The inaugural Spark Theatre Festival for 12-18 year olds will hold its first performance at The Peninsula Theatre, Woy Woy at 2pm on Sunday, July 2.
The performance will include two short plays as well as some improvisational theatre games.
Spark had its beginnings earlier this year, when long-time Woy Woy Little Theatre member Greg Buist introduced the program to open up the chance to learn and perform for younger people.
A primary school teacher for more than 35 years, Buist has run a drama/theatre group called Comedy Club before school most Friday mornings of the school year for the past 15 years.
He has had lead roles in a number of plays for Woy Woy Little Theatre (WWLT) including Ben Hur, Four Flat Whites In Italy, Arsenic and Old Lace and Dial M For Murder and is currently in rehearsal for the group’s next production – The Perfect Murder – to be presented in August.
Buist also has been in more than a dozen musicals for Gosford Musical Society at Laycock St Community Theatre and was a member of the first committee which worked to create WWLT’s Flash Festival, which is now in its 10th year and will be presented this September.
Following an introductory session at Peninsula Theatre on April 30, the youngsters underwent a program of theatre games and rehearsal for performance pieces.
“(The program) will hopefully allow Woy Woy Little Theatre to cast shows we haven’t been able to do in the past as we see youngsters develop through Spark,” Buist said.
There will be no charge for entry on July 2 and a kiosk will be open for tea, coffee and light refreshments.
Terry Collins