Stage Fright!

It’s spooky, has cute girls and guys and lots of laughs. This production of Stage Fright! is nicely tuned for the 7 to 13 year old target market.

For the uninitiated, Paul Jennings’ books have lashings of teenage angst about that first kiss, haunted houses and the odd peculiar maths teacher.

This adaptation dips into a number of his novels, and although it does not quite make sense as a complete narrative it works well as a best of night.

Most impressive were the high production standards.

The exterior and interior of the house, with its strategically placed wardrobe for ghosts to jump out of, outdoor dunny and magical moving paint tin, set the scene for a night of fun.

The New Theatre, although amateur, is blessed with being able to cherry pick emerging talent and ‘resting’ professionals eager to keep their skills up.

The stars of the night were the boys; Gideon Cordover, just months out of a three year stint at NIDA, and the perfectly named  Sebastian Lamourwhose baby blue eyes appear made to measure for an appearance on Neighbours.

What took their performance to another level was when choreography was introduced into the action. Drama suddenly segued into what looked to me (rather ignorant on dance I grant you) as almost ballet.

It was another reminder that young performers are well served to develop a range of skills if they want a career on the stage.

And for the New Theatre, about to celebrate its 80^th year of performance, it was a very promising start of what lies ahead.

David Spicer.

Photographer: Bob Seary

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