Bachelor of Acting 2025 Showcase

Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium’s Class of 2025 are: Ari Banerjee, Lachlan Brayshaw, Rhys Canham, Riley Fahey, Grace Faint, Rory Gryffin, Matthew Ianna, Darcy Jackson, Callum Johnston, Rushad Katrak, Emma Kidd, Allegra Marino, Liam McMahon, Angela Lal, Cameron Rixon, Cecelia Varese, and Jordana Wenke.

Their talent showcase was an outstanding medley of scripts, illustrating a versatility of styles, diverse range, skills and accents. There were surprises like ‘The Good Immigrant’ by Nikesh Shukla performed by Rushad Katrak, and superb ensemble pieces such as ‘First Wives Club’ by Robert Harling, acted by Cecilia Varese, Ari Banerjee and Allegra Marino; a scene from Daniel Evans’s ‘Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’; and Kay Cannon’s ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ The classics were covered by Matthew Ianna’s Petrucio from Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and Liam McMahon’s Marc Antony in ‘Julius Caesar’. I liked the sprinkling of humour provided by Noel Coward’s ‘Private Lives’ (Cameron Rixon and Riley Fahey) and Tina Fey’s ‘Mean Girls’ (Grace Faint), and also unexpected choices such as Emma Kidd’s interpretation of a speech from Alejandro G Inarritu’s ‘Birdman’, Angela Lal’s excerpt from ‘Wrong Gods’ by S. Shakthidharan, and Callum Johnston’s version of Kae Tempest’s ‘Wasted’. A good range was covered, with comedy balanced with drama such as Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels in America’. It was good to see some localising of scripts with wording tweaks – a group grappling with a Matilda Award for example – and retained Aussie accents. But there was still a good range of American accents – Emma Kidd and Grace Faint were Neil Simon’s ‘The Odd Couple’ and Liam McMahon and Riley Fahey tackled Sam Shepard’s ‘True West’, and Callum Johnston used an authentic Northern England accent for Kae Tempest’s ‘Wasted’. And there were songs, with ‘Tonight’ from ‘West Side Story’ a highlight.

The intimate Diane Cilento Studio was absolutely packed with no spare seats, and there was a great atmosphere with friends and family, teachers, and talent agents in the crowd. I wish each and every one of the students all the very best of luck for their future careers and I look forward to seeing them on a professional stage soon!

Beth Keehn

Find out more: www www.griffith.edu.au/arts-education-law/queensland-conservatorium

Photographs: Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium