SENIOR SCHOOL
Year 12 Drama production
Adapted from Tim Winton’s novel
by Nick Enright and Justin Monjo
Cloudstreet
The Senior Drama Production of Cloudstreet
was a wonderful success with inspiring
performances from the principals and
supporting cast. Once again, Guildford
Grammar School and Perth College came
together for the casting of major productions,
continuing our on-going support for quality
performances in each school. The production
was highlighted by projected film created
and produced by Cohen Dix (12SG) and
Justin Barwick (12 He), evocative music, a
multi levelled set and powerful performances,
including professional actor/dancer Ian
Wilkes, who played the role of Blackman.
Cloudstreet is the nostalgic story of two
families, the Lambs and the Pickles, who
share a house at 1 Cloud Street, West
Leederville from 1943 – 1963. The story
tracks their trials and tribulations as they
learn to live, grow and change together
over a twenty year period, with each
individual wrestling with their own internal
weaknesses and trying to make sense of their
relationships with others. The characters are
all deeply flawed, but their flaws sit nestled
with their vulnerabilities and their genuine
attempts at making good, which make them
endearing characters. We forgive them,
perhaps identifying our own weaknesses.
Both families are confronted by a life
changing event which inevitably pushes them
together to share the house. The Lambs deal
with the drowning of their son Fish, and the
Pickles deal with Sam losing his fingers and
then gambling away a large inheritance.
Sam Pickles’ erroneous trust in ‘Lady Luck’
coupled with his compulsive gambling, loses
his uncle’s inheritance money and has to rent
out half the house at Cloud Street in order
to make ends meet. Threading through the
story is the Blackman, who has a connection
with Quick and Fish. He is the symbol of
spirituality and our relationship to nature and
our souls. The play depicts themes of love,
identity, spirituality, fate, belonging, family,
and change.
The rehearsal and development process was
intensive as we unpacked the 98 scenes,
with the Guildford Grammar School boys,
Perth College girls, and professional actor Ian
Wilkes, who brought to life the wonderful
story of the two families living side by side in
the old, dilapidated house of number
1 Cloud Street. It took many hours working
the characters, building the relationships
and manoeuvring around a multi levelled
set as well as dealing with the challenges
of a demanding script. I am indebted to
the consistent commitment the students
brought to this production, their ownership
of the characters, and rendering a life to
this literary work which is so quintessentially
West Australian. They have worked extremely
hard and deserve acknowledgement for their
outstanding efforts and immense talent.
I am also indebted to Damien Hanson,
professional lighting designer, whose
creative