We're thrilled to officially welcome three young actors making their debut with us this May in Ordinary People.
Cleo Barker, Oscar McLean and Olivia McAdam
Cleo Barker
This is Cleo’s first production with Independent Theatre, though she has been acting since she was 14. Her passion for performing was fostered through her school’s Drama Program, and more recently she has developed a love for musicals. Some of her favourite roles include playing Elpis in The Girl Who Was a Hundred Girls and Sarah in Heresay.
In this production of Ordinary People, Cleo plays Karen Aldrich, a small but pivotal role that challenges Conrad and helps drive his journey forward.
Outside of theatre, Cleo enjoys spending time at the beach, working, and reading a good book.
Oscar McLean
Oscar had his first major role in 2020 at the age of 12 playing Pugsley in the Parks Youth Theatre’s production of The Addams Family Junior. Now after six years of junior/amateur theatre experience under his belt, Oscar has played multiple more parts in Parks Youth Theatre shows, including the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz Junior, and the Sultan in Aladdin Junior.
Oscar was also selected to go to the Junior Theatre Festival Australia in 2023 and participated in the pilot workshop for Between The Lines Junior. He was chosen alongside one other performer to receive one of three Outstanding Performance awards on behalf of the Parks Youth Theatre for their showcase of Aladdin Junior at JTF Australia 2023.
Since then he has several smaller performances, and was Assistant Director under Ceri Hutton, for the Parks Youth Theatre’s The Lion King Junior.
Olivia McAdam
After participating in a few musicals during primary school, Olivia discovered her passion for acting and has since performed in a number of productions. In Year 9, she played Juliet in Shakespeare scene work and was involved in both a verbatim and an original performance co-written with Karen and Christopher Houghton.
In Year 11, Olivia performed in Finegan Kruckemeyer's A Girl Who Was a Hundred Girls, portraying a German girl named Juna. In her final year, she reunited with Karen and Christopher Houghton for another original play, Heresay, where she took on the role of a podcaster helping to solve the mystery of a missing girl.
We can't wait for you to see the powerful performances these three new actors bring to the stage. Independent Theatre’s production of Ordinary People takes place at Star Theatres from 16 to 24 May 2025. Tickets on sale now.