Chicago

The Ladies’ College presents ‘Chicago’ – a tale of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation and treachery: all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts!

There will be three performances at the Princess Royal Performing Arts Centre, taking place on the 13th, 14th and 15th of March at 7 pm.

For the first time, The Ladies’ College has welcomed young actors from other secondary schools across the island to provide students with the opportunity to work with different people and make new friends.

The story of Chicago follows Roxie and Velma, two murderesses who get thrown in jail, only to be catapulted to fame as the next hot act on the Vaudeville circuit. With corruption abounding, this is a tale of how society adores a villain and the media loves a scoop.

One of Fosse’s most famous musicals and a stalwart of both the West End and Broadway, ‘Chicago’ has show-stopping musical numbers such as ‘All That Jazz’ and ‘We Both Reached for the Gun’, as well as toe-tapping dance routines to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Sixth Form student, Phoebe, who alternates playing Roxie along with fellow student Isabella, said: “This is my second production. I have also been in ‘Fame’ which was great fun. The dancing is really different in ‘Chicago’ and it’s been a challenge learning the Fosse style.

“It’s a great opportunity to play a really playful character who has that element of danger about her.”

Phoebe has also played a key role behind the scenes as one of the Dance Captains, alongside Alice, Rosie and Lexi. Rosie and Lexi, in the Upper Sixth at The Ladies’ College, choreographed one of the key musical numbers in the performance, ‘Razzle Dazzle’. Students Isabel and Holly, both highly experienced dancers, also choreographed ‘All He Cares About Is Love’.

Director and Head of Drama, Maggie King, said: “It’s terrific to be able to offer leadership roles like Dance Captain or Choreographer to our students. The students step into these roles with confidence and in turn, act as an inspiration for our younger students, who see the level of professionalism and generosity towards others that it takes to lead a large cast in rehearsals.

“We have an excellent team involved in this production. Head of Music, James Henderson, is Musical Director as well as being a talented musician in his own right, and we have worked together on several musicals for the school. Local Drama teacher, Lindsey Davies, is joining the team for the first time. With experience as a professional on the West End, she has proved the be an invaluable asset, tweaking dance moves, running dialogue and providing vocal tips from an actor’s point of view!”