IT’S that difficult age, 13.
You’re still working out who you are, and how to navigate approaching adulthood.
It’s also the name of Starmaker Theatre Company’s bounce-back post Covid show.
It was performed recently at the Alan Cornish Theatre, Woodley, and it was exhilarating.
The average age of the cast of 13 The Musical is nearly 14.
That being the case, audiences might have expected something perhaps a little youthful and tentative from them.
Instead, the performances given by these young artists were remarkably mature and skilful.
From the minute the show began, the cast brought bags of youthful energy and joy onto the stage.
There were some great voices among them, and an impressive range of stage skills on display, including dance, cheerleading, and en pointe ballet.
Great music was provided throughout by a five piece band in the gallery.
They accompanied the story, which is almost entirely sung.
It concerns Evan, (Oliver Widdis) a young American Jewish boy about to hold his Bar Mitzvah in New York.
Celebrations are marred when, following his parents divorce, he and his mother move to Louisiana.
Who should he invite to his party now?
Geeky misfits Patrice (Rita Santana) and Archie (Max Davison) who have befriended him, or the cool gang whose approval he seeks?
Hip leader Brett (Oliver Milligan), popular girl Kendra (Ami-Jane Jackson) and jealous Lucy (Florence Wood-Blagrove) make things difficult for Evan as he tries to achieve popularity.
It takes him a while to work out what the mature, and really cool thing to do is, but find maturity he does.
And this is exactly what the cast of 13 have done.
They have dealt superbly with the show’s themes of insecurity, broken friendships, and loneliness.
Plenty of young people could have found exploring these real-life teen issues embarrassing or disturbing.
But these emerging adults faced them head on, and performed with enormous confidence and humour beyond their years.
With great comic timing, and buckets of confidence, they fully engaged with their audience.
There were some very fine individual performances, it must be said.
But this show stands out as an ensemble production.
Intelligently and warmly directed, it is evident that 13 has been a vehicle for the forging of real friendships among the cast.
And every member of the group has been encouraged to shine.
Starmaker’s next show is Cry-Baby, in October.
Young people aged 12 to 21 can audition to take part, at South Lake Primary School, Woodley on Sunday, April 30 between 10.30am and 4pm.
Free pre audition workshops at the same location are on Wednesdays, April 19 and 26, and on Friday, April 28, all at 7.30pm to 10pm.
There’s no need to book, but applications to the open audition must be made by Friday, April 28.
To find out more, and to audition, visit: www.starmaker.org.uk
