MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR.
The Lower School production of Matilda the Musical Jr. was a triumph, says Catherine Ibbotson
A t the end of last academic year, and after re- hearsing for over a term, a 30-strong company of Lower School pupils used skills learnt in their Drama, Dance and Music lessons to perform Matilda the Musical Jr. , based on the Roald Dahl classic, with songs by Tim Minchin. The musical’s themes of family, youth, good versus evil and freedom were clear to see, and the boys performed with energy, commitment and enjoy- ment, leaving the audience singing the line ‘even if you’re little, you can do a lot’. It was truly exciting to have the first Lower School musical in the Edward Alleyn Theatre, with full audiences and standing ovations. Dance artist Caroline Capon reviewed the performance: ‘I was excited to watch a well-known West End musical, and this junior version did not disappoint! It was won- derful to see a boys’ school putting on a female-heavy lead role show, with such commitment to their charac- ters. The stage was littered with huge colourful letters and alphabet boxes, which drew me in from the outset. We, as the audience, were taken seamlessly between a dingy school, the Wormwoods’ home, a library and more, discovering the different people, whether kind or evil, within Matilda’s story. The skill level shown from all cast members was excellent, throwing themselves fully into the choreography, singing and acting. The performances of Matilda, played by James White, and Miss Trunchbull, played by Ryan Nguyen, were excep- tional, supported brilliantly by the rest of the ensemble. I could clearly see the hard work which had been put into the show, and their enjoyment was infectious. I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and all cast members should be really proud of their achievement.’ ◎
Awareness Week with a celebration of neurodiversity and telling it like it is: Welcome to Wonderland was a top- sy-turvy, off-kilter scheme inspired by the Mad Hatter’s proclamation ‘We’re all mad here!’, incorporating hip-hop moves from ZooNation’s The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. A-level and GCSE students continue to create fearless original work fuelled by contemporary theatre practice, including the work of director Emma Rice, auteur Steven Berkoff and the immersive theatre company Punchdrunk. Peer learning has been laid bare, with each successive piece presented for examination inspiring and fuelling the younger cohort, and there has been impressive skill-sharing as they have clamoured to know how effects were created. Trust and fearlessness have been evident in the rehearsal room, seeing pupils push boundaries leading to heart-stopping lifts and drops as well as simmering danger and unnerving heart-in-the-mouth moments, notably in the thrilling opening sequence of The Trial, the dreamscape in Sleep No More, the Afghan
battlefield in Pink Mist as Xavier Wild was hurled through a 360-degree turn, and most devastatingly Usher cradling the cataleptic Madeline shrouded by snow dust in the Year 12 immersive Midnight Poe. Alleynian Drama editorials write themselves, such is the richness of activity within the department, but none of the achievements or currency the subject has at Dul- wich would be possible without the extraordinary team of practitioners, directors, educators, actors, choreog- raphers, designers and technical experts who deliver unrelenting originality, invention and rigour to inspire, challenge and engage pupils on a daily basis . A particular thank you to Emma Haxton for her peerless pedagogy and to Peter Jolly who directed the musical with me, and happily still appears regularly in the EAT when they let him out of the Archive, and a fond thanks and au revoir to Jerome Reid OA for all his invaluable technical expertise and unflappable calm this year as he helped keep the wheels turning. ◎
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THE ALLEYNIAN 711
DRAMA & DANCE
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