The curious case of the Griffith garden gnomes will be front and centre on stage as playwright Dona Parise brings it to life.
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It all started when a Santa Claus gnome turned up in Mrs Parise's front yard.
A second gnome – a totem arrived and as Mrs Parise asked around town to find out who was leaving the garden creatures, a third appeared.
"I wanted to know where they came from ... if only they could talk," she said.
Since then the idea has grown and has evolved into a play called Gnome Matter What which is to be performed on Saturday at the Factory Theatre in Sydney.
The script was short-listed to be performed in the Short and Sweet Festival and was among 800 scripts which were submitted for the event.
Saturday’s performance will be the first of three in Sydney.
"I often write about real life but this is about gnomes coming to life," Mrs Parise said.
Mrs Parise has written more than 100 different scripts but this one is unique because it’s the first starring inanimate objects as the characters.
She said the play about trying to answer the question of what gnomes do when people leave their home.
The play features three gnomes called Trixie, Allemo, Impetio.
Not all the gnomes are happy with their lot in life and had ambitions to grow beyond the garden.
"One is a little bored and wants to be more than a gnome," Mr Parise said.
Adding to the drama is a quirky love-triangle between the three gnomes.
Since completing the play, Ms Parise said she had grown attached to the garden decorations and still hopes to find out who left them in her garde.
"I just want to thank them, it's how this particular story was born," she said.
While you’ll only be able to see the show in Sydney, Mrs Parise hopes to bring the show to Griffith in the future.
Tickets are available from http://www.shortandsweet.org/festivals/shortsweet-theatre-sydney-2015