Chicago, Malory Towers and Maggot Moon

For our actors, actresses and musicians, it has been a busy start to the term, as rehearsals get underway for the School’s much-anticipated production ‘Chicago’. The longest-running musical in Broadway history is set to thrill Leighton Park audiences in the Spring Term, as it follows the criminal lives of Roxie and Velma to a phenomenal soundtrack.

Nikki (Velma) and Megan (Roxie) who play the lead femme fatales in the show are loving the prospect of performing the wide range of songs in the production.

“It always seems like a great challenge when we start rehearsals but it doesn’t take long before the whole cast are committed to these great songs,” said Nikki.

Peter Scoggins, Director of the production added, “This is an ambitious choice of show for any school to put on and fortunately we know we have the talent and the commitment in our students to make memorable performances.”

Between their studies and show commitments, GCSE and A Level Drama took the opportunity to switch roles for the evening and visit the Oxford Playhouse for the opening night of ‘Malory Towers’. Enid Blyton’s classic girls’ school story, adapted by Emma Rice for Wise Children, offered our students plenty of high jinks, high drama and high spirits, with a sensational live music score and some brilliant animation. Fitting for the weather there was even an on-stage rescue of one character from a terrible storm!

Later in the week on Thursday 3rd October, Year 8 were excited to see their Summer Big Read Book, ‘Maggot Moon’ by Sally Gardner, come to life on stage at The Unicorn Theatre in London.

Proving to be faithful to the book, Jemma Kennedy’s adaptation of the play was a one-man show, with Standish Treadwell as the sole narrator and only a second actor to play a couple of key scenes. Although gifted with a vivid imagination, dyslexic Standish must battle with this life-threatening condition in his fantasy world.

The performance not only provided the chance to enter the world of novel through theatre but generated much discussion amongst Year 8 around exploring the idea of adapting novels for the stage. The novel is the focus of their Drama classroom work this term and they left with lots of ideas to apply to their own work back in school.