The Wangaratta Players team are on the edge of their seats, with their latest production, Waiting for God, set to open on Friday, 7 November at Stage Door Studio in Wangaratta.

To conclude our series of cast spotlights for the show, the two leads, Rose Sexton as Diana Trent and Shane Douthie as Tom Ballad, give us a small insight into their theatre careers and lives.

Ten years ago, a new Miss Hannigan in the production of Annie appeared at Wangaratta Players, and her name was Rose Sexton.

Since her first rodeo on stage for the Players, Rose has been involved in many productions, including her own one-woman play, The Last Waltz, in 2019.

Now, in 2025, Rose has landed the lead role of Diana Trent in Waiting for God, saying she experienced a flurry of emotions, from humbled to excited, when she found out she had been cast.

“After a literal lifetime of being on the stage this is actually my first lead role," she said.

“The more I read about Diana, the more I loved her."

Rose has always held a love of theatre and is often heard reminiscing about her childhood when her mother had her up on stage with her siblings.

“I grew up on a steady diet of British comedy and I could remember the (Waiting for God) TV show," she said.

Rose lives in Wangaratta and in her day-to-day life, works in palliative care, nurturing those who need and deserve it.

Her two sons live in Melbourne, while her daughter lives in Amsterdam, and her niece is touring a one-woman play around Victoria.

“It’s always about the people - that’s the magic of amateur theatre,” Rose said, when asked about her greatest joy in being a part of Waiting for God.

“I’m so very grateful to Barb (Ryan) and Shelley (Bovenkamp) for giving me this opportunity.”

In the 1980s, Shane Douthie was recruited from a football players review, to play a mathematician in the pantomime Pegora the Witch for Wangaratta Players.

This was the beginning of something remarkable for Shane.

Since he first dabbled in Wang Players, Shane has been in countless productions, including On Our Selection, The Crucible and West Side Story.

“I have worked with Barb before when she directed Calendar Girls and Last of the Red Hot Lovers,” he said.

“She challenges actors, but her judgment is superb.

“I met my wife, Colette Quin, through the Wangaratta Players, so the Stage Door holds a host of fond memories for us.”

Now, Shane is a father, and grandfather, with many more fond memories to make.

He said he was thrilled to have been cast as the eccentric Tom Ballad in Waiting for God.

“When I read the script, I knew Barb had picked a winner, for the actors as well as the audience,” he said.

“Tom has a depth of character you rarely get to play in modern comedies.”

Shane’s favourite part of being in this production are the moments he has been able to spend with the rest of the cast, “the old faces and new".

But he said being part of a production like this is not always easy.

“The most challenging part are the lines, always the lines," he said.

And yet, there is absolute faith those lines will be delivered astoundingly.

The Wangaratta Players will present the Michael Aitkens production Waiting for God at the Stage Door Studio from November 7 to November 23, with tickets available now at Trybooking.com.