WITH a swag of new graduates scaling the heights of the entertainment industry, plus a number of recent coups, Federation University’s Performing Arts faculty is starting to gain national attention.
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Now considered one of the leading performing arts educators in the country, alumni include Jessica Redmayne, who has recently joined the team at Hi-5, Lachlan Martin, who has scored roles in musicals Georgy Girl: The Seekers Musical and Strictly Ballroom, and Joe Kosky, who will soon perform in the Australian premiere of Kinky Boots.
The university’s latest win is a Melbourne production of The Addams Family: The Musical by its third-year Music Theatre students.
The performance will be directed by school head David Wynen, who is himself achieving goals, having recently been invited to teach in Oslo at the international Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance conference.
Usually, the third-year performance is held in Ballarat, but for the first time ever, the emerging stars will work alongside professional set designers and stage managers in Melbourne – at the highly-regarded Theatre Works in St Kilda.
“We have a really strong list of graduate success going out to do major work,” Mr Wynen said.
“We’re starting to get major attention so we thought it was a good time to go to Melbourne to do the show and capitalise on all the attention we’re getting.
“It’s an opportunity to take the show and compete in Melbourne against other drama schools.”
Student Tess Walsh, who plays Wednesday, said performing the play in Melbourne was a “very, very awesome opportunity”.
“We’re very lucky, especially because it hasn’t happened before. It’s a pretty big deal.”
Ms Walsh said not only was the performance a great opportunity for Ballarat students, but also for Melbourne audiences – as until now the play has only been staged in Sydney.
The plot has a twist on the usual Addams Family macabre aesthetic, with Gomez and Morticia’s daughter falling in love.
“There’s a bit of light and shade, which is nice, instead of just the darkness the whole time,” Ms Walsh said.
The Addams Family: The Musical will be performed at Theatre Works between June 18 to 25. Tickets from www.theatreworks.org.au or 9534 3388.