Thoughts from our Cast and Crew

“I played a Tram Passenger and an Uniformed Adult in the play. As a tram passenger, I enjoyed that I got annoyed at Emil for not paying for his ticket. I can react and be surprised at this. I was able to act out and understand what people were like one hundred years ago in Berlin. I understand that Berlin’s citizens were all very civilised and got annoyed at children, running around in the streets.

I learnt in the play that I always need to face the audience and project my voice rather than shouting. I found the Saturday rehearsals very useful as we were able to go through the performance like what we would do in the real thing and notice the scenes that weren’t as good as others.

I found the costumes very useful as we could transport into the lives of the people in Berlin and understand what they wear at that time.

I would recommend the experience to others because it is very exhilarating when you are on stage and you feel really proud of yourself when it is finished”

“The Emil and the Detectives rehearsals went well. The cast worked hard and they were all excited for the show after all the rehearsals were done. The tech team spent time to make sure everything was perfect. The 2 Saturday rehearsals helped the scenes flow better and improve the play massively. It also gave Mrs Jacques a chance to make sure all of the amazing costumes she had spent time making, were perfect and ready to be performed in.

I played the part of Emil’s Grandma. To be this character you had to be strict, and angry most of the time. I also got to use a walking stick! I think the 2 Saturday rehearsals took my performance to a whole new level and it helped me get used to performing on a stage, improve my vocal and facial expressions and project my voice more”

“I played as a Newspaper Seller and it was a really fun role to play. I loved the costume, especially the braces as it made me look like the actual character. I enjoyed acting with my friends and wearing the boards, which had one of my headlines written on it.

I went to rehearsals once every week on Mondays and I think I improved by a lot. I tried to follow the instructions and listened very carefully. I learned to shout confidently for my role because if I was too quiet no one would hear my Headlines.

We had Saturday rehearsals, which I thought was really helpful. I think that because it helped me know what the show was going to be like when we were going to perform”

I think that my favourite part of working in the tech team was a lot of the teamwork because throughout different performances there were different people doing different jobs so everybody got the entire experience so everyone did every part of the lighting and the sound.

“I would recommend it because you get to bond with other actors and you might find a hidden passion for acting”

Baxter F (Year 6)

“Taking part in “Emil and the Detectives” was lots of fun and we learnt lots about acting. Having lighting and costumes enhanced our performance by making it feel more in character and real.

I think my best performance was the last one because I had more experience of performing in front of an audience and I had lost my butterflies by the end. I played a Neustadt resident. A Neustadt resident is someone who lives in Emil's hometown "Neustadt" . I liked this role because I could use my imagination to make actions for my role. I developed my facial expressions and my spatial awareness. Spatial awareness is when on the stage you look for space and create it wherever you are. I went to rehearsals every other Monday and I worked on projecting my voice and by the end of the last performance I think I had perfected that.

Saturday performances were useful because they helped us to experience what it would be like to be in an actual performance. In the end,

I think that this performance was a good thing to do and I really enjoyed it taking part in the rehearsals and the performances. That is why I recommend being in school plays to people who haven’t done it before”.

Georgie H (Year 6)

“I would recommend this production to another pupil because it is a good way to meet new people and improve on your acting and being in front of an audience”

Arabella H (Y6)

I would recommend this performance experience to every pupil at Beechwood even the ones with stage fright because everybody in the show makes you feel warm and part of something big”.

Sophie C (Year 5)

The Beechwood Play, Emil and the Detectives, was very successful with the performances getting better and better each time. All our hard work paid off; as the last performance came to an end, Mrs Cussans ran out of superlatives to describe the performance. The pupils could not have put on such a wonderful show without Mrs Hegarty, who organised the whole production, working day and night. “It was a joy to be involved”, said Chloe (Year 5). All the children really enjoyed being part of the annual school performance, and lots want to take part again next year!

I cannot decide which cast was best because both performed fantastically, and got the audience out of their seats in excitement! All the characters looked amazing in their costumes, so the whole school owes a T-Rex sized thanks to Mrs Jacques who designed and created the costumes which brought the play to life. The whole Beechwood team pulled off an exceptional play so everyone had plenty to talk about afterwards and nobody could stop talking about how amazing it was.

Most people liked the bank scene best, and Tuesday’s mouse was a favourite, almost beating Heinrich the Goat’s burp. However, one audience member was not so impressed... “What’s the trouble with children these days, that stupid goat just burped in my face” said someone sitting in the front row... I hope he doens’t sue the School....

Overall, the nailbiting performance was wonderful, involving everyone who wanted to take part. It was JUST BRILLIANT”

Kaspar (Year 5)