Les Miserables, School Edition
St Gregory's Catholic College, Bath
It is surely the dream of most musical theatre fans to perform "Les Mis", with a full orchestra to a packed house and whether it is in a school hall or west end theatre, this iconic musical of the twentieth century cannot fail to raise spirits and bring the packed hall to their feet in a triumphant display of commitment from pupils and staff alike.
As always in a company of nearly 150 pupils there will be outstanding performances from individuals; Jane Morgan (Eponine), Joseph Croucher (Marius) and Charlotte Bond (Javert) all rise to the challenge admirably with strong characterisation as well as impressive vocals; well conceived cameos from Georgina Rees ( Madame Thenardier) and Jemima Brakspear (Gavroche) but all credit to Alistair Addley (Jean Valjean) one of the most demanding musical roles for men, his rendition of "Bring Him Home" captured the moment beautifully.
The whole company is excellent, as there is such a wealth of talent the production is double cast and whilst not taking on their principal roles the pupils are back in the chorus. The full orchestra under the great direction of Mark Bradbury consisting of both pupils and teachers was a pleasure to watch.
This is a great example of team effort and whilst the teaching profession continue to be maligned in the press, it is on occasions like these it is evident that there are many extraordinary adults working in schools who continually raise the bar, inspiring young people to strive for excellence and creating opportunities such as these; a truly uplifting experience.
Petra Schofield