Rehearsals are becoming more serious for some members of the Clyde Theatre Group (CTG) who are performing a play at the 25th Norfolk Island Theatre Festival later this year.

The group travelling are five local actors (one off stage doing vocals) and one other supporter, and fundraising is underway to help the group with travel costs.

The week-long trip involves workshops, professional development, formal adjudication feedback on their performances, and networking opportunities with other theatre enthusiasts.

Joy, who has been twice before (most recently in 2018 with another CTG play) said the CTG covered the cost of registration but that the actors were covering all of their own costs.

“We’re flying via Sydney, and we overnight there… then it’s a full week on the island, [with] motel units and a rental car.

“The whole island comes to support the theatre festival.

“At rehearsals now, as we’ve been rehearsing for so long, we’re starting to see the characters grow… and that really helps us.”

Joy said her past experiences of being involved with the Norfolk Island festival have been great as it gets you “out of your own immediate thought process”.

“It’s good to meet other theatre people… we see other plays and writers and it helps us to choose plays to bring back for our own groups.”

Along with the three actors pictured above, Chris Beilby and Catherine Brown make up the cast. 

Theatre groups from around New Zealand and Australia attend the festival which runs from September 23 - October 1.

CTG performed the 30 minute play by Mark Langham in November last year as a part of the ‘One Act WonDERS’.

The Bench won an Australian One Act Play competition in 2013 and features a central character Alice, who just likes to sit on a bench with a sandwich. 

Alexandra Countdown has sponsored a raffle, donating $250.00 in supermarket vouchers for prizes. To support the group find CTG on Facebook.