A spellbinding performance
120 young actors from Felsted School in north Essex were among the first in the country to stage a production of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Secondary School Edition)’, an ambitious version of the much-loved book, which was written specifically for schools by playwright Jack Thorne.
Three casts involving 120 Felsted pupils aged 13 to 18 spent seven weeks in rehearsals for the production, and a week before opening night they were treated to a visit by television and stage actor Jamie Glover, who played the title role in the West End production of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’. Jamie joined the students in rehearsal and shared some tips on approaching roles, learning lines, working with others and getting into professional acting.
This and a lot of hard work resulted in six spell-binding performances of the tale, which focuses on the adventures of Harry Potter’s son Albus as he follows in his father’s footsteps at Hogwarts. Heartwarming and heartbreaking scenes were brought to life beautifully on stage and met with the rapturous applause of an audience that totalled more than 2,000 friends and family in the school’s historic, ivy-clad Grignon Hall, as well as an invited group of 250 pupils from local schools.
“We asked a lot from our students to put together this show, and they rose to the challenge spectacularly,” said Felsted’s Head of Drama Carly Bartlett. “Every single person, on the stage and behind the scenes, worked incredibly hard and it was such a pleasure to see the friendships and camaraderie between different year groups – this is one of the reasons our wonderful production of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ was such a special experience.”
Cast members agreed. “The dedication and time and effort was all worth it, because performing the play was incredibly fun – I enjoyed every moment,” said Charlie K who took on the role of Ron Weasley, while Florence B, who played Delphi Diggory, said: “I particularly enjoyed the interactive and physical aspects of the play – like being spat out of a bookcase and shooting fire out of my wand – but also how lovely it was to interact with people from every year group.”
Felsted pupils stage a large-scale production, either a musical or a play, every year and many other dramatic performances take place in school or in the community each term. Drama is on the curriculum for pupils aged four to 14 and is a popular option at GCSE and A Level. Drama scholarships are available for pupils who show particular promise, and individual or group drama lessons leading to the national LAMDA exams are also enthusiastically taken up by pupils of all ages. Several former Felsted pupils have gone on to enjoy successful professional careers on stage, including James Doherty who is currently starring in a Western Theatrical Adaptation of High Noon, Playwright Alecky Blythe and Tom Newland, who recently starred in the London musical Love Quirks and came back to Felsted to voice the introductory narration for the school’s production.
Categories: Felsted School School News
