Ballarat’s newest crop of acting talent is about to be unleashed.
Graduating students at Federation University’s arts academy have spent months rehearsing monologues and performance pieces for a series of shows this month aimed at seducing prospective agents and directors.
A run of performances will be held in Ballarat before the students also try their luck in Melbourne and Sydney.
Director Kim Durban said the end of each year was always exciting for the third year, graduating acting and music theatre students.
“Every year we welcome them to the industry by showcasing them to agents, casting representatives and directors,” she said.
“These people may be the ones you’re going to see on stage and on TV.”
Ms Durban said many other Federation University students had gone onto big things, including Hi-5’s Jessica Redmayne, stage actors Lachlan Martin and Joe Kosky, and Jaz Flowers, who has performed in Hairspray and sang alongside the likes of Keith Urban.
“(Fellow alumni) Hannah Monson is about about to start shooting the second season of Glitch, which has just been sold to Netflix,” Ms Durban said.
“She’s already got fans in America tweeting to her.”
Students Madeleine Dunkley and Carly Elis have already been cast in a production – Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s The Tempest.
Ms Dunkley said she was looking to start her own production company and start creating a web series, while Ms Ellis said she had written a play that she would like to develop into a production.
Showcase 2016 will be performed this week on November 3, 4 and 5 at the Post office Box Theatre in Camp Street before moving into Melbourne Theatre Company’s Lawler Studio on November 9 and 10.
The music theatre students will also perform at Sydney’s Darlinghurst Theatre in mid November.
All welcome. Tickets are available at http://federation.edu.au/faculties-and-schools/faculty-of-education-and-arts/events
