Set your face to smile, when 25 young performers take to the stage to perform a showcase of comedic monologues in Canberra.

For two shows only on Thursday 3 and Saturday 5 May at Smith’s Alternative, 25 young people aged under 25 will perform monologues from the collection Paper Cuts by local playwright Kirsty Budding, with the show directed by 18-year-old Matilda Saddington.

Matilda saw the pieces performed at the book launch of Paper Cuts at the Canberra Theatre Centre in December 2017 and proposed re-staging the show with a cast of young adults.

Matilda is supported by 16-year-old Assistant Director Kara Blackburn and 16-year-old Stage Manager Anna Khan, with the production managed by 20-year-old Glynis Stokes, who has previously stage managed and acted in productions in Canberra.

Matilda said audiences are in for a hilarious show.

“My sides hurt after every rehearsal from laughing so hard,” she said.

“The actors are so creative and talented. Every single member of the audience will relate to at least one of these monologues.”

Audiences will be treated to a range of characters.  Andrew Taylor plays a Liberal Party supporter who has fallen in love with a Greens-supporting, feminist vegan; Meaghan Stewart (last seen in a CAT-award winning performance as Mrs. Lovett in Dramatic Productions’ Sweeney Todd) plays a woman who has just bumped into her ex and his new girlfriend; and Declan Pigram plays a scientist who is about to act on dodgy dating advice he got from Reddit.

More info and tickets available here.