Audiences were wowed by our whole school musical production of Les Misérables, which debuted in the Jubilee Hall to great acclaim at the end of November.
Led by Director of Drama Chris Bhantoa, Head of Academic Drama Anna Coxon and Acting Director of Music Julian Smith, this ambitious production brought together 141 students in its cast, crew and orchestra.
Mr Bhantoa said he chose Les Mis because ‘it’s an epic show, entirely befitting of our students’ ambition’, adding ‘the music is iconic, the characters are deep and complex, and the story touches on universal emotions and struggles that resonate with people of all ages. It also has incredibly demanding technical effects, and I wanted to challenge our students in Stage Crew. I felt Les Mis would be a perfect opportunity for the cast, crew and orchestra to dive into an emotional and transformational experience.’
The production was not without its challenges, however – its sheer scale being the most significant. ‘It’s a big show with a huge cast, complex set pieces, and intricate music,’ said Mr Bhantoa, who thanked co-directors Ms Coxon and Mr Smith, and Performing Arts Technician Alex Johnston for their support.
Not surprisingly, the show’s eye-catching revolving stage was technically demanding, with Mr Bhantoa explaining it was ‘definitely a challenge, especially from a technical perspective.
‘There’s a lot of scene changes in Les Mis, and the revolving stage is integral to maintaining the flow of the show and creating the illusion of a seamless journey through different locations. For each revolve cue we needed to program the acceleration, speed, direction, deceleration and angle of rotation. Timing this with the action on stage and the tempi of the music was a big challenge for the cast and stage crew – but the effect was beautiful, and allowed for visually stunning scene changes.’
He added: ‘I am so proud of the cast, crew and orchestra – all from different year groups, and with lots going on academically – for coming together to create such an ambitious, intricate production. The three standing ovations that the students received were hard-earned, and when the entire company took a bow at the end of the final performance I was very proud.’
The next big challenge will be coming up with something even more outstanding for the next whole school show – and Mr Bhantoa already has a plan in place. ‘I’ve applied for the rights to next year’s Whole School Production,’ he said. ‘I can’t reveal what it is yet, but it’s safe to say that it is going to be big …’
