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St Catherine’s News Spring 2020
N U R T U R I N G TA L E N T I N T H E D R A M AT I C MORRIS GLEITZMAN STATES “There’s nothing more fearful for a young person than to see that an adult they trust and love just doesn’t want to talk about some aspects of life. Taboo topics in children’s literature shouldn’t be avoided, but rather understood.”
Adapted from the best-selling Morris Gleitzman novel, found on school syllabus nation-wide, this play deals humorously and sensitively with serious issues. Set in 1990 in New South Wales, 12-year-old Colin has a mission – to speak with the Queen about his brother Luke who is dying of leukaemia. Colin is shipped off to London to live with his Uncle Bob, Aunty Iris, and cousin Alistair. It is here that Colin heads out with his cousin to meet the Queen, find “the best doctor in the world” and find a cure for cancer. Along the way, Colin meets wonderful, crazy and caring characters. He assists a man whose partner is dying in hospital of AIDS, and learns the importance of being with loved ones in a crisis. I read Two Weeks with The Queen (TWWTQ) when I was 12-years-old, living in Ballarat. Reading about characters who were different to the norm allowed me to feel
a sense of acceptance within a somewhat sheltered community. As a young man, reading books and seeing plays, I largely remember not seeing someone like myself reflected on the stage. I recall thinking, “Where are the characters like me? Is there something wrong with me?” The answer is of course, no, but this lends itself to the importance of visual representation in the artistic landscape. Diversity is one of the elements which makes Australia the country it is, a marvellous melting pot of culture. We are not lessened by difference, but strengthened. When choosing the Year 7 and 8 production, it was clear to me that TWWTQ provided the opportunity to not only showcase the talent within the cohort, but also explore important themes. This will be the first time characters who identify as gay will be presented on stage at St Catherine’s School. It brings me great joy to present this diversity to the
