BLACKROCK - A huge success!

Tantrum Theatre’s Blackrock which recently played at the Civic Theatre’s Playhouse from the 13th to the 22nd May was a huge success! Playing to capacity almost every night, the production received some excellent reviews as well as comments from audience members such as “excellent play, fantastic cast, a great re-telling – well done!”

The outstanding cast of Blackrock were Rod Ansell, Dean Blackford, Sarah Coffee, Ben Freeman, Erika Gelzinnis, Cordelia Hamiton-Russell, Steffen Hesping, Rachel Jackett, Dean Johnson, Karen Lantry, Brad McDonald, Cheryl Sovechles, Brittany Turner and Daniel Yaxley.

The actors were described by The Herald’s theatre reviewer Ken Longworth as “the best cast I have seen in the play” and Culture Hunter’s theatre reviewer Fern York also said “the talented Tantrum Theatre actors gave a superb performance.” Audience members agreed, leaving comments such as “spellbound by the excellent cast.”

Written by Maitland-born playwright Nick Enright, Blackrock deals with some very important issues such as mateship, violence and under-age drinking. Fern York writes that it is a statement about “the importance of educating young people” and “the power of Blackrock is that these issues are tackled head on.”

Fern also writes that “further enhancing the atmosphere of the performance is the original music score by Zackari Watt” who performed the music live each night. Other audience comments about the play included “the performance had a big emotional impact on me” and “wow what a powerful performance, another Tantrum show-stopper!”

Tantrum would like to thank each and every one of the 1519 audience members who came to see this phenomenal production!

Writer

Nick Enright

Director

Brendan O'Connell

Composer

Zackari Watt

Lighting Designer

John Zeder

Sound Designer

Kieran Norman

Stage Manager

Penelope Kentish

Performers

Rod Ansell, Dean Blackford, Sarah Coffee, Ben Freeman, Erika Gelzinnis, Cordelia Hamiton-Russell, Steffen Hesping, Rachel Jackett, Dean Johnson, Karen Lantry, Brad McDonald, Cheryl Sovechles, Brittany Turner, Daniel Yaxley

It’s Toby Ackland’s birthday party down near the surf club – and that means alcohol, drugs and fun. But by the morning a young girl is dead – raped and bashed with a rock. What is the aftermath? Who is responsible? How can such violence be understood?

Tantrum Theatre, Newcastle’s only youth theatre company creating contemporary and cutting-edge performance, presents the first local production of Academy Award nominee Nick Enright’s "Blackrock" since its Newcastle premiere in 1996.

Based on events that transpired in our town twenty years ago, the play deals with the unthinkable murder of a young girl at a party and the repercussions for the people involved as well as their families and the wider community.

Directed by Tantrum’s Artistic Director, Brendan O’Connell, "Blackrock" features some of Newcastle’s finest young actors and a blistering original score performed live.