Disco Inferno

Disco Inferno

St Edmund’s College, Canberra and St Clare’s College put on a production of Disco Inferno to packed crowds in May 2018.

Disco Inferno tells a classic tale of redemption. After the hero sells his ‘soul’ for the promise of fame and fortune and everything that comes with it, he soon realises that the quick fix he asks for is not the answer. With the fame and fortune come the trials and tribulations which ultimately lead him to the realisation of being careful what you wish for.

Although this is a fantastical tale, the themes that run through the musical are relevant today; if you want success, nothing beats a little bit of hard work, a quick fix can seem the best and easiest option but it is fraught with problems. 

Each member of the cast loved their time on the stage belting out the 70’s classics, from “Boogie Wonderland”, a Village People Medley to “Hot Stuff”, “I will Survive”, “Starman” and the show’s namesake “Disco Inferno”.

The love and enthusiasm of the show was shared equally by the audience. I cannot tell you the number of people who I spoke to that said they left the school hall in a much happier and joyous mood than when they arrived.  This is a testament to the tremendous show that is Disco Inferno, infused with fun and laughter.

The great pleasure of directing a school musical is sharing the journey of creating a piece of theatre, the cast becoming a close knit family in theatre and being able to share the fruits of our labour with our audiences.

School productions are of intrinsic value to the culture of any school as expressed in the words of our female lead, Lucy Sugerman, who addressed the audience after the final performance. “For us this is what school is about. Productions like these go side by side with core learning and academic subjects. From this musical we take away memories of collaboration, teamwork, laughs, song and dance and problem solving. It gives us a richness in education that can never be replaced by Google or technology or any Math equation. It gives us real life experiences and teaches us so many important lessons for which we will always be thankful.”

The cast and crew put on an incredible show. Lachlan Brayshaw who played the lead character, Jack, filled the role of the wannabe Disco star with verve and enthusiasm. He was superbly supported by Lucy Sugerman in the role of Jane, Josh Nichols, (Tom), Sam Grebert, (Maggie), Matt Brown (Duke), Leo Marris (Terry), Ishe Chitsungo (Heathcliffe), Adriana Stramandinoli (Kathy) and Sam Quilliam as Lady Marmalade and backed up by an incredibly talented cast and a knockout band under the musical direction of Margaret Thomas. 

The choreography was done by two year 12 girls, Megan Browne and Jessie Hart. 

Nigel Palfreman - Head of Creative and Performing Arts, St Edmund's College, Canberra.