Port Albert Welcomed Damian Callinan’s “Hall Stories”

Rob Durrant
May 22
2 min read

Recently, The Wedge Theatre in Sale brought the unique and heartwarming performance Hall Stories by acclaimed comedian and storyteller Damian Callinan to the Port Albert Hall. The Port Albert community was grateful to be included in this special regional arts initiative.

Hall Stories in Port Albert by Damien Callinan

Hall Stories - A Great Success!

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting Damian and appreciated the opportunity for him to meet with local residents and hear first-hand stories about our beloved Port Albert Mechanics Institute. His genuine interest in our hall’s history and its role within the community was both refreshing and meaningful.

In Hall Stories, Damian weaves together storytelling, stand-up comedy, and character acting to bring to life the rich tapestry of rural Australian halls. Each of the three performances: Munro, Port Albert, and Glenmaggie, is uniquely crafted in collaboration with each community, celebrating the quirks, traditions, and memorable characters that define these treasured spaces.

Beyond the performances, Damian is also producing a podcast to capture and preserve the aural history of each hall, ensuring these local stories continue to be shared well into the future.

Hall Stories highlights Callinan at his finest, performing in the community halls he loves, connecting with people over the chatter of a boiling urn, admiring the CWA in action in the supper room, and making sure the chairs are stacked neatly in fives. It’s a celebration of rural life, community spirit, and the enduring charm of country halls.

From Damian….

I've spent the past 10 days travelling the Wellington Shire doing a series of Hall Stories projects, produced by The Wedge Theatre in Sale.

We started this leg of the tour in Port Albert.

Once the busiest port in Victoria & now an historic tourist town where only a smattering of the fishing boats from the previous boom remain.

My research revealed that the abundant, decommissioned navigational buoys are surreptitiously taking over the town; offenders from Wron Wron Prison facility were enticed to help with hall renovations in the 1970's by the promise of Middy Watt's legendary lunches & according to legendary drummer & band leader, John O'Callaghan from Yarram, a Port Albert Hall dance was nearly cut short when the young folk started doing the latest dance craze,

The Stomp. Only pieces of the ceiling falling on them put a stop to their frenzy. John's stories were so good, I got him on stage share them.

Down the track, there will be a special Hall Stories episode devoted to him. We finished the show by recreating The Stomp with audience volunteers.

The floor & ceiling held up, so clearly the prisoners earned their roast lunches.

This event was facilitated by Sandi Lee Davie and the volunteers from the Port Albert Progress Association, with the support of the The Wedge Theatre in Sale