MANDURAH was home to Munchkinland on the weekend, with Mandurah Catholic College (MCC) using the fantasy land as a metaphor in their winning Youth on Health Festival piece.
Relying on costumes and sets to portray The Wizard of Oz-inspired drama piece, drama teacher Emma Merritt said Behind Close Doors was more than just about depicting a rehashed version of The Wizard of Oz.
“One thing which we wanted to get across was Munchkinland was 'every community',” she said.
“It’s not just Mandurah and we didn’t want to settle on one part of Mandurah.”
Behind Close Doors used the original film’s beloved characters to discuss issues in society which students said were usually ignored.
With the Tinman representing substance abuse, the Scarecrow depression and the Lion a hostile family environments, Dorothy realised the community of Munchkinland wasn’t as perfect as it seemed and asked the wizard to help.
The performance was just one of many YOH Fest entries the school has put forward, with MCC being quite invested in the event.
“We were runner-up last year with the year 12s who have just left," Ms Merritt said.
“It’s grown a part of the community and it’s really helped shape and grow the arts and drama department.
“I’m really proud of these students.
“If you know anyone who is involved with drama, you’ll know how much effort goes into it; if not then you don’t see the hours of dedication in all aspects not just in the class.
“And they have a great team mentality and they’re all there for each other.”
Delivered by Community Solutions and its festival partners Act Belong Commit and Healthway, the annual arts event requires high school students to get together to construct and perform their own dance sequence, drama play or visual art piece on a relevant youth health theme.
YOH Fest chief executive Rhys Williams said the quality of performances blew everyone away.
“It really was the best we've seen in the project’s 17-year history, and is a testament to the commitment and dedication of Western A's young people and their teachers,” he said.
“We are grateful to the Mandurah community and our partners in the area for their ongoing support, and were thrilled to see a local school take out first place in this year’s drama category.
“YOH Fest has a reputation nationally as one of the leading vehicles for promoting important health messages to young people.
“It gives participants the opportunity to share their stories in relation to the issues that are having an impact on their everyday lives with each other, their parents and their community, and it’s a privilege to be able to provide this opportunity to build a healthier community.”