This highly anticipated musical comedy which enjoyed standing ovations during its Queensland world premiere season should prove to be a smash hit with Sydney audiences.
The show surrounds Edna, a 14-year old schoolgirl who is an obsessed fangirl of a singer named Harry in ‘True Connection’, the most popular boyband in the world. The band is coming to town and her mission is to meet Harry and nothing will get in her way!
“Edna takes this obsession to a whole new level to hilarious and catastrophic effects,” laughed Sharon Millerchip who plays the role of Edna’s mother along with a few other characters. “It packs a real punch in terms of a message about the empowerment of young girls and how we can harness their passion to good effect. It’s a powerful story for parents and kids alike. Parents who are coming up to me and thanking me for representing them in this piece have their own memories of fandom.”
The predominantly young cast of eight is headed by 18-year old Aydan who makes his professional stage debut as Harry the pop star. He has built an incredible fan base after being one of the four finalists in The Voice last year.
“He’s life imitating art because he’s got thousands of followers on Instagram and we go out and meet his fans after the show! He’s just a class act that kid. He’s respectful, astute, does his homework, listens and takes it all in and conducts himself beautifully. He’s just the nicest kid!”
Millerchip enthused that this show has something in it for everybody. “It’s very funny, it goes quite dark and audiences will leave the theatre humming the songs. It’s a rollicking good ride. There’s choreography, singing, dancing and you may shed a tear or three. Yve Blake who has written every word of the script and every note of the songs is amazing. She’s a doer this kid!”
And what’s it like being the eldest performer in the show? “I was worried because I thought it would make me feel like an old lady but it’s totally the opposite, their enthusiasm is quite infectious and I’m regressing – I feel young! It’s been a fantastic experience and there’s also the feeling that we’re creating good work!” (MMo)
Oct 12–Nov 10. Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $30-$85+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au
