An awesome chance to shine

Auditions for Alice in Cyberland, the Years 5 to 7 Glen Waverley musical, are just around the corner, and getting involved is an awesome experience. Students Remy Grunden and Keira McGauchie explain why.

The Years 5 to 7 musical, Alice in Cyberland, brings to life the Alice story, not through a looking glass or down a rabbit hole but through the internet and into Cyberland.

Written by David Dunn, Head of Student Theatre at the Glen Waverley Campus, with songs by David and Russ Welsh from the St Kilda Road Campus, Alice in Cyberland explores cyber bullying and resilience. ‘The key message,’ says David, ‘is to be yourself. As the ensembles sings in the finale, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” Cyber bullying is a grim reality, but Alice in Cyberland is all about tackling it. Our focus has really been on educating young people about resilience through a show with an up tempo music score, lavish sets and outrageous costumes: all great reasons to join this production.’

With auditions just around the corner, now is the time of year when every student has a chance to express themselves, and no matter who you are, chorus or lead, everyone has a chance to shine. That’s what happened back in 2019. When students saw the sign-up sheet for the Years 5 to 7 production, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, an immediate shock of excitement raced through the Middle School.

There’s so much to gain from participating. For us, taking on leading roles like Wendy Darling and Captain Hook last year was a lot of fun, but also a lot of learning, from memorising lines and nailing all the blocking to setting a good example for our peers. Lead role or chorus, back stage or on stage, everyone is as important. You get to sing, dance, act, perform musically. Every jump you jump, note you sing and line you deliver contributes to the sheer magic of the Years 5-7 musical! And remember, the more the merrier! Everyone can join, and you don’t need to be a super-experienced actor or a top-level dancer to enjoy the experience.

After the weeks of rehearsal for Peter Pan, when it was time for the show to begin, opening night was one we will always remember. Imagine it. This time it’s you, on stage in Alice in Cyberland; the house lights dim and the sound of the audience gets softer and softer until there’s not a sound. Waiting backstage or in the wings for the opening music is nerve wracking, then you’re onstage; you feel like you were never nervous before; and you perform your very best! These are moments you will always remember.

When all the shows but one are over, you just never want it to end.

Playing Wendy and Hook was an awesome experience, and certainly one we will never forget. If you are thinking about joining the production of Alice in Cyberland, we both strongly encourage you. Take that step out of your comfort zone, and give it a go. Trust us, you won’t regret it!

Keira McGauchie played Wendy Darling and Remy Grunden played Captain Hook in the 2019 Years 5 to 7 musical, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys

Students can read the Alice in Cyberland script by searching Wesley’s internal learning management system, WiSE.

Glen Waverley students, Keira McGauchie as Wendy Darling and Remy Grunden as Captain Hook in the 2019 Years 5 to 7 musical, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys