Hillcrest High School to host playwright Todd Wallinger for world premiere of ‘Don’t Rock the Boat!’
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The following is a news release from Bonneville Joint School District 93:
IDAHO FALLS — Hillcrest High School will take center stage next week as students present the world premiere of playwright Todd Wallinger’s newest comedy, “Don’t Rock the Boat!” —- with Wallinger himself in Idaho Falls to work directly with students and attend opening night.
Wallinger will visit Bonneville Joint School District 93 on Monday, Nov. 9, and Tuesday, Nov. 10, spending time with Hillcrest cast and crew members, English and drama students, and D93 drama teachers.
His visit will begin Monday with D93 drama teachers during their Professional Learning Community time. Wallinger will discuss the playwriting process, script development and what drama educators look for when selecting productions for their students.
Later that day, he will travel to Hillcrest High School to meet the cast and crew of Don’t Rock the Boat! for the first time. He will also attend the production’s final dress rehearsal Monday evening, giving students the rare opportunity to perform the show in front of the person who created its characters, dialogue and story.
Wallinger will remain in Idaho Falls for the world premiere performance Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. Following the performance, he will meet audience members in the lobby and sign show posters.
Hillcrest was selected for the world premiere after Wallinger reached out to a small group of schools that had previously produced his work. Hillcrest Drama Director Adrian McCracken was the first to respond.
Wallinger has an established connection with Hillcrest, having visited the school in 2024 when students produced his 1940s farce, The Last Radio Show.
“Don’t Rock the Boat!” is a fast-paced romantic comedy set aboard a 1930s ocean liner. The story follows Maisie and Lulu, two American pickpockets in Liverpool who escape police by using stolen tickets to board a ship bound for New York. They soon discover the tickets belong to a European princess and her private secretary, forcing them to assume the pair’s identities for the voyage. From there, royalty, romance, a multimillion-dollar diamond necklace and a private detective combine for a high-seas comedy filled with mistaken identities and unexpected twists.
The production is appropriate for all ages and has an approximate running time of 100 minutes.
Performance Information
“Don’t Rock the Boat!” will be presented Nov. 10-13 at 7 p.m. at Hillcrest High School.
Tickets are $8 for the general public and $5 for Hillcrest High School students with an activity card. Tickets are available at hpac.ludus.com or at the door.
The world premiere gives Hillcrest students a unique opportunity to do more than perform a new play. They will also get to experience the creative process alongside its playwright as the production moves from script to stage for its first public performances.
More information about Wallinger’s decision to select Hillcrest for the world premiere is available at: https://toddwallinger.blogspot.com/2026/05/dont-rock-boat-gets-premiere.html