Private School News

Drama workshop at Farlington

Farlington’s Drama and Music Departments are beginning a new trend of inviting in outside speakers and performers to talk to senior students about their experiences and give them tips and advice.

Nikky Griffiths was in the original cast of the musical Wicked in the West End, Hairspray, and in the touring productions of Mama Mia and Grease. She talked to the girls about her own path to the West End stage; the underlying message being that it involved huge determination, a lot of hard work and a great deal of luck. Nikki, who comes from Cranleigh, and whose mother runs Cranleigh Dance and Theatre Arts, performed Popular for the girls, and Farlington’s teacher of Drama, Ray Gabbard, not a stranger himself to the stage having performed on Broadway, sang Stephen Sondheim’s Company.

During the workshop which followed Nikky helped the girls with character development and gave them tips on how to project a strong presence when on stage. The girls were inspired by the live performance and felt that Nikky’s workshop had given them a really useful insight into the world of show business.