World Festival of Amateur Theatre beckons for Dargaville actors

The cast of Dargaville Little Theatre's Out of Mind are off to represent Theatre New Zealand at Mondial du Theatre in Monaco this August.

Dargaville Little Theatre is set to represent Theatre New Zealand at Mondial du Theatre, the World Festival of Amateur Theatre in August.

The group will head to Monaco, where they will perform their musical Out of Mind, which won Best Overall Production at Theatrefest in 2022.

Nearly three years later it’s that same production that will tell international crowds the story of seven women at Tokanui Mental Hospital.

Playwright Deborah Steele said the news has barely sunk in for the group.

“It’s just quite unbelievable,” Steele said.

For some of the performers, this will be their first long-haul flight.

The stage will be the largest they’ve ever performed on — and they get to choose between two venues — Theatre Princesse Grace or Theatre des Varietes.

Looking at the other cities performers are from highlights just how big their achievement is, Steele said.

They’ll be performing alongside groups from London to Washington, Verona and Paris at the week-long quadrennial event.

Steele wrote Out of Mind in 2022 but it was developed as a collaborative project, she said.

The Dargaville Little Theatre team won Best Overall Production at Theatrefest in Wellington with their musical Out of Mind, which they will perform at Monaco in August.

The subject matter is the treatment of people in New Zealand’s mental health institutions during the 1950’s.

Steele felt the decision to apply for the festival with a “weighty subject” went in their favour.

Musicals also are typically light-hearted and upbeat but depite being a musical, Out of Mind doesn’t take the material too lightly, she said.

The performers are aged from their early 20s to late 50s, bringing a varied mix of experience.

Seven actors, the director and a tech support people will head to Monaco but first have to raise $5000 each.

Mondial du Theatre will provide free accommodation but they still need to arrange flights, transport and food.

Dargaville Little Theatre will be rehearsing Out of Mind for a regional tour before they head off on their big adventure.

Steele said the group will be heavily rehearsing before that can happen, with an aim to be fully ready by June. That’s so the group can travel across North Auckland and Northland to perform locally before their big adventure.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.