"You must be cheerful and happy, animating all around you." Catherine McAuley

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

CONNOR BURNS – YEAR 12

Connor Burns starred as 'Wally', one of the lead characters in the MSM Pantomime Production of Hansel & Gretel alongside a number of other members of the St Joseph's College community.

 

Other college members included Mrs Melanie Saleta on costumes, Annabelle Munn in the ensemble, Aleisha Hoyle and Rose McAllister as backstage crew, Year 7 students Olivia Prescott and Ember Baylin as Cheryl and Russel Crow, and Mrs Emily Gigg as the Good Fairy Bluebell.

 

At the conclusion of the performance season, Connor was awarded the very prestigious accolade of 'The Dame', given to one cast member for their hard work, dedication, and growth throughout the Panto season. 

 

The winner of the award is appointed by a voting panel made up of the production's director, the president of MSM, and past Dame winners. It is an award that can only be won once in a lifetime and is considered extremely prestigious in the local theatre community. At the end of 2022, Connor was also joint winner of 'The Gong' with Mrs Mary Manfield, a teacher at St Joseph's College. 'The Gong' is the other award given by MSM to an outstanding actor during the season's musical production. By winning these awards, Connor is: 

  • the youngest ever person to receive 'The Dame' award.
  • the first person to receive both 'The Dame' and 'The Gong' in the same show season.

When awarded 'The Dame', Connor was, as always, extremely humble and grateful. This is an enormous achievement for someone so young and new to theatre.