Private School News

Arty students star in West End comedy

A hit West End comedy has been brought to the stage in Derbyshire by arty students at Mount St Mary’s College.

Three members of the Spinkhill school’s Senior Drama Society starred in the performance of ‘Art’, by Yasmina Reza (translated by Christopher Hampton).

The play explored art and the friendship of characters, Serge, Marc and Yvan played by sixth form students Richard Duggan, Edward Massarella and Alex Allt

Art has enjoyed a long and successful run in the West End with the roles played by many noted actors and comedians such as Albert Finney, Tome Courtney, Frank Skinner and Roger Lloyd-Pack.

Jack Murphy, head of English and Drama at Mount St Mary’s, said: “The students performed with a real energy and commitment which kept the pace of the play at a high level.

“It is a real challenge when three actors have to maintain an audience’s interest for 75 minutes without an interval. But the students brought out the comic interplay really well, with good comic timing and characterisation.

“I was also pleased that the students captured the more serious side of the play showing that the characters are motivated by their fondness for each other and not simply by irritability. The audience response was wholehearted – it was an evening of laughter and good cheer and the students earned their thunderous reception at the curtain call.”

Photo:(L-R) Alex Allt of Rotherham, Richard Duggan of Barlborough and Edward Massarella of Brookhouse, Sheffield.