Braiden Dunn, a seventeen year old final year Drama student at Daramalan College, is portraying Lear, the role that most actors dream of playing in their penultimate years.
NIDA provided some dramatic consultancy for the production and were excited by the prospect of a young cast tackling Shakespeare's King Lear. Julie Goss, from NIDA, was positive in her comments to Braiden for the depth he achieved at key moments in the preview performance she witnessed.
Outside of school, Dunn operates his own theatre company with co-producer, Lucy Matthews. Matthews plays the role of Edgar in King Lear and likewise achieved high praise from the NIDA consultant. Together Dunn and Matthews are producing their own production, What Are You, for Enlighten Theatre Company (ETC). Their cast is comprised of community and professional practitioners. The company has received very generous support from DNA Studios in Braddon.
As if playing large roles in King Lear wasn't enough to satisfy their creative instincts, Dunn and Matthews embarked on an ambitious project for their final independent study to satisfy assessment requirements in Drama. Now they are looking to launch their play with a season at DNA Studios, Ralph Wilson Theatre.
"We are fortunate to have a Drama curriculum in the ACT that allows for authenticity and actually encourages committed engagement with the real world outside of institutions and books," said Daramalan drama teacher and director of King Lear, Joe Woodward.
"Braiden and Lucy are part of a long line of students from the ACT who have found a bridge between the classroom and the wider community while still at school. And who knows where this will lead. Alfred Jarry's Les Polonais comes to mind: that play written while Jarry was a school boy and then developed into Ubu Roi, perhaps the most significant influence on all of twentieth century theatre!"
Both Dunn and Matthews have worked with Canberra Youth Theatre, Janine Ayres Aerial Dance and Shadow House PITS.
King Lear opens on October 20, 7.30pm until October 23 at the McCowage Hall, Daramalan College. Make sure you don't miss out on this radical new perspective on an ancient story. Bookings can be made by ringing (02) 6245 6300.