VS09 Hits the Stage
Lower Sixth pupils took to the stage in the Deayton Theatre this week with their production of VS09 by Hayley Squires. Directed by Dante B, the play casts its audience as a fly on the wall of an airport restaurant, observing the various relationships forming, developing and ending before a flight to New York- a land of hope and possibility. With various food stuffs to contend with (“that’s a lot of apple juice Miss…”), a lit birthday candle which had its own risk assessment and an airport trolley that turned into a bit of a diva, having already had a starring role in the senior school production, the cast had more to deal with than just the fast-paced dialogue and surprisingly poignant sentiments. There was a lot to get to grips with in this play, and the pupils did a phenomenal job. This was reinforced by the laughter that continuously echoed throughout the hour-long production and the rave reviews given by the proverbial flies as they left their wall at the end of each evening.
In only our second year of running the Sixth Form Play initiative, I am once again blown away by what the pupils have been able to accomplish when left to their own devices. Other than popping in occasionally and playing ‘bad cop’ (as Dante so kindly labelled me in his Director’s note!) I was more than happy to hand the reins over to the cast and am thrilled with the end result. However, the value of this project was not only evidenced in the audience’s smiles and kind words, but in the laughter, joy and camaraderie I saw in the rehearsal room and backstage. This group of pupils have worked brilliantly as a theatre company, never taking the process too seriously (hence the need for ‘bad cop’ every now and then…), supporting each other with line learning and nerves, and trying their hardest not to break down in hysterics when Dante was discovering the possibilities of his vocal range; going from Italian Waiter to a female East London holidaymaker in a matter of seconds is more challenging than you might think! They have worked tirelessly as a team and should be very proud of what they have achieved. I hope they will remember this experience with fondness for years to come, because I certainly will.
Congratulations cast of VS09!
