A lifetime's training as an actor and performer - having also grown up with parents that worked in theatre - combined with training in disabilities, has made Katoomba's Tracy Hardwick the perfect combination for looking after neuro-diverse students interested in performing.
Ms Hardwick, who moved to the Mountains six years ago, is presenting one performance on June 6 of "neuro-diverse and neuro typical" performers at St Hilda's Church in Katoomba at 3pm.
She was working as a professional actor and teaching at a a number of exclusive Eastern Suburbs private schools about a decade ago when she thought something was "missing" in her life.
That lead her to complete a Certificate IV in community studies and eventually marry the two professions to care for children on the spectrum who want to be on stage.
"It is a driving force to educate and inspire the disability support sector of the amazing benefits of these creative, expressive programmes for young and elder members on the spectrum," Ms Hardwick said.
When Ms Harwick first moved here, she also spent time working as a disability carer with Greystanes and found the experience cemented her abilities to communicate with those who were struggling to speak.
She works closely with a speech therapist to give all her students more chance to perform at their best - even helping one student find an agent and secure paid performance work. And the talented teacher is also in the process of trying to secure grants to give scholarships to needy students.
"It is a mission of our small unique theatre company to be an example of the positivity and healing that happens on and off stage."
"When we are all performing with a live audience we are all as 'one' There is no difference and it is a powerful experience for all concerned. A sense of seeing all our hard work come together on stage. "The smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd" as they say."
Their new term of drama and improvisation classes starts in July.
Showtime is on Sunday June 6 at 3pm at St Hilda's Church, 68 Katoomba street, Katoomba. Tickets are $35 with an early bird discount. Visit: https://tracyhardwickonline.com/tres-c-events/
Show runs for about 75 minutes and combine comedy sketches, dance, improvisation, monologues, and songs the audience will all know with music from the Wizard of Oz, Mama Mia and a contemporary version of Thinking of You by Lord Echo.
Some highlights include from the neuro-diverse cast includes Oscar Thomson showcasing his acting pieces, Ludo Blakemore performing monologues and poetry, Amy Grieve who loves to dance and recites a poem, Jaydin Cole who is akeen dancer and actor, Tara Evans Mostafa performing her acting talents and funny poetry. All are part of the group cast songs. Add the extraordinary talents of the adult acting cast members who perform funny poems, monologues, Rowan Atkinson comedy sketches and some on the spot improvisation games. Guaranteed to have the audience laughing in the aisles!
Cast members are: Tibby Mckenzie, Maizy Coombes, Jed walker, Leona Wellington,Tristram Haley, Ashlee Hong, Airlie Riddle, Tracy Hardwick, Stephen McDonald and also cast members from Orange and Sydney: Nik Bojanac, Kasey Summerfield, Andreas Kuegler and Euan Wright Veale.
The Showtime event is a fundraiser for the children of Lautoka Fiji. The company sends boxes of reading books to their school library and also collects good working order smartphones from the community to send to this small island.