Message from Michele Marquet, Acting Head of School

Dear Parents,

Last Friday, the Senior School’s Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, started its glorious run and what a joy it is! It is a truly impressive collaboration between our Music and Drama departments, as well as our stage performers and background crew, not to speak of the special relationship that builds between audience and performers on any given night.

We often talk about teamwork being something that our children can learn via playing a team sport, which is undoubtedly true. But we can certainly learn those same invaluable lessons through engagement in the Arts.

Participating in an ensemble production takes skill far greater than just memorising your lines or music. You have to learn how to work with one another, to be generous and flexible, able to pivot in the moment to ensure the performance is a success. Fast forgiveness of errors and creativity to cover mistakes are skills that every performer has to hone regularly, for themselves, but more importantly for their fellow cast or orchestra members. The performance as a whole is more important than the individual. Cast, crew and musicians are always aiming for a certain synergy and synchronicity that will elevate the performance to something beyond technical accuracy and towards genuine artistry.

Juggling the workload to prepare for a full-scale performance while making sure class work and other commitments are maintained takes organisational and, occasionally, top notch negotiation skills. Students need to exercise patience, forbearance and kindness – both with themselves and others!

Our cast, crew and orchestra and the extraordinary staff who have guided them in this journey deserve our unstinting thanks and praise. It is wonderful to see so many of our students fully engaged in such an enterprise, thrilled to be part of the performance, but also practising beneficial skills for life.

I hope many of our families are able to attend one of the final few performances, tickets are available here, and enjoy the magic created by our very talented students and staff.

Best wishes

Michele Marquet
Acting Head of School