James and the Giant Peach

Week 1 of Summer Term 2018 began at a cracking pace for the Performing Arts with auditions for this year's 6/7 Production James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. From day one the cast brought energy, enthusiasm and a plethora of creative ideas to the rehearsal space and were instrumental in bringing this magical world to life. They were adventurous in the requests that were made of them to stretch themselves outside their comfort zone and they took on many extra roles outside their initial casting. Students worked collaboratively together to create environments and special effects as well as learning puppetry skills.

The experience of working on a production is not just about those final performances. Students work incredibly hard over a 10 week period and get to witness the creative process of a production as it comes together such as; set, costumes, lighting, sound and AV. None of which would be possible without the expertise of designers such as Kaitlin Brindley who created the incredible set and Kale Tatam who designed the lighting and AV.

Partaking in a production is not for the faint hearted. It takes dedication, resilience, hard work and sacrifices. The rewards however, can be great and this year's show was no exception. James and the Giant Peach played to 3 full houses and received rave reviews. It was a thoroughly rewarding experience in which students once again affirmed the magic of theatre and its ability to unite a community in its shared experience.

Mrs Niki Browne-Cooper
Middle School Drama Teacher