An enjoyable visit to the theatre
The commencement of any academic year is an exciting time and for the pupils of Form III this is no exception. It is not only the beginning of their career in the Seniors and a time to catch up with old friends from Upper II and make new friends who are joining St Augustine’s Priory, but also a time when there are new things to learn and to enjoy. This was the case when Form III travelled into London on Thursday 7th September to see the production of ‘Annie the Musical’.
Mrs Brown, Head of Drama, comments, “I had the pleasure of taking Form III to see ‘Annie the Musical’ at the Piccadilly Theatre last Thursday. I was very impressed by the girls’ mature behaviour and I really enjoyed spending time with the mix of familiar faces and new girls. It was a fantastic bonding experience for the year group. The show was highly entertaining; I was particularly struck by the talent of the children in the cast. That said, I think some of our girls could give them a run for their money!”
Several members of Form III have reviewed the production of ‘Annie the Musical’:
Elodie King, Form IIIA, comments, ‘On Thursday night, Form III went to see the incredible play: ‘Annie the Musical’. It was full of laughter, joy and, most importantly, popcorn! We were disappointed that Miranda Hart wasn’t available to play Miss Hannigan, but the understudy (Anne Smith) was just as enjoyable and hilarious. The show was full of exceptional singing and dancing: so good in fact, that we couldn’t stop singing on the tube. The whole year fell in love with Annie’s adorable dog, Sandy. The trip was a fantastic way for the year to bond and make great new friends.
It was such a fun trip and everybody enjoyed it so much. We’re all hoping for another incredible drama visit next year.’
Melanie West, Form III A had this to say, ‘On Thursday 7th September 2017, Form IIIA went to the Piccadilly theatre to see ‘Annie the Musical’! We met at 6.00pm on Ealing Broadway station and set off by tube. We all knew we were in for a very exciting evening, but none of us knew it would be as enjoyable as it was. We got on the tube train, (which was boiling, surprise, surprise) and ended up chatting our way to Piccadilly Circus, where we got off and lined up to enter the theatre. The first thing that happened when we arrived was that we had our bags checked by security. Afterwards, we were allowed free rein around the theatre, and every single person stocked up on sweets.
The show itself was excellent, and Miranda Hart’s replacement was very good. The musical follows the adventures of Annie, who is an orphan from 1920s/1930s New York, as she tries to find her parents. Overall, our evening at the theatre was excellent, and I would like to say a special thank you to all the staff who made this trip possible. The journey back was quite uneventful, and was essentially the same as the journey there. I think I speak for all of Form III when I say that this trip was absolutely brilliant! The only downside was that we were all very tired the next morning!’
Finally, we hear from Kara Irvine, Form IIIA: ‘On 7th September Form III went to see ‘Annie the Musical’ in the West End. We travelled to Piccadilly Circus by tube and arrived there at about 7.00pm. We then explored the theatre before returning to our seats to watch the performance. As the curtain went up and the lights went down, the audience fell silent; it was as if the mesmerising set put everyone in a trance. It looked amazing. Imagine it… an old rundown orphanage in the middle of New York, well that’s exactly what it looked like.
I really enjoyed watching the actor who played Rooster, because I felt that he took on the role with much gusto and embraced the character. I thought the woman who played Miss Hannigan did it really well, although I was disappointed not to see Miranda Hart playing the role. However, it didn’t affect the overall performance. The actors’ costumes were the cherry on the cake as they looked incredible, definitely 1930s.
All in all, I unquestionably enjoyed the performance of Annie. I would like to thank Miss Brown for organising the whole visit, and all the staff for looking out for us.’
We look forward to hearing more throughout the year of this year’s Form III’s experiences at St Augustine’s Priory.
Categories: Senior Whole School
