2024: The 4th Wall Theatre Awards

Firstly I am going to address a misnomer. These are not awards in the strictest sense of the word. How could I or anyone else designate a "best" without first seeing every production, declaring biases, and gathering extensive voting? Instead, this is more of an editorial. Because of this website and the circles I run in, I see a lot of theatre, so I thought it might be a good idea to celebrate the year that was and shout out some highlights. Community theatre is only as strong as when we support and uplift each other. In this article, I will give my "award" for my favourite in each category and explain why I chose them. This site is not about me so I have also included opinions from my team of reviewers and comments made by community members. 2024 has been a huge year for community and independent theatre, this site alone has reviewed 75 productions and those are just the ones I could find a reviewer for and invited us. Countless hours of hard work by groups of people all over greater Sydney to produce runs that vary from a handful of days to several weekends. In venues that seat 30 to ones that seat 300. We are truly spoilt for choice. Professional theatre works wonders, but it is Community and Independent theatre that is the engine that powers arts. Think about how many young people start their careers in local halls, on shoestring budgets. Think about how many people's first experience of theatre will be because of a community production. Celebrating this is part of what we do here at 4th Wall.

For me picking a favourite this year was hard because of the overall quality of shows. There were several that were strong contenders. I went back and forth on this but the one show that I kept coming back to was Bankstown Theatre Company's Sweeney Todd. This show was pretty faultless. A bold statement I know, but one that has been universal among those who were fortunate enough to see it. The staging was smart and made use of the dimensions of the Bryan Brown perfectly, the whole cast was truly outstanding. This is a show that had me hooked from the first note and never let go.

Honourable mention for me would be Willoughby Theatre Company's Jersey Boys, which was the other show that I kept thinking about. It was one of the most professional productions I have ever seen.

Reviewers:

Sherene Mitchell: ‘Zombie! The Musical’ at Hayes This show was so much fun, and beautifully executed. Great music and fabulous performances. Jess Scopelliti: Zombie at Hayes. So good I saw it twice. An Australian comedy horror that captures the millennial human condition with originality and poignancy, underscored fittingly by the soundtrack of our highschool days. If you put our generation, musical theatre tragics and 90s milieu into an AI generator, it would produce this musical

Ben Oliver: Anything Goes (Engadine MS) - from start to finish this exuded professionalism and polish, especially when teaching lots of newbies how to tap. The choreo was TIGHT and it was truly a spectacle.

Jack Maidment: Footloose Junior at North Shore Theatre Company was such a standout by just how polished it was. I walked out of that production completely blown away by the talent those kids put on display. Not only did they look like they were having a blast, they knocked the socks off every single person and left us all wishing we could have another hour of their brilliant performances.

Chelsea Holland: Billy Elliot (Engadine) They nailed both the comedic and heart-wrenching aspects of the show, and I was truly moved. The young talent on stage was particularly impressive!

Jordan Anderson: Sweeney Todd - Bankstown Theatre Company. I’ve seen a lot of shows this year, and Sweeney Todd for me just had all the parts working in unison so well, it kept me captivated and was just really enjoyable.

Faith Jessel: American Psycho: Rising Arts Productions. Satire and slaughter collided at the Illawarra Arts Centre. A super slick production for such a short run. The cast carved it up and left you for DEAD.

Community Contributions:

Amilie Downie: Miranda Musical Theatre Company’s Catch Me If You Can in April this year was a pretty special show! It was a huge effort, as many shows are, and I think they pulled off an excellent show! The dancing was incredible, the band superb and the talent next level. I’d love to shout out Sam Anderson and Daniel Simpson for their stellar performances in this show, both guys’ vocals were insane and it’s such a big track for both leads but especially Daniel.

Tracie Cotton: Cats - Rockdale Musical society. Everything about this production was flawless. From the set, costumes, wigs, direction and the suburb casting. The director delivered a brilliant and authentic representation of Cats featuring the best talent in Sydney. The orchestra was on point and the way each actor embodied being a cat without dropping character took the audience on an interactive journey from when they walked into the venue until the orchestras last note. Superb!

Emily Cowell: Little Shop of Horrors by Camden Musical Society was outstanding, with exceptional performances by all the leading actors, and superb puppets and puppeteers. It didn't seem like an amateur production at all, it was executed so professionally, even when there was a blackout during a performance and none of the actors batted an eyelid. They had me singing the songs for weeks, in fact, they're still stuck in my head!

Nicole Robert’s: We Will Rock You at Bankstown Theatre Company! The cast were absolutely amazing!! I could have been watching it on Broadway! They had a special connection with each other! The choreography, the music, the costumes…..all outstanding!!!

For me, the most memorable and enjoyable play I saw was {Your Name} by Purple Tape Productions. This show was so fun and unapologetic. The comedic timing was spot on and felt really fresh and exciting. This was a tight ensemble with clever direction that made perfect use of an intimate and challenging venue. I left that production hoping to see more of Purple Tape and what they can do. An honourable mention in this category is hard for me to narrow down because I honestly think any play staged by Castle Hill Players could be a contender in this category. Castle Hill Players have set such a strong standard over the last few years that I strongly encourage everyone to go see them. Reviewers:

Sherene Mitchell: ‘Where Words Once Were’ at Henry Lawson Theatre This is definitely the best piece of community I’ve seen, compelling storytelling, wonderfully acted, with great use of stage projections to tell the story.

Kimberlea Smith: The Ghost Train (Pavilion Theatre/CHP) This production was pure fun to watch and so wonderfully executed. You could tell from the performances how much fun the cast were having and how close they were—so much trust in one another and they all gave an impeccable performance.

Jordan Anderson: Hamlet - Point Break Drama. I didn’t expect this play to be my favourite going into it, but the show worked its ass off to get everyone in the audience engaged. The Lead actors portrayal of Hamlet was haunting and has stuck with me months after the play closed.

Faith Jessel: Jane Eyre: The Genesian Theatre. An incredibly inventive adaptation that balanced atmosphere, humour, and heart, ensuring a moving and thoroughly entertaining – thoroughly romantic experience.

Community Contributions:

Kelly Nicholson: I absolutely loved My Kink is Homicide at the Sydney Fringe Festival this year in the Factory Theatre Really funny, brilliantly performed and a perfect example of a team of creatives having a blast while they put on an awesome show

Brooke Elizabeth: I saw strangers on a train at the Genesian in March. For me an Australian adaptation is always a hard sell, I’ve seen it go wrong many times. This production blew me away, the Australian adaptation didn’t feel forced and actually added to the story. The staging and direction were very clever, things as small as LED strips added suspense and mystery. Excellent performances by leads and supporting actors had me completely invested until final curtains.

Bankstown's Production of Sweeney Todd was amazing and full of wonderful voices, but the performance by Jessica Green was a stand-out. Green was a powerhouse in this role whose energy lifted everyone she shared the stage with. Every scene benefitted from her and her voice was made to be Mrs. Lovett. There was a sweetness to her performance that made you love here, even as she did the worst things and her comedic timing always brought the levity to an otherwise dark book.

I have two honourable mentions here, and that is alright because, I make the rules here.  Luc-Pierre Tannous from Jersey Boys and Fiona Brennan in Avenue Q both really blew me away this year. Tannous has a killer voice and is so charming and Brennan's puppetry and voice acting was so captivating.

Reviewers:

Ben Oliver: Luc-Pierre Tannous (Jersey Boys - Willoughby). WOW. WOW. WOW! This man could be a direct descendant for sure of Frankie himself. and for 20 years old he just absolutely crushed the role and is a talent to be reckoned with.

Jess Scopelliti: Tamsin Carroll in Zombies the Musical: the mature aged ensemble member. Her hilarious one liners about Patti Lupone that nobody else gets, triple threat energy and the heartbreak of leading lady days long past, she was phenomenal. An undead performance.

Jack Maidment: Jessica Green as Mrs. Lovett was next level. She demonstrated such a clear understanding of the character and completely brought her to life every time she was on stage. A combination of great comedic timing, an amazing singing voice, and execution of heartfelt moments that left me in tears made her performance second to none.

Chelsea Holland: Sam Anderson as Carl Hanratty in Catch Me If You Can (Miranda) A masterclass in embodying the character from the voice to the physicality. His humour and timing was impeccable.

Jordan Anderson: Ben Roorda in Blue Mountains Musical Society production of Catch Me If You Can. Ben was born to play this role, he was charming, funny and dedicated, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him.

Faith Jessel: American Psycho. Rising Arts Productions. Hannah Perritt and Noah Cegielski. Both spark-plugged the show with scene-stealing performances as plastic doll Courtney and her fiancé Luis, a match made in hell.

Community Contributions:

Cam Gower: i would also love to say that Daniel Walsh as “the creature” in Macquarie musical society’s Frankenstein was an absolute highlight of a performance, his vocal tone and quality, stage presence and characterisation were truly incredible!

Lauren Dennis: Brooke Cherie in Cats with Rockdale Musical Society. I couldn’t take my eyes off her in every dance, and she made the worst song in the show, bearable with her beautiful vocals. That high C!

Andrew Lindqvist in Boys Like Me's Production of Cock was outstanding. His comedic timing and presence on stage were second to none. I liked that production overall, but he stood out to me as a particular highlight.

Honourable mention for this category goes to Paula Searle as Mrs Warren in Castle Hill Players Mrs Warren's Profession. Searle was outstanding in this role and commanded the stage expertly.

Reviewers:

Kimberlea Smith: James Yeargain as Arthur Roeder, Radium Girls (Lane Cove Theatre Company) This was a truly brilliant, deeply compelling performance. Yeargain delivered such an empathetic portrayal of a deeply flawed character and his ability to capture an audience’s attention is truly something to behold.

Jordan Anderson: Bryan Smith as Hamlet in Point Break Drama’s Production of Hamlet. Bryan was so incredibly compelling to watch in this role, he was raw and honest, and at times unfiltered. His descent into madness was so visceral, you couldn’t keep your eyes off him.

Faith Jessel: Jane Eyre.The Genesian Theatre. Vincent Andriano/ Rochester: Cue the Swoon. Your significant other will understand. Need I say more?

Community Contributions:

Lauren Dennis: Gavin Leahy for The 39 Steps with Cronulla Arts theatre. It’s such a hard play to perform in, and he was on stage for 95% of the show but never broke character once. An amazing comedic performance.

Avenue Q by Blackout Theatre Company had such a strong ensemble. That show sounded amazing and the ensemble voices, puppetry and energy moved the story along and gave the leads such a great canvas to shine - which they did (Both Fiona Brennan and Jack Maidment were strong contenders for my favourite performances this year). Suessical by Hills Musical Theatre Company is my honourable mention in this category because they were everything a community theatre should be. I have never seen a more inclusive cast with performers with disabilities being highlighted and celebrated in a way that felt genuine and kind.

Reviewers:

Ben Oliver: Jersey Boys (Willoughby TC) - Similarly to the above sentence, it was so clean that I felt immersed in the world the whole time. Every person in that stage kept you in the story the entire time!

Kimberlea Smith: Almost, Maine (Pavilion Theatre/CHP) A series of interconnected short plays set in one town, this production really rested on the relationships between the characters and the cast’s ability to portray multiple characters. There wasn’t a weak link in the cast and they delivered such beautiful, heartfelt performances.

Chelsea Holland: Ride the Cyclone at The Hayes. Pardon the pun, but what a ride! The whole cast got their featured moments and moments as a backup for another character. There was no weak link and together they were brilliant!

Jordan Anderson: Strictly Ballroom - Hills Musical Theatre Company. While not necessarily the most polished ensemble, Hills by far had the cast having the most fun taking on a role of larger-than-life Aussie characters, and when everyone was dancing as one big ballroom organism, it was so beautiful to watch.

Faith Jessel: Ulster American. Ensemble Theatre Jeremy Waters, Brian Meegan and Harriet Gordon-Anderson were a triumvirate of potent synergy, delivering compelling performances of deeply flawed characters. Their skill and stagecraft were incredible.

Community Contributions:

@Kath20609: Hornsby Musical Society's Urinetown. Both the poor and rich ensembles inhabited their characters completely and were absolute scene stealers at times. They sounded AMAZING, looked amazing and just brought the world to life

Amelie Downie: Miranda Musical Society’ Catch me if you can. The ensemble was also great, they had so much chemistry on stage and worked some theatrical magic to bring Frank Abagnale Jnr’s story to life!

Sarah Robertson: The Genesians theatres production of Hayfever. Absolute cracker cast, haven’t laughed so hard in ages, and EVERY member of the ensemble suited their character

Tracie Cotton: Cats - Rockdale Musical Society. With such a musically and physically challenging score the ensemble was the star of the show. Each has a moment to feature. The athleticism to keep up such strong and impressive vocal cohesion whilst delivering complex choreography was a credit to a very hard-working cast. The dancing was incredible and catered to all dance ability. The vocals were perfection with beautiful light and shade. The cast embodied cat mannerisms the entire time they were on stage and were exceptional with their moments that weren’t even scripted moments. The playfulness when it counted through to empathy took the audience on an emotional journey.

This is a hard category, there were a number of standouts that utilised the space and limitations of community theatre venues perfectly. So for this category I am cheating and splitting it to Musical and Play.

Blackout Theatre Company's Avenue Q was amazing. There was so much depth and the use of levels was outstanding. Screens and projections as set are really tough for me because I think we are getting into the overdone stage of their existence. With this said, the use of screens and videos by Director Jordan Anderson was impeccable and made the use of the screens as part of the set seamless and purposeful with some of the funniest visual jokes I have ever seen in a stage show.

The set that Castle Hill Players constructed for Mrs. Warren's Profession was beautiful. The use of colour and lighting helped to tell the story and was full of charming details that rewarded you paying attention.

Reviewers:

Jack Maidment: The recreation of the grimy streets of London from Bankstown Theatre Company's production of Sweeney Todd was just fantastic. The set not only looked fantastic from an aesthetic standpoint, but it was a joy to watch the technical aspects shine as well.

Chelsea Holland: I'll actually give the nod to Sweeney Todd at Bankstown. Appropriately moody, functional, and made great use of a difficult space!

Jordan Anderson: Sweeney Todd - Bankstown Theatre Company - I’m a massive details person and while this set wasn’t necessarily the most complicated, every inch of it screamed dilapidated England and helped highlight the stakes of the show.

Faith Jessel: Jane Eyre - The Genesian Theatre. Co-created by director Ali Bendall with Tom Fahy, they transformed the Genesian stage and auditorium into a versatile, multi-tiered space that effortlessly balances grandeur and intimacy.

Community Contributions:

Cam Gower: I would love to say that Hornsby Musical Society’s Urinetown had my favourite favourite set! transforming the pioneer into the sewers of Urinetown (the place, not the musical), was incredible, with the hand-painted wings, toilet lid sconces, and fantastic details, combined with a perfect colour scheme

Alexander Smith: Henry Lawson’s Clue. It had two rotating sections on a small stage, many doors and entrances, a falling chandelier and secret passageways!! Having such an intricate set very much enhanced the play and complimented the performances

Tracie Cotton: Cats- Rockdale Musical Society. The scale of this set drew audiences into an ally complete with to-scale appliances and a very creative car boot. The set reached out to the audience allowing the cats to utilise slides to enter the audience space making them feel part of the streetscape. The use of levels allowed the audience to appreciate every actor on stage each getting their moment to shine. The lighting played with each aspect of the set in such a magical way. Each set piece was hand-crafted with so much attention to detail that you felt like you were in a London alley.

I love the magic that you can do on stage, using lights, sound and smoke to trick the eye. This is always impressive, particularly when you consider all of the hard work behind the scenes required to make it happen. In my reviews, I always make sure to shout out stage/ technical crews when they do a great job, so my end-of-year write-up will be no different. Both Blackout and Hornsby Musical Societies overcame the limitations of the Pioneer Theatre (which doesn't allow haze) to pull off some incredible stage magic to make a hand pass through a door in Ghost (Blackout) and have actors swap places through a mirror in Jekyll and Hyde(Hornsby).

Honourable mention in this category goes to Bankstown's Sweeney Todd for their barber chair and Willoughby's Jersey Boys' use of live camera feeds in their projections.

Reviewers:

Sherene Mitchell: ‘Flat Earthers: The Musical’ at Hayes This show made amazing use of projections to create an engaging virtual world, truly innovative use of technology.

Kimberlea Smith: The 39 Steps (Pymble Players) The crew continuously broke the fourth wall in the show and gave some of the funniest moments of the whole show. Tossing an actor a steering wheel, coming on stage with a pedestal fan and a portable smoke machine… all brilliant.

Jack Maidment: The stagecraft and blocking within 'The Man Behind the Clues' in BMMS' production of Catch Me If You Can was wonderful. The use of the red string and ensemble positioning highlighted the deeper meaning of the number and elevated the entire scene to a level I'd never seen before.

Jordan Anderson: Catch Me if you Can (The Man Inside The Clues) - Blue Mountains Musical Society. For such a loud bombastic show this was such a small beautiful tender moment that really stood out to me. As Hanratty is piecing together the clues he has a red string that he walks over the stage physically connecting the dots, and it turned what could be a rather unremarkable number into a beautiful moment.

Faith Jessel: New Theatre Sophia = (Wisdom) The Cliffs. An atmospheric set with vivid lighting design (advised and plotted by Mehran Mortezaei) along with an ingenious soundscape, most effectively built a fanciful, surrealistic absurdist world.

Community Contributions:

Amelie Downie: Miranda Musical Society The Fully Monty was fantastic, and their “Magic” in the final stripping number was a major wow factor, choreographed between stage manager, LX & projection operator! Not to mention the fact that these guys got naked on stage, a HUGE undertaking for anyone!

Closing Thoughts:

Thank you to everyone who contributed to what has been, hands down, the longest post we have ever done. I am so thankful for the opportunity to see so much great community theatre and for everyone who reads these reviews. Feel free to comment on this post someone you think should have been mentioned in this article - the more love we can share the better. I hope this becomes something annual because I love to celebrate local theatre in all of its forms and this was a fun way to reflect on the year that was. Onward to 2025 and all the great theatre still to come.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see all of our reviews and feature articles.