At a time when most Illawarra thespians are locking up the props cupboard, Roo Theatre is doing what it normally does – getting on with the show to treat whatever summer hordes come its way.
The Shellharbour company’s pantomime has a history of lighting the lights in January, unleashing, fittingly, the aquatically themed Little Mermaid for residents and holidaymakers.
As director and Roo president Renee Brighton explains, Roo tends to have large casts of children in such shows ‘’and they can stay up a bit later for rehearsals and during the show run whilst on school holidays’’.
“Roo also likes to stage something at this time of year that will appeal to families,” she says. “Pantomimes, which kids love, also tend to have a lot of adult humour – they have an intergenerational charm.”
Choosing two actors to share the titular role was not so much about sharing the load as it was about burgeoning talent.
“They both did amazing auditions and we couldn’t choose between them!” says Renee of the relatively experienced Lily Savelli and Madison Isaac, appearing in her first Roo show after a role in Wollongong High’s staging of Mamma Mia.
“Both girls bring Ariel to life with perfect comedic timing and both have hauntingly beautiful voices. The little girls in particular will fall in love with Ariel.”
Renee, drawn into Roo activities when her daughter was cast in shows, says the group feels like a small community when multiple members of different families start falling into roles both on and off stage.
Roo has been a reflection and a beneficiary of the area’s growing population since 1987. Suffering as most arts groups did over the pandemic, it now stages between six to eight shows per year, moving more into musicals which, Renee says, tend to have broader appeal than plays.
“Roo is just now getting back to being able to stage the more dramatic pieces, such as when Away by Michael Gow was done earlier this year.”
Being in pantomime form, Little Mermaid will feature the traditional dame, meant to be Ariel’s twin sister and played by Josif Jovanovski, another committee member putting in some stage time.
As for how Ariel moves around on stage in mermaid form, Renee said Roo was indulging in a little flexibility: “Pantomimes are an eccentric take on a traditional fairy story and this one is no different. We often find ourselves in stitches during rehearsals.”
Little Mermaid appears at Roo Theatre on various dates between January 10 and 25. Tickets: trybooking.com
Arcadians hold workshop
Arcadians Theatre Group is inviting youngsters to a three-day series of workshops called Imagine That! from January 20-22, focusing on all facets of stagecraft. Details at arcadians.org.au