Arcadians present Seussical musical extravaganza

Thoughts become "thinks" and baby elephant-birds really can fly – fans of Dr Seuss stories who head for Arcadians' Miner's Lamp Theatre this month will know to leave any sense of reality squarely at the door.

If not, here is Seussical JR director Bec Glover with a timely reminder.

"Seussical is a colourful, adventure-filled, chaotic journey through the zaney that is Dr Seuss," Bec says. "It's a story of imagination, friendship, and the belief that anything is possible. It is silly, full of colour and characters, loyalty and heart."

For several months, Bec and her team at Arcadians Children's Theatre have been corralling more than 40 young souls – including a few sets of siblings – into the shared venture, which alone qualifies as an achievement even before the curtain goes up.

"The wonderful thing about ACT is that the children genuinely want to be there. We have 44 young people aged 7-16 who bring an enormous amount of energy, commitment and heart to this show," Bec said.

"Of course, we could not do what we do without our army of parents, friends, and helpers. Together, our aim is to put on a fun, energetic show.

"Everyone matters, and we all understand that. We work together and it is fun.

"As for everyone being quiet at the same time – let's just say we are always working on that one!"

Belle Green and Rohan Green (not siblings), who shared the titular role in the company's production of Oliver! last year, have leading parts again in this cartoonish romp.

"Belle plays Jojo and our show centres around Jojo's imagination and wild and wonderful 'thinks'," Bec said. "Together with Cat in the Hat (Rohan) the world of Seussical comes to life. Rohan has worked extraordinarily hard to bring Cat's zany and wild energy to the stage, and it pays off.

"Our other lead is Shay, who comes from a talented family of musical performers. The most remarkable thing about Shay is he really doesn't know the talent he has. He has played so many characters through his time at ACT, and his versatility in bringing each on to life so perfectly is a true testament to his quiet talent.

"Being ACT director means you get to watch these kids grow throughout their years at ACT. This is especially true for our ever humble Shay.

As photos suggest, one of the production's highlights is sure to be the incredible eye-candy Melanie Green's costumes provide.

"Our costume team is led by Melanie – but she doesn't do it alone," Bec says. "She is so lucky to have some incredibly talented and supportive sewers and minds bringing the team's concept to life.

"Mel works tirelessly and we are so lucky to have her. She is ever patient and so supportive of anything I throw at her!

"Our set team is to be equally congratulated, as they have worked to create such an incredible world for our show. We are so lucky to have the army of parents we do. We honestly could not do it without our families and friends."

Tickets for Seussical JR, running from September 23-27 (six performances) can found here. Just beware of low-flying bird-elephants ...