Seven emerging Gympie performers will share the stage with five professional actors this November when Perseverance Street Theatre Company (PSTC) hosts The Assignment, a hilarious and nostalgic coming-of-age comedy by acclaimed North Queensland playwright and director Terri Brabon.
Set in 1989, The Assignment transports audiences back to a world of Young Talent Time, Take 40 Australia, high-fringed hair and the all-consuming dramas of being a teenager in a small regional town.
Jamie Kelly is living her idyllic teenage existence until she is accused of cheating on a school assignment and discovers that sometimes life has other plans for your dreams.
Following its successful 2025 world premiere with Townsville’s TheatreiNQ, The Assignment is now touring regional Queensland, bringing five professional actors from the original production together with emerging performers from each host community.
The Gympie season features original cast members Emma Smith, Hunter Sams, Ava Saldana Lopez, Faith Taylor and Aiva Tyrie, alongside an exciting local chorus of Ella Shepherd, Caleb Denman, Tyler Large, Eloise Stevenson, Clara Mansfield, Eden Levey and Riley Hotham.
For PSTC Artistic Director Dr Sharon Hogan, the production represents an important investment in the future of regional performing arts.
“Regional Queensland has extraordinary creative talent, but too often young performers feel they need to move to a major city to pursue their ambitions.
Productions like The Assignment demonstrate what is possible when regional theatre companies collaborate, share their expertise and invest in emerging artists,” Dr Hogan said.
“For our seven local performers, the opportunity to work alongside an established professional cast is invaluable. It’s about more than one production — it’s about building confidence, developing professional skills and creating pathways for the next generation of regional theatre makers.
The Assignment is touring through the Driving and Activating the Regional Theatre Sector (DARTS) initiative, led by JUTE Theatre Company. The three-year, artist-led program brings together more than 50 regional Queensland theatre makers to strengthen the sector through professional development, creative collaboration, new productions and interregional touring.
The initiative is building stronger connections between regional theatre companies, increasing employment opportunities and supporting the development of a sustainable professional theatre sector across Queensland.
The Assignment received an enthusiastic response during its Townsville premiere, with ArtsHub describing it as “pure delight”, praising Brabon’s recognisable characters, comic timing and the infectious performances of its young cast.
Now it’s Gympie’s turn.
Blending sharp humour, 1980s nostalgia and the wonderfully complicated business of growing up, The Assignment promises an entertaining theatre experience for audiences across generations.
More importantly, it offers the Gympie community an opportunity to support emerging local performers as they take their place alongside established professionals on stage.
Come for the nostalgia. Stay for the talent. And leave knowing that the future of regional theatre is already taking centre stage in Gympie.
You can secure your tickets through Humanitix.
This production is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
The Assignment By Terri Brabon
Produced by TheatreiNQ
Hosted in Gympie by Perseverance Street Theatre Company
Saturday 14 November 2026 – 7.00pm Opening Night
Sunday 15 November 2026 – 3.00pm Matinee
Monday 16 November 2026 – 7.00pm Closing Night
Tickets: $28
Suitable for: Ages 13+
Content advice: Strong language and adult themes — and some seriously high fringes!
Venue: Barter Street Studios, 24 Barter Street, Gympie
Bookings: https://events.
