Friday night brought a SOLD OUT audience filled with energy, laughter, and enthusiasm. Every joke landed, every musical moment connected, and every student had their chance to shine and feed off an interactive full house.
This massive journey officially began back in July last year. When Miss Danielle Jones and I first selected The Addams Family as our 2026 production, we knew we wanted to create something truly special for Peter Carnley Anglican Community School, a musical that would challenge our students, showcase the incredible talents within our cohort, and create an experience they would remember for years to come.
To make sure we were bringing the very best version of the show to our stage, we went on a little “covert mission” to other schools, watching their interpretations of the Addams clan and gathering inspiration along the way. However, as rehearsals progressed and ideas developed, this production quickly became something entirely our own, something that was entirely PCACS. Through the guidance, creativity, leadership, and dedication of Danielle Jones, Claudia Howatson, Kate Kerridge, and myself, the magic of this production was able to come to life in a way that exceeded all expectations.
When October arrived and auditions began, it was honestly one of the hardest processes we have ever had to undertake. Every single student who walked into that room brought enthusiasm, courage, and talent. The standard was extraordinarily high, and selecting a final cast from such a gifted group of students felt nearly impossible.
Since those auditions, the commitment shown by this cast and crew has been nothing short of extraordinary. Rehearsals began every Wednesday and Thursday throughout Term 4, with students sacrificing days during the summer holidays to get a head start on the production. By the time Term 1 arrived, things truly kicked into full swing. The schedule intensified with additional holiday rehearsals and the demanding routine of Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays becoming the norm.
For seven months, these students have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to developing their acting, dancing, and singing skills. But this production was never just about the performers on stage. Behind the scenes, students poured countless hours into textiles, prop construction, artwork, staging, technical operation, lighting, sound effects, backstage management, and design. Every aspect of the production became a collaboration of creativity, teamwork, and passion.
Performance week was filled with excitement, nerves, laughter, and unforgettable moments. Students arrived early each day for inductions, costume fittings, stage makeup, sound checks, technical rehearsals, and those final last-minute run-throughs before stepping out beneath the stage lights.
All of that hard work led to our preview performance, where the Year 6 students were left in hysterics from the slapstick comedy and wonderfully eccentric humour of the show. Then came Opening Night at the Koorliny Arts Centre, a truly unforgettable moment. It was far more than just “One Normal Night”; it was an evening where every cast and crew member shone with confidence, passion, and energy. Watching the Addams family host their unforgettable dinner party on stage, with all the chaos and charm that followed, was pure theatrical magic.
I’ll admit, seeing everything finally come together was incredibly emotional. Miss Howatson and I may have shed a small tear or two from pure joy and pride. Meanwhile, Miss Jones could barely contain her excitement, laughing and celebrating as the show she had directed finally burst to life on stage exactly as imagined.
This musical was a delightfully dark, hilarious, and heartwarming celebration of love, family, and embracing what makes us unique. Whether it was Gomez struggling to keep secrets from Morticia, Wednesday falling for a “normal” boy, Pugsley causing chaos, or Uncle Fester simply being… Fester, there truly was something in this production for everyone to enjoy.
Friday night brought a SOLD OUT audience filled with energy, laughter, and enthusiasm. Every joke landed, every musical moment connected, and every student had their chance to shine and feed off an interactive full house. Saturday night welcomed another incredible crowd, and despite the exhaustion that naturally comes after such a demanding week, the students somehow managed to shine even brighter.
What made this experience so special was that it was never just about the performances themselves. It was about watching our students grow. Over these many months they became performers, teachers, ballroom dancers, technicians, designers, stage managers, problem solvers, leaders, and true artists. They developed confidence, resilience, teamwork, and lifelong memories that will remain with them long after the curtain closed. True artists.
I want to take a moment to extend a heartfelt thank you to every staff member involved in this production. Over the past nine months, you have supported the Performing Arts Department in ways that are truly difficult to quantify. Your unwavering support, particularly during the intensity and chaos of production week. You helped make this event possible.
It truly takes a village to bring a production to life, and your contributions formed the backbone of our success. Whether you assisted with makeup, costumes, set construction, props, artwork, technical support, student supervision, organisation, or simply offered encouragement and guidance when it was needed most, please know that every single contribution was noticed and deeply appreciated.
And now, somehow, it is over. After nine months of rehearsals, preparation, excitement, stress, laughter, and anticipation, it all happened in the blink of an eye. There is something incredibly bittersweet about that.
As a Performing Arts Department, we cannot express enough how proud we are of every student involved. Their commitment, effort, energy, creativity, humour, and talent transformed this production into something truly unforgettable. They gave up Wednesday afternoons, Thursday afternoons, weekends, and holidays for this show, and now they finally have those afternoons and Sundays free again!
They will take the time to rest, recover, and truly reflect on what they have achieved together. We have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback about the professionalism, talent, and energy displayed by our students, and we thank every single audience member who came along to support them and especially the executive team who made this possible.
From the powerhouse vocals to the seamless scene changes, from the hilarious one-liners to the emotional musical moments, our students brought the kooky, spooky, mysterious, and ooky world of The Addams Family to life in the best way possible.
Ty Barwick
Head of Music and Performing Arts