This week, I congratulate our Senior School students, Miranda Ware (Year 12), Lilla Barrington (Year 11) and Scarlet Russell (Year 11) involved in our recent Senior School Production, Children of the Black Skirt. I also applaud the work of our Head of Performing Arts, Mr James Brown and Assistant Director of the Production, Ms Kathryn Lucas.  

Written by Angela Betzein, Children of the Black Skirt is a Gothic tale of three lost children who discover an abandoned orphanage in the Australian bush. Intrigued, they creep inside and learn a confronting history of Australia through the spirits of children who have lived there, from convicts, through World War Two and the Stolen Generation. I acknowledge the voice over of Jasmine Glass (’22) for the somewhat uncomfortable scene with aboriginal children.  

Children of the Black Skirt was first produced by the Queensland Arts Council and toured throughout Queensland into regional and metropolitan high schools.  

Scarlet Russell

Scarlet Russell’s outstanding performance across 17 different roles was captivating, but it was her humorous depiction of Harold Harrock, the Government Inspector who ensured orphanages adhered to standards of care, that was particularly noteworthy. Whilst enjoying the buffoonery of Harold Horrock’s gluttony, it was Scarlet’s reflection on the scene that was most worthy:  

“Although a fascinating role to play, it has been a challenge to balance the comedic aspects of the character with his vile treatment of helpless orphans. Nevertheless, his grotesque representation of institutional greed is important to present in order to adequately recognise the children’s suffering.”  

Miranda Ware

Miranda Ware, in the role as the Black Skirt, is a haunting, solemn figure. Totally silent and heartlessly cruel, the headmistress implements control with a pair of very large, very sharp scissors. Dressed in the signature black skirt, Miranda appears to float across stage affecting authority with every appearance – her eyes and startling hand clap communicating dominance and fear. Miranda’s skill in depicting this role was at times deeply provocative and led the audience to be intensely curious about the journey of this women, in addition to the story of each orphan.  

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the three girls, Scarlet, Miranda, and Lilla mature as they have emerged from young actors in the Year 7 and 8 productions, to Senior Drama students, in 2023. They command the audience’s attention through every performance. This was particularly evident with Lilla as she adapted 12 different characters within the play. Lilla’s cast notes authentically convey her journey as a Drama student at St Catherine’s, relishing every opportunity and the guidance of our Head of Performing Arts, Mr James Brown over a number of years.  

Lilla Barrington

“I have always loved performing, and it’s a career path I would like to pursue after school. Whilst children of the Black Skirt discuss some heavy and dark themes, it is important to engage with our history so that modern day society can understand and learn from the past.”   

In addition to the poignant performances on stage, the Back Stage Crew played an essential role in creating the sound, lighting, and stage management. Congratulations to Stage Manager, Phoebe Russell (Year 12), Assistant Stage Manager Ashleigh Jakobovits (Year 10), and Sound Operator, Danning (Rachel) Liu (Year 11) and Lighting Operator, Anqi (Angel) Cai (Year 9).  

The selection of this Play by Head of Performing Arts, James Brown, enabled opportunity for the students to undertake an intimate study of some of the dark elements of Australia’s history. Studying the times, places, and cultures of scripts, as well as the power of language, enables all Theatre classes at School to plan, develop and present productions imaginatively and creatively. For many in the audience last night, Children of the Black Skirt evoked a strong, often spine-chilling response, and unquestionably reflected the strength of our Performing Arts Program at School today.  

For the many, many hours of rehearsal, teamwork and collaboration required to present such a polished and professional theatre production, our students are deserving of strong audience numbers, in fact, a packed house! The Jamie and Rebecca Gray Theatre once again proves to be an outstanding performance venue in our School, providing so much flexibility for all productions. The lowered lighting grid, and black abeyance of the Theatre ensures a mystical backdrop. As such, I encourage family members to note the possibility of attending performances over the weekend. Tickets are available here: Children of the Black Skirt tickets.