YOUNG actors from Australia have been making themselves at home at a Risca school ahead of their performance at Newport’s Riverfront tonight.

A group of 20 budding thespians aged 15 to 22 from The Youth Theatre Perth Australia landed in the UK on New Year’s Eve.

They spent a few days enjoying shows including War Horse in London’s West End before making their way to Risca Community Comprehensive School this week where they say they have received a warm welcome from teachers and pupils alike.

Staying with local families they have been practising at the school for their upcoming show River Dreaming, which depicts a series of dreams – all drawing their source from the Swan River, which flows through the heart of Perth, Western Australia.

Written by acclaimed Australian writer Jenny Davies the show takes the audience on a journey through the ages from Aborigines, through Colonial times and right up to the modern day.

After their one-off performance at the Riverfront they head off on a UK tour performing at theatres in Hereford, London and Scotland. The group chose Risca as their base because theatre company patron Tony Howes has visited the area every two years since 1988 when he was with the Midnite Youth Theatre Company.

Tickets for the show at 7pm tonight are £5.