The joint musical Les Misérables, was an impressive production with outstanding performances by St Helen’s and Merchant Taylors’ School actors. Maddy, Cara and Emma, three of our performers, share their narrative:
“The production presented a great challenge for us as we had to sing for two and a half hours – preparing for the role was therefore intricate and complex. Rehearsals began in September and 3 months later we were ready to share all our efforts and hard work that went into producing this moving story. Despite the tragedy and sorrow of the narrative, our spirits were raised as great memories were made. The process gave us the opportunity to integrate and make friends across the many different year groups, proving the experience to be even more rewarding and fulfilling.”
“Although the cast was mostly comprised of Upper School and Sixth Form students, there were some younger performances too. Eleanor in Year 9 delivered an outstanding performance as Little Cosette, alongside Daliya as Cosette who sang with great passion. Hannah and Nikki gave moving renditions of Fantine and Éponine respectively with their powerful voices and emotive acting. While these tragic heroines brought the audience to tears, Sophie had them in stitches as the equally terrifying and hilarious Madame Thénardier.”
“All the actors created a collaborative and passionate performance as they contributed to a spectacular production. For many of the actors, this memorable piece would be their last school production. As the curtains closed, they realised they had learnt more than just lines and cues; they had gained confidence and an uplifting sense of achievement in each of the Arts disciplines.”