Grace O’Donnell-Clancy will play Mary Lane in Reefer Madness.

The musical was inspired by the 1936 film of the same name.

“It’s a musical comedy that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the hysteria caused when clean-cut kids fall prey to marijuana, learning them on a downward spiral filled with evil jazz music, sex and violence,” O’Donnell-Clancy said.

”I play Mary Lane, who is a naive young American who goes looking for her boyfriend Jimmy Harper and ends up in the 'reefer den'.”

This is the first lead role for O’Donnell-Clancy, who graduated from Horsham’s St Brigid’s College in 2012.

“After school, I went straight down to Melbourne to study performing arts and then furthered my studies with musical theatre from 2013 to 2015 at Patrick Studios Australia,” she said.

“Since graduating I was lucky enough to travel Singapore for a month to host Sesame Street Live, which was the most amazing performing experience.”

O’Donnell-Clancy said she first auditioned for a role in the Reefer Madness ensemble.

“I was asked to come back for a further audition and read and sing some material for the lead, which was surprising and unexpected,” she said. “As this is my first professional musical I am feeling a range of emotions from absolute terror to jumping for joy.

“I wasn't expecting to get a gig so soon after finishing my studies and to get a lead has exceeded every expectation and goal I had set for myself. I'm still pinching myself about the whole thing.”

O’Donnell-Clancy was involved in a range of performing opportunities in Horsham before she moved to Melbourne. 

“I am so grateful for the Horsham performing community, which nurtured my love for performing and pushed me to peruse my dreams,” she said.

“Without this community I wouldn't have had the confidence to give performing a shot and I'm so proud to say I'm a Horsham girl.”

Reefer Madness will open on November 24.