The September 12-17 festival will mark the first major stage appearance for many of the eight Stagesong Studio thespians, who will be looking to put in big performances at the recently redeveloped Little Theatre.

Play writer and director Cara Tatnell said the play told the story of a nine-year-old bookworm who, over the course of three nights, is thrown into scenes from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Road Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. 

“She finds herself in the middle of Hogwarts at the sorting hat ceremony, the second night she finds herself at the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tour, the next day she's at the schoolyards from Matilda,” Mrs Tatnell said. 

“She juts morphs into the scene and other characters have to deal with her and go ‘well who are you and why are you in your pyjamas’?”

The Stagesong Studio performers will help make up a strong contingent of local performers at the event, which has also attracted entries from Hobart, Launceston, and the North-West Coast. 

Festival director Clare Thorne said it was becoming increasingly common for Meander Valley families to have had three generations perform at the competition, which will celebrate its 62nd instalment this year.

“We now have grandchildren of grandparents who performed at the drama festival so it's very nice,” Ms Thorne said.

“In my own family my mum performed in the festival in the early years, and I did myself, and now my daughters are performing - it's a really lovely tradition and something we're very proud of in Deloraine.”

Competitions will run from 6.30pm on weekdays and from 1.30pm on the final day of the festival, where prizes will be awarded for best actors, actresses, ensemble works, and cameos.

Tickets are $5 per person and will be available at the door.