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Year 5 Production – Shakespeare’s Apprentices
The whole of Year 5 enjoyed taking part in the production of ‘Shakespeare’s Apprentices’ in the theatre in April.
The show was set in Tudor times and was about a group of children from a troupe of travelling players, left unexpectedly to entertain Lord Doyle of Hymers, with the plays of Shakespeare. Based on an idea by Ms Rosser, who directed the show, the performance was enhanced with some great singing of Tudor songs and also instrumentalists which was led by Mrs Redhead.
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March 2022 saw the culmination of months of dedication, from both teachers and students alike, to deliver arguably the most celebrated musical of all time:
Les Misérables
Backstory
Set in early nineteenth century France during the Paris Uprising, Les Misérables tells the story of a peasant - Jean Valjean - and his desire for absolution after being condemned to nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s starving child. Deciding to break his parole, Valjean seeks refuge at a monastery, where the Bishop makes a great impression on him with his admirable acts of mercy, loyalty and kindness. He decides to start his life anew, free of his embittered past and resentment. Meanwhile, police inspector, Javert, refuses to let Jean Valjean evade justice and pursues him for most of the play. Intertwined in this epic production are themes of love, heroism, tragedy, but most importantly, the sense of unity and fighting for what is right in the face of adversity.
Rehearsals
Over the course of seven months, pupils from all years across the Senior School rehearsed every Friday after school, in addition to some weekend and full school-day rehearsals, to help bring Victor Hugo’s narrative to life. The initial rehearsals were in September and held in the Rutter Room, where students familiarised themselves with the script, with Mrs Cook as Musical Director on the piano, and Miss McLeod, Ms Rosser and Mr Hartley directing and managing. Being one of the few musicals sung all the way through, we were lucky to have such an array of musical and theatrical talent, particularly from the sixth-form students.
London Trip
A couple of months later, rehearsals were moved to the Judi
