REVIEW: Queens and Wannabes - Queensland College of Dance

Queens and Wannabes

Presented by Queensland College of Dance at Queensland Multicultural Centre

Director: Tim Hill

Musical Director: Jacqui Devereux

Choreographer: Tess Hill

Assistant Choreographer: Lauren Bensted

There is a reason musical theatre keeps returning to high school. It is already theatrical. Adolescence is rich territory for reinvention, insecurity, longing, rebellion, humiliation, and self-discovery. With Queens and Wannabes, Queensland College of Dance stepped straight into that chaos, opening the locker on some of musical theatre’s funniest, fiercest, and most vulnerable characters.

Created by Tim Hill and Jacqui Devereux, the showcase moved through the four years of high school. I thought this was such a clever framework, especially for a cohort made up mostly of teenagers themselves. With songs from the likes of Heathers, Mean Girls, Spring Awakening, Fame, Dear Evan Hansen, Grease, The Prom and many more, the students were given a wide playground of characters to step into.

With a large cohort of 36 students, the whole show had that “big performing arts school” feeling rather than feeling like a simple string of songs. The creative transitions helped tie everything together, with school announcements bridging the leap between freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year. There were some tricky technical circumstances to navigate though. With so many performers on stage, individual head mics were understandably not possible, so the music began quite softly to allow the unamplified voices to carry. In the first half, some students were clearly working very hard to project into the space, and at times that effort began to show through vocal strain, shakiness, or cracks. Encouragingly, the sound balance improved noticeably in the second half! The overhead mics picked up the voices more effectively, the music was able to come up in volume, and the students sounded more supported and comfortable.

What was most impressive, especially under those circumstances, was the commitment. Every student on stage was switched ON. In the full ensemble numbers, we could see every single face, and nobody dropped their character. It showed discipline, training, and a real understanding that ensemble work was not “waiting for your solo.” The group intensity and cohesion were one of the strongest features of the whole showcase.

The show opened, very understandably, with “Beautiful”, the opening number from Heathers, led by Gisella Vickers. It was the perfect entry point into this world of hallway hierarchy. This flowed into a delicious mashup of “Candy Store” and “Meet the Plastics”, performed by six fabulously intimidating queens.

“Telephone Hour” from Bye Bye Birdie was an early highlight, with bright choreography, polka dots and breathless teenage gossip. It captured the infectious cheer of the musical’s vintage style. Costumes throughout were well matched to the repertoire, quickly establishing the worlds of their songs, whether through the modesty of Spring Awakening, the flair of The Prom, the big skirts of Grease, or the rebellion of Jagged Little Pill.

The solo song choices were thoughtfully matched to each soloist. Miranda Brown brought clear youthful character work to “The Lamest Place in the World”, while Georgia McNamara captured the beautifully unfiltered enthusiasm of “I Love Play Rehearsal.” Ava Fitzsimons had a ball with “Think of Meryl Streep,” embodying that specific theatrical-kid ingénue energy. Fangirls followed, with Sianna Thew performing “Wait and See.” She captured the feeling of being 14 years old and finding comfort through a pop star obsession. Been there, girl. Her voice carried impressively without a mic, with a soaring quality to her sound.

The Spring Awakening section shifted the tone fast. Kai Sorbello stepped into Melchior for “All That’s Known” with real presence and young star power. This was followed by Rowan Eastgate and Ben Smith leading the excitable boys through “The Bitch of Living,” giving the group a chance to tap into frustration, rebellion, and restless adolescent energy. “Sincerely Me” from Dear Evan Hansen was one of the most enjoyable character numbers of the evening. Oscar Lowe brought strong comedy and vocal confidence as Connor, while Rowan Eastgate was a winsome and believable Evan, nailing that final note with real control. Maximillian Martin was very funny as the extremely unhelpful Jared. The six boys in this cohort had a lot of featured opportunities, and they made strong use of them.

Neilla Bradstreet brought a powerful voice to “Ironic,” complete with full chair-ography by the ensemble. Cooper Lansley burst onto the stage as Jamie in “And You Don’t Even Know It.” It was camp, high-energy, and a total crowd-pleaser. The dancers earned big cheers, and Cooper led the number with sparkle. And now I want a full version from this cohort immediately. Ben Smith made a strong impression with “Michael in the Bathroom,” balancing the awkward dorkiness of the character with a solid vocal performance. It was a song that needed both humour and genuine pessimism, and he found both.

One of the strongest group numbers was “Second Thoughts,” featuring Miranda Brown, Rowan Eastgate, Oscar Lowe, Josie Folland, and Isabelle Thomsett. I will admit, this was a number I was not familiar with, but it was wonderful to experience. The blend of personalities, the staging, and the overlapping clarity of vocal lines made it one of the most polished moments in the showcase.

Among the many upbeat numbers, Laine Devoy’s “Once Upon a Time” from Bare stood out for its stillness and vulnerability. It was one of the rare ballads in the program, and Laine brought one of the strongest unamplified voices of the night. The song required emotional openness without melodrama, and he handled that beautifully. The second half continued to make room for both familiar and lesser-known repertoire. Vanities, another musical I was less familiar with, gave Keira Whyte, Jaiselle Hunter, and Jasmine Sinclair a wonderfully sassy moment with “Organised Life.” With southern belle accents, plastered grins, and a plan to rig the homecoming queen vote, they were a terrifying little trio.

Indya Munroe stepped into queen bee mode for “Killer Instinct” from Bring It On, bringing confidence, attitude, and impressive vocal riffs. It was a great fit for her, and she knew exactly how to command the moment. The mascs had an absolute blast with “Mama Says” from Footloose, led by Maximillian Martin as Willard, crutches and all. They were all clearly loving every second of playing up the redneck, country-boy comedy. These boys were very comfortable being clowns, and that is absolutely a compliment. Speaking of, “Screw Loose” from Cry-Baby, performed by Tessa Parrish, was another standout comedy solo. Her gliss, belt, tone, and unhinged character choices all landed well, making it one of the most vocally and comedically exciting moments of the night.

Zombie Prom brought in some fun full-group staging, led by Rhiannon Baird, before the inevitable inclusion of Grease. Charlotte Ball had a strong moment as Sandy, especially in the “But now! There’s nowhere to hide...” section, which she delivered with great conviction. Eulla Cadoo-Dagley was OTT extra as Rizzo, to the point that she accidentally hit the overhead mic multiple times. Then came “The Ballad of Sara Berry,” a favourite of mine, and it was epic! Led by Olivia Crow, who showcased a great low register despite the lack of amplification, the group choreography in prom dresses was sharp and the beat was killer once the music was turned up. It was one of the numbers that really benefited from the full group’s commitment.

To bring us back to a more wholesome version of high school, Theo Hunt led “It’s Time to Dance” from The Prom. It closed the main body of the showcase with a full dance section from the entire cohort. The tempo was fast, the synchronisation was slick, and everyone gave 110%. By this point, the students had well and truly earned their ovation. The evening came full circle with “Bring On Tomorrow” from Fame, as the “graduates” looked ahead. It was a sweet closing choice and brought a lovely sense of optimism. After a showcase filled with popularity battles, heartbreak, obsession, insecurity, and rebellion, this final number felt like a hug. The students were living through their own formative years as artists, learning how to take up space, support each other, and find their voices.

The program also reminded me how many high-school-set musicals exist! I did find myself mentally adding Carrie, High School Musical, and Hairspray to the list. The creative team clearly understood how to build a showcase that served both the students and the theme. Tim Hill’s direction gave the evening a clear arc, Jacqui Devereux’s musical leadership allowed a wide range of repertoire to sit within one world, and Tess Hill’s choreography, with assistance from Lauren Bensted, gave the cohort plenty of opportunities to move with style. With a group this large, it would have been easy for the evening to feel crowded or uneven, but the structure kept the momentum moving and gave the students room to shine.

These students are all at exciting stages of their musical theatre journeys. What I admired most was that they were all having a go at big material. They were tackling songs that asked for stamina, vulnerability, humour, stylisation, accents, high-speed choreography, and strong character choices. Even with the challenges of sound, they remained focused, brave, and committed. That is how young performers grow. Not by waiting until everything is perfect, but by stepping into the work with heart and giving it a go!