Private School News

GREASE IS THE WORD FOR NEWCASTLE STUDENTS

A theatrical group of students at Newcastle Church High School have wowed audiences at Newcastle College theatre with their energetic production of the hit Broadway musical Grease.

Strutting their stuff as T-birds and Pink Ladies, the girls received a standing ovation from the packed auditorium on their opening night, following several months of rehearsals.

The production included all the songs from the original stage show, as well as many complex dance routines. The show even featured a real car known as ‘Greased Lightning’ which was pushed on stage every night.

Rachael Kandola, 16, of Cleadon, starred as one of the leads, Sandy, played by Olivia Newton-John in the 1979 film. She said; “I loved playing the character and I watched the film lots in preparation. My favourite number from the musical is Summer Nights as I performed a duet with Abi, who played Danny, as well as the rest of the cast who provided backing vocals.

“The dancing I found very intense as there are lots of high energy, upbeat routines and obviously you have to sing at the same time. Many of the dances were really ambitious especially The Hand Jive dance which involved the whole cast dancing in time with each other and meant everyone had to really focus.”

Abi Buchan, 16, of Gosforth, has worked backstage on a number of productions but this year decided to take the plunge and audition for an acting role. Abi landed the role as Danny, she said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed starring in this year’s production of Grease, it has been a fantastic way to kick start the school term. Everyone really enjoyed The Hand Jive dance as the whole cast was involved and you could see the audience tapping their feet and trying to stop their hands from moving throughout our performance.”

Some of the girls in the production, like Laura Rea, 16, of Gateshead, who played the male role of T-bird Kenikie would like to continue her musical foray with a career in acting. She said; “I found playing a male character a real challenge and I tried to really get into the part by watching Kenikie in the film, observing my male friends and generally trying to get into the male psyche.

“I want to go to drama school after sixth form and Grease has given me a great opportunity to show my versatility by playing a man. It’s been a fantastic experience.”

In fact many of the students, like 16-year-old Charlotte Ryder, of South Gosforth, took getting into character very seriously. She said; “My character Frenchy is famed for her whacky hair, so I had my hairdresser dye mine bright pink. I thought it was going to fade over the week, but it seems to be here to stay!

Charlotte is interested in the production side of performing arts. “Working at the Newcastle College theatre meant I’ve had a real insight into how theatre works from a technical perspective, particularly getting the car on and off the stage every night. I also learnt a lot about lighting and stage sets. I’d like to go into film or theatre production eventually and our performance of Grease has made me think more about the direction I’d like to take.”

Phil Noble is director of music at the school. He praised the students, saying: “The girls have been tremendous. From a musical perspective Grease has a very distinct musical style, so it was a challenge to help them master that, as well as for the girls playing male roles to sing in the right key. They were also singing to music played by a small, professional, live band so they had to raise their game to compete with the music. They did a fantastic job.”

Head of dance, Katherine Brett choreographed the show, which was full of energetic, high tempo numbers. She commented: “Not everyone at school studies dance and there was a broad mix of abilities in the production, so it was a challenge to pitch the choreography at the right level for everyone to master.

“The romantic numbers were also quite hard as the cast were all girls, so we couldn’t put in many of the big lifts that are in Grease. The girls really rose to the challenge though and my favourite number is the Hand Jive, which involves the whole cast and some fairly complex, high energy movements where everyone must be co-ordinated. The students did a brilliant job.”

Ruchelle Everton, head of drama, directed the musical. She said: “Grease is a musical that really appeals to young people, but it is quite difficult to stage. We had to contend with a fairly huge character – the car – and getting that on stage was a challenge in its own right.

“I’m really glad we decided to do Grease though. Revisiting it made me remember what a fantastic, funny show it is and I’m delighted with the outcome. I didn’t think we could top Guys and Dolls last year, but we have done.”

To find out more about Church High you can log onto their website at www.churchhigh.com or contact them on 0191 281 4306.