Congratulations

We have received some fantastic news about the success of current and past students. Congratulations to Makenzie Veale (Year 12) who auditioned for and gained entry into NIDA’s actors studio which is a year long course that runs all day every Saturday. This a fabulous achievement as she is the only school student and one of only two teenagers to be accepted into the course with the rest of the participants being adults with varying levels of acting experience and training.

Congratulations also to Johanna Renwick and Megan Coulson-Knight (Year 11) who both applied for and were accepted into the the Young Belvoir Theatre Club. This will enable them to see 6 Belvoir theatre productions and be involved in post performance discussions with the actors and other creatives.

In addition Johanna also applied for and was successful in gaining entry into the Sydney Theatre Company’s Young Wharfies program which gives her the opportunity to see 7 STC productions and participate in 7 theatre workshops and 5 masterclasses with STC actors and directors. All of these students are hardworking, enthusiastic and talented individuals who have really challenged themselves by applying and auditioning for these courses and in doing so have demonstrated that you can, as a regional student, be as successful as anyone.

A further indication of what students from here can achieve is the amazing news that Natalie Abbott, who graduated from St John's in 2013, has gained the lead role in the mainstage musical Muriel’s Wedding. Natalie is a rare talent having a stunning voice and being an extraordinary actor - she won a Bell Shakespeare scholarship when she was in Year 11. Muriel’s wedding opens in Melbourne in 4 weeks and then comes to Sydney later in the year for a season. Make sure you get tickets to see a great show and to support Natalie’s big stage debut. It is immensely rewarding to see these wonderful young people receive these incredible opportunities to further develop their talents. A very warm and sincere congratulations to each and everyone of you from a very proud Drama teacher.

Mr Mark Burian
Creative Arts Coordinator