Arcadians Theatre Group regular Louisa Raft will experience plenty of stage-related flashbacks when she performs in Hello Dolly next month.
The 16-show stalwart has just two lines of dialogue as Mrs Rose this time – a much more manageable role than the whining Ermengarde she played 31 years ago, when the group last did the musical world’s tribute to matchmakers.
Louisa’s talent and dedication has led her a merry dance since moving to Wollongong in 1993 for work, having craved the stage since cooling her heels at a sports-mad western Sydney high school.
Having danced a few styles as a youngster, and looking for new friends, Louisa found a newspaper ad for adult tap classes run by Pauline Young, Arcadians’ tireless choreographer for decades.
“Pauline needed some dancers for a variety show she was choreographing – that was the start of my involvement with Arcadians and I’ve never looked back. Arcadians is a wonderful, inclusive, community organisation.
“I’m inspired by the dedication and commitment of all the volunteers who are involved,’’ said Louisa, who has been on the board and whose daughter was in the group’s children’s theatre for nine years.
Woonona resident Louisa was able to share the spotlight with her daughter in Footloose in 2023, emblematic of family connections which run through the group. The Dyson clan will carry on the tradition in Hello Dolly, with father Christopher as Rudolph sharing the stage with offspring Samuel (Barnaby) and Annabelle (ensemble).
Hello Dolly will be staged from March 7-22. Tickets: Trybooking.
In other local theatre news …
• Speaking of family efforts, the Mahars are across all production aspects of Workshop Theatre’s Ulster American, running in the small but mighty Gwynneville stage from February 21 until March 8. Accomplished performer Jordon Mahar is directing, his mother Kellie is on costuming with his wife Lauren assisting and producing, sister Kasey is stage-managing, and his dad, Tony, is getting hands-on with set design. Book tickets via the website.
• Mutton’s muscles aren’t as strong as they used to be – “and who knows where the collagen has gone?!’’ – but their spirits are sparkling as they prepare to bring their feminist vibe (along with bass and drums) to a private queer-space near Dapto, with Church of the Clitori, on February 21.“We’re two queer post-menopausal, post-modern, pre-apocalyptic old punks making cabaret while the Earth burns,’’ the visitors promise. Tickets: Humantix