Current Events
Murwillumbah Youth Theatre - Term 1 Registrations Now Open!
In 2025, Murwillumbah Youth Theatre will be exploring musical theatre and straight (pre-scripted) plays, alongside all the fun and games that come with their regular drama classes, learning life and stage skills, under the direction of Adrienne Megan Lester.
Groups are split into abilities and experience rather than age, and we pride ourselves on inclusivity - we believe that art should be accessible to everyone!
You can register your interest by emailing Bryanne on: beejaydrama@y7mail.com or calling Adrienne for more information on: 0422 570 346
Previous Work
december 2024
Multicultural Playwright Program - Coffs Harbour
Thrilled to be invited back for a second year running, the 2024 Multicultural Playwright Program is Coffs Harbour was again a three-day event, designed to give multicultural/refugee students and their teachers a scriptwriting and performance experience. On the third day the students put on a showcase performance providing them with the platform to share their stories, some had no performance experience prior to participating in this program.
This year, UTP was accompanied by the infamous Dave Houston of Full-on Theatre, who brought a brand new energy and musical accompaniment element to both the workshop and live-streamed performance.
UTP also delivered a new, single-day teacher professional learning workshop, exploring various games and exercises to help develop a program of ideas and teaching strategies that engage and encourage their CALD and refugee students to share their experiences and work creatively with each other to express their ideas. Teachers were given a range performance starting points and ideas for students to work on back at school.
Made possible once again by the NSW Government and The Arts Unit, Umbrella Theatrical was thrilled to work with Ms Rattenbury, along with the teachers and support staff from Coffs Harbour High School and Orara High School to bring it to life.
october 2024
Northern Rivers Youth Theatre Festival - Mullumbimby
Honoured to have been invited to participate in this inaugural event, the Murwillumbah Youth Theatre facilitated the senior drama students in presenting their original work: Man Down.
The young cast blew us away with their professionalism, dedication and overall performance skills - to say they did us proud is a huge understatement!!
Big thanks goes to ATYP and Understory Youth Theatre for hosting the event and providing the opportunity for our young people to connect and collaborate in this way - it was an incredible learning experience for them, and some lifelong, treasured memories were made!
Forum Theatre - Coffs Harbour
Thrilled to be invited back to Coffs Harbour to bring Forum Theatre to the community. Buffered by the safety of the art-form, we worked on some very serious issues, with the help of Claudia Desautels of Life Mind n Soul, in this holiday workshop, which culminated in an interactive performance at the Jetty Theatre.
June 2024
Curtains - Collaboration with Byron Bay High School
BBHS Musical
UTP had the honour of leading Byron Bay High School’s inaugural full-school, high school musical theatre production: Curtains!
A 20-strong cast and crew, ranging from years 7-12, blew audiences away with their rendition of this murder-mystery, show-within-a-show, romantic comedy to die for!
With lyrics by Fred Ebb and Music by John Kander, Curtains is set in the late 50’s in Boston, and features a colourful line-up of characters - with bullets flying as fast as accusations, they must sift their way through the charm, lies, blackmail, heartache, glitz and drama to uncover the truth!
Multicultural Playwright Program (Coffs Harbour)
November 2023
Multicultural Playwright Program is a three-day event which is designed to give multicultural/refugee students and their teachers a scriptwriting and performance experience. On the third day the students put on a showcase performance providing them with the platform to share their stories, some had no performance experience prior to participating in this program.
UTP also delivered a single-day teacher professional learning workshop, exploring various games and exercises to help develop a program of ideas and teaching strategies that engage and encourage their CALD and refugee students to share their experiences and work creatively with each other to express their ideas. Teachers were given a range performance starting points and ideas for students to work on back at school.
This project was made possible by the NSW Government and the Arts Unit.
TRIGGER - Collaboration with Byron Youth Theatre (BYT)
Interactive Forum Theatre - November 2023
A collaboration with the Byron Youth Theatre, under the auspice of the Byron Youth Service, exploring common triggers young people are facing in our region today, and the different ways we can respond to help. Using elements of Forum Theatre, we’ll explore internal, external, environmental and social trigger situations.
Theatre for living - Artistic Residency with Canadian-Based David Diamond
in Northern Rivers NSW, Australia - April-May 2023
We are THRILLED to have facilitated David Diamond in running one of his world renowned Theatre for Living Training workshops, right here in the Northern Rivers of NSW, with activists, artists, educators, mediators, and other people interested in stimulating authentic dialogue about issues facing humanity!
Theatre for Living (TfL) has evolved from Brazilian Director Augusto Boal's "Theatre of the Oppressed". Since 1989 TfL has slowly moved away from the binary language and model of "oppressor/oppressed" and now approaches community-based cultural work from a systems-based perspective that acknowledges a community (and all life on the planet) is a complexly integrated, living organism. At this time when polarization is deepening around the world, how do we build bridges of understanding and true collaboration - not more walls?
Training was followed by two live, interactive theatre performances, using Theatre for Living techniques: Moving Beyond Us and Them and Reclaiming Hope …
Interactive Theatre
Rainbow of Desire: World-renowned David Diamond presents his award-winning Theatre for Living work LIVE in the Northern Rivers, NSW!
Interactive Theatre
Cops in the Head: World-renowned David Diamond presents his award-winning Theatre for Living work, LIVE in the Northern Rivers, NSW!
RISING (Theatre in Education - TIE) - Collaboration with Full-On Theatre
Byron Bay - February-August 2022
Working in conjunction with Simone Museth (Byron Bay High School) we guided Year 11 drama students through their curriculum, incorporating the various elements required into the process work of a devised piece of storytelling, in a project led by Dave Houston of Full-On Theatre, in the creation of their original work: Rising.
Showcased at the Byron Theatre and the performing arts centre (PAC) of Byron High, the 60-minute shows were followed by live Q&A/audience feedback sessions, together with the cast, crew, facilitators and mental health care professionals to help guide anyone in need of wellness resources and other related support materials.
RISING
A montage of stories encapsulating real-life events, depicting the recent effects of climate change in our region. Artistically brought to life by the talented students of Year 11 drama at Byron Bay High School.
What started out as a project exploring climate change and likely outcomes if we continue to sit idly by, was swiftly swept up in a current of irony as the region experienced 2 devastating floods, mere weeks into the process, taking out the backstage rooms of the very theatre building the group work in and all the treasured items that they housed. Students became acutely aware of how much more challenging things are for those in schools that were completely inundated.
‘How did we get here? What will the future hold? How much more resilient need we be? How do we move forward and find solidarity together?’
Over this past year, Dave and Simone have led a collaborative process, as the students devise powerful content about bushfire and flood events, inspired by true stories, research, interviews and extensive discussions of their own experiences and opinions, weaving a production together that includes music, movement, and a delicate balance of stirring moments and comic relief.
