In the tidy town of Appleton, things are just so.

Men are men, women are women, and vegetables are not cake … and that's the way it's always been. That is, until prodigal daughter Penny returns from the big smoke to set up shop as the local GP.

Penny was always something of an outsider. While she was off getting educated and travelling the world, the good folk of Appleton kept about their business — living hard and working harder, and trying not to stuff things up too much before each year's great event, the famous Appleton Potato Race.

Penny never much cared about the potato race, but when she discovers that the men's prize is five times more than the women's, she suddenly does care. A lot. And she's determined to do something about it.

Melanie Tait's sparkling comedy The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race pits social justice against community cohesion in a race to be right. With a sackful of appealing characters, Tait's dry humour and warm embrace of humanity will have you laughing all the way to the finish line.

'Pure theatrical rambunctiousness'—ArtsHub

'Melanie Tait has written a shrewd, big-hearted love letter to the women of country New South Wales. Her script is gently critical and deeply loving.'—Time Out