By Jade Smith
Photographs courtesy of Yufan Chen
When I arrive a fashionable twenty-minutes late to the UHT Theatre Awards Night, the Arts & Cultural Building is abuzz. This is the first Awards Ceremony back in person since The Before Times (that is to say, since 2019. Thanks COVID!). With pre-event mingling in full swing, UniMelb’s theatre community are dutifully dolled up in their best interpretations of “Op Shop Glam.” The atmosphere is phenomenal—there’s a heady anticipation in the air, coupled with a cacophony of Hello! Haven’t seen you in ages! and How did your production end up going? I didn’t get a chance to see it! and OMG I absolutely love your outfit! The catering by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre goes down a treat—if the speed at which they disappeared is anything to go by, the tomato tarts were a particular crowd pleaser.
Once we file into Union House Theatre, the atmosphere feels ready to boil over. The audience is (unsurprisingly) enthusiastic and loud, and for that seem twice their size. The awards ceremony rushes by at break-neck speed, complete with phenomenal performances by Flare Dance Ensemble, Four Letter Word Theatre and UniMelb Law Revue. Despite being told several times to hold applause until the end of the nominee list, there’s innumerable times where the audience stubbornly refuse, breaking into a thunderous roar at the mention of a familiar name, show or theatre group.
I want to extend a huge thank you all those who stepped up to present awards, including representatives from external organisations and theatre companies, as well as UniMelb’s very own Student Theatre Peer Mentors, Dom and Sodi. Thank you to the UHT Team for their tireless work to not only put together events like this, but to keep the cogs of student theatre turning year-round. Connor, Clynton, Allan, Erin and Xanthe—we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you to the outgoing Creative Arts Office Bearers Marcie and Prerna, for helping to facilitate a brilliant first year back in it after a protracted absence from campus and student life, and best of luck to the incoming Creative Arts OBs on continuing the legacy.
And finally, congratulations to all the UHT Award nominees and winners. Congratulations to everyone who put on a show this year, who sat in the audience, and read a Dialog review. UniMelb student theatre is back, baby, and we’ll all be waiting with bated breath to see what magic this community brings forth in 2023.
Jade Smith (she/her) is an arts manager, theatre maker, and writer loyally based in the inner north of Naarm/Melbourne. As well as The Dialog, her reviews can be found at Prompt Side Melbourne.
The Dialog 