Speaking ahead of the show’s opening night later this month, the play’s director said rehearsals for the 1960s classic were tracking along nicely. 

“It’s coming together really well, we’re just running through it now and perfecting bits and pieces,” Jolly said. 

“The cast are really enjoying it because the play has a lot of humour - it also has really sad themes as well - so the cast has worked really well together so we have a lot of laughs and it’s been a great team project to do.”

Jolly said she expected most audiences would be familiar with the story. 

“The film was really famous and Jack Nicholson won an Oscar for it and it actually won five Academy Awards.

“It began as a novel and it was turned into a film and then a stage play, so there’s three slightly different versions of the story, but it’s really interesting the way that a subject as hard as ‘how do we help people with mental illness’ has been turned into something really funny.

“It has a tragic ending which a lot of people know from the film, but it’s a really great journey along the way and the characters are really well-drawn, so as an audience you really start to care about them, you want them to be ok.”

The play was also staged in the North 35 years ago, when the Launceston Repertory Society performed at the UTAS campus. 

Taking the role of Nurse Ratched in the 1982 instalment was Launceston Players life member Jacqueline Horne.

“There’s really no contact between Nurse Ratched and the patients in this play,” Horne said.

“You play it straight and serious.”

Amanda Dawes, who will take on the role in the 2017 production, agreed the character was a difficult one.

“I’ve found it really challenging because you don’t get to interact with the other cast in a fun way,” she said.

“It’s quite a horrific role to play really, it’s totally the opposite of what you imagine a nurse should be, she’s not a nice person, the comedy comes from the inmates.

“It’s been really intense but hopefully I’ll do Jacquie proud.” 

Launceston Players' production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest will run from May 24-28 at the Earl Arts Centre.