
05 12 2022 - Media release PARAMOUNT ANNOUNCES CAST OF THE APPLETON LADIES' POTATO RACE
Claire van der Boom
Claire van der Boom (Blacklight, Palm Beach) leads the cast of the Paramount Original The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race which has received major production investment from Screen Australia. Katie Wall (Winter, Puberty Blues), Genevieve Lemon (Ticket to Paradise, The Power of The Dog), Tiriel Mora (The Castle, Smoke Between Trees) and Robyn Nevin (Relic, The Eye of the Storm) are also starring.
With the screenplay written by playwright Melanie Tait (The Vegemite Tales, A Broadcast Coup) based on her play of the same name, the cast also includes Andy Ryan (Tomorrow When the War Began, INXS: Never Tear Us Apart), Rohan Nichol (Red Dog, MaveriX), Cecelia Peters (Playing For Keeps, The Wrong Girl), Darren Gilshenan (The Moodys, Harrow), John Batchelor (Peter Rabbit 2, Barons) and John Gaden (The Eye of the Storm, Fisk).
When Penny Anderson (Claire van der Boom) returns to her childhood home just in time for the Appleton Show and its world famous' potato race, she is outraged that the men's first prize pays out $2,000 and the winning woman's prize is only $200! Determined to right this wrong, she unleashes a cultural war the likes never seen in sleepy Appleton - pitting family against family, sister against sister and potato racer against potato racer.
Currently filming in Sydney and the picturesque villages of the Southern Highlands of NSW, The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race is being directed by Lynn Hegarty (Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries, A Place to Call Home), produced by Andrea Keir and Lisa Duff who are also executive producing with EQ Media's Greg Quail, Paramount Australia's Sophia Mogford, and Cecilia Ritchie.
The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race is produced by Congaline Productions and EQ Media for Paramount . Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screen NSW and the NSW Regional Film Fund. Paramount , which launched in August 2021, is Australia's fastest growing streaming service and has already commissioned 16 local productions spanning drama, reality, comedy and documentary.
Screen Australia's Head of Content Grainne Brunsdon said, Writer Melanie Tait has proven her ability to connect with audiences with this heart-warming story on stage, and we are delighted to support her together with an experienced producing team to bring it to the screen. With quirky and charming characters, and set against the backdrop of quintessential regional Australia, this is set to be a joy to watch.
Paramount ANZ Network Executive of Drama And Comedy Sophia Mogford said, We are very proud to invest in this fabulous Australian production that we know will have huge global appeal. It is such a charming, engaging story full of Aussie quirks, humour and characters and the cast draws on some wonderfully familiar faces, as well as contemporary stars, with a story theme that will resonate with audiences everywhere. This production is certainly in safe hands with the talented, world-class cast and crew creating this very special film.
Producer Andrea Keir said, The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race what a title! Melanie has written a joyful and charming script set in a luscious country village nestled in rolling green hills. It will be impossible for viewers to resist when it lands on Paramount .
EQ Media's Lisa Duff and Greg Quail said, EQ Media is thrilled to be working alongside Andrea Keir on the feature film adaptation of Melanie Tait s much-loved play. We have assembled an incredible cast and crew and look forward to bringing the story of Appleton and its famous potato race to audiences both locally and internationally. With contemporary themes of home, family and the gender pay gap, this heartfelt drama is bound to become an Australian classic.
Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said, Screen NSW is thrilled to support The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race and the incredible cast and crew as it films in Sydney and the picturesque Southern Highlands of NSW. Based on a successful play of the same name by Melanie Tait, this uniquely Australian story is set to explore the financial divide between genders and present a quintessential Australian tale to audiences at home and abroad. I wish the cast and crew all the best for filming.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES Emily McCammon | Paramount
[email protected]
Media enquiries Maddie Walsh | Publicist
61 2 8113 5915 | [email protected]
Lidia Williams | Senior Publicist
61 2 8113 1091 | 61 468 784 170 | [email protected]
All other general/non-media enquiries
Sydney 61 2 8113 5800 | Melbourne 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Live production in the cloud is a growing trend across the industry, and Major L...
04/08/2026
LAFC co-managing owner will succeed Don Garber on Jan. 1, 2027, as league prepar...
04/08/2026
In 2022, when the PGA TOUR was breaking ground on its new, state-of-the-art broa...
04/08/2026
Provided by POVORA, the new camera angle offers a dealer's-eye view of the c...
04/08/2026
Spiideo will provide the camera setup, with NEP handling broadcast integration and off-site video operations...
04/08/2026
Production team streamed more than 750 youth rugby matches using ATEM switchers,...
04/08/2026
Agreement gives KTC early access to NDI's Advanced SDK for integration across commercial displays, digital signage, and interactive panels...
04/08/2026
Twelve projects across four categories recognize collaborative work in productio...
04/08/2026
Multi-year agreement will introduce SkeleTRACK, semi-automated offside, automate...
04/08/2026
Three mc 56 consoles, dual A__UHD Core engines, RAVENNA networking, and HOME management supported live sound, monitoring, and international broadcast production...
04/08/2026
New contribution products support ultra-low-latency video transport across fixed, remote, and mobile production environments...
04/08/2026
Company will showcase updates across PRIME, Chyron LIVE, Paint, virtual production, newsroom workflows, and venue control...
04/08/2026
Exhibit will feature SilverBack, VersaBrix, VersaFrame, VF-9100, and FiberSaver-10G platforms...
04/08/2026
Platform updates target cloud-based production, high-density ST 2110 monitoring,...
04/08/2026
LMG will take control of Gravity Media's U.S. mobile-unit fleet as the compa...
04/08/2026
Amp-modelling rigs get major upgrade
HeadRush have recently released a major firmware update that brings some powerful new features to their Prime, Core and...
04/08/2026
Generate a choir from a single voice track
Following years of development, Am I Audio have just officially launched their debut plug-in. Created in collabor...
04/08/2026
Official EMT-endorsed reverbs now available to all
Two more of Universal Audio's renowned UAD plug-ins have just gained new native versions that can be ...
04/08/2026
SBS helps Australians understand why every Census counts
Media releases
As Australia prepares for the 2026 Census on Tuesday 11 August, SBS is helping ensur...
04/08/2026
Canada invests in the future of HF communications with Rohde & Schwarz solutions After selection by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) as the p...
04/08/2026
Blendkit Expands Beyond Blender
Brie Clayton August 4, 2026
0 Comments
Popular 3D Asset Library Launches Alpha Plugins for Maya, Godot, and Rhino
Blend...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Ikegami has chosen the 11-14 September 2026 International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam as the European market launch venue for additions to its UNICAM p...
04/08/2026
Appear (IBC2026 booth 1.C61) will showcase new X & VX Platform capabilities that extend broadcast-grade performance from venue to cloud
Appear ASA (OSE: APR), ...
04/08/2026
LiveU, the global leader in live IP-video solutions, today highlighted the crucial role its EcoSystem played in Broadcast Management Group's (BMG) successfu...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/08/2026
Homecoming Artist Spotlight: Dreion The singer, songwriter, and producer talks about finding his village at Berklee ahead of his Homecoming performance on Sep...
04/08/2026
Tuesday 4 August 2026
Sky Sports agrees deal with SANZAAR for international rugby rights 2026 - 2030
The deal means Sky will have exclusive rights to the inau...
04/08/2026
Kill Tony Launches on Supercast, Giving Fans Premium & Ad-Free Access to Comedy&...
04/08/2026
More details coming soon....
04/08/2026
More details coming soon....
04/08/2026
More details coming soon....
04/08/2026
Surging AI demands are driving the need for massive datasets and context windows that burst past the confines of system memory.
But rising needs aren't me...
04/08/2026
For robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles (AVs), the hardest problems aren'...
04/08/2026
Members of the Open Secure AI Alliance - now more than 120 organizations strong - are developing new guidelines to strengthen agentic AI cybersecurity as the an...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
03/08/2026
SVG's annual TranSPORT conference returns to New York City for a full day of sessions focused on the current state of live-sports-transmission technology. S...
03/08/2026
A five-time Emmy winner, this esports vet has built a production career on live storytelling, audience connection, and meeting viewers wherever they are
The sp...
03/08/2026
Live production in the cloud is a growing trend across the industry and Major Le...