Upper Sixth Pupils at St Peter’s have celebrated the end of term with a special performance, broadcast virtually for friends and family members to enjoy from home.
Due to social distancing regulations, it wasn't possible to organise the full school musical this term. However, the Drama Department at St Peter’s pulled out all the stops to ensure that the Upper Sixth pupils could still put on a show.
On Friday 4 December, the Drama Studio was turned into a film studio by Miss Burns, and our fantastic pupils performed live to a small Upper Sixth audience and at least 200 people via TV screens. The production was live streamed as a one-off performance and the audience applied for free tickets in advance.
The production included two Acts featuring the play ‘Elephant’s Graveyard’ by George Brant and a montage of “Songs from the Shows”. In the first Act, each cast member really brought their characters to life for the audience. The circus folk were vibrant and sparkly and the townspeople were excited and righteous. The singing in the second Act was professional and a joy to listen to and watch.
Speaking of the Upper Sixth performance, Miss Helen Figgins, Director of Drama at St Peter’s, said: “This was the final school performance for the Upper Sixth and we wanted to provide the best possible experience for our pupils. It was vital to the Drama and Music Departments that we were able to offer the talented Upper Sixth pupils the opportunity to perform. We specifically chose a play that directly addresses the audience and is monologue centric so that rehearsals could have taken place in isolation if needed. Thankfully this hasn’t been the case.
“It has been really exciting to find this new way of working. The studio feels a bit like a film studio at the moment! We also had the aunty of one of the cast members join us for the live broadcast from New York, which has never been possible before. We wanted to deliver a ‘live’ theatre experience instead of pre-recording, so we have all the production buzz and adrenaline. The cast are fabulous and I’m so glad that we have been able to arrange this for them. The pupils worked together in difficult times to create a stunning performance that will long live in our memories.”
Mr Jeremy Walker, Head Master, said: "Drama at St Peter's is always a hive of creativity and especially so with this new venture into live streaming. Congratulations to everyone involved and thanks to all who have helped St Peter's take a fresh step forward with this in new medium."
