this personality trait onto you, the audience, through the heart-warming and comedic quartet of Jayde Dowhy, Alastair McKenzie, Wendy Wakwella, and Alexander Wilson.

An obsessive of film, theatre, and all things creative, Zac spent much of his childhood lost in imagined worlds of wonder. Now all grown up and working in a delightfully dreary office job, he has slowly found his way back to those worlds. Five years ago, he was lucky enough to have Mockingbird enter his life (or perhaps the other way around) and provide boundless opportunities to grow as an actor and director under the wise guidance of Chris, who has since done his best to teach him everything he knows.

It was at Mockingbird that he first met Callum Doherty and thought, “Man, he could play at least 40 more characters,” before promptly directing all 40 in Mockingbird’s production of Fully Committed. Zac also co-directed a showcase of Every Brilliant Thing, before turning his sights to more ambitious projects. He was fortunate enough to lose many friends, and the trust of the general public, by portraying the complicated father figure Henry Law in When the Rain Stops Falling last year.

Taking a brief break from complicated father figures, he then directed Mockingbird’s whimsical production of The Drawer Boy, which went on to win hearts, minds, and a few CAT Awards.

Zac has also directed, written, and acted in a number of short films, including the APS comedy/sci-fi DEAD, the romantic zombie comedy Till Undeath, the horror/thriller They’re Ready For You, and most recently the mockumentary The Death of Me. In the latter, he displayed remarkable restraint by only playing a mildly exaggerated version of himself: an overly ambitious theatre director. All were Top 12 finalists in the Lights! Canberra! Action! short film competition, and all took home awards.

He has also worked on various film projects around Canberra, and eagle-eyed viewers may even spot a fleeting glimpse of his blazer in the background of an art gallery in the ABC comedy Austin. It is now with giddy abandon that Zac is delighted to bring laughter, joy, and love into your life with Almost, Maine. It is a beautiful and magical piece that explores the many strange, awkward, and wonderful ways we experience love.

He is also more than happy to take full credit for the incredible performances of Jayde, Alex, Alastair, and Wendy, as they transport you to a world of love and possibility. He would, however, be completely lost without the tireless stage management and lighting expertise of Rhiley Winnett, and even more lost without the set design and production wizardry of Chris Baldock.

Together, they invite you to spend a little time in the quietly magical township of Almost, Maine.

Anna Hemming – Assistant Director

Anna Hemmings has been with Mockingbird Theatre for almost 4 years after starting acting classes in April 2022. She has appeared onstage in a few productions (including Snatches last year with Mockingbird) but this show marks her first time stepping behind the scenes as Assistant Director, a role she has thoroughly enjoyed. She is grateful for the opportunity to help bring Almost, Maine to life and to all the support and knowledge from Zac, Chris, Rhiley and the cast.

Rhiley Winnett – Stage Manager

Rhiley Winnett is an emerging professional Stage Manager based in the Canberra region of Australia that specialises in working with young people. They have worked on a myriad of Theatre Shows, Dance Shows, and large scale Events as well as working as a technician across various theatre venues over the last 9 years. 

While Stage Management is their passion, they also have experience in lighting design, production management, and video design and implementation, all of which are present within this show itself. They bring professionalism, passion, and commitment to every show and role they undertake and yet they couldn’t have done this show without the rest of the amazing team and all the brilliant work everyone has put into it. 

Some favourite credits include:

Normal (2020), Little Girls Alone in the Woods (2021), Dags (2022), How to Vote! (2022), You Can’t Tell Anyone (2023), Roseville (2023), Work, But This Time Like You Mean It (2024), Department of Responsible Adulting (2024) – Canberra Youth Theatre

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2025), When the Rain Stops Falling (2025), Meteor Shower (2025), Drawer Boy (2025), The Wolves (2025) – Mockingbird Theatre

Crime and Punishment (2024), The Girl Who Glows (2024) – The Street Theatre

Jayde Dowhy

Jayde found her love for performing at a very young age, and with a background in dance of 12 years, spanning across Australia and Thailand, she is no stranger to the stage. She has since found her biggest passion for performing in acting and has remained enamoured with it ever since. In college musicals, she played the greedy tyrant and corrupt Sheriff in Rockin Robin and the ever so fabulous drama queen Sharpay in High School Musical. After graduating, Jayde made Mockingbird Studios her acting home in 2021. Performing in directing student showcases and numerous monologues in showcases, Jayde continues to engross herself in the rewarding challenge of finding the truth and realism in every piece she portrays. Jayde most recently spent her time in the stage playing #13 in The Wolves,  Younger Gabrielle in the gorgeous play When The Rain Stops Falling and Linda in Snatches: Moments from 100 Years of Women’s Lives, as well as immersing herself film, portraying the deVious, confident and cunning Daphne Flynn in the Lights Canberra Action award winning short film They’re Ready For You. Jayde will next be seen in Exit The King at Mill Road Theatre.

Alastair McKenzie

Alastair James McKenzie is a Canberra-based actor. At 19 years old, his stage credits include: Bianco in Lakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew (dir. Karen Vickery); Haemon and a chorus member in Greek Theatre Now’s Antigone (dir. Cate Clelland); and multiple Lake Tuggeranong College performances directed by Catherine Jean-Krista, for which he received the 2024 ‘Helen Nield Drama Award’. His work as a chorus member on Antigone was also honoured with a nomination for ‘Best Ensemble’ by the 2026 CAT Awards. He has trained at the Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning, undertaking the short courses ‘Performing Shakespeare’ and ‘Acting the Playtext’ by Peter Wilkins. He has a screen credit for his appearance in The Death of Me (dir. Zac Brigman and Matthew C. Lamb). Alastair is enthusiastic to explore the range of characterisation across his performances as East, Jimmy, Randy, Phil and Dave in Almost, Maine.

Wendy Wakwella

Ruwendi “Wendy” Wakwella is a classically trained stage actress who has appeared in a number of English-language theatre productions in Sri Lanka and is excited to make her Canberra debut with Mockingbird. She has worked with a number of theatre companies in Sri Lanka, with stage credits including the first witch in the Workshop Players’ Macbeth, Chris in Indu Dharmasena’s farce At Your Service,and Jith Peiris’s rendition of Prof EFC Ludowyk’s acclaimed comedy, He Comes from Jaffna. In addition to her stage work, she appeared in the independent Sri Lankan film Behind the Scenes (2010), and has scripted and performed short skits for IdeaCouch’s contemporary theatre experiment, The Garage Show. She holds a Diploma in Speech and Drama from Trinity College London. Wendy is delighted to be part of this production and grateful for the opportunity to continue performing and bringing great scripts to life. 

Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson is a local Canberran, ANU Graduate, and is currently working as a Consultant. He has performed in shows throughout highschool with a notable year 12 performance as Tyresius in The Burial at Thebes, which won him an Excellence Award from Radford College. He also featured in Canberra REP’s 2024 production of The Lord of the Flies, playing Maurice. This is his first show with Mockingbird Theatre, and tonight he will play the roles of Pete, Steve, Lendall and Dan.