By Parker McKenzie
The organiser of a talent show in The Basin hopes the success of the event inspires other communities to host their own and celebrate the talent within the local community.
At The Basin Talent Show on Sunday 12 March, fourteen performers wowed around 75 people at The Basin Theatre.
Organiser Lynette Hayhurst said the feedback from those in attendance was “palpable.”
“The audience didn’t just applaud, you could hear the joy in their cheering,” she said.
“They were ecstatic and loved every performer, it was just wonderful.”
MC’d by Kathy Woolard from Radio Eastern 98.1 — called in on late notice after ABC presenter Jacinta Parsons was forced to pull out due to travel issues — and supported by local businesses, the free event moved all 120 tickets available.
Mr Hayhurst said the show wasn’t a competition; it was a celebration of local talent.
“We had a nine-year-old classical guitarist and his sister, a twelve-year-old harpist who had never performed in a public forum outside their school grounds before,” she said.
“We had veteran performers like Kathie Kenyon who has decades of on-stage experience performing and directing and poet John McKelvie, who had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands.”
The event was sponsored by The Acorn Bar and Restaurant, The Oak Tree Tavern, The Basin Bakery, The Basin Pantry and Croydon Dan Murphy’s.
Mr Hayhurst said she even had the opportunity to perform on stage herself.
“We were given an 1880 original Penny Fargo by Pat and George Hetrel to put on the stage for that particular act,” she said.
“I want more communities to do this sort of thing, it went back to the variety days of the 1950s and 60ss because it was a really family-oriented event.”
Other performers on the afternoon included the Soopa Doopa Bush band and singer-songwriters Rainie Zenith and Abbie CW.
