By Eleanor Wilson
Local theatre company Gemco Players Community Theatre is gearing up for its third major production of the year, as it presents West End classic Stepping Out by Richard Harris.
A 12-person strong cast will take to the stage at The Gem in Emerald from 8 to 23 September, bringing with them laughs, leotards and tap dancing talent.
Set in London, the story follows the lives of the members of an amateur tap class.
Mavis, a professional dancer who didn’t quite make it past the chorus line, now runs her own class in the local village hall for anyone in the area.
A mixed, and otherwise incompatible group of seven women and one man meet weekly for their tap-dancing class in a dingy London church hall.
Then the day comes when Mavis breaks the news to the group that they have been invited to perform in front of an audience for a big charity concert.
Each attending for their own reasons, Harris’ play is a wonderfully endearing tale of how determination, friendship and camaraderie can shape even the most bashful into proud performers.
The production is a personal favourite for director Annette O’Shea, who first donned her tap shoes and neon leg warmers 20 years ago, performing as lead dance teacher Mavis.
Ten years later she turned her focus off-stage, directing her first iteration of the show.
“Now I’m doing it again with Gemco…it’s one that is near and dear to my heart,” Ms O’Shea said.
“I love it, it’s an absolute classic.”
After 12 weeks in rehearsals, Ms O’Shea said the cast is ready for an audience to “bring the show to life”.
“It’s one of those shows where it’s a timeless piece…everybody loves the ’80s – we love the costumes, the bright colours and the music of the ’80s, so it’s one of those shows that audiences are really drawn to,” she said.
The production marks a successful showing season for the community theatre community, producing three major productions, two festivals and several junior productions, with an additional production planned before the year’s end.
“Gemco is a thriving theatre group in the Hills for sure,” Ms O’Shea said.
Gemco Players’ production of Stepping Out will show for three weekends at The Gem in Emerald, debuting on Friday 8 September.
For tickets, head to gemcoplayers.org/whatson/2023/stepping-out
