TALKING HEADS
By Whitmore High School head teacher, Innes Robinson
The show must go on…
BOTH my wife and I have had haunting experiences of being on the stage.
She fell off her chair during a recital and has not played a musical instrument since. I was so bad in Sweeny Todd that it has achieved almost mythical status amongst my family.
Due to our lack of talent, it came as no surprise when our eldest came home and said he was a servant in the school play. And not just any servant…servant number four. Any lines? Of course not.
When Vaughn, our youngest, excitedly told us he was to be an owl (no, I didn’t know an owl was present at the birth of Jesus either), we accepted that our stage presence had been passed down a generation.
As we watched Vaughn flapping around at the back of the stage in his owl outfit, we were genuinely amazed when he started to speak. That’s right… he’d been given some lines! Two no less which he delivered with some aplomb despite absolutely no input from home. In that moment, he became the household thespian and was praised as if he had just won an Oscar.
What I love about school productions is the confidence it brings to children that can’t be gained in the classroom. Whether it be the star of the show or the lowly servant with no lines, all cast members feel part of something special.
Which is why we are so delighted that despite Covid restrictions, we have been able to put on four nights of our winter show, Teen Beach Musical. As I write this, the pupils are nervously going over their lines one last time. With all that children have missed out on during the pandemic, the drama and musical department have moved mountains to make sure the show goes on.
#GlamorganStar #TrustedNews #Free
