White Rabbit Show cast — 1975
The first ever student revue at La Trobe University
The first ever student revue at La Trobe University
How it all started...
In 1967, La Trobe University first opened its doors. It was the third university to open in Victoria. 552 students enrolled that first year. In the next few years there was the occasional student theatre production at La Trobe from a small group called the Moat Players, but there was little else of note.
Then in 1975, La Trobe University Student Theatre (LUST) was founded by Martin Edgar (1957—2022) and Terry Chapman with the express purpose of staging annual student revues that would consist solely of self-written sketch comedy. Their first production was entitled "The White Rabbit Show".
Then in 1975, La Trobe University Student Theatre (LUST) was founded by Martin Edgar (1957—2022) and Terry Chapman with the express purpose of staging annual student revues that would consist solely of self-written sketch comedy. Their first production was entitled "The White Rabbit Show".
Pain in the Arts cast — 1976
The show was performed at the Festival of Australian Student Theatre (FAST) in Sydney 1975.
The cast followed this up in 1976 with the very successful 'A Pain in the Arts' the following year, which played to packed houses over four nights at La Trobe's Menzies theatre. Cast members at that time included David Armstrong, Terry Chapman, Gair Cone, John Considine, Martin Edgar, Rafik Mankarious, Lloyd Smith, Merryn Baird, Judy Weintraub and Louise Ursic.
The cast followed this up in 1976 with the very successful 'A Pain in the Arts' the following year, which played to packed houses over four nights at La Trobe's Menzies theatre. Cast members at that time included David Armstrong, Terry Chapman, Gair Cone, John Considine, Martin Edgar, Rafik Mankarious, Lloyd Smith, Merryn Baird, Judy Weintraub and Louise Ursic.
Lustomania program — 1978
LUST students wrote and performed annual revues at La Trobe each year from 1975 through to 1980.
In addition to comedy, LUST also staged several conventional plays and performances. These included Alex Buzo's innovative stage farce "Coralie Landsdown Says No" directed by Rafik Mankarious and performed a three night season at the Menzies Theatre in 1976.
In 1977, yet another play, "Tom Cobb", was also successfully staged at Menzies. That play included in the cast, a young Jim Penman, who later went on to become the founder of the "Jim's Mowing" empire.
Several other productions were also mounted, including a children's play which toured primary schools in Melbourne featuring Kaye Sutton and an ancient Greek play staged in La Trobe's Moat theatre also directed by Rafik Mankarious.
In addition to comedy, LUST also staged several conventional plays and performances. These included Alex Buzo's innovative stage farce "Coralie Landsdown Says No" directed by Rafik Mankarious and performed a three night season at the Menzies Theatre in 1976.
In 1977, yet another play, "Tom Cobb", was also successfully staged at Menzies. That play included in the cast, a young Jim Penman, who later went on to become the founder of the "Jim's Mowing" empire.
Several other productions were also mounted, including a children's play which toured primary schools in Melbourne featuring Kaye Sutton and an ancient Greek play staged in La Trobe's Moat theatre also directed by Rafik Mankarious.
Lustomania cast in the Agora theatre dressing room before the show — 1978
Why the initial focus on comedy?
Colour TV was introduced to Australia in 1975. "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and the Australian ABC hit "The Aunty Jack Show", had a huge influence on younger audiences at the time. So, at a time when colour TV was still an expensive novelty for students, Lloyd Smith would host large numbers of students in his small Chisholm College room to watch Monty Python each week. Lloyd had received the colour TV as a birthday gift. Up to 50 students would squeeze into his room, cheek-by-jowl, to watch his 18-inch color TV and laugh their collective heads off.
Around that time it was relatively straightforward to receive a student allowance, and the university, through the Student Representative Council (SRC), provided funding for such endeavors. Students could apply for financial support to get their ideas off the ground. Many took advantage with a variety of activities proposed under the banner of "Clubs and Societies". LUST was one of the many student clubs that prospered under the Whitlam government's largess.
During that time, student theatre was developing other strands of original work. The Voyage of U-L-C was staged on 8 February, 1983. Although not a LUST production, it sits within the broader landscape of student theatre of the late 1970's and early 1980's in Melbourne. The production was produced by John Cheshire and written by Gary Sargeant. Nothing like it had been seen before. It broke new ground and enjoyed great success.
Thunderbolt Theatre arrives
Simon Pryor, a stalwart of the Melbourne University student theatre scene, was engaged by the Student Union to seed Thunderbolt Theatre as a new theatre company. The focus was experimental theatre. It quickly took hold, broadening horizons and introducing new theatre methodologies. Among the first intake were James Wishart, Sebastian Harvey and two young female students, Suzanne Kersten and Sue McClements, who became important, key players in student theatre at La Trobe during that time.
Thunderbolt Theatre arrives
Simon Pryor, a stalwart of the Melbourne University student theatre scene, was engaged by the Student Union to seed Thunderbolt Theatre as a new theatre company. The focus was experimental theatre. It quickly took hold, broadening horizons and introducing new theatre methodologies. Among the first intake were James Wishart, Sebastian Harvey and two young female students, Suzanne Kersten and Sue McClements, who became important, key players in student theatre at La Trobe during that time.
Experimental theatre production
Thunderbolt’s first production was "The Rock", a self-devised piece that Simon helped the cast develop from scratch. Sue and Suzanne, along with Glenn Filbin and Bev Nesbitt, showed just how powerful original theatre could be when they based their work on personal experiences. The result was the brilliant production "FourPlay".
1979 turned out to be a particularly significant year in the further development of student theatre at La Trobe for a number of reasons. Mike Lewis, Christopher Brooking and Marg Dobson joined the company, as did many other talented, creative students. This saw a variety of burgeoning student theatre productions at La Trobe.
LUST gets into the Student Union
There were also changes afoot on the Student Union Board. Chris Brooking and Mike Lewis joined the Student Union Board and there were positive changes for student theatre as a result. Along with Chris’ penchant for publicity and pre-sales, revue audience sizes and revenue increased significantly.
Rob Wood, a stalwart of student theatre, became Union President, as had Mike Lewis and Rafik Mankarious previously. Rob was a welcome addition to the cast. He would also feature strongly in the new Drama Department.
At this point, it must be said that student theatre could not have achieved what it was able to without the friendship and support of Mike Torney, manager of the Student Union. Not only did the Union and Mike provide space and equipment, it also helped by ensuring student theatre was able to broaden its horizons through the advent of LUST and Thunderbolt Theatre.
Orientation Day hijinks
Around this time, LUST discovered a new means of publicity for comedy on campus in the form of a bogus lecture on Orientation Day that could recruit both comedy audiences and participants alike. Floated as an idea the night before as having potential, Chris Brooking had approximated real academics’ names on handbills which advised students that neglecting this lecture would have a profound negative impact on their studies: "An Event Not To Be Missed" it proclaimed!
Some La Trobe academics got wind of the idea and tried without success to keep students away. Yet, once inside and realizing it was all in jest, a full lecture theatre of first year students were soon laughing their heads off.
The following year, it came back bigger and better still, renamed "The Christopher Brooking Memorial Lecture", as a form of revenge. At the Union’s annual request, the event ran each year for well over a decade. Comedy audiences don’t come much better than wide-eyed first year university students enjoying the mockery of academia.
1979 turned out to be a particularly significant year in the further development of student theatre at La Trobe for a number of reasons. Mike Lewis, Christopher Brooking and Marg Dobson joined the company, as did many other talented, creative students. This saw a variety of burgeoning student theatre productions at La Trobe.
LUST gets into the Student Union
There were also changes afoot on the Student Union Board. Chris Brooking and Mike Lewis joined the Student Union Board and there were positive changes for student theatre as a result. Along with Chris’ penchant for publicity and pre-sales, revue audience sizes and revenue increased significantly.
Rob Wood, a stalwart of student theatre, became Union President, as had Mike Lewis and Rafik Mankarious previously. Rob was a welcome addition to the cast. He would also feature strongly in the new Drama Department.
At this point, it must be said that student theatre could not have achieved what it was able to without the friendship and support of Mike Torney, manager of the Student Union. Not only did the Union and Mike provide space and equipment, it also helped by ensuring student theatre was able to broaden its horizons through the advent of LUST and Thunderbolt Theatre.
Orientation Day hijinks
Around this time, LUST discovered a new means of publicity for comedy on campus in the form of a bogus lecture on Orientation Day that could recruit both comedy audiences and participants alike. Floated as an idea the night before as having potential, Chris Brooking had approximated real academics’ names on handbills which advised students that neglecting this lecture would have a profound negative impact on their studies: "An Event Not To Be Missed" it proclaimed!
Some La Trobe academics got wind of the idea and tried without success to keep students away. Yet, once inside and realizing it was all in jest, a full lecture theatre of first year students were soon laughing their heads off.
The following year, it came back bigger and better still, renamed "The Christopher Brooking Memorial Lecture", as a form of revenge. At the Union’s annual request, the event ran each year for well over a decade. Comedy audiences don’t come much better than wide-eyed first year university students enjoying the mockery of academia.
LUST student, Chris Brooking, purports to be an academic lecturer
and gives a satirical speech as part of the hijinks on Orientation Day.
Also in 1979, the revue got some assistance from Cambridge University. Mike Hodd, a recent academic appointment to La Trobe, volunteered his services to student theatre. Mike was a veteran of the Cambridge Footlights Revue, the troupe that famously spawned Monty Python. Naturally, we gratefully accepted his offer but sadly Mike needed to return urgently to England while preparations for a new, bold production remained incomplete.
The dust settles on LUST
Looking back, what stands out is not simply the shows we mounted but the spirit that made them possible — a rare mix of laughter, chaos, ambition, brilliance and generosity that defined our salad days at La Trobe. LUST and later Thunderbolt Theatre became a meeting place for people who might never have otherwise crossed paths and together we achieved something larger than any one production or personality. It was a time when ideas were taken seriously and anything felt possible.
For those of us who were part of it, La Trobe student theatre wasn't simply something we did on the side — it mattered and it was important. It helped forge friendships, build confidence, inform the way in which we approached new ideas and shaped our sense of what lay ahead. What we took from those days has remained with us in all the years that followed.
The dust settles on LUST
Looking back, what stands out is not simply the shows we mounted but the spirit that made them possible — a rare mix of laughter, chaos, ambition, brilliance and generosity that defined our salad days at La Trobe. LUST and later Thunderbolt Theatre became a meeting place for people who might never have otherwise crossed paths and together we achieved something larger than any one production or personality. It was a time when ideas were taken seriously and anything felt possible.
For those of us who were part of it, La Trobe student theatre wasn't simply something we did on the side — it mattered and it was important. It helped forge friendships, build confidence, inform the way in which we approached new ideas and shaped our sense of what lay ahead. What we took from those days has remained with us in all the years that followed.
— Mike Lewis