Blogs at Dauntsey's School

Hi this is tom and this is may first video.
People who don’t know the rutine i hope you find this helpful!!!

Tom

The last week has whizzed by as the Upper 6th Theatre Studies’ students prepped, tech’d and performed their final exam productions. The shows: “The Burbank House of Unusual Cases” on the Mem Stage, “I Um Sat” in V2 and “The Monkey’s Paw” in the Portas (now to be known as ‘The Cottage’!),

The cottage set in the Portas was an interesting challenge. The ceiling height is too low for our standard flats to fit so it was just as well we have a number of flats that got cut down for our recent one-nighter in the West End (ironically you go to one of the largest theatre’s in London and end up having to cut your set down to fit..). With the fantastic assistance from a colleague who came in for several days we put together one of the best small scales sets we have ever had

The Monkey’s Paw not only required this fine detailed cottage setting but the monkey paw which the play is named after. It was one of those random props that you get asked to make which is just fun to make. The play really should have been renamed ‘The Gorilla’s Paw’ as I did get carried away and made it a little larger then it needed to be… Although Jaz, Ollie and Toby did a great job of building up the suspense in the play keeping their audiences hooked – the scariest moment was Mr Jackson making a surprise entrance during a rehearsal which left Ollie almost incapacitated on the floor from fright (while the rest of us just laughed).

“Burbank House” had the audience on-stage crammed behind wire fencing or perched on the balcony as they watched three Romanian orphans, the product of Ceaușescu’s regime, escape momentarily from their tragic lives into a sad fantasy world. Kudos to Fia, Hattie and Flora who were so dedicated to their work performing in what was almost a cess pit. Costumes brilliantly designed by Holly, this play I found was often unsettling to watch and I am infuriated by the laptop which failed to deliver all of the media for their final performance.

“I Um Sat” had Billy and Dulcie as exaggerated gothic characters imagined by an autistic girl Polly, played by Tori, as she tried to protect herself from the taunts and cat-calls of others who picked on her difference. Taking inspiration from a Tim Burton poem ‘Staring Girl’, this play had a great visual look to it which was literally capped off by Tori’s ‘Staring Girl’ head prop.

Well done to all the students: Flora, Hattie, Fia, Holly, Dulcie, Billy, Tori, Jaz, Ollie and Toby. Good luck in all your exams!!

Mr H.

The School Rules dance rehersal,yesterday, was great. it looks amazing and is really coming along

Will Harding

Fighting through sore throats, illness and exhaustion, we are in our final push to the finish line on Monday. Working alongside Cameron Mackintosh’s musical director and performing on a taped out “life size” version of the stage we began rehearsing a run of the show last night.
The show is of course a totally different production to what was seen in December, but hopefully, all going to plan, the show will be fantastic and the day will be something to remember for a long time to come.

A HUGE BREAK A LEG to the whole cast

Signing out…
THUY

Today the first wave of the Miss Saigon company head to London in preparation for tomorrow’s show. Two trucks full of scenery and orchestral kit will arrive at the Prince Edward Theatre this evening and the set up will begin in earnest.
Tomorrow the second wave of crew depart at 5.30 ready to continue the get in before the orchestra and cast arrive at 10.15 ready to rehearse and perform to a sell out audience that evening.

There has been an incredible amount of organisation put into this event and fingers crossed that it will go smoothly. The two big rehearsals we had last week went well and we enjoyed having Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s Head of Music with us for both rehearsals. Freddie is on the road to recovery, which is a relief and fingers crossed that Paddy and Lou and all therest of the cast will be fighting fit on the day.

See you at the Theatre!

Mr.J