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Savour opera under stars

Kununuura CRC board member Anita Rozendal, CRC chairwoman Deb Pearce, CRC manager Natika Hawes-Wright, Kununurra Progress Association chairwoman Janine Fulcher, CRC trainee Jess Letchford, KPA treasurer Sharon McLachlan and CRC vice-chairwoman Andrea Bolten.

Opera enthusiasts do not need to travel to Perth to be a part of live theatre action next month.

Instead, they can sit under the stars and enjoy Rossini's rollicking comedy The Barber of Seville when it screens live via Westlink to Kununurra and Wyndham's outdoor theatres on March 6.

The town's community resource centres have organised a free screening of the live opera show, which is showing at the Supreme Court Gardens in Perth and the Kununurra and Wyndham Picture Gardens.

The free performance will be screened in real time from the Supreme Court Gardens, with the show set to start at 8pm and end about 10.30pm.

The plot is based on the antics of one of opera's favourite characters, Figaro, as he carries out one scheme after another to help Count Almaviva win the heart of Rosina.

Kununurra CRC manager Natika Hawes-Wright said it was the third time the CRC had arranged a live simulcast from Perth at the Kununurra Picture Gardens after installing a simulcast dish and decoder last year.

"There are a whole range of cultural events that happen for free in Perth throughout the summer, for example, Symphony in the City in December," she said.

"We decided to work with the picture garden's committee to install a new dish and decoder so when a free event was available, we had the option to put it up on the big screen and hold a Kimberley-style event."

The venue recently had turf installed so patrons could bring a picnic blanket or a rug to sit on under the stars, while drive-in and seated options were still available.

Mrs Hawes-Wright said in the past, the events had been hosted by celebrities, including Eddie Perfect. "We participate in the digital conversation through Twitter and Facebook, and we managed to crack a couple of mentions at the live event from Eddie last time, which was pretty good to promote Kununurra," she said.

The events are screened through the Government TV channel Westlink, which is most often used to provide information, access, training and support through CRCs.

While the free cultural event in Perth city is funded through Lotterywest and the City of Perth, it is each town's local CRC which will fund the screenings in Kununurra and Wyndham.