will ever do at school. The music you play, the feeling of working together, of creating something so good, it’s really special.”
Will Simcock Vocal Ensemble
“I’ve always been right into singing and have done a lot of choir work and been in other vocal ensembles, but I’d always shied away from getting involved in productions. I loved watching, but never took myself to be a musical theatre kind of person. Then I thought this was my last year, my one chance, I can’t miss out on that – and I absolutely loved it, was blown away by it. “E vita was incredible. Being in that setting with such a talented group of boys and girls was an amazing experience – and the teachers made sure all aspects of it were perfect. “One of the highlights for me happened during lockdown. The vocal ensemble had to video ourselves singing one of the songs, which was then put together and used as a promo video. It was quite something sitting in my bathroom recording myself singing the Evita soundtrack. “Don’t hesitate to audition for a show. Push yourself to do it because it’s definitely worth it. Being on stage like that – there’s no feeling like it. It’s as if the whole world’s watching – it’s amazing.”
so many other things that had to be cut this year, the fact that we got to do it at all was awesome. That’s pretty much down to the determination of Mr Wynne, Dr Hastie, David Chambers, Peter Rutherford and the tight team of teachers around them. “The professional way in which College does drama and musical theatre really allows you to get involved. I’d say to anyone to take the opportunity and, whether you think you’ll get in or not, audition and give it a go. It’s so much fun. You learn so much.”
though it looked like I was leading.
“When I came to College I was so looking forward to being a part of the senior production. Five years later I’m telling everyone to get involved. It’s very exciting and so rewarding.”
Thomas McClean Trumpet – Orchestra
“This was my third production and, although it’s a lot of work, when you’re doing it you realise how fortunate you are to have the opportunity to play in an orchestra like this. “ Evita is especially challenging – there are no breaks, everything is singing and playing the whole time. Once you’re in the orchestra pit you can’t see the stage at all, you get a different perspective when you can hear all the singing but never get to see the acting. You’re completely reliant on the conductor Janet Kingsbury, and you have to pay attention and stay focused the whole time. “On opening night I realised how lucky we were to get it together. It was really nice just to be able to perform for an audience that showed real appreciation. “While it might not look like the most fun being in the orchestra, it’s not like anything else you
Elia Garrett Dance Ensemble
“I guess I’ve always had some sense of rhythm, of movement, but never really done any dancing before. It was so much fun, but took a while to learn. I was in the middle of the nine-soldier marching tank – it was wild. Choreographer Hannah Clarkson worked so hard with us and we rehearsed a lot on our own. But when everyone came together and we could see how it would all fit together, we knew it was going to be something pretty special. The chemistry was really good. “All the dances were fun, but the tango was definitely the best. My partner, Elysia, is an insane dancer, really brilliant. She knew a lot and helped me a lot; she led me even
College Issue 39 2020
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