FOLLOWING in the footsteps of Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger isn’t an easy task, but one Dubbo student has taken up the challenge with great success.
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Tom Roberts is considering a future in acting and his recent success at the City of Dubbo Eisteddfod is only fuelling those dreams.
The Year 10 Dubbo College South Campus school captain cleverly took the audience at this year’s eisteddfod on a journey into the dark world of the Joker, a popular but villainous character in the Batman series.
The Joker is a complex character and one whose traits can be difficult to portray, however Tom’s exhibition during the eisteddfod shows he has a bright future.
Holding his audience spellbound, Tom’s monologue achieved a mark of 94 out of 100 – the highest score awarded in the speech and drama section of the eisteddfod.
For his brilliant performance Tom was awarded the Duncan Family Perpetual Trophy for the Highest Mark in All Speech and Drama Classes.
The 16-year-old has been involved in amateur productions since the age of six, with his mother Jackie Roberts a regular with DATS.
He has also been involved in numerous Dubbo College drama productions during his four years of attendance at the school.
Tom said he chose the Joker monologue about four weeks out from the Dubbo Eisteddfod, inspired by the work of Ledger.
“I wanted to perform something that would really make people think, so this solo character sketch really fitted the bill,” Tom said.
“It was about justice and revenge and what it takes to turn people from one persona to the next.
“The Joker is a really deep and interesting character and I had the opportunity to play him for about three minutes on stage. It was an amazing experience.”
As a result of his performance Tom has been invited to take part in this weekend’s City of Dubbo Eisteddfod Grant Concert, another challenge he is excited about.
The Grand Concert will take place at the DRTCC this Saturday at 3pm, showcasing a selection of the talent from the 46th City of Dubbo Eisteddfod.