“It was clear it would be wildly taxing emotionally and physically as it involved tons of costume changes and switching between playing two different characters in less than 15 seconds, which was very challenging. But when I came to College in Year 9, I decided I would give everything a go, so I tried out for everything hoping I would become successful. And it worked. “Most terrifying was that I had also to sing solo and dance,’’ he says. “However I decided to give it a crack and in the end, it all came together. Rehearsals took up a huge amount of time and I was initially relieved when it was all over and I could get back to school, so to speak, but now I really miss it. It’s so much fun and gives you a real sense of purpose doing something other than worrying about getting grades. It ends up being more than the sum of all the parts.’’ Our House was an easy choice for this year’s joint senior production, says Director David Chambers. “It had 1980s music, was an Olivier Award winner, and the group Madness who wrote the music and lyrics has undergone a huge revival in the last few years. Nearly everyone knows the lyrics and can sing along to It must be love, love, love or Our House . “However, one of the main reasons was because the storyline is accessible to adolescents,” he says. “It’s about making good or bad choices and the consequences of each. It’s about how much you decide to do in the here-and-now Henry Rolleston could not believe his ears when he found out he was to play the lead role in the 2016 senior production of Our House as, despite playing the lead in last year’s production Dr Faustus, he knew this would be a hugely demanding role.
and how much your own free will determines your future.’’ Director Hannah Clarkson says the play explores the themes of family values, growing up, responsibility, grief and love. “The story reminds us all that we don’t often have the luxury of a second chance and that it is indeed our choices that map out the roller coaster ride of our lives.’’ As Mr Chambers says “It presents youth, their choices and consequences, loves and loathing and, above all, the joy of banter amongst mates through the madness of restless adolescence. “It was a complex show to pull off because of several technical challenges,’’ he says. “Whenever you have a set that moves in three dimensions, you have a whole range of additional safety issues and requirements to consider. These take
28
Christ’s College Canterbury
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator