A NOSTALGIC and vivid look at growing up in an Australian rural setting is the latest offering from The Actors’ Hub this month.

Directed by Amanda Crewes at the Subiaco Arts Centre, Stories From Suburban Road is based on Tom Hungerford’s autobiography of the same name and adapted for stage by the late Perth-based director Alan Becher.

Hungerford’s seven short stories, set between two world wars, have been rendered with intense energy and colour as they trace the journey of a young boy from adolescence to adulthood.

“But, even more than that, it’s is like watching the magic of our own childhood on stage,” Crewes said.

“Becher, through Hungerford’s writing, manages to capture the absolute beauty of growing up in Australia for any age.

“I read the play a number of years ago and it really stayed with me – for me, it really captures what it’s like growing up in Western Australia.

“And what a cherished childhood we all have growing up here in this beautiful country. It’s almost as if the weather and the land guide us as much as our own parents do. 

“It’s such a fun play that takes you to the most magical land – but the beautiful thing is the land is real.

“You walk outside the theatre afterwards and you are greeted by an old friend, the possibilities of Perth, and you remember.” 

After graduating from the WA Academy of Performing Arts in 1998, Crewes went on to work professionally with Handzon, Kompany M, Melbourne’s Playbox and Barking Gecko Theatres and the Perth Theatre Company, as well as several professional independent theatre groups in shows such as Italian American Reconciliation, Wolf Lullaby and Conundrum.

With more than 20 years’ experience teaching and directing, she set up The Actors’ Hub in 2012 to provide a serious focus for those wanting to learn more about the acting profession.

“I am passionate about the performing arts and helping people achieve their dreams and potential within the industry,” she said.

“The Actors’ Hub introduces aspiring performers to industry professionals and teaches vital skills, so they can dream, dare and do.”

With Stories From Suburban Road, Crewes said the main challenge was getting the vastness of it all on stage.

“Childhood for me was so physical and so sensorial – nothing was impossible,” she said. “The difficulty is getting all those endless possibilities into the show.

“We really want the audience to come and see their own childhood stories and what it was really like for them growing up, no matter what their age. 

“That’s the magic that lies both in the book and stage adaptation: we really want to bottle what it means to be Australian, with the possibilities that lay before us, growing up in Perth.”

Stories From Suburban Road plays at 7.30pm October 29, 30 and 31. Tickets are $25.49, $20.39 concession – book at http://premier.ticketek.com.au/Shows/Show.aspx?sh=STORIES15 or call 1300 792 012.

The Subiaco Arts Centre is at 180 Hamersley Road, Subiaco.