DIRT (Drama In Rural Towns) is a theatre program for 8 to 16 year olds.  Classes are held in Kyogle  in northern New South Wales.

DIRT aims to ignite and nurture a passion for theatre and provide an opportunity for young actors to participate in a collaborative process while having fun and improving communication and team building skills.

The program year is from July to the following June and is two hours a week during school terms culminating in annual (June) productions which offer DIRT students the opportunity to showcase their skills, both on stage and through being a part of a production team.

Throughout the year, one or more workshops covering a variety of theatre topics may be held outside class hours.  These are facilitated by industry professionals.  Topics such as stage makeup, working with masks, sound, lighting and script writing are some of the workshops held in previous years.

New students need to apply as each class is limited to 20 participants.  New students are accepted only at the beginning of DIRT Terms 1 (commences in July) and 3 (commences in February) if spaces are available.

To apply, email dirt.vhp@gmail.com.  Application forms and full information will be sent to you by email.  Please bring completed forms to class on enrolment.

For additional information, email dirt.vhp@gmail.com or villagehallplayers@gmail.com.

2025 – 2026

Welcome to a DIRT Term 1 which kicked off on 23rd July 2025.  Miss Jasmine continues in the role of primary instructor. As the DIRT annual production didn’t take place in June as intended, the focus will continue to be getting our students ready for their annual production in October.

2024 – 2025

Welcome to a DIRT Term 3 which kicks off on 12th February 2025.  Miss Jasmine continues in the role of primary instructor as we said goodbye to Miss Lynette at the end of the previous Year.

The focus for Term 3 is getting our students ready for their annual production in June, while learning a lot of the basics of theatre and drama.  The focus will be on Physical Theatre with an introduction to Commedia dell’Arte. Term 4 will focus on Character Development and understanding character motivations while continuing rehearsals for the June production.

2023 – 2024

The theme for 2023 was Shared Stories and the students were taught a number of new skills, such as fencing/sword fighting for actors with Rex Forwood which they put to good use in their production of Alley Cat Manor by Jenny Strever in December 2023.

In December, we said goodbye to longterm DIRT singing teacher, Jenny Strever, and DIRT instructor, Rex Forwood.  They will be missed by students and Players alike.

2024 see us returning with a new theme, Cross-Cast Roles.  Jasmine Phillips, a professional singer and dancer, once again joins us as class instructor.

2022 – 2023

The theme for this year is Shared Stories and the students are learning a number of new skills, such as fencing/sword fighting for actors with Rex Forwood.

2021 – 2022

Exciting news for the Casino class. Sharon Forbes, who has been assisting with the class since the beginning of the year, will take over as DIRT Instructor from February 2022.  Sharon has an excellent drama background and is herself an actor, having most recently performed in as Jovanka in Lismore Theatre Company – Rochedale Theatre’s production of Neighbour Watch. The students love Sharon’s enthusiasm and drama knowledge and they have a lot of fun during classes.

Cinematographer, Rex Forwood, worked with the Kyogle class in 2021 teaching the students about film making.  The result is a short film, The Beans Movie, in which the students make up both the cast and crew.  This was a wonderful opportunity and learning experience for the students who had a lot of fun throughout the process.

2020 – 2021

The DIRT students from both classes will perform the teen roles in VHP’s production of the musical, Bye Bye Birdie, as their Annual Production.  This production is part of VHP’s 10th anniversary of both the company and the DIRT program.

Bye Bye Birdie will now be performed in March 2022. It was postponed due to COVID-19.

2019 – 2020

The DIRT annual combined classes production of Alice in Wonderland was due to be performed in June 2020. However, the performances were postponed until November 2020 due to COVID-19.

In the first semester of this year, DIRT students explored Shakespeare.  In December 2019, students did an in-class reading/performance of Pyramus & Thisbe, the play within the play of A Midsummer Night’s Eve and the courtroom scene from The Merchant of Venice.

2018 – 2019

Themed Speak Up, classes focused on helping students to overcome shyness, build confidence and find their creative voice.  Students learned communication skills through in-class monologues and scene work, and through the medium of singing, to help them to speak up for themselves and others and to speak for or against something.

The DIRT Annual Production, Treasure Island (a pantomime), was held in Casino and Kyogle in June.  Audiences gave standing ovations for the students’ excellent performances.

2017 – 2018

For its annual production, Fables and Folktales, the Kyogle and Casino classes once again combined together for a very successful production.

We acknowledge the Casino RSM Club as our sponsor in Casino and thank them for their support.

We thank Kyogle Council for its support over the past 7 years

Previous Years:

In 2017 CINDERELLA – the Pantomime was the annual production held in June for the combined Kyogle and Casino classes.  It was a huge success with audiences, students and parents.

Students also performed for a number of community programs:

• Fairymount Festival in Kyogle – Alley Cat Jungle by Jenny Strever;
• Emergency services forum in Grafton performing their self-written play; and
• Performing with the One Voice Richmond Valley Community Choir for its annual concert in Kyogle and Casino.

In 2016, students from the Kyogle class performed Shadow Boy by John Summons.  This is a full two act play that received a wonderful response from the audience.

Students also performed for a number of community programs:

• Emergency services forums in Casino performing their self-written play;
• Fairymount Festival in Kyogle – Broadway Babes and Bros, a selection of songs from Broadway musicals;
• Performing with the One Voice Richmond Valley Community Choir for its annual concert in Casino; and
• the combined Kyogle and Casino classes performed in the Kyogle National Youth Week Event held at Anzac Park, Kyogle in April.

In 2015

• Emergency services forum in Kyogle performing their self-written play

In 2014, students wrote and performed the script for the play, Science Fair Melt Down, for their annual production. In addition they assisted with lighting and sound, and backstage work.  Then they did it all again for the Perform Kyogle festival in September. Students also performed in Pesadillas by Jordon Coote, whose entry in the Under-18 Section of the VHP Playwrights competition won an honorable mention.

The annual production “Music & Monologues” in June 2015 saw the students each perform their self-chosen or self-written monologue, a short one act play and a musical number under the direction of Jess Davison (of the Ten Sopranos and local all female group, The Pimmadonnas).  Jess took the last 30 minutes of each class throughout the year to teach the children how to sing.

Other years have seen students learning about and working on all aspects of putting on a production, theatre poetry, creating original works in a series of comedy styles, including parody, farce, slapstick and black comedy and performing a Comedy Revue in 2012 which included Shakespeare’s play within a play, Pyramus & Thisbe.

The DIRT debut performance in November 2011 of the students’ improv piece, Unbreakable, directed by Joelle Foy, was outstanding.