Melanie Tait’s uplifting play about a big win in a small town has opened at Queensland Theatre, directed by Priscilla Jackman.

Inspired by true events in the playwright’s life and her hometown of Robertson, NSW, The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race premiered at Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, in 2019 and more than 15 productions have been staged since then by professional and community theatres. The play has also been turned into a feature film, released earlier this year.

Queensland Theatre’s The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race. Photo © Brett Boardman

The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race sees Dr Penny Anderson opening a practice in her hometown of Appleton after many years away in Sydney. The agricultural show is coming up, including the annual Potato Race where contestants put a sack of potatoes on their back and run around the local oval.

Penny’s cousin, Nikki, is a hairdresser, a single mother to four boys, and has been the champion of the Ladies’ Potato Race for several years running. The prize money is $1000 for the men’s race this year … and $200 for the women.

Penny is disgusted by the gendered gap and sets out to...