Learners from Redhill School blew away audiences during their recent production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
The senior prep school learners spent the whole of their second term preparing for the performance. For this performance, two casts were chosen to ensure that every learner who auditioned for the musical would have the opportunity to perform.
Michael Watt, the prep school’s head of visual and performing arts, said that he was blown away by the talent of the learners throughout the process. Teaching two casts all the choreography and songs was a big challenge as they had already set the timetable and needed to get double the amount of work done in the allocated times.
Watt explained that this was the first year that the musical has been available and he was excited by the opportunity to present it. The musical follows a group of children who play in a dilapidated car and goes on a wonderful imaginary adventure.
“It’s a universal story… the characters are fun and quirky, the script is colourful and very tongue-in-cheek,” said Watt.
He coordinated the choreography himself and said that they had tried to work on some complicated staging as learners had spent a lot of time working on staging exercises in class.
Watt said that, throughout the process, learners are involved in developing their own characters and added that it was amazing for them to develop their own imagination.
“What I love is when it’s the learners that you least expect who come forward and audition and they surprise their teachers and we get to see another side to them. We see students that find that being on stage helps them make sense of their own lives and it gives them confidence and empowerment.”
He concluded that he helped create the platform but they gave learners the freedom to allow their imaginations to grow and they reap their own rewards from participating in the performance.
Details: Redhill School 011 783 4707.
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