Students in the middle and senior years have thrown themselves into the dramatic performance of their young lives.

Fresh and invigorated from treading the boards at the Hopgood Theatre over five performances (4-6 May), more than 140 cast and crew members have celebrated the end of their brief but unforgettable season run of Big Fish the musical.

Big Fish was not a typical school production: its themes were subtle and complex and the story was told through a series of interconnected vignettes, full of magic realism.

Based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace – and later adapted as fantasy-comedy-drama film by Tim Burton and then a stage musical – Big Fish invited the audience to traverse the worlds of fantasy and reality, embarking on a truly fantastic journey that may (or may not) have included a witch and a mermaid.

“Big Fish was the most daring musical that the college has performed to date,” said our Arts Learning Leader, Eliza Player.

“It stretched our student actors and showed them that there was more than one way to see and experience the world.

“We believe the musical was able to be enjoyed on several levels – as a whimsical and hilarious fable, or as a moving tale of deep familial love.

“Big Fish was an amazing challenge for our young cast and ended up delivering an incredible entertainment experience for our audience.”

At its heart, Big Fish was a story about the reconciliation between a father and a son. It told the tale of a travelling salesman – Edward Bloom – who loved to tell fantastical tales of mythical creatures and epic events to explain the world to his young son, Will.

As Will grew, Edward’s stories started to seem preposterous: Will found it hard to relate to his father because his tall tales got in the way of developing an authentic relationship based on truth. 

Afterall, giants and werewolves simply aren’t real… are they?

Tatachilla’s charismatic student cast delved into the meaning of truth, ambition, immortality, love and redemption. It was an ambitious and inspired quest, and one that will no doubt stay with them long into adulthood.

Year 11 student Harry, who played the lead role of Edward, said that Big Fish was a highlight of his penultimate year at Tatachilla.

“Big Fish had something of everything in it: humour, sorrow, regret, grief, playfulness, companionship, joy.

“I loved that we got to tell a really human story by drawing on myth and magic.

“As a cast, I think we grew as people and learned to trust each other and found the courage to express ourselves creatively.

“Playing a character gave us all the scope to see the world through fresh eyes and have an enormous amount of fun.

“I think a little bit of Edward Bloom – and his stories – will stay with me forever.

“I’m really glad that so many people came to see Big Fish – sometimes more than once – because its themes were really important. 

“One of the most important messages that my character got to convey was the importance of being the hero of your own life.”

Ms Player said that Big Fish highlighted the role of storytelling in connecting with future generations because stories – unlike humans – could live forever.

“This musical was also a wonderful opportunity for all members of our college community to experience one of the major highlights of Tatachilla’s performing arts program and see firsthand what was involved in putting on a show of such scope and scale,” she said.

“We know that fish only grow as large as the pond they’re in. And that is also true of our children. That’s why we gave them the world of Big Fish, to stretch their stage legs and discover the performer – and the storyteller – within.”

What the critics said:

“This was such an amazing show and a credit to all involved. The musical numbers were so spectacular, it’s hard to believe the stars are high school students. I took my teenage daughter who said she wished her school put on musicals like this because she’d love to be involved.”

“A must-see.”

"We went back and saw it twice!"

“Not a show I would expect a school to do, but kudos to Tatachilla for not being afraid to tackle the big issues in life. The cast was amazing. Congratulations to the entire team, every aspect was done so well.”

"Brilliant show."

“Just trying to compose myself after ugly crying through the last ten minutes of the show. This was SPECTACULAR! A big standing ovation to everyone involved, but most of all to all of you superstars on stage. Congratulations!” 

“We were so impressed! It was amazing!”

“This show exceeded all expectations and some scenes even brought us to tears. There is remarkable talent at Tatachilla. My daughter said it was the best musical she had ever seen (better than Frozen!!) and immediately wanted to see it again. Bravo to the cast, the stage crew and the performing arts team for reminding us what magic looks like and for shining a bright light on our beautiful school.”

"Loved every minute." 

“Breathtaking. This is the best musical I have ever seen and should be at the Festival Theatre. I need to go back and see it again with my six-year-old daughter as I know she will be inspired into the Arts even further. It's events like this that make Tatachilla great.”

“I have to say that there are a number of lead role characters who look like they have very bright futures ahead of them. It was also truly lovely to see so many past junior school students up there on stage performing their hearts out. I enjoyed every minute.”

“Congratulations on choosing this uplifting musical which the cast portrayed brilliantly. Laughter, tears and so inspiring that I went to see it twice! The musicians and the stage crew did a seamless job. To all the students involved, great teamwork and thank you for all your hard work.”