LOWER SCHOOL HOUSE DRAMA
More than 80 pupils from Years 7 and 8 took to the stage in the Edward Alleyn Theatre to present excerpts from iconic musicals, overseen by Catherine Ibbotson and Lucy Mackenzie
P laying in front of a packed house – many for the first time in their Dulwich careers – the boys daz- zled and entranced us with their skill in conjuring a diverse variety of worlds both fantastical and real to delight and make us laugh. It was fantastic to see so many skills learnt in Drama and Dance lessons and work- shops helping to shape their original inventive takes on these classics. We were very grateful to our adjudicator, freelance dancer, choreographer and movement director Hayley Chilvers, for providing the following thoughtful feedback: ‘ The Wizard of Oz had great movement from the munch- kins, with a strong commitment to all characters 100 per cent of the time, even to the extent of the dog rubbing his belly. A special mention here to the students for making their own yellow brick road! The Sound of Music had well-thought-through staging, with very simple ideas that were executed brilliantly. The actors showed wonderful entrances of each character arriving in the bedroom. The Jungle Book showed some superb monkey physicality, which carried through the scene. They had wonderful energy throughout the song, which really embraced the dance aspect of the musicals theme. Beauty and the Beast showed some intricate choreography, particularly in ‘Be Our Guest’, demonstrating real attention to detail, and
the French accents were attempted and executed well. There was a punchy start to Annie with fluid transitions throughout. The ensemble work was strong in this group, playing off each other beautifully with a fantastic entrance from Miss Hannigan. The Lion King had super clean choreography with a great sense of energy and strong use of space. The hyena movement was well co-ordinated and rehearsed. There was an impressive entrance down the audience stairs giving a visceral feeling to the start of Oliver and there was an effective build of tension to the line “can I have some more?” Aladdin really demonstrated a “wow” entrance with their first image, using the balcony for a full spectacle number. The entrance of the genie was magical and there were some strong acting performances throughout the scene, which was intentional, polished and calm for what at times was very ambitious.’ She concluded: ‘Thank you for inviting me along for the evening. It really was lovely to see so much passion and energy on stage. Overall, I was impressed by the effort put in and feel it’s important to say that sometimes the smaller parts really make the whole performance so much stronger as a whole. What you choose to do on stage when you don’t have a line is just as important as when you do. I felt the actors really embraced their roles, large or small, and that was wonderful to see.’ ◎
What you choose to do on stage when you don’t have a line is just as important as when you do
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THE ALLEYNIAN 711
DRAMA & DANCE
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