When Adelaide graduate Joey Haenen finished his musical‑theatre degree, he packed for Melbourne, saying, “There is no work here and most agents are on the east coast.”

Other young performers echo his experience. Jazz Garcia, a speech‑pathology student, explained, “There’s just a lot more musical theatre opportunities in Melbourne, we don’t really have anything in Adelaide.” The pattern of moving east for jobs has lasted decades, creating a steady talent drain from South Australia.

Jo Casson, a veteran of the local arts scene, decided to stop the exodus. She gathered a team and founded Full Circle, South Australia’s first professional musical‑theatre company, noting, “I discovered in the middle of last year that every other major city has a professional local theatre company and Adelaide didn’t.”

Full Circle is backed by philanthropist Pamela Wall AO and intends to present two productions a year for the first two years, later increasing to three. The company hopes to give performers the professional work they currently have to seek elsewhere.

The debut show, a stage version of *Catch Me If You Can*, drew more than 100 auditionees for just 25 roles. Joey Haenen secured the lead role of Frank Abagnale Jr., while Jazz Garcia earned a place in the ensemble after a demanding three‑day audition process.

Choreographer Zoe Komazec‑Kermond returned from the east coast after working on shows such as *Cats* and *Matilda*. Her move back to Adelaide embodies the company’s “full circle” idea – talent that left now comes home to create again.

By offering local, professional opportunities, Full Circle aims to keep South Australian artists from having to relocate, strengthening the state’s cultural scene and potentially allowing future national tours from a strong home base.