Schools on Stage

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

By Bertolt Brecht. Willetton Senior High School, WA. Directed by Blake Davies, Chloe Russell, Dionne Sebastian, Ishika Kharola, Jazlyn Skinner, Jemma Roach, Jemma Walker and Kelsie Downey. Willieton Senior High School, Performing Arts Centre. Aug 11-12, 2022

Willetton Senior High School’s Year 12 production is exciting for many reasons. Not only is the production completely directed and designed by the students (who also selected the production), it is a Dinner Theatre, beautifully catered by Year 12 Certificate II Hospitality Students.

Anastasia

Book by Terrence McNally. Music by Stephen Flaherty. Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Perth College. Directed by Tyler Jones. Judith Cottier Theatre, Perth College, Mt Lawley, WA. Aug 3-6, 2022

The Western Australian Premiere of Anastasia The Musical was a lavishly presented and beautifully produced by Perth College. Featuring a cast of around 90, a large student and community orchestra and excellent production values - this show was brought to life with enthusiasm and energy.

Bye Bye Birdie

Music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams Book by Michael Stewart. Scotch College. Scotch College Auditorium, Torrens Park SA,  July  28 – Aug 6, 2022

Bye Bye Birdie comes from the golden age of musicals; the 1930s through to the early 1950s. It is loosely based on the drafting of Elvis Presley into the US army. It features a teen dominated cast and so it’s a perfect choice for Scotch College, well known for presenting quality musicals featuring a school aged cast.

Junior Theatre Festival Scholarship

Stage Whispers is teaming up with the Junior Theatre Festival Australia to offer two teachers a free trip to the gala event at the Civic Theatre Newcastle this October.  

This year's star-studded Junior Theatre Festival Australia, which invites students and teachers from schools and educational musical theatre groups representing NSW, Qld, Vic, SA, WA and New Zealand to participate, will now be welcoming teachers, directors and educators from across the country.

Back to The 80s

Written by Neil Gooding. By arrangement with David Spicer Productions. Additional material by Stuart Smith. Revised orchestrations and arrangements by Brett Foster. Directors: Allysha Hodges, Leanne Broadley. Xavier Catholic College, Ballina. June 24 - 26, 2022

Xavier Catholic College’s Back to The 80s is a big, vibrant production, bursting with energy and enthusiasm.

Into the Woods

By Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Mandurah Baptist College. Directed by Rp Van Der Westhuizen. The Lakes Theatre, Mandurah Baptist College, WA. June 17-24, 2022

Chicago

Book by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb. Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Rosny College at Hobart College Auditorium. Darren Sangwell (Director) Andrew Castles (Musical Director) Suze Quinn (Vocal Director). Hannah Marmion (Choreography) Costume Coordinator (Soren Steven). 8-11 June 2022

Not every cast member had been “singing and dancing since the age of two” but an awful lot have. This is one of the many reasons for which one can expect much of a Rosny College show. There are others.

It’s A Hard Knock Life

Image: Rehearsal for Pulse Alive. Photofrapher: Anna Warr.

In her latest Behind the Scenes column, Debora Krizak looks at how tough the pandemic has been on school performing arts.

Cancelled. For most, this means a simple disruption to the social calendar. Throughout the pandemic, most of my friends continued to work from home. For those of us working in The Arts, putting on a show from home just doesn’t pay the bills.

Time To Play Again In 2022

Image: The Tempest - Amy Usherwood and Drew Livington by Seiya Taguchi

Sport for Jove Theatre Company believes that teachers are unsung heroes of the pandemic for managing remote leaning. To lighten their load, the company is encouraging them to return to the theatre with their students in 2022, for seasons of Shakespeare, and mini productions of plays, in Sydney and on the Gold Coast.

Adapting Laurinda

A Q&A with Diana Nguyen

Already a fan of Alice Pung’s work, Diana Nguyen is thrilled to now have the author’s blessing to adapt her award-winning YA novel Laurinda for the stage. As part of her Melbourne Theatre Company NEXT STAGE commission to adapt the novel, Diana Nguyen will work with dramaturg and director Petra Kalive to bring to life Pung’s funny, feisty and moving characters.

What can you tell us about the project to adapt Alice Pung’s novel Laurinda?