Guernsey’s Ladies’ College Junior School, Melrose, is staging the classic musical ‘Mary Poppins’ for its junior production this year.
The show should have taken place last term but due to lockdown, it was unable to happen. The School however was determined that the show must go on and so pupils will be performing the production this coming week on 26th and 27th May.
This musical will involve 90 pupils, aged between seven and eleven years. There will be two casts, over four performances. Based on the original film, the show will include musical favourites such as ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’, ‘Step in Time’ and of course ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’!
Mary Poppins is a complex show with numerous sets and big musical numbers. Staging it has been a real team effort. The hall has been transformed into a London backdrop, with authentic furniture and props to set the scene. A team of fantastic parents have organised over 100 costumes making the show a colourful extravaganza.
All pupils in the Junior department have been involved in the creation of the production, getting involved with designing programmes and forming both backstage and front-of-house crews, as well as performing on stage. They have been taught a great deal of elements involved in staging a production.
This production has been created based on pupils coming together as a team, echoing the schools’ goals to create solidarity and a happy community to help them learn better.
Headteacher of Melrose, Elaine Ozanne, told Channel Eye that she has been so grateful this year for the tremendous amount of hard work put in by staff, parents, and pupils. “I am so pleased that here at Melrose we teach drama as a stand-alone subject which provides huge benefits and allows us to stage productions that involve all the girls.
“Everyone has worked so hard to ensure lockdown did not beat us, and the show could go on. Putting on a full-scale production is an invaluable experience for everyone who performs, however, large or small their role. It increases self-confidence and promotes a feeling of teamwork, both important social skills. Above all the girls are also having a great deal of fun!”
