Creator: Clint Salter. Music and Lyrics – Jason Pennock and Matt Wong. Book – Chris Phillips. Director/Choreographer Michelle Hopper-Doyle. Musical Director Dylan Pollard. Pioneer Theatre Castle Hill. 29 Sep – 3 Oct, 2026
Reviewed : 29 September, 2026 *
Season Squad-the Musical is a bright, new family musical that uses the interdependence of the seasons to show how “friendship, teamwork and discovering that our differences are what makes us stronger.”
Premiering this week at the Pioneer Theatre Castle Hill – and moving to The Joan at Penrith and the Zenith at Chatswood next week – Season Squad introduces the seasons to the audience in a cheerful, colourful production featuring music by Emmy-nominated and platinum and gold selling songwriters Jason Pennock and Matt Wong. The music is boppy, the lyrics clever and clear, the choreography fast and tight and the message gently educational without being at all didactic.
Four characters – Sunny (Summer), Blaze (Autumn), Chill (Winter) and Bloom (Spring) – in explain what happens in each season and how the world might not work quite so smoothly if it were always summer – however nice that might seem. They work seamlessly together in dance routines that are energetically contemporary and costumes that highlight the dialogue, the lyrics and the colour and importance of each season.
Nina Hurley is Sunny. Reaching out to the audience in a bright, summery, yellow, glow she describes the joys of summer – the warmth, the beach, the fun. Ewan Herdman is Blaze, who, dressed in shades of red, explains why some trees lose their leaves in preparation for winter, personified by Iraia Matthews as Chill.
Matthews, in shades of blue, gives a quieter, restful description of winter, then Claudia Joller brightens things up again as Bloom. Softly exuberant in shades of pink, she explains how seeds that have been kept safe in the earth over winter come to life in the warmth of spring.
All four performers are in every moment. Their energy, commitment and talent are appealing and their enthusiasm is infectious. They don’t miss a beat as they engage with the young people in the audience. The dialogue is delivered clearly and is easy to follow, the songs re-iterate the messages brightly, and the pace is lively.
Creator and producer Clint Salter wanted to create “something families could experience together, live in a theatre” and if the audience in this very first performance was anything to go by, Salter and his team may have a hit. The theatre was full of excited families. All of the children took up the invitation to sing along or get up and dance and the line up to “meet and greet” the four energetic cast members after the show stretched for at least twenty metres!
The production team behind this project have been thorough and thoughtful. With the online program there is an activity pack to download and print, including colouring pages, cut and stick activities and different puzzles. As well there is a link to download the music so the kids can sing and dance along at home and share with their friends … especially as the production will return to play at clubs across Sydney in January.
Check their website seasonsquad.com.au for dates and venues and booking details.
*Opening Performance & World Premier