One year ago to the day, I walked into the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre to experience my first Stray Cats Theatre Company production. It was Mary Poppins and, not knowing anything about the organisation, I was expecting an “ok” amateur show; a nice day out with the family but only “so-so” in the talent and quality departments.
I left that theatre stunned at how a community production can be done so well.
A few months later they did Kinky Boots and, same thing, they nailed it.
Clearly the first show was not the exception but the rule. Both times, the only difference between this and a professional production was that I wasn’t charged four times the price. What was going on here?
I had to investigate, so today I was a fly on the wall as the team began the theatre setup for their next and quite ambitious musical, Frozen, which opens this Thursday.
I wanted to see how they worked to make such brilliant shows. And I did get my answers. But at the same time I also walked back to my car this afternoon very much aware that they had got me again. For the third time in a row, Stray Cats, under the leadership of director Karen Francis, had shown me much more than I expected to see.
Lesson #1 Culture
I walked up the theatre loading dock to find a busy but calm group of people of all ages. Francis would later tell me that Stray Cats includes volunteers ranging “from children to octogenarians.” Despite the fact that there was plenty to do, nothing was hectic and everyone was chatty and welcoming, smiling as I intruded. This vibe and culture didn’t surprise me because it’s the same impression you get at their shows. One volunteer told me “everyone is happy to be here”.
Lesson #2 Perseverance
Francis has been in the theatre game for many years and it is obvious she loves every aspect of it. Those years brought much wisdom but also her fair share of challenges, including making the financial side of this unforgiving industry work. But here she is, still standing, the organised, hands-on leader of a theatre company that has steadily grown from strength to strength and now has an enviable reputation. Indeed, when I chatted with one volunteer about how the shows feel more professional than amateur he replied with, “yeah we get that a lot”.
This same perseverance is brought to rehearsals where Francis and her vocal, acting, and choreography teams provide, “repetition and working with cast members until they really have it.” Grit, a good attitude plus doing something you love seems to be a winning combination.
Lesson #3 Feedback
There isn’t enough time to explain each thing I learned today. But a topic that stood out was the concept of lots of feedback. In our more sensitive and fragile world, honest feedback in large doses is rare. People don’t always welcome hearing what they could do better. But Francis explains that any animosity towards critical feedback misunderstands its motivation. If you are going to be on stage it is vital to receive detailed, honest, feedback about your work. Quite the opposite to being harsh or unfair, “feedback, combined of course with coaching and mentoring, helps her cast see just how much they are capable of and enables them to get there.”
The question remains
So is it community or professional? Francis answers with, “it’s a community show done with a professional attitude.”
For me, Stray Cats has the best of both these worlds. Plenty of quality and qualifications making it happen, but all with the heart and accessibility that welcomes anyone. It is hard to decide whether the audience or those involved in making it happen benefit more but I was so happy to see that the positive experience I had enjoyed from the stalls continues behind the scenes. I learned not only some lessons on how to put on a great show, but was reminded of principles we can all take with us beyond the theatre.
There are still some tickets available but you will want to get in quick. Stay tuned for more updates as the week unfolds including a report on Frozen itself! ❄️
