POPULAR Australian actress Rachael Beck made a special appearance in the Upper Hunter this week to share her theatre expertise with some very excited students.
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The stage and television singer-actress is most known for featuring in Australian and global productions including Home and Away, Beauty and the Beast: The Musical with Hugh Jackman and Hey Dad..!.
Preparing for a special performance in June, a group of 80 Scone Grammar School students have been rehearsing since January as part of their Musical Extravaganza, Seussical Jr.
The cast and crew were treated to a two-day interactive workshop with coaching in performance practice, vocals, block acting and choreography, and how to resolve performance anxiety.
Pleased to be in the area, Beck said she puts her energy into a couple of schools each year but it wasn’t until she communicated with Mrs Tori Saunders, the director of Seussical Jr, that she settled on Scone.
“She described the community and she described how she wanted to lift the profile of the arts in the community and how much it was supported already,” Beck said.
“So that really made me excited about coming to this region and I’m so glad I did because I’ve fallen in love with it and it won’t be my last time.”
Beck said part of her push towards raising the profile of the arts comes from growing up in a regional area and learning how important it was to have good mentors.
“I do workshops all over Australia and I’ve worked with a lot of regional schools,” she said.
“I got out to The Kimberleys and work with a lot of indigenous kids too. So I’ve worked with lots of different styles and types of teachers, parents, kids, performing arts schools and I’ve got a big cross –range of people I deal with.
“But I’m extremely passionate about raising the profile of the arts in Australian schools - because we are such a sporting nation.”
Fittingly Friday was National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence and Beck had a powerful message for students.
“I just think the whole push towards mental health and talking about it and helping kids find out about their emotions and how to deal with them - self-confidence, self-belief, anti-bullying – it all fits in with the creative arts,” she said.
“Drama, music, visual arts, having a voice and having a vehicle and finding some tools to actually connect again with each other and the community – it builds stronger communities.”
Seussical Jr director Mrs Tori Saunders said she was extremely pleased for the cast and crew to be part of such a great opportunity.
“The catch-phrase for the musical is ‘a person’s a person no matter how small’ and that is so wonderfully placed,” she said.
“I’m just blessed with how talented the kids are and the music is fun and has a great message so we look forward to showcasing it in June.”