that we will never forget!
The final performance is happening as I write.
It has been emotional and enthralling, exhausting and highly entertaining from the very first audition through to curtain up on this, the last night.
Let's hear your thoughts as we enjoy our final trip to Baltimore...
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Performance Number 2 is underway!
We're in the middle of Performance Number 2 - the hall is packed and the excitement levels are high! Let's hear how you're doing...
Leave a comment!
Leave a comment!
Primary School Matinee - check!
Performance Number 1 - the 'Primary School Matinee' - went off with a bang - literally! Ok, there might have been a little bit of smoke, perhaps a little bit of fire but it's a rumour that any of that was real - those things are just metaphors for Mr G's fiery wit!
It was a great first show which really gave the cast and crew a taste of the excitement and adrenalin which comes from seeing all their hard work come to fruition and we've still got three performances to go so it's going to be an absolute stunner by Thursday night.
There was a lot of fun back stage as props flew around the wings, costumes burst and armies of Year 6 pupils were marched around to the far-flung functioning toilets by the editor and some excellent Year 6 navigators.
And on stage, the cast dealt with the inevitable first show wobbles like professionals, sung their hearts out and delivered their lines with ease. They were joined at the beginning by a group of pupils from West Acton, singing 'Good Morning Baltimore' - what an uplifting start to what promises to be a fantastic run!
Well done to all of you on an amazing first performance - I asked our audience what they thought as they left...
'Amazing'
'Awesome'
'Wicked'
'Great fun'
Now you can't say fairer than that!
It was a great first show which really gave the cast and crew a taste of the excitement and adrenalin which comes from seeing all their hard work come to fruition and we've still got three performances to go so it's going to be an absolute stunner by Thursday night.
There was a lot of fun back stage as props flew around the wings, costumes burst and armies of Year 6 pupils were marched around to the far-flung functioning toilets by the editor and some excellent Year 6 navigators.
And on stage, the cast dealt with the inevitable first show wobbles like professionals, sung their hearts out and delivered their lines with ease. They were joined at the beginning by a group of pupils from West Acton, singing 'Good Morning Baltimore' - what an uplifting start to what promises to be a fantastic run!
Well done to all of you on an amazing first performance - I asked our audience what they thought as they left...
'Amazing'
'Awesome'
'Wicked'
'Great fun'
Now you can't say fairer than that!
Three days of rehearsals later...
Who says all the action takes place on stage?!
Behind the scenes there is a team of dedicated, hardworking and sensible (well, perhaps not always sensible) teachers who dedicate a lot of time to the show while still managing to teach and generally keep on top of the world too!
Ms Greer has bravely taken on the job of costumes (reaching for the baton from Ms Campbell) and she can often be seen sitting in the corner surrounded by kids searching for lost ties or fat suits with different forms of padding in them!
Ms Bhachu, Ms Davies and Ms Idros are in charge of sending our cast straight back to the swinging 60s with big hair, bright red lips and a rainbow of eyeshadow.
Ms Wood, Ms Reed, Ms Binsley, Shanai, Julia and Lizzy are showing their strength by magically transforming the stage from Edna's Occidental Laundry into the Corny Collins T.V. Show set and then into Motormouth's Record Shop - no mean feat!
Ms Elstone ... well, she's like some sort of winged creature who swoops in, averting disaster, mending wonky set, sticking props and people back together, provides tea and then swoops out again, back to T2 to talk about vocabulary and non-linear narratives.
And as for me ... well, Ms Fletcher and I have to make sure that the cast have all the correct props - not an easy task when you have to deal with missing crowns, vanishing hairspray cans, and, of course, ensuring that Lauren has the right flavoured lollipop!
But it's not all hard work! Lots of fun and laughter has been had backstage - as well as lots of Haribo sweets (well, the staff need something to keep them going!) It's almost time for curtain up on Performance Number 1 but it's not too late to buy tickets to come along and see the 'Nicest Kids in Town'!!!
Ms Martin
Behind the scenes there is a team of dedicated, hardworking and sensible (well, perhaps not always sensible) teachers who dedicate a lot of time to the show while still managing to teach and generally keep on top of the world too!
Ms Greer has bravely taken on the job of costumes (reaching for the baton from Ms Campbell) and she can often be seen sitting in the corner surrounded by kids searching for lost ties or fat suits with different forms of padding in them!
Ms Bhachu, Ms Davies and Ms Idros are in charge of sending our cast straight back to the swinging 60s with big hair, bright red lips and a rainbow of eyeshadow.
Ms Wood, Ms Reed, Ms Binsley, Shanai, Julia and Lizzy are showing their strength by magically transforming the stage from Edna's Occidental Laundry into the Corny Collins T.V. Show set and then into Motormouth's Record Shop - no mean feat!
Ms Elstone ... well, she's like some sort of winged creature who swoops in, averting disaster, mending wonky set, sticking props and people back together, provides tea and then swoops out again, back to T2 to talk about vocabulary and non-linear narratives.
And as for me ... well, Ms Fletcher and I have to make sure that the cast have all the correct props - not an easy task when you have to deal with missing crowns, vanishing hairspray cans, and, of course, ensuring that Lauren has the right flavoured lollipop!
But it's not all hard work! Lots of fun and laughter has been had backstage - as well as lots of Haribo sweets (well, the staff need something to keep them going!) It's almost time for curtain up on Performance Number 1 but it's not too late to buy tickets to come along and see the 'Nicest Kids in Town'!!!
Ms Martin
Monday, 20 June 2011
We're nearly there...
'The world's spinning fast now' and we've nearly reached the very first performance - primary school matinee tomorrow morning, here we come! And, just because at EWS we don't like to do things by half, we'll have another performance in the afternoon.
The cast and crew have had three days of intensive rehearsals and teching. Here are a few high (or low) lights:
And the big question:
Are we ready?
We'd better be!
There's no turning back now Guys and Gidgets. Get your hairspray cans out, sort out those 'dos and join us!
P.S. Email the editor or leave a comment with your 'rehearasal best bits' - sharing is caring (actually, it's more about revealing and gossiping but something has to keep us going while we teach, plan, mark, revise, catch up on work and wait for the first performance!)
The cast and crew have had three days of intensive rehearsals and teching. Here are a few high (or low) lights:
- Mr G being electrocuted.
- Mr G being attacked by scenery.
- The editor being attacked by exam desks.
- 'You can't stop the beat' sounding fabulous by the end of Thursday!
And the big question:
Are we ready?
We'd better be!
There's no turning back now Guys and Gidgets. Get your hairspray cans out, sort out those 'dos and join us!
P.S. Email the editor or leave a comment with your 'rehearasal best bits' - sharing is caring (actually, it's more about revealing and gossiping but something has to keep us going while we teach, plan, mark, revise, catch up on work and wait for the first performance!)
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
The Roquettes!
The band have now been christened - introducing ... The Roquettes!
And a message from the band leader, that cool chick who is Ms Beaumont:
'The Madison was really starting to rock tonight and the monkey was getting quite funky! Laura W was a true professional. Surely a radio station will have to hire her after this show!'
So guys and gidgets, it'S LOOKING good and SOUNDING good...
GET YOUR TICKETS IN THE FOYER AT LUNCHTIMES!
And a message from the band leader, that cool chick who is Ms Beaumont:
'The Madison was really starting to rock tonight and the monkey was getting quite funky! Laura W was a true professional. Surely a radio station will have to hire her after this show!'
So guys and gidgets, it'S LOOKING good and SOUNDING good...
GET YOUR TICKETS IN THE FOYER AT LUNCHTIMES!
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Good Morning Acton!
Today was our Sunday rehearsal and, while much of West London may still have been in bed, the cast and crew of EWS Hairspray 2011 were in the school hall early, awake and raring to go (ok, not everyone was early, not everyone was awake but we were all determined to do our best, however we chose to demonstrate that!)
With the help of some fabulous wigs, some of the cast were transformed to become 'Big, Blonde and Beautiful' and we really did say 'Welcome to the 60s' with some fabulous costumes (Nice one Ms Campbell!) - it's all starting to look rather convincing.
The indomitable Shanai has returned to us and the stage crew are whipping everything into shape and getting everyone organised for their entrances and exits (I didn't see Ms Wood eat a single sweet all day - serious dedication!) and with Ms Martin and Ms Walsh stationed in their props emporium a variety of weird and wonderful things are finding their way onto the stage - mostly at the right time (stay awake cast!) - and no one can prove how many doughnuts there were at the beginning of the day...
It's time to come up with a new name for the band for this year, but even without a suitably 60s-esque moniker, they are really swinging. "I can hear the bells"? Not over Mr Sidali's drums which are 'bangin' and have kept everyone in the mood throughout the rehearsal.
Vanstone and Gillingham have been super cool all day and you can see it in their eyes - there's still a way to go, there always is but they're starting to smile, they're swaying a little, enjoying the buzz we all start to feel at this stage and they know... it's going to be good. Very good!
Well done all - Link's got it wrong, it doesn't "Take Two", it takes the whole righteous lot of you and you're all going to be bitchin!
This was the best Sunday rehearsal we've ever had...
Bring it on!
With the help of some fabulous wigs, some of the cast were transformed to become 'Big, Blonde and Beautiful' and we really did say 'Welcome to the 60s' with some fabulous costumes (Nice one Ms Campbell!) - it's all starting to look rather convincing.
The indomitable Shanai has returned to us and the stage crew are whipping everything into shape and getting everyone organised for their entrances and exits (I didn't see Ms Wood eat a single sweet all day - serious dedication!) and with Ms Martin and Ms Walsh stationed in their props emporium a variety of weird and wonderful things are finding their way onto the stage - mostly at the right time (stay awake cast!) - and no one can prove how many doughnuts there were at the beginning of the day...
It's time to come up with a new name for the band for this year, but even without a suitably 60s-esque moniker, they are really swinging. "I can hear the bells"? Not over Mr Sidali's drums which are 'bangin' and have kept everyone in the mood throughout the rehearsal.
Vanstone and Gillingham have been super cool all day and you can see it in their eyes - there's still a way to go, there always is but they're starting to smile, they're swaying a little, enjoying the buzz we all start to feel at this stage and they know... it's going to be good. Very good!
Well done all - Link's got it wrong, it doesn't "Take Two", it takes the whole righteous lot of you and you're all going to be bitchin!
This was the best Sunday rehearsal we've ever had...
Bring it on!
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