Dargaville Little Theatre to perform at Theatrefest nationals in Wellington

Dargaville Little Theatre cast performing in-house musical Out of Mind. Photo / Supplied

A performance group from the small Kaipara town of Dargaville is going on a big stage, after being selected in the top eight shows in the country at the National Theatrefest.

Amateur theatre company Dargaville Little Theatre is celebrating after their two shows Out of Mind and If Only - written, produced and performed in-house - were selected for the national finals in Wellington later this month.

Playwright and performer Lara Brownie, who directed and, together with good friend Nico Zwaans, co-wrote the comedy If Only, says their accomplishment shows "that nowhere is too small".

"It is really special to see something so small progress. There is so much hidden talent in Dargaville," she said.

If Only cast Lara Brownie and Yehudi Russell with adjudicator Ewen Coleman (middle). Photo / Supplied

Brownie did her first show with the Dargaville Little Theatre when she was eight and has been involved with the theatre ever since.

"I have been doing it for more than half my life," Brownie said.

Now 20, she studies and lives in Auckland and put in "a lot of travel and mileage" to bring If Only to the stage.

The play is a compilation of funny anecdotes from Brownie's and Zwaans' work experience as checkout operators at The Warehouse and Countdown.

Dargaville Little Theatre show If Only in action. Photo / Supplied

It is the second production Brownie has directed that has been successful at Theatrefest, after a play in 2016 made it to the regionals.

She said it was an incredible experience to work so closely with her best friends and people she considers family.

Brownie said if she moved further away from Dargaville and its Little Theatre she would always stay connected to everyone.

The annual Theatrefest is hosted by Theatre New Zealand progresses through local, regional and national levels.

Dargaville Little Theatre's Out of Mind cast with adjudicator Ewen Coleman. Photo / Supplied

Professional adjudicators from the Association of New Zealand Drama Adjudicators watch the groups perform and give feedback to help improve their skills, including directing, acting, technical and design accomplishments.

Deborah Steele, who co-wrote the musical Out of Mind, said Theatrefest was about learning the craft and receiving critique they receive from adjudicators was always helpful.

"Our theatre got involved with Theatrefest in 2014 and we really enjoyed the experience. We've been involved since."

They had made it to the nationals three times before.

"We're such a small place. It's usually the big cities and schools that perform at the nationals. We're punching well above our weight," Steele said.

The club had struggled for a while with decreasing membership numbers but about 10 years ago they saw an influx of people in their 20s and 30s, among them Steele, who had grown up in Dargaville but then left for travel and work.

The group that got together then put a focus on developing youth, which is part of the theatre's success, Steele believes.

Her musical Out of Mind is a commentary on mental health institutions in the 1950s. It tells the stories of seven different women - a nurse, five patients and a mother of a patient - at Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital.

"The director's grandmother did her nursing training at Tokanui. That is who we based the nurse's character on. She still had nursing textbooks."

Steele said the group was excited to stage both productions in Wellington in September.

"It's awesome to be selected."

Posted by Dargaville Little Theatre on Saturday, August 13, 2022