Meet the cast of Fairholme College, Toowoomba Grammar School production Footloose The Musical at Empire Theatre
They have been rehearsing for almost six months and with just weeks to go until opening night, we sat down with several cast members of an upcoming school musical. Read about their exciting plans for the future here.
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Toowoomba audience members will leave the Empire Theatre dancing like nobody’s watching when Footloose The Musical hits the stage.
The production will be delivered by students from Toowoomba Grammar School and Fairholme College – a theatre partnership which occurs every two years.
Whether they’re working behind the scenes, in the art department or in the spotlight, students have been working tirelessly on the show since rehearsals began in December.
Filling the main roles of Ren McCormack and Ariel Moore are Ruben Kruger, 14 and Sienna Green, 17, parts which were played by Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer in the original 1984 film.
“We’ve been rehearsing twice a week after school and every Sunday so it’s been really fun to see it finally come together,” Mr Kruger said.
“The musical is very dance heavy, but it has a great storyline too so it caters to everyone.”
Footloose The Musical will be at the Empire Theatre on June 1 and 2 at 7pm.
Purchase tickets online at empiretheatre.com.au
Annie Anderson, 14
Inspired by her own life experiences, Annie Anderson was all too pleased to play Ethel McCormack, who is Ren’s mother.
Described as strong-willed and determined, the character is trying to move on and start a fresh with her son.
“Ethel has picked up her life and moved to Beaumont with her son Ren after her husband abandoned them,” Ms Anderson said.
“I actually have a single mother in real life so I could really connect with the character and her inner strength by drawing on my own experiences.”
Despite having plenty of time to plan, when Ms Anderson graduates from high school she intends to teach singing lessons while she studies family law and psychology at university.
Ayesha Saleh, 15
Mischievous, sassy and always watching to see what others are getting up to are just some of the ways Ayesha Saleh said she would describe her character Rusty Rodriguez.
The Fairholme College student said she admires the fictional character for having no filter and always voicing how she’s feeling.
Despite having no plans to continue working in the arts after high school, Ms Saleh said she still saw enormous value in the skills she has learnt through music and drama.
“The arts are so creatively freeing and it’s nice to express myself in a different way,” she said.
“Artists are wired so differently so it helps you to think outside the box.
“I want to study medicine, specialise in paediatrics and get involved in some sort of humanitarian initiative because there are so many people around the world who need help.”
With dreams of moving overseas to Africa or India, Ms Saleh said she was looking forward to living “the simple life”.
Ben Rosenberg, 18
Despite his expansive portfolio of self-made films and desire to become a director, Ben Rosenberg has swapped roles for this production.
Playing a unique character called Cowboy Bob, the 18-year-old student said the description of his role wasn’t “too deep”.
“He runs this underground barbecue and dancing place, he sings country songs, he’s a bit of a ladies’ man and … that’s pretty much the extent of it,” Mr Rosenberg said.
“I was drawn to this role because even though it’s a brief appearance, it’s fun, memorable and adds comedic value.”
Set to deliver an epic performance of the song Still Rockin’, the Toowoomba student said the experience did not enhance his opinion of country music.
The aspiring film director said he enjoyed participating in school productions as he could learn from theatre directors and apply their techniques to his own projects.
Clancy Wright, 17
A young man of many talents, Clancy Wright can act, play the piano and euphonium – but is not too fond of singing.
The 17-year-old, who has performed in various productions through the school’s acting academy, was cast as Chuck Cranston in Footloose but for a surprising reason.
“Chuck is the main antagonist of the whole show and he’s a bit of a bully,” Mr Wright said.
“I think they cast me because there’s no singing in that role and I can’t sing very well.”
Playing the initial role of Ariel’s boyfriend, Chuck is soon replaced by Ren much to his dislike.
Mr Wright said his favourite aspects of putting the production together has been taking a break from studies and socialising with his peers.
With plans to pursue medicine at university one day, Mr Wright will first take a gap year and intends to continue acting in his spare time.
Hamish Walker, 16
While the stars on stage are expected to shine bright on opening night, the band members are equally as likely to rock the world of the audience with their performance.
Performing on the bass guitar will be Hamish Walker, who has been playing the instrument for the past four years.
After previously acting as a cast member in the school’s productions, Mr Walker said he was excited to make his debut performance in the band.
“I’m not really sure which I prefer but it has been a lot of fun being part of the band this time,” he said.
“When I found out it was Footloose I was pretty excited because I love playing 80s rock.”
After starting a band called Without a Doubt with four other schoolmates last year, Mr Walker hopes to continue playing live gigs while studying engineering at a Brisbane-based university.
Hannah Pocknee, 16
For Hannah Pocknee, performing has been a huge part of her life with her start in musical theatre commencing at the young age of seven.
Whether it was through the Toowoomba Choral and Philharmonic Societies or a school-based production, Ms Pocknee has always loved being centre stage.
Playing the role of Urleen, who is Ariel’s best friend, the 16-year-old said her character featured in most of the songs which meant she got to experience the entire musical.
“When Ren comes to the small town of Beaumont, he brings in all these crazy, radical ideas of dancing which they’ve been told they’re not allowed to do,” Ms Pocknee said.
“I have loved playing Urleen because she’s relatable to a lot of teens, she’s larger than life and she has this really incredible character arc.”
The Toowoomba student said she hoped to pursue musical theatre or the arts in a professional capacity as her entire life “revolves around it”.
“If I could take it further, that would be a dream come true,” she said.
Rachel Yap, 16
Stepping into the role of one of Ariel’s best friends in Rachel Yap who has adopted the character of Wendy Jo.
A star in the making, the 16-year-old said she was very interested in the film industry and has big dreams of acting in film and television when she’s older.
“Wendy Jo is a bit of a boy-crazy one, she’s very bubbly and she’s there to support Ariel in the musical,” Ms Yap said.
“I was drawn to her because she’s such a bright character and a lot of fun to portray.”
Rebecca Johnston, 17
Helping others has always been at the forefront of Rebecca Johnston’s mind, which made her the perfect candidate to take up the role of Vi Moore.
Married to the reverend and the mum to main character Ariel, Vi finds herself caught in the middle of the two throughout the show.
“Vi really resonated with me because she’s such a caring figure and tries to be the mediator in every situation,” Ms Johnston said.
“Personally I love to spend my time looking out for people and them in any way I can.”
Ms Johnston hopes to use her empathy and compassion when she becomes a criminal defence lawyer.
“I’ve been working in a law firm for a few years and have really enjoyed it,” she said.
“That career would be a great way for me to help people in their hardest times.”
The 17-year-old has been performing in productions through her school and the Toowoomba Choral Society since she was a nine-year-old.
She intends to join a choir or drama group for fun while she is studying at university.
Ruben Fitton, 17
He’s performed in the Empire Theatre’s productions of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and We Will Rock You and now Ruben Fitton will play Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose.
The classically trained singer said he was drawn to the role due to the amount of singing the character does with his favourite performance being the opening song On Any Sunday.
“When I finish school I would love to pursue anything in the creative arts whether it be acting or singing,” Mr Fitton said.
“It’s a tough choice and it’s getting to that point where I need to pick one or the other, but I guess that’s a future me problem.
“As long as I’m working in the creative realm, I’ll be happy so I’m just going to keep my options open, audition for everything and give it a go.”
In addition to singing and acting, Mr Fitton also enjoys painting portraits.
Ruben Kruger, 14
Few could challenge Kevin Bacon in an acting role as iconic as Ren McCormack but Ruben Kruger believes he’s up to the task.
The 14-year-old said while he has been part of other shows with his school before, it will be his musical debut.
“Ren is a very angsty, troubled teen and he moves from the big city to a small town without his dad,” Mr Kruger said.
“He’s trying to find his way in the world but is struggling to do that.
“Being from Toowoomba I found the storyline and connection with a country town to be quite relatable and that’s what drew me to the part.”
While he struggled to pick a favourite scene, Mr Kruger said his duet of Almost Paradise with his co-star Sienna was a highlight.
He plans to dive into a career in singing or acting when he finishes school.
Samuel Freer, 17
An avid collector of old school records, the first vinyl Samuel Freer ever picked up just happened to be the Footloose soundtrack.
Now he’s set to star in his school’s production of the iconic flick, with Mr Freer playing the role of Ren’s best friend Willard Hewitt.
“I’m essentially the comic relief,” he said.
“Some would say I’m a comedian myself – I don’t know if I can say that about myself but I’m always up for a joke.”
The triple threat who sings, acts and plays the piano, has also performed in several roles through the school’s acting academy.
He said while he was not sure what specific career he would like to pursue after school, he would be happy in any job within the creative arts and “definitely nothing to do with maths”.
Sienna Green, 17
While Sienna Green has participated in many school productions over the course of her schooling years, it will be the first time she has been cast in a lead role.
Set to play Ariel Moore in Footloose, Ms Green said she has always loved to dance and decided to give the show a shot because of its focus on dancing.
“Ariel is the Reverend’s daughter and she lives in a very traditional, southern town,” Ms Green said.
“But my character has this spark of rebellion when Ren comes into town and she sees him as a possibility to leave.”
A huge fan of the original film, the 17-year-old said she loved the fun vibe of the movie and believed their show had also embraced this liveliness.
Keen to continue dancing and acting on the side, Ms Green will start studying town planning at The University of Queensland next year.
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