Students from 48 schools across the North Coast have taken centre stage at Murwillumbah High School on Bundjalung land for the first regional staging of Mary Poppins JR.

The production, which ran from 24 to 27 August, is part of the NSW Department of Education’s Arts Unit Combined Schools Musical program and provided almost 600 students from the Coffs Coast to the NSW border with an opportunity typically only found in larger metropolitan centres.

Leading the cast as Mary Poppins was 15-year-old Nambucca Heads High School student, Violette Hyland, an accomplished young vocalist and musical theatre performer whose credits already include performances at the Sydney Opera House, the Compass Music Festival and, earlier this year, a live appearance on Channel Seven’s Sunrise.

Violette is a strong believer in the importance of giving students within regional hubs the opportunity to access programs such as the Combined Schools Musical Program.

“Where I live, the closest place to do musical theatre is an hour away, so to do something like this is such a great opportunity,” she said.

“Being involved in this musical has helped me to connect with likeminded, musical theatre people.

“Singing as Mary Poppins is also a very different style of music to what I usually sing, so it’s been great to be a part of this experience and learn a new skill.”

The musical has been designed to give as many talented students as possible the opportunity to showcase their skills.

The roles of Michael and Jane Banks was shared across four students with Luca McLean from Narranga Public School and Sonny Campbell from Wyrallah Road Public School starring as Michael Banks and Sophie McGregor from Pottsville Beach Public School and Violet Knight from Evans River K-12 Community School featuring in the role of Jane Banks.

The Arts Unit North Coast coordinator, Sarah Armour, said some schools had been preparing and rehearsing since February, with ensemble rehearsals in full swing since the end of Term 2.

“This is the first time the production has been performed regionally through the Combined Schools Musical program with almost 600 students from 48 North Coast schools to hit the stage over the show’s four nights,” Ms Armour said.

“The program is about providing opportunities for students closer to home that they otherwise would not be able to access.

“Some of the schools involved are quite small, so they don’t have the ability to put on a large production like this independently.

“Mary Poppins Jnr is a really special opportunity for the students to be up on the stage in front of any audience who is there to support them, which has been really well received.

“The show has been a truly supercalifragilisticexpialidocious one.”