Published on: 22 August 2013





The Midnite Youth Theatre Company’s production of world-famous musical Les Misérables, staged at St Hilda’s Performing Arts Centre last week, received standing ovations and numerous accolades. The three performances, featuring a cast of 100 students, were sell-outs thanks to the combined efforts of staff, students, parents and friends.

Christ Church’s Drama and Music Departments joined forces back in February to bring a specially adapted school version of the musical to life. The cast included Christ Church boys from Years 4 to 12 and girls from St Hilda’s, Methodist Ladies’ College, Presbyterian Ladies’ College and Iona Presentation College.

At the helm was Midnite’s artistic director Drew Stocker (Head of Drama), musical director Rhiannon Taylor (music teacher), orchestra director Kevin Gillam (Director of Music), choral coach, repetiteur and vocal coach Christopher Draber (music teacher) and vocal tutor (male principals) Andrew O’Connor.

The orchestra, comprising predominantly Christ Church musicians, played for two hours and 40 minutes of music. The production also featured the Yahoos, the Preparatory School choir trained by Prep School Music Co-ordinator Sarah Seaman, as the young street urchins. In the foyer, masked street urchins, played by the Prep School’s iMove Physical Theatre Club boys co-ordinated by company manager Angela Perry (drama teacher), played up for guests.

More than 70 parents, marshalled by parent and chair of the Friends of Midnite steering committee Vitale Di Tullio, also worked tirelessly behind the scenes on the large-scale production.

Fittingly, ushers collected donations for Anglicare WA’s Street Connect, which has a daily outreach presence to homeless young people via the Mobile Youth Outreach Centre bus. They collected a staggering $4,600 over the three nights.

Photographs courtesy of Anna Rowe and David Kuek