Community & Business
9 June, 2026
Getting a kick out of Footloose!
On Friday and Saturday, Pittsworth State High School (PSHS) delighted audiences with three high energy performances of Footloose: The Musical!
The school sold a total of 459 tickets across the two evening performances and matinee.
Students had been rehearsing twice a week for the last two terms to prepare for the show.
The story of Footloose: The Musical! unfolded with male protagonist Ren McCormack, who had moved from the bustling city of Chicago to small town Bomont, with his mother Ethel, only to discover (much to his dismay) that dancing was forbidden.
In response, Ren, his newfound friend Willard, and the reverend’s wilful daughter Ariel, worked together to overturn the ban and give the young people back their freedom.
The standout performance was that of Ashford McEwan, who was in many ways our very own teenage Kevin Bacon (the headliner of the 1986 Footloose film).
Ashford played Ren, a spirited teen, who at nearly every turn, found himself butting heads with those in authority.
Quirky sarcasm dripped from nearly every word, and it didn’t take long for Ren to be labelled a troublemaker in Bomont.
Ashford’s singing was exceptional, with an impressive vocal range and clear diction.
In one memorable scene, Ren worked as a waiter in a diner, and part of his uniform included roller skates.
What was most impressive, was that Ashford, who was already a very capable roller skater, had to pretend to be an amateur - now that’s acting for you!
The female protagonist Ariel was played by Tzeitel Olanday, who demonstrated undeniable star quality, and a confidence that would make her a standout performer in any talent show.
Tzeitel’s character walked a fine line as she struggled to balance her role as the preacher’s daughter with her desire to be a carefree teenager.
Ariel had three ‘ride-or-die’ best friends: Rusty played by Lacey McCarthy, Urleen played by Tamika Macdonald and Wendy Jo played by Sofia Thornber.
It was Rusty’s excitable and energetic presence on stage that produced much laughter.
They formed your typical school girl clique, spending endless hours wondering if the boy they liked returned their affections, was playing hard to get, or had no clue they even existed.
“If only I could find a guy, who’d make the first move,” Rusty said.
“If only I could find a guy, who when he went to kiss me goodnight, he’d take the toothpick out of his mouth...” Urleen said.
Talk about girl problems.
Tzeitel’s passionate rendition of the classic ’80s hit Holding Out For A Hero was so convincing that many unmarried ladies in the audience (no doubt including musical director Miss Lawrence) found themselves wondering what had become of all the eligible heroes of modern society.
Lachlan Summers played Willard, Ren’s new friend in Bomont.
Dressed in your typical ‘country bumpkin’ outfit of overalls, plaid shirt, cowboy boots and hat, while idly chewing a piece of straw, Willard was an open book, never pretending to be anything other than himself.
When it was revealed that he could not dance, everyone was shocked and explained that learning to dance was as vital as learning to swim.
To which Willard replied, “I can’t swim”.
Rafe Santsingh played a very convincing Reverend Moore, who was largely the instigator and enforcer of the no dancing rule.
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Blinded by his own piety and consumed by grief over the loss of his son, Reverend Moore struggled to build meaningful relationships with both his daughter and his wife, too often preaching to his family outside the pulpit.
Rafe’s baritone added a depth to the ensemble which was most enjoyable.
Chuck Cranston, played by Gracie Lightfoot, was a wild card thrown into the mix of characters.
Chuck was Ariel’s hot tempered, drug dealer, high school dropout, and extremely toxic boyfriend.
Most of Chuck’s moments on stage were softened with comedic acts to lighten the mood, and somewhat distract from the deeper emotions that lay beneath his exterior - jealously, fear and the need for control.
It was Gracie’s curly-haired wig and drawn on beard that added to Chuck’s comedic act.
The musical began and ended with the hit song Footloose, which was easy to hum along to.
The backdrops were beautifully created, especially the church scenes where pink light seemed to glow on the set of a painted stained glass window.
Other performances from Emilie Peck as Vi Moore, Tamika Macdonald as Ethel, Era Tecson as Cowboy Bob, and Mitchell Fletcher as Coach Dunbar (who never said a word if it wasn’t through his megaphone) all contributed to the overall success of the performance.
The students must be congratulated on their American accents, while some had a little more “twang” than others (like Uncle Wes played by Corinne Clapham).
Supporting acts from Shantelle Wailan as Eleanor Dunbar, Lucy Peters as Principal Clark, Amy Behrendorff as Lulu, Freya Santsingh as Betty Blast and Gracie Larkham as Cop, rounded out the main cast.
The musical explored themes of freedom, love, grief, courage and conviction, while touching on the darker genres of domestic violence and toxic masculinity.
It was another standout performance by PSHS, building on the success of their acclaimed 2024 production of Grease! The Musical.
The ensemble of Footloose: The Musical! comprised: Ariah Cavendish, Addison Clapham, Zoe-Lee Greenwood, Katara Kerr, Scarlett Ludwig, Ariana Salgado, Romily Santsingh and Chelsea Spies.
The crew included: Tala Arthurs, Serena Banham, Ariah Cavendish, Alexander Greenwood, Heidi Kronk, Blake Munoz, Joann Marie Olanday, Angus Pollock, Samuel Steger, Enzo Stevens, Noah Tappenden, Gwyneth Turnos, Shantelle Wailan and Thomas Vagg.
Assistant Director was Ari Salgado.
