Consider Yourself at Home....!
'Oliver! Jr.'
There are moments when you can only stand back and marvel at what can be achieved by children of Prep school age when the bar is set high. The professionalism, pace, energy, volume and sheer joy of ‘Oliver! Jr.’ was a wonderful demonstration of the talent and dedication of the children. Read a full review here from the Headmaster.
‘More? MORE??’ The infamous interrogative of Beadle Bumble is perhaps being echoed through the corridors of most Prep schools during the final week of the Spring term – always the shortest, always the busiest, always the most challenging as we look to finish curricula and pave the way for success in the summer.
It is also the only time at which a full-scale musical production can realistically take place – a decision on the choice of production in October, with script adaptations and casting prior to Christmas and an encouragement to learn lines over the holidays. Then, a carefully planned and thoughtfully executed rehearsal schedule spanning the length of the Spring term to ensure that energy and enthusiasm is retained for the performances themselves.
Anna McGrath (Head of Drama), Hannah-Louise Scott (Head of Prep School Music) and Amelia Dyer (ensemble singing) worked together to produce a fantastic adaptation of ‘Oliver! Jr.’, involving all of Forms 1 to 4, either on stage or in the Tech Crew. They have included specialist choreography for the first time and enlisted the support of technical advisers to make the best use of our ageing sound and lighting equipment.
As ever, Miss Wimbledon and Mrs. Haddon have given incredible support in the creation of a wonderful set – enhanced by the generous support of the PTFA, the Sports Hall was transformed by their combined efforts into an imitation of the shadowy streets of Dickensian London. On the final Monday and Tuesday nights of term, we were plunged into that world of thieves and friends, pickpockets and policemen, by a cast brimming with enthusiasm and confidence. It was wonderful to see.
With the stage set along ‘the Morpurgo Wall’, as it is now known, there was space enough for the 85 actors to tramp their way into the frame whilst singing ‘Food, Glorious Food!’. Harry then took centre stage as Mr. Bumble, executing the incredibly challenging ‘Boy for Sale’ before scuttling away having sold poor Oliver (Ollie) to the Head Boy (aka Mr. Sowerberry) to help in the funeral parlour. Escape leads Oliver to London where he is considered fortunate to meet Jack Dawkins, known to his intimate friends as ‘The Artful Dodger’ (Hector).
The scenes that followed will go down in Belhaven drama folklore – Hector and Ollie leading some very realistic street urchins (Form 3) through the much-loved central numbers of this timeless musical - ‘Consider Yourself’, ‘You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two’, ‘I’d Do Anything’ and ‘Be Back Soon’ before Nancy (India) and Bet (Ottilie) totally took control with ‘It’s a Fine Life’ and ‘Oom-Pah-Pah'.
One of the highlights of the entire production was the conviction with which the supporting cast acted, sang, reacted and danced their way through the complex scene changes and musical numbers – throughout, they were engaged in telling the story in support of the main characters, creating a memorable ensemble effect and a wonderful unison sound.
We were treated to the maniacal but strangely gentle ramblings of Fagin, expertly played in completely different ways on the two nights by Eloise and Arthur, and to the menacing presence of Bill Sikes (Jack), who left no one in any doubt as to who he thought was in charge.
However, despite the best efforts of Bill Sikes and Fagin, it is the small number of female characters that make the biggest waves in ‘Oliver! Jr.’ Nancy and Bet’s attempts to prevent the tragedy that is unfolding before their eyes ends in murder, but it was easy to forget, as we watched India sing with such passionate quality, that these were children aged just 13. The performances of the lead characters, on both nights, were truly outstanding, particularly when conveying the emotion of the story through singing.
There were so many little moments to enjoy that I was very relieved to have been able to watch it twice – there was a lot to savour! The pickpocket scene, choreographed differently on each evening, the badinage of the scene change crew, the reactive brilliance of all of the supporting cast – these were all characteristics of a very high-quality production and it certainly felt like a rollercoaster of an evening’s entertainment.
Well done to everyone involved – to the Form 1s who led with such incredible maturity – Ollie, India, Hector, Eloise and Arthur all winning Drama prizes, quite deservedly, at Prize-Giving at the end of term – to the supporting cast who will remember what it means to work hard for a great result and to Anna McGrath, Hannah-Louise Scott and Amelia Dyer, who directed, guided and supported them so brilliantly – thank you for creating such a wonderful production.
Oliver Twist
O.H Langton – Headmaster
