‘Roller Coaster’ is a fierce, tender and explosive, new music theatre production with humour, heart, and a propulsive live soundtrack. Think… all new original music written, with roller skaters, about roller skating.
When EVERYBODY NOW! reached out to us asking us if we'd like to be one of their sponsors, we were so keen to jump on board and hear everything about this super creative project!
We chatted with Lucy and Nico, who are participating in the 'Roller Coaster', so they could tell us a bit more about who they are and their involvement in this epic participatory project.
Tell us about your skating story.
LUCY
I started skating after a bad break up. I had a bunch of big emotions; I was feeling pretty down, and a friend suggested I should go skating.
It took time but through skating I could actually see myself progressing in something. As an adolescent it can be pretty overwhelming to work out how you’re going to move forward into your future.
Through skating I could let go of that pressure and focus on something where I could see that progression right there in front of me; and then, because I was feeling happy and proud of myself, all these other life things started falling into place.
I can’t believe how much good stuff has happened in my life since first lacing up. I highly recommend dropping into an 8foot bowl if you’re feeling down about something.
NICO
Growing up near a rink, skating was always around but a few years ago I decided that I wanted to get into park skating and my dad also bought skates at the same time. A few years later, my dad and I are better skaters than we ever thought we would be, I’m working at a rink, and have made the strongest friendships I’ve ever had with an insanely cool community.
How did you get involved in the ‘Roller Coaster' Project?
LUCY
I was invited along to this skate event at a local music venue on the Gold Coast called Miami Marketta. I had no idea what it was about and when I realised it was a song writing session with roller skaters, I was pretty nervous, but I was getting all the vibes that anything I had to contribute was welcome; stories were welcome, everyone was welcome.
That’s the vibe Everybody NOW have created through this whole process. I think it’s important that people’s voices are heard in communities, so to see those stories turn into something creative is pretty amazing.
NICO
I was at the skate park one night when a coach from a local skate crew came up to me and said “hey, there’s this arts company who are looking for skaters who do theatre and singing and I thought of you!”
It is really awesome to get involved in something that brings lots of my interests together. I’m playing the character of Tully who is from my world of park skating. I think because in park skating, you’re really putting yourself on the line physically, you are making yourself vulnerable to the people you’re skating with and that’s when really trusting friendships can form.
Even if you’re not a skater these stories are important and relatable. We can all feel like an outsider sometimes and Tully’s story is about acceptance and community and that’s something we all need.
Why are you excited to see Chuffed involved?
LUCY
It’s so awesome to see an Australian skate company that really looks after skaters, get behind this creative project which is about sharing skaters’ stories. Chuffed share that culture of welcome as well. I went down to Chuffed Quadletics Carnival in 2022 and it was such a cool weekend of making new friends and feeling really at home with people I’d never met before.
I’m going to be wearing a set of the new watermelon Chuffed boots for my role in the Roller Coaster show, which is a gentle tribute to a skater on the Gold Coast who worn pink skates and lost her battle with depression. There is a song in the show about her skating on the moon with her pink skates.
NICO
I’ve been wanting Chuffed Skates for ages so I’m really excited to be skating in Chuffed for the show. I already feel more supported in these skates, like I can jump higher, push further, and try harder.
I also work at Epic Skate rink on the Gold Coast and we stock Chuffed Skates so I’m always talking to people about why these skates are so great.
If you want to participate, get your tickets here!