WHAT happens to people when things are forbidden?

Exploring the old adage “curiosity killed the cat”, it’s a theme explored by students from The Actors’ Hub in A Little Rain Must Fall this February.

The 50-minute FRINGE WORLD show uses clowning, physical theatre and mask work to follow housemaid Daisy and what happens when she opens a mysterious box.

Inside is a colourful world teeming with life, wonder, storytelling and magic – but she soon realises it’s both loving and stifling, noisy and quiet, peaceful and frenzied – and the inhabitants warn her of the dangers if she opens the box again.

But Daisy’s new-found addiction to what she knows is inside the box keeps drawing her back, again and again.

The Actors’ Hub director Amanda Crewes said A Little Rain Must Fall originally started with students discussing themes, images and ideas they wanted to see explored on stage.

“We looked at the power of storytelling through physicality and explored the magical world of mask work in performance,” she said.

“These areas of exploration informed our performance choices and the work grew out of improvised scenes that explored the themes ‘life ain’t that hard’ and ‘everything happens for a reason’.

“With a focus on narrative, character and storytelling, physical theatre is performance where the primary means of expression is physical rather than textual.

“Physical theatre is often augmented by musical elements and A Little Rain Must Fall is scored throughout by the amazing talents of emerging musician Tim Newhouse.”

After graduating from the WA Academy of Performing Arts in 1998, Crewes went on to work professionally with Effie Crump, Class Act, Handzon, Agelink, Kompany M, Melbourne’s Playbox and Barking Gecko Theatres, Dirty Dicks Theatre Restaurant and the Perth Theatre Company.

She has performed with several professional independent theatre groups in shows such as Italian American Reconciliation, Wolfe Lullaby and Conundrum, which earned her an Equity Guild Award nomination for best supporting actress.

Crewes set up The Actors’ Hub in 2012 to provide a serious focus for those wanting to learn more about the acting profession.

Similar to Sydney’s Actors Centre and Melbourne’s 16th Street, it’s a true hub where people can focus on the craft of acting, working with industry professionals as much as possible.

With A Little Rain Must Fall, Crewes said the structure of the show evolved around stories and the art of storytelling, both verbally and physically.

“The dialogue is the storytelling but the characters’ physicality tells of the dark world that lies beneath the façade of the story, reflecting on the many masks we wear in our day-to-day lives,” she said.

“The show is a fun, exciting and energetic exploration of the universal themes of curiosity and private lives.”

A Little Rain Must Fall plays at 5.15pm, February 20, 21 and 22 at The Stables. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 children (12 and under) and $40 for a family – book at http://www.fringeworld.com.au/program/event/b385c87f-13db-4241-af54-55de298840c6/

The Stables is in the Perth Cultural Centre, located between the Perth city train station and Northbridge’s entertainment hub, bounded by Roe, Beaufort, Francis and William Streets.

FRINGE WORLD Festival 2015 will be held from January 23 to February 22.