Mandurah actress takes improvisation further

Most actors equip themselves with the necessary tools when they prepare to walk onstage to perform.

They get into character, they slip into their costume and they go over their lines in the script, but Mandurah-born actress Jessica Messenger will be without that last vital tool when she steps onstage as part of The Locker Room at the Hollywood Subiaco Bowling Club this June.

Messenger is a former Frederick Irwin Anglican School student who has been following her dreams working in the Perth theatre industry since 2005.

She joins five other actors, three musicians and one director in the scriptless, improvised production where one character takes centre stage each night and is asked to clean out their locker, starting them on their journey into the unknown.

Messenger said the improvised production was different from other forms of theatre and could be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences.

‘‘Other than knowing our characters and the format, we’re just thrown onstage in any scenario and anything can happen,’’ she said.

‘‘One of the things about improvised theatre is its particularly fun for audiences to watch. They get to see that adventure and excitement and slight hint of terror in the actors eyes.

‘‘Because it’s completely improvised I think the stories that come out tend to be stories that people can really relate to.

‘‘It tends to be theatre for everyone rather than just theatre for artsy-fartsy people.’’

The Locker Room will be presented with cabaret-style seating at the Hollywood Subiaco Bowling Club in Nedlands from June 14 to 16.