ANNIE-MAZING PRODUCTION!

Many people have wondered whether a KS3 production would follow the amazing musical of Oliver! in the autumn term, featuring Daniel Wheeldon (8W) in the starring role as Oliver Twist. However, it was revealed that there will be a KS3 production in the summer. Prepare yourselves everyone, as Annie is coming to Leventhorpe! I spoke to Grace Turvill (7C), a member of the drama club at Leventhorpe, about her thoughts. She replied, “I am looking forward to doing the production because I think it will be very fun!”

What you can do?

There is a lot of confusion over what people can do in the KS3 productions. Some people think it is just about the singing and dancing, others think it relies purely on tech and backstage crew. However, I have found 4 key areas that are the building blocks to a fantastic musical:

1. Main Roles

This is a large part of the production. In this show, the main characters are; Annie, a young and bold orphan; Miss Hannigan, an angry and rude owner of an orphanage; Oliver Warbucks, a rich man from New York; Grace Farrel, Oliver Warbucks’ secretary; and the orphans: Molly, Pepper, Duffy, July and Tessie. Their actors will all have to sing and dance as they will be the seen stars of the show. Our leading lady, Annie, will be played by Rosina Rudd (8B) and Miss Hannigan will be played by Rosalea Hall (9W)!

2. Ensemble

These people are the backbone, and a HUGE part of, the production. The ensemble sing, dance, and act throughout the whole of the show and are a large part of the musical but do they always get all the credit they deserve? If not, this should be changed and soon! Alice Rider (7B) spoke about her opinion on being in the show and she said, “I feel privileged to be in the ensemble for Annie. It has taught me so much and I can’t wait for everyone to see the end result!”

3. Tech Crew

These people make everything come alive. They handle the lights and sounds, including the songs, which is a key part of the show. They are dedicated and very good at their job. Without them, the show would be empty and soulless; they have a lot to handle! I spoke to Ioannis Siriotis about his opinion of being in the tech crew for productions. He said, “Being on the tech crew can be challenging due to the quality required for the shows, but equally rewarding once all of your skills, knowledge and planning pays off when the curtains draw on the first night!”

4. Backstage

Finally, saving possibly the most underrated to the end, we have the backstage team. The invisible people that work tirelessly to move and make props, organise the emotions and people's fear before going on stage, applying makeup and running quick changes for the whole cast. I spoke to Sophia Jordan (7F) about her thoughts as a newly joined member of the backstage crew. She responded, “I am looking forward to the excitement of representing the crew in the final showing of the production. It sounds extremely interesting, and I am going to enjoy learning new stuff like the ways of backstage!”

The Teachers

All the above could never happen if it wasn’t for the amazing teachers in the drama department. Miss Piperaki and Miss Richmond, the main directors of the show, have been working tirelessly to make this show as amazing as possible, starting with choosing everyone’s roles at the auditions. I spoke to Miss Piperaki about her views on leading the production of Annie and her opinion on Annie’s script. She said, “I am very excited for Annie because it has always been my favourite show, since I was a little girl growing up in Chicago. When I watch the show, I want it to be moving as it is a really sweet story that will touch everyone and I also hope that it will be a very fun night and people will be inspired by Annie’s character; a child full of hope and determination when things go wrong. I think that when it comes to the drama team, Miss Richmond and I love working along with each other with the help of Miss Miller, Mr Sarjeant and Miss Ball, and we can guarantee that this show will be amazing!”

Tickets for Annie the Musical Jr are available on ParentPay so make sure to buy them now! But until the show, just stick out your chin, and grin, and say; 'the sun’ll come out tomorrow!'