Theatre is a world to be shared with family and friends, no matter the city

I have never taken the stage myself except for a Kinder Nativity play when I played an angel and had to quite literally be pushed out onto the stage, but I think that made me appreciate theatre all the more.

I'm not sure how old I was when my mother first took our family to the theatre. However, I do know I was wide-eyed and in awe of the old, glamourous Theatre Royal located in Hobart. I had never seen anything quite like the charming building, with its the glittering chandelier and impressive red curtains that were pulled across the stage.

I fell in love with theatre from that first show, and I never looked back. It has been a love affair that has spanned more than a decade of performances, concerts, and shows. I could not count how many times I have entered a theatre, but I easily attend 10 shows a year, if not more.

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Some of my favourite performances over the years have been Spamalot, Fiddler on the Roof, The Phantom of the Opera, The Addams Family, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Heathers, Chicago, Dracula, We Will Rock You, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mamma Mia, Grease, as well as the annual Uni Revue's and Bawdy Panto's.

Some of those have been performed at the Theatre Royal, while some have been at the Playhouse Theatre, the Princess Theatre, the Backspace, the Earl Arts, the Rosny College auditorium, and mainland theatres.

It was tradition in our family for Mum and I to attend the yearly season launch. Those nights bring back so many joyful memories, and we had a ritual. We would attend the launch, partake in some of the tasty treats and yummy drinks on offer, and then it was back to the car.

Mum would drive us home while I flicked through the book recapping each performance to work out what we HAD to see. Once we had chosen, I went back through and marked down which family members and friends would be interested in each show.

That is when the phone calls started. By the time Mum and I made it back home, we had worked out which evening we wanted to see what show and who was coming. We would sit at her computer and within 15 minutes we had our seats booked.

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Since I have moved out of home, I have found myself missing those moments more and more, especially when I attended the recent launch of Theatre North's 2022 season. I never realised how much I cherished the evenings with my family, excited for the season ahead and laughing as families do.

My mum and stepfather were married on the stage of the Theatre Royal. They are very non-traditional people, so it was no surprise that their wedding was equally as bizarre and as fun as they are. The audience was their family and friends. The cast of We Will Rock You performed several numbers, and were then joined by the wedding party on stage. What a day that was.

Even when I started at The Examiner, it became obvious that I would be best suited for the arts round. I feel incredibly priviledged to have met some of the most incredible actors and actresses, directors, producers, singers, musicians, comedians, costume makers, and technicians around the state.

Now that Theatre North has released their 2022 season, I find myself about to log on to the computer and once again book the season ahead, except this time I am in a different city and I am booking for friends who I hope to make regular theatre-goers. I have to admit, I miss being the little girl attending the theatre with her family, but I am still just as wide-eyed and in awe as ever.

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