This Changes Everything is Echo Youth's production about attempting a new life

It looks at what happens when a group of idealistic teenagers, fed up with the way the modern world is going, decide to leave and form their own community focused on equity and equality with decisions reached by consensus.

When they're ready, they intend to return to society and share what they've learned.

But can you change a society you've abandoned? Can the less savoury aspects of human nature be left behind? And, a year after the community is founded, what happens when three more teenagers arrive and want to join?

Best founded Echo Theatre and this is the first production under that company's offshoot, Echo Youth.

"Once a year we'll be creating opportunities for young people to work with their peers," Best said.

MUST READS:

Although the play was originally written for an all-female cast, gender is not an issue and Best chose the best actors from those who auditioned - mostly identifying as female but with some identifying as male and non-binary.

Best was impressed by British writer Horwood's writing for and about young people, finding it refreshing and unpatronising.

"There are no relationships, no teen issues," she said. These characters were not obsessed with social media and frivolity.

Instead, Horwood engaged with the ideas his story posed - and the cast members, aged between 13 and 19, have been doing the same thing, talking about politics, social issues, climate change and activism.

"It's extremely well written and fleshed out," Best said.

"Even the smallest member of the ensemble's characters is extremely well constructed."

Callum Doherty, 18, plays Alva, one of the three newcomers who have met online and go looking for the youth community.

"They're received with a bit of trepidation - some are willing to welcome them, others are not."

But when one of the founders of the community goes missing, suspicion falls on them.

And while the arrival of the three caused tensions, cracks had already been appearing in the community.

The newcomers, Doherty said, were "wide-eyed, naive and excited to be there", having learned about the community online and tracked it down.

But anticipation soon turned to disappointment.

"They expected something a little grander than cold, wet, structures."

And things get worse from there.

"Alva becomes more disillusioned and tries to fight back but he sees where you end up when you do fight back," Doherty said.

Although he had worked with Best before he only knew a couple of the other actors - some, like him, have years of experience while others are newcomers.

COVID-19 meant there were, at most, two-thirds of the cast at many rehearsals, but, Doherty said, "We've become very close."

Despite the sound of the premise, Best said This Changes Everything was "in the end, fiercely hopeful".

The message, she said, was to stay and fight and to make the change you want to see.

This Changes Everything is on at the Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre from July 22 to 30. See: theq.net.au.

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: