The student-led production Clear Illusion was hailed a clear success!
The theatre curtains rose on the opening night of Clear Illusion on a wintery Friday in June. This original, student-created drama was written and co-directed by Year 11 student and 2025/26 School Captain, Lachlan Sparshott.
Set in wartime London and packed with courtroom twists, Clear Illusion kept the audience on edge from the opening scene to the finale. Lachlan not only penned the gripping script but led rehearsals, guided performances and refined the story throughout the process, resulting in a gripping whodunnit.
His leadership brought a layered, ambitious production to life – supported by a cast and crew of passionate peers. From the powerful performances on stage to the technical lighting, costumes and sound design, the entire evening was a showcase of our students’ talents.
The creation of Clear Illusion happened almost by accident. Waiting in an uninspiring foyer of an overseas hotel, Lachlan found himself with time to kill. The idea for the play had been on his mind since watching Agatha Christie’s Witness for Prosecution, which exemplified the riveting nature of court room dramas and the perfect, tension-building drama. Lachlan put pen to paper and that was the beginning of what would culminate in a rich theatrical production.
I really enjoy the process of writing scripts. As a bit of a whodunnit nerd, I loved diving into writing one of my own; there’s something really fun about the trickery and intrigue involved.
“I really enjoy the process of writing scripts. As a bit of a whodunnit nerd, I loved diving into writing one of my own; there’s something really fun about the trickery and intrigue involved in showing different perspectives. How a story alters, based on different perspectives was something we wanted to explore. Bringing that to life on stage was amazing”, Lachlan said.
The process was anything but straightforward. The play required multiple rewrites, discarded endings and long periods of reflection, before the plot actually began to take shape. Multiple edits from Lachlan’s friends, Year 11 students Martha Way Stamatellis and Mika Chin helped Lachlan hone the story and make the plot seamless.
Being a part of the show was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity to watch my friends create a performance that both told a story and highlighted the immense talent that the students at our School have to offer.
Martha Way Stamatellis reflected on the unique journey of self-direction and independency.
“I was a Co-director and Head of Crew for the Clear Illusion production. Being a part of the show was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity to watch my friends and peers create a performance that both told a story and highlighted the immense talent that the students at our School have to offer. I am very proud of Lachlan,” Martha said.
When writing Clear Illusion, Lachlan was also able to draw on his past experience of writing a play for his Personal Project, a major self-directed research project each student undertakes in the completion of the Middle Years Programme. In Plain Sight acted as a test run, informing Lachlan’s understanding of how to balance acting, directing and backstage process. It also allowed the team to move from a light story into a more complicated, twist-filled drama and they were able to draw on their prior experience of working in the School’s Black Box Theatre.
Mika Chin describes the inspirational vision of Lachlan and the success of Clear Illusion.
“Regardless of the setbacks and hard work, I would definitely do it all again! Lachlan made the whole process so enjoyable. It was magical: watching how he took the play and developed it into art. It came to life under his direction,” Mika said.
I would definitely do it all again! Lachlan made the whole process so enjoyable. It came to life under his direction.
Head of Drama, Ms Ashleigh Chakarovski was supportive of the project from day one. She provided the professional teaching support needed for the students to really excel.
“It has been such a privilege to watch Lachlan develop his skills and go from strength to strength in his writing and directing. He has learnt so much through this process. In addition, he has been able to bring so many of his fellow students along on this journey with him,” Ms Chakarovski said.
A huge congratulations to the incredible team behind the production including Mika Chin, Yuze Ding, Izzy Darge, Martha Way Stamatellis, Ally Rose and Pyari Qureshi.
Betrayal, illusion and the pursuit of justice – thank you to everyone who supported this unforgettable piece of theatre. We eagerly anticipate what Lachlan will write next!
