Music Alan Menken. Lyrics Howard Ashman & Tim Rice. Book Linda Woolverton. Wild Heart Creatives. Director: Mikayla Burnham. James Ruse Agricultural HS Hall. 10 – 12 July, 2026
Reviewed : 11 July, 2026
Wild Heart Creatives is a youth artist development company working in western Sydney. Founded by Simone Dawson and Nick Leech, its aim is to develop the talent and industry skills of young performers through coaching, ensembles, productions, programs in acting, singing, dance and knowledge about the business behind the scenes – set construction, costumes sound, lighting … and marketing. In other words, instilling an understanding, appreciation and respect for the whole production process.
To that end, as well as rehearsals for their productions, the directors organise workshops with industry professionals and get the cast members – and their families – involved with prop making, costumes and publicity. It’s a company for young people that not only extends their performance opportunities, but their awareness of the discipline required to get to the fun – and the joy of meeting others with the same drive to do well.
This production of Beauty and the Beast began months ago with a committed production team led by director Mikayla Burnham, musical director Luc-Pierre Tannous and choreographer Aaron Robuck supported all along the way by creative directors Simone Dawson and Nick Leech.
Their vision for the production attracted young people from across Sydney with call backs being impressive enough for the directors to form two casts – one to be known as “Tale”, the other “Time”. A total of 40 performers, all of whom would appear in the four productions scheduled for one weekend in July. That might have seemed far away at the time – but it arrived only too quickly for the excited performers and those working on costumes, props and the set.
Wild Heart only rehearses on Sundays – which means students are not missing any of their other extracurricular activities – like singing, acting and dancing lessons, band practice, vocal ensembles, sport … and homework!
Those Sundays are jam-packed – even for the parents and friends who are busy sewing and painting “back stage”. As well as rehearsals, the company organises workshops led by industry professionals. Imagine the surprise for the cast (and their parents) who had seen My Brilliant Career, when it was the amazingly talented Karla Gare who spent a whole Sunday working with the cast!
Then July arrived – and the first week of the school holidays. Rehearsals from Sunday to Thursday, a preview on Thursday night and opening night on Friday10th July.
The production opened with nursery maids as narrators reading the story of “Beauty and the Beast” to their young wards. They told of how an Enchantress turned a cruel, selfish Prince into an ugly, bad-tempered Beast and his faithful servants into furniture. To break the spell, the Beast must learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose.
The stage then became the village outside the forest around the Beast’s castle and the story continued …
In the first two performances the “Tale” cast took the stage, with Belle (Samar Basili-Klopper) meeting her Beast (Ethan Seckham) and escaping the clutches of her bête-noir Gaston, (Alex Egic-Wilson) and his silly friend Le Fou (Cassandra Butler) with the help of the Beast’s henchmen Lumière the candelabra (Harry Little) and Cogsworth the clock (Alyssa Wallwork). Sophie Jack was Mrs Potts the tea pot, Maya Tobin was a cute cup called Chip, Anya Schryver was the wardrobe and Penelope Mortimer was Babette, a very stylish feather duster
Saturday night it was Isabel Mrsic who played Belle with Parker Bradley her bewitched Beast. Tyler Thorovsky was her self-important suitor Gaston and Jordan Mikulandra his funny off-sider Le Fou. Ethan Azzopardi was a lustrous Lumière and Xavier Billett a very watch-ful Cogsworth. Xara Schryver was Mrs Potts, Isabella Oreshkin was Chip the cup, Anya Schryver re-appeared as the wardrobe and Jorja Sharpe was a feathery Babette.
These performers were as professional as young actors could be. Their timing was excellent, especially their comic timing, and their voices, in the many songs, were clear and quite powerful. Most of all, there was a sense of commitment and focus that it is unusual to see in youth productions. From the youngest to the more mature performers, whether actors or dancers, the focus and concentration was impressive.
The characterisation was also impressive. There was a mature understanding of the characters and their relationships that was obviously the result of clearly explained direction and understanding encouragement. It was clear that these young people appreciated what they learnt about bringing a character to life – as well as the chance to do so.
Beauty and the Beast closed after full houses for all four performances – and two days later began rehearsals for its next production, 13 the Musical a coming-of-age story where the whole cast is teenagers!
Wild Heart is a busy company that does more than “put on a show”. It guides and nurtures the young people in its productions in theatre etiquette as well as performance skills – and ensures that they have fun along the way.
“To say these young people have surpassed every expectation is an understatement,” say Nick Leech and Simone Dawson in their program notes. “Each week we’ve witnessed the artistic growth and development of everyone in this show”.
Also published in Stage Whispers magazine