Theatre in Paradise Delights Audiences in 2025 Festival

The Norfolk Amateur Theatrical Society (NATS) is celebrating another resounding success following the 2025 Theatre in Paradise Festival, held over two nights from 9–10 July at the Ferny Lane Theatre. This year’s festival featured a dynamic lineup of five plays - four local productions and one visiting entry - offering audiences two nights of diverse, high-quality performances. From light-hearted comedy to thought-provoking drama, the festival once again showcased the depth of talent both on and off the island.

Festival Highlights
Opening night on Wednesday, 9 July saw three performances take to the stage:

• Escape-ism by NATS
• Before the Spotlight by Abby & Layla
• Not My Cup of Tea by NATS

The second evening, Thursday, 10 July, featured:

• Women @ The Cross by In Faith We Act
• Chook Chook by visiting group Front Row Theatre from Queensland

The visiting adjudicator, Aaron Evans, had the unenviable task of judging the plays. With the high calibre of this year’s performances, his decision-making was anything but easy.

Awards and Appreciation
The Presentation Dinner was held on Friday, 11 July, where winners were announced and awarded fabulous prizes. Full results are available on the NATS Facebook page.

NATS expressed deep gratitude to the many sponsors who made this event possible, especially Major Sponsor Agnes Hain and The Bounty Centre. A wide range of generous local and off-island businesses supported the festival, demonstrating the strong community spirit behind the event.

Aloha Apartments, Yvonne Nobbs, Norfolk Island Gas Centre, Norfolk Island Rent-A-Car, Reckitt Benckiser, Norfolk Island Health Collective, The Last Honeymoon by Paulo Garnsey, Norfolk Insurance Office, Fonterra/Mainland Special Reserve Cheeses, Pinetree Tours, Baunti Tours, Wave Hospitality – the N.I. Travel Centre, Front Row Theatre, Central Service Station, Christian Bailey Agencies, Kiernan Agencies, Norfolk Island Supermarket, Norfolk Island Liquorbond, Norfolk Island Real Estate, Pete’s Place, The Trading Post Newsagency, World Traders, Insprint Publishing, Jayleigh Kemp, 2 Drips Water.

A Community Effort
The festival was made possible through the work of NATS president Monica Anderson, the NATS committee, and a dedicated crew of volunteers. Special thanks go to Stage Manager Dinty Wilson and her backstage crew, lighting and sound technician Russell Jensen, MC Rebekah Gupte, photographer Peter Hughson, and the many others who gave their time to support the production - onstage, backstage, and front of house.

As NATS reflected on another successful season, they issued a heartfelt thanks to their audiences: “Without an audience, live theatre is pointless,” a spokesperson said. “Thank you for continuing to support community theatre on Norfolk Island.”

With glowing reviews and community praise still echoing, plans are already underway for the 2026 festival. Until then - bravo to all involved!