Murdoch Students Raise Money for Stress-Relief Performance

By Sophie Braham A group of education and theatre students at Murdoch University are raising money to fund an interactive, community performance that’s designed to relieve stress. The self-devised piece is set to transform the Murdoch University Drama Workshop into ‘The Toyerific Escape’- an imaginary toy store in which the actors encourage audience members to participate in activities that will help them relax and have fun. Actor Jade Galambosi, who will be playing Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, hopes the experience will help audience members recapture their youth. “The idea was to aim it at people who’re stressed or need some fun in their life,” she says. Guiding the audience through the experience is actor Charlotte Westrip as a music box ballerina, who described the show as 45 minutes of ‘letting go’. “All of the actors play toys in a toy shop, and they all have their own reason for wanting to escape. The interactive experience is getting through the shop while dealing with obstacles and setbacks… The activities are designed to be fun,” says Miss Westrip. With no budget at all for the show, the students held an old-fashioned bake sale on campus with the profits going towards set, costumes and props. “We made the baked goods out of our own pocket… we are doing all this totally unfunded,” said Miss Westrip. “We decided it would be a really effective way of raising money. Because of what it (the show) is, we didn’t really want to sell tickets… We didn’t want to make people pay to have fun,” said Miss Galambosi. “We’re so excited for the finished product,” says Miss Westrip. The show will take place on the 15^th of October in the Murdoch University Drama Workshop, with three performances at 2, 3 and 4pm.