Those fortunate enough to be in the audience will have seen the explosion of joy and energy from the young actors…
Back in December, students from Year 7 to 10 were invited to audition for the whole school play, Fairy Tale Courtroom. From those auditions, 20 talented students were cast in the play. The students worked tirelessly over a term and a half to learn their lines and embody their character. They rehearsed three times a week during break and lunch times, and after school to ensure our performance was seamless. As well as directing, I was also busy behind the scenes collaborating with our venue, lighting and sound technicians, set designer and costume designer.
Finally, on the 23 March, the students were able to perform our show to two audiences. In the audience, for the matinee show was the Year 7 and 8 students from Eaton Square and Year 3 students from Knightsbridge School. In the evening parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and teachers were invited to watch the show!
For those that missed the show, the comedy showed the other side of several familiar fairy tales when two of their biggest villains, the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch, were brought to trial. Both the Wolf and the Witch had been frolicking from fairy tale to fairy tale wreaking havoc as they tried to prevent the general public from living happily ever after. Audiences heard the personal accounts of what happened, as told in testimonies and flashback sequences, from characters such as Snow White, Dorothy, Sleeping Beauty, the Three Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood and many others, including the Witch and the Wolf themselves, as each trial unfolded. The audience was the jury, so each trial had two endings depending on the verdict.
I am so proud of the students’ achievements! To nurture their growth in confidence and to observe them creating memories and building new friendships – this is what being a Drama teacher is all about. Here is what some of the cast had to say about the show:
‘My name is Adam Rauf and I was fortunate to be cast as the role of District Attorney. I loved every minute of playing the District Attorney (even though there were a lot of lines to memorise) because it gave me a taste of the life as a prosecuting Attorney, someone I am considering to be in the future and I felt myself really get into the role. My favourite part about being in the school play was working alongside my friends and pupils from each year group as we were really able to bond well. As an actor, I was also able to develop my acting skills further and showcase them to the audience. My most memorable moment was performing on stage in front of the schools and my teachers who made me feel proud of myself and I loved seeing how engaged they all were. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity Miss Ferguson – You were a brilliant director!’
‘My name is Shaikha Al Jabir and I played the role of the Grandmother and a Dwarf. Even though I had two smaller roles in the play, I enjoyed it just as much as everyone else. My most memorable moment was seeing the excitement of the Year 3 students from Knightsbridge School!’
‘My name is Neva Inan and I played Pig #1 and a Dwarf. My roles are not big ones but that didn’t matter for me because everyone else made me feel as important as they were. I made so many new friends and I had such a wonderful time! My most memorable moment was finally being able to see that all of our hard work has paid off. Thanks to Miss Ferguson who made all of this happen.’
Many thanks to all those that came and supported the show.
I look forward to the Summer Term when there will be plenty more opportunities for students embrace the arts. Please save the date, 28 June, for our ‘Night of MADNESS 2.0’ where Music, Art and Drama students will showcase their talents.
Miss Jane Ferguson
