2019 House Plays Programme

Somerset College presents the House Plays Festival 2019

2018 House Plays Festival Highlights

Welcome to the 29 th Annual House Plays Festival The House Plays Festival process is lightning fast. It is hard to believe we have already arrived at show night. Due to the refurbishment of the Performing Arts Theatre, our beloved Festival is a one night only affair, so please, valued audience member, applaud extra loud this evening! Our 10 student directors began this process at the conclusion of 2018. They attended a workshop where they developed their knowledge on the role and responsibilities of a director, considered selecting or writing work appropriate for a House Plays Festival audience, discussed the challenges of directing peers (and often siblings) and shared their hopes and fears ahead of the process. Cut to day 1 of Term 1. Our directors auditioned a staggering 168 students in 4 days. In 6 weeks they are tasked with auditioning students, selecting a cast, planning and running rehearsals, attending weekly production meetings, creating their sound, lighting, multimedia, costume and set design, and most importantly, making their directorial vision come to life on stage. Again, please applaud extra loud this evening. The process is a whirlwind, but our student directors and talented Year 7 -12 actors have created a body of work of which they can be immensely proud of. I do not envy the job of our adjudicator this evening. In 2019, Andrews House are on a mission to Mars. Franklin House embrace the art of exaggeration in a pun-filled melodrama. Laver House take us to the weird and mysterious happenings of the back streets of Paris. Starkey House delve into the world of Greek Mythology. Whilst Veivers House try to solve the mystery of the PA Poltergeist. None of what you see tonight could have been accomplished without the support of parents, teachers, friends and staff at the Robina Community Centre. On behalf of all directors and cast members, thank you to all who have assisted with the House Plays Festival for 2019. The commitment displayed by students involved in the House Plays Festival is inspiring. For many of our students, being on stage is a place where they feel a sense of belonging. Some of our participants are striving for a career in the arts and for others, the rehearsal room is a place to laugh and form friendships. Whatever the reason this group of people came together in 2019, I am thrilled that they did. The House Plays Festival fosters a spirit of support and encouragement within and between each House, and I know I speak for all involved when I say how proud we are of what you have, and are about to achieve. Thank you for supporting the House Plays Festival 2019. Chookas! Anna D’Arcy Assistant Head of Performing Arts

2019 House Plays Festival Adjudicator

Sam Foster Sam is story teller, performer and theatre maker. He has worked as an Actor, Director, Writer, Producer, Stunt Performer, Stunt Rigger, Physical Theatre Performer, Movement Director and workshop facilitator. He is the co-owner and co-founder of Shock Therapy Productions. Sam works in theatre, film, TV and large scale events and has worked for a number of companies and festivals over the past 16 years. His career has taken him to New

York, London, Namibia, South Africa, Denmark, Norway and India as well as all over Australia. He recently appeared in the first season of the Netflix Australia original production, Tidelands. Sam has won a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for his work as a Stunt Performer in Mad Max – Fury Road . He was also awarded Best Director at the 2015 Matilda Awards for Shock Therapy’s production of Martin McDonagh’s “ The Pillowman ”. Sam has written and created a number of works with his company Shock Therapy Productions including “Viral” which was awarded Best Independent Production at the 2016 Matilda Awards and was also nominated for Best New Australian Work. Shock Therapy has won a total of 5 Matilda Awards, including Best Independent Production 3 years in a row. He has worked extensively on large scale events as a director and movement director. In 2015, he was assistant to Gavin Robins on the Opening Ceremony of the Asia Cup. In 2016 Sam was the Movement Director on a major project for the 2016 Bleach Festival called “ Shifting Sands ”, Directed by Donna Jackson. He was Movement Director for the Woodford Folk Festival Opening Ceremony in 2016 and has been Performance Director for the Fire Event at Woodford since 2017. Sam also performed in and directed a section of the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games . Shock Therapy Productions were also commissioned to create a new work for the Commonwealth Games Arts Festival, Festival 2018 called “Welcome to Sameville”. Over the past 15 years Sam has toured extensively in secondary schools throughout Australia mainly with Zeal Theatre. He is also a highly-experienced workshop facilitator and has worked for Queensland Theatre, Qld Arts Council, Grin and Tonic, Soapbox Theatre Productions, Zeal Theatre, Backbone Youth Theatre, The Young Company (Cairns), ATYP (Australian Theatre for Young People), Empire Theatre (Toowoomba), NORPA (Northern Rivers Performing Arts), Drama Queensland and Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus). He has also worked as a facilitator with Qld Shakespeare Ensemble’s “Shakespeare in Prison’s project” in 2015. Sam continues to perform and create work that is meaningful and thought provoking and enjoys exploring cross art form collaborations.

Order of plays

There will be a 10 minute interval between each play

Technical Services Crew

Miku Adachi Hamish Folliott

Ben Batho

Shromm Gaind Thomas Kilmartin

Lucas Ho

Maito Yamaguchi

House Plays Festival Photographer Darcy Beynon

ANDREWS HOUSE PLAY

Play : Orbit Playwright : David Burton Performance rights kindly granted through Australian Plays Synopsis : Orbit is a science fiction adventure comedy about 10 young people, of which only two people will be chosen to carry on humanity’s bright future on planet Mars. The teenagers must compete in a series of gruelling tests, deciding their best strategies for survival. Will they form an alliance or go it alone? Admit their weaknesses or cover them up at all costs?

Andrews House Play Directors

Thomas McKenna

Bria Phillips

Andrews House Play Cast

Jade Bailey

Natalie Blauberg

Anna Boone

Megan Cattell

Desmond Chuah

Lucy Colahan

Jarvis Dover

James Enwright

Alexandra Grgic

Heidi Hoffman

Ella Hammond

Adam Gornitsky

Anna Hori

Hannah Kennedy

Albert Maatouk

Marcus Ware

Tim Shen (musician)

FRANKLIN HOUSE PLAY

Play :

Granny Get Your Gun

Playwright : Tony Nicholls Performance rights kindly granted by Tony Nicholls

Synopsis : Deep in the wild and woolly West, Miss Lotty and the citizens of Hope Springs live their lives peacefully. But everything changes when they must defend young Marion from the evil plans of lawyers, crossdressing outlaws, bandits, and of course, the Mysterious Spaghetti Kid - who IS that masked man? With plot twists and a whole 25 minutes of Western accents, 'Granny Get Your Gun' will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Franklin House Play Directors

Harry Morrison

Lilly Thompson

Franklin House Play Cast

Leigh Amores

Yeva Brereton

Stewart Ford

Morgane-Emilie Garrier

Secret Goetz

Daniel Harvey

Amy Jackson

Min Jae Kyeong

Brigette Newing

Niamh Rogers

Ellie Ryan

Kevin Song

Ella Stewart

Marko Sudgen

Nikolas Sudgen

STARKEY HOUSE PLAY

Play : Orpheus and Eurydice Playwrights : Annika Puhalla and Julius Wright Performance rights kindly granted

Synopsis: Join Starkey House as they delve deep into Greek Mythology, as Orpheus goes on a quest to rescue his beloved Eurydice from the clutches of the Underworld. A play with a difference, can the audience change what is fated?

Starkey House Play Directors

Annika Puhalla

Julius Wright

Starkey House Play Cast

Vivi Baker

Dom Bensley

Mariella Bourke

Jack Griffiths

Sarah-Anne Hornsey

Anastasia Kouts

Jasper Mansell

Ben O’Boyle

Julia Puhalla

Michael Savic

Candice Taylor

Calvin Walther

Chester Whiting

Ella Wood Hannah Zubair

LAVER HOUSE PLAY

Play : The Oracle Playwright : Ziggy Enoch

Performance rights kindly granted Synopsis : An unhappy couple journey to the back streets of Paris and tangle with a mysterious fortune teller.

Laver House Play Directors

Ziggy Enoch

Ella Banic

Laver House Play Cast

Emmeline Anthony

Elliot Bartley

Kristen Crasto

Samuel Dalton

Alexander Furrows

Lachlan Gallagher

Fergus George

Thomas Gray

Tarang Kondamudi

Emma Lekich

Ava McCarthy

Lilly McCoomb

Lachlan Sowerby

Nicholas Tan

VEIVERS HOUSE PLAY

Play: The PA Poltergeist Playwright : Bella Harris

Performance rights kindly granted

Synopsis : Australian high school, Bournemouth High, is busily rehearsing for the production of Chicago the Musical. Strange occurrences in their Performing Arts Theatre draws the curiosity of three teenage misfits. Together they set out on a mission to discover more about these mysterious happenings. Along the way, the trio develop a unique friendship that assists them in uncovering the puzzling mystery of the PA Poltergeist.

Veivers House Play Directors

Bella Harris

Isabella Strong

Veivers House Play Cast

Chad Brodbeck

Summer Edgley

Lucinda Harris

Oscar Harris

Peter Harris

Jensen Just

Georgie Kilmartin

Ella Kirk

Louis Ladbrook

Noah Lunn

Jack Moore

Georgina Powell

Samuel Reeve

Eliza Strong

Eva Wingrove

Veivers House Play Band

Thomas Batho

Winnie Chen

Maya Hobley

Zara Smith

Ruben Yam