Our show, ‘I Still Have No Friends’, is a loose adaptation of Lord of the Flies, written by Alby Grace, following a group of teenagers stuck in a convention center during the apocalypse. The kids, initially at a leadership conference, are tasked with having to establish how to lead themselves, and reconstruct society anew. We were drawn to the intricate dynamics of the characters, the potential for impactful moments, and the amount of creative license we would have over costumes, set and sound design, making it a perfect debut production.

Odd Sockz Theatre came about when the four of us were discussing how difficult it can be to find financially accessible theatre as a young person, and how this can be discouraging to young performers, knowing many people ourselves who have been stopped from doing the thing they love due to the costs involved. After having been discussing the possibility of producing our own project, we decided this was the right time to direct our very first show. Since the fantastic reception of our Fringe production, we’re very excited about the future of Odd Sockz Theatre, and have our eyes set on Fringe 2026, and beyond.

The Fringe is an incredible festival, with its open access nature and artist focused atmosphere creating a wonderfully supportive space to stage a production. Previously, we have all had great experiences performing in the Adelaide Fringe, and were excited to give our cast a chance to have as positive of an experience as we did. The Fringe is such a game changing festival for the performing arts scene of Adelaide, making shows easier than ever to put on, be in, or simply go and watch. It is a festival backed by the whole state, and the atmosphere of mutual support and encouragement makes it such a lovely place to meet new people, and know you have a safe space to try new things.

Find a show a friend has been involved in, or a company you’ve heard good things about (like Odd Sockz Theatre). Any project can be a fantastic experience in all fields of the creative industry, providing a new insight into the different aspects of a production, and the different ways art can be used to express yourself. If you want to produce your own show, find a project you’re creatively passionate about, as we have had such a rewarding experience with this production. No matter what, always ask for help, as we truly couldn’t have done this without so many people to lean on during our busiest moments.

We want nothing more than for everyone to be able to have as positive of an experience in the arts industry as we have, and unfortunately a very real barrier from that happening is the cost of productions being geared towards people with a full time salary. Being a young person, it can be so hard to find financially accessible options open to people our age, as so many projects have an age limit. Sometimes, it is difficult to even hear about auditions, as there’s no centrally used space to share these opportunities. If these were more readily available, this industry would have the opportunity to thrive in the way that such a freeing art form deserves to, and hopefully this is something we can see more and more of in the coming years.  

Whilst we can all attest to different personal reasons for being interested in this industry, it is safe to say we were all drawn in by the vibrant community of the Adelaide arts scene, and joined as many classes and projects as we could to extend ourselves creatively. We met through these productions, a testament to the lifelong bonds created in properly supported spaces such as theatre groups across the state. Being a part of this community has helped us to grow as individuals in ways we couldn’t have gotten otherwise, and we’re all very grateful to have found our passion in the arts.