Community Theatre

With CLOC Musical Theatre's production of Chicago now hitting the stage, Karen Greenwood reports on the drama faced by Melbourne’s largest community theatre company on the dramas involved in finally getting their previous production to the stage.

With full orchestra, talented soloists and chorus, new sets and authentic costumes recently imported from the UK, this is a dramatic tale of romance and bravery: a new production of this G&S Masterpiece from Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria, “Australia’s foremost exponent of light opera” (The Age).

The Boy from Oz tells the story of the life of legendary Australian entertainer and songwriter Peter Allen, from humble beginnings in the 1950s, growing up in Tenterfield NSW, to his rise to fame as a global phenomenon.

Peter was singing in country pubs at age 11. He survived family tragedy, to become a teenage TV star. Discovered by Judy Garland, he married her daughter Liza Minnelli and went on to achieve international stardom as a performer and song writer.

IT’S often said that truth is stranger than fiction – and Limelight Theatre’s latest show is a prime example. 

Written by Hugh Whitemore and directed by Gordon Park, Pack of Lies is based on the true story surrounding the most significant spy operation in 1960s London in the middle of the Cold War, dubbed “The Portland Spy Ring”. 

This true story is being brought to life on stage at Limelight Theatre, a community theatre in Wanneroo, Western Australia during September 2022.