Drama teacher’s greatest performance in inspiring our kids

Our ‘Entertainers’ winner has achieved great things on the stage – but her greatest role is in inspiring our kids.

Entertainers winner Amy-Louise Anderson. Photo: Kit Wise.

Secondary school drama teacher and head of production at Gold Coast Little Theatre Amy-Louise Anderson has won The Entertainers category of Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year.

While she has had her share of the spotlight, her greatest role just may be in inspiring the next generation through her day job at Marymount.

She counts Neighbours star Lilly Van Der Meer and Disney’s Frozen the Musical leading lady Courtney Monsma among the many students she’s mentored, but is equally proud of the “kids who just learn to stand up and be heard”.

“My mum has a little exercise book from when I was seven that says, ‘When I grow up I’m going to be a drama teacher’,” she says.

“My running line is that I think I like 16-year-olds better than most people do, so I should be the one that spends my day with them.

“They’re fun, they’re creative, they’re at such a beautiful time for their ideas to be challenged and shaped.”

Amy-Louise Anderson has had a lifetime of involvement in the grassroots Gold Coast arts scene. Photo: Kit Wise.

Her current role at Gold Coast Little Theatre (GCLT) follows a lifetime of involvement in the grassroots Gold Coast arts scene, including stints at Spotlight Youth Theatre and Javeenbah.

“GCLT have been so open to change, they’ve been listening to young people and young ideas,” she says.

“We’re giving the demographic of Gold Coast theatre lovers what they love, but also challenging them to open their hearts to some new stuff, while giving our young performers and our young directors a place.

“So many people felt like, ‘Oh no, the Gold Coast won’t have it’, but we’re so ready.

“Our audiences and our bums on seats and our box office takings are reflecting how ready the Gold Coast is.”

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Amy-Louise believes community theatre is vital to the Gold Coast’s developing identity.

“It’s so integral to our young artists, but also the greater community to have these places to come together and celebrate work that’s been made locally and not this age old, ‘We’ve got to go to Brisbane for something decent’. We’re shifting that.

“We’re starting to see the beginnings of professional small-scale companies cropping up and that’s come out of the community theatre.

“It’s also about providing a safe place for our young people to express themselves and find their tribe.”