Newcastle’s Civic Playhouse will get a dose of high school drama, with a comedic twist, when Calvin Berger hits the stage next week.
A musical riff on the celebrated French play, Cyrano de Bergerac, promises a punchy mix of heart, hilarity, and hormones, all washed down with some slick tunes.
The show, part of the UpStage at the Playhouse series, tells the story of a sharp-witted teen burdened by insecurity about his oversized nose.
Rather than confess his feelings to his crush Rosanna, he ropes in the conventionally handsome but tongue-tied Matt to woo her using Calvin’s own poetic words. If the plot sounds familiar, it’s because it is—Calvin Berger cleverly recycles the bones of Cyrano and repackages them for a generation raised on Mean Girls and High School Musical.
Seb Smee, a standout in previous productions like Spelling Bee and Chatroom, takes on the title role. He’s joined by Jude Schillert as Matt, Zoe Chan as Bret, and Finlay Page as Rosanna.
All four bring strong local and national theatre chops to this production, which marks the show’s Australian return and its Newcastle premiere, directed by local thespian Amber Curby. Expect big energy and raw talent from a cast that’s both youthful and seasoned.
Calvin Berger hits the stage from 4 – 12 July. Tickets are on sale now via civictheatrenewcastle.com.au.
