For Sonny Campbell, a Year 6 student and school captain at Wyrallah Road Public School, the journey to a major statewide musical began with a burst of excitement shared with some of his friends.

After submitting his initial audition for the Combined Schools Musical, Sonny found out he’d been selected for a call back while he was still at school, news he couldn’t keep to himself.

“When I found out I’d got the call back, I ran back to my friends and told them all because I’d been practising with them at school,” Sonny said.

That moment would prove to be an big step in what followed. After another round of auditions, including learning several scenes and songs in a short space of time, Sonny has been officially cast as Michael Banks in Mary Poppins - one of the central child roles in the production.

The Combined Schools Musical is a new initiative run by The Arts Unit, bringing together selected students from across regional New South Wales to perform in a fully staged, professional-level musical. For Sonny, being chosen from such a wide pool of performers is a huge achievement.

“I’m playing Michael Banks in Mary Poppins,” he said. “It’s really exciting.”

Sonny’s love of performance has been part of his life since he first started primary school. Acting and singing, he says, are where he feels most comfortable and creative.

“I enjoy how it’s really creative and it’s what I like to do,” he said. “I want to keep doing all this creative stuff as I go to high school and when I grow up.”

It also helps that Mary Poppins is a story close to his heart. “When I was a little kid, I had a big obsession with Mary Poppins,” Sonny said. “So it’s pretty cool.”

The audition process itself was a big job, particularly for a regional student. Sonny completed his auditions by video, recording them here rather than travelling to Sydney. As part of the call back, he had just a few days to learn three scenes and three songs before submitting his final audition.

With the role now confirmed, Sonny is preparing for an intensive rehearsal schedule leading into the August 2026 performances at Murwillumbah High School. Rehearsals will include full-day sessions on weekends, followed by weeks of daily rehearsals closer to the show.

While the role is exciting, it also represents a significant personal achievement for Sonny, who openly speaks about living with autism and ADHD. Learning scripts can be challenging, and he has developed his own ways of working around that.

“I don’t know how to read, so if I need to memorise something, I really have to listen to it over and over again,” he said. “If I’m writing something down, I have to draw pictures to remind me.”

Despite those challenges, performance is where Sonny thrives. Acting and music allow him to focus, express himself and build confidence, something that has been encouraged both at home and at school.

At Wyrallah Road Public School, Sonny is involved in music and leadership. He is part of the school choir and band, plays drums and guitar outside of school, and recently took on a lead role in the school play. He says the school’s music program and the support of teachers played a key role in helping him even learn about the opportunity.

“If Mrs Hart didn’t work at the school, we probably wouldn’t have known about it,” Sonny said. “Our school has a great music program, which I’m very lucky to be part of.”

As rehearsals approach, Sonny is already doing what he knows best, listening, practising and memorising, one step at a time.