On the evenings of the 13th and 14th of January, a cast of students, ranging from Year 9 to Year 13, from Brampton Manor Academy and Brampton Manor Academy Sixth Form took to the stage to perform a 70s classic: Grease.
When Sandy and Danny are unexpectedly reunited at Rydell High, the drama of their relationship and goings-on within the T-birds and Pink Ladies mean they’re pulled apart again and again. But as the friends’ final year draws to a close and they all head off in their different directions, they all come together and make up, singing “We’ll always be together!” into the sunset.
As the second of the school’s annual musicals, following the outstanding production of Little Shop Of Horrors last year, it was even bigger and better. The cast was twice the size, the dace routines twice as snazzy and the set twice as big! This didn’t come, however, until after four months of rehearsals, fittings, construction, lighting and sound, and choreography.
Jordan Anyiri, year 9, who stepped in last minute to fill in the character Doody, said “Drama is just a fun way to be who you want to be without worrying what other people think of you. It also helps to expand your creativity and imagination, although it could be improved by having more time in lessons for students to be able to do what they enjoy most in the curriculum.”
When asked about his experience in the production of Grease, he answered, “I’ve made more friends and feel that this is a sort of ‘once in a lifetime’ moment, especially since it was originally meant for Year 10s and above, and I’ll definitely be doing things like this more often.”
Dillon Cox, Year 10, who played Kenickie, said, “The best thing about drama is the adrenaline rush, you get this feeling of excitement, this buzz that you don’t get from anything else. It’s great fun, you get to work with others and forge friendships that last for ages. It’s a break from the monotonies of academic subjects; you get a few hours a week to just do something different.
“ I don’t think I’d make any changes to the Expressive Arts curriculum if I could as they give great creativity to skills and teamwork skills. You learn what to do in situations where problems occur, which is very useful for everything in the future.
“I’ve gained a lot of confidence from doing performances such as Grease and would definitely do similar things in the future.”
Jesse Fallan, 10, gave us a review of the performance after he went to watch it. “The show was a success because of the sets and costume as they were all very well made and professional. The acting was also of a professional standard, for example accents, facial expressions and tones were all excellent. Any mistakes that were made were undetectable mainly because of the mature relationships between actors. Watching Grease has made me change the way I see drama in secondary school because before I never really thought I’d be able to do well but now I realise it’s not only very inclusive but there’s more to it than just acting so everyone can do something.”
Brampton Manor Academy’s drama department has always been a strong department in the school, and with the recent Year 10 GCSE performance showcase being a huge success, it looks as if it’s got a bright future too.
