Pacific

Theatre's efforts a hit in Vanuatu

11:12 am on 9 December 2004

There are indications that a theatre group in Vanuatu could be making quite an impact when it comes to raising sexual awareness among young adults.

Wan Smolbag Theatre aims to raise awareness of HIV/Aids and reproductive health issues through radio soap opera.

Scriptwriter Jo Doras says storylines in the popular weekly radio soap Famli Blong Sarah are a hot topic.

"And in fact we've had a recent strand in which one of the major characters is accused of doing something very bad -- of poisoning another person. And one of the actors is travelling in a bus and the bus driver said, 'I can't believe that Silas would do something like that.' Because he had been listening to the story and he was really shocked that this guy should be accused of something."

Ms Doras says the theatre employs 50 young people full-time in various roles.

She says they've become important people in their communities, so much so that a number of them were asked to stand in recent elections for Parliament.