By Luke Voogt
Few industries have suffered as much as performing arts during COVID-19, with the pandemic decimating gigs worldwide.
But theatre veteran of 50 years Debbie Fraser turned to yesteryear last June to keep GSODA’s junior players connected and doing what they love with a radio play.
Ms Fraser recently won the Geelong Women in Community Life Award for Leadership in Times of Crisis.
“It was the last thing that I expected looking at all the other wonderful people in that category,” she said.
The long-time Newtown local, who recently moved to Point Lonsdale, has volunteered for GSODA for 50 years, joining as a junior player at age 10 when her family moved from Ballarat.
“The year that I left the junior players, I stayed on and helped in the production committee, and I’ve just never gone away,” she laughed.
Half a century on, she obtained permission from copyright holders to stage a radio play of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe during the height of the pandemic.
The play featured more than 200 sound effects like footsteps in the snow, wolves howling and doors opening and closing, and voiceovers from professional actor Ian Rooney.
“We’ve never done anything like it,” Ms Fraser said.
With some of GSODA’s 12-to-17-year-old junior players dealing with mental health issues amid COVID-19, the group had “a real need to keep those kids connected”, according to Ms Fraser.
“That was one of our main concerns, to give them a purpose and keep them engaged,” she said.
“The kids had a ball – it was something completely different. We just hope that we don’t have another 2020!”
Robyn Davis, Kaz McGlynn, Kylie Clarke and Kiralee Hogema were the other four category winners at the awards.
