For two years, the OHS stage has been in darkness. Now, we have all been invited as guests to celebrate the joy of theatre as we watched, with enchantment and wonder, our Senior School musical production of the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast. With a talking clock, candelabra, wardrobe, feather duster, teapot and teacup, could there be a nicer invitation to visit an enchanted castle and forget the world’s problems for a few hours?
The show has given opportunities for our students to show off their dazzling array of skills as actors, singers, dancers, orchestral players, costumiers, and set makers. The cast, crew and band have been incredibly responsive, creative, quick-learning, and hardworking, and we hope you have been delighted and enchanted by them.
Though it is with deep sadness that the Year 7 students were absent from the performances, they are to be highly praised for adding enthusiasm and joy to rehearsals. They rose to the challenges of learning creative choreography and practised in lunchtimes to get their steps perfect. In their absence, and with true Oxford High School resilience, despite hours to go until ‘curtain up’, the rest of the cast pulled together as a team to fill the gaps left.
The shows have been led by the students and their leadership is phenomenal. Praise should be festooned on the technical crew, led by Lucy in S7 (Deputy Stage Manager). Lucy, with maturity and conscientiousness, cued over 150 lighting and sound cues from backstage. Her crew have even stepped away from their technical roles to design, create and paint the set. They are an ever resourceful team who are supported by the stage managers who have worked hard to organise the cast, props, and scene changes.
“I have never been more proud to see such camaraderie, commitment, positivity and good grace in the face of adversity.” – Ms Bramall, Director of Drama
We would also like to thank Mrs Susan Richards, a parent of two alumnae daughters of Oxford High School. Mrs Richards has been the Wardrobe Mistress of OHS productions for many, many years. We were astounded by the quality of the costumes which she has sourced, altered, or made.
“It has been a hugely satisfying and enjoyable process to put together the first senior school musical in three years at OHS, and to restore this too-long-absent event to its rightful place at the pinnacle of the school calendar.” – Dr Foster, Director of Music
Our heartfelt thanks to all students and staff who have worked incredibly hard and with kindness to one another to create a spectacle for us to enjoy, and all with a smile. Encore!
