Arthur Terry High School Musical: Talented young performers showed they are ‘all in this together’ with an all-singing, all-dancing production of a modern classic.
The school is putting on eight performances of the iconic musical over two weeks, featuring a stellar cast, impressive dancers and a student band.
And with the shows underway, spanning matinee and evening performances, staff and parents are beaming with pride at the incredible talent on display.
Becky Wadsworth, Subject Leader for Drama at Arthur Terry and a co-director of the production, says the students are thrilled to be performing a musical which is a childhood classic for many of them.
She said: “High School Musical is a favourite for so many of our students – it’s of their age and generation, they grew up with it, and it means something to them.
“We actually heard rumblings in the changing rooms during our production last year that the students wanted to do High School Musical, so we listened to them!”
Auditions for the Arthur Terry High School Musical production were held in September, with more than 100 students trying out for roles in the play’s cast and band. The level of talent was so high that two separate casts were selected, with each having four performance nights.
Mrs Wadsworth said: “We have so much talent here at Arthur Terry that having one cast wasn’t enough. We wanted to give all of our talented young actors the opportunity to shine.”
Since then, the dedicated young actors have been attending after-school rehearsals on Thursdays, while the band members have devoted Monday afternoons to practising.
Mrs Wadsworth said: “Rehearsals started with the students doing singing, acting and dancing independently, before they would all come together so we could do a whole scene.
“We even had a separate tech club who learned how to do lighting and sound – every aspect of the play is led by enthusiastic students.”
Amie Hall, Careers Lead and co-director, added: “We also had some brilliant input from the art department, who designed our wonderful set incorporating the iconic red and white colours from High School Musical.
“We put our own spin on the staging by having lots of different levels, meaning the cast, dancers and band can all be in the spotlight as integral features of the show. Historically we’ve had the band to either side of the stage, but we wanted to make sure they were seen and appreciated just as much as our actors.
“We also have a proper ticketing system like in a real theatre, with parents and guests having assigned seats rather than it being a free-for-all.
“These changes really give our production an air of professionalism – which is reflected by the dedication and talent of our students.”
According to Becky Deekes, the school’s Faculty Leader for Performing Arts, a major factor behind the play’s professional feel is the live student band.
Miss Deekes said: “Having a live band makes the music more professional-sounding than singing along to a backing track. The band members have worked so hard to bring the music to life.
“Our drummer, Dave Loffman, has been working with the kids and getting the whole band together. It’s been a big step up for our young musicians, but they’ve handled it brilliantly.”
The school’s dance department has also been working hard to perfect the musical’s choreography, with Dance Teacher Lauren Brunsden serving as chief choreographer.
Miss Brunsden explained: “We have a brilliant crew of dancers who play the cheerleaders in the show. They hold the dancing for the whole production.
“For each of the big numbers, we break the choreography down into small sections, which can be quite challenging as the students have to switch between dancing and acting. The students have really risen to the challenge!”
With the first shows of the run already underway and just a handful left, the response from parents, staff and the community has been overwhelming.
Mrs Wadsworth said: “So far, it’s been amazing. The main thing for me is seeing the students having so much fun on stage and showcasing their phenomenal talent with such confidence. The atmosphere has been electric.”
Miss Deekes added: “It’s great to show our community how vital performing arts are here at Arthur Terry. You can see it in the students’ dedication to giving up their own time for rehearsals and auditions, and our amazing staff turnout at each of our performance nights.
Headteacher Jo Fairclough said: “Performing Arts are an essential part of our curriculum offer, helping to shape the confidence and creativity of our students. We are so proud of our students and grateful to our dedicated staff. It really has been a huge team effort.
“If you haven’t been to any of the shows yet, you are very welcome – our actors and musicians are incredible!”
Arthur Terry High School Musical
