Musical

Each Spring term sees the much acclaimed and eagerly awaited musical production. Recent shows include Half a Sixpence, Showboat, Me and My Girl, Robert and Elizabeth, Oliver, Carousel and Crazy For You.

This year, the School's annual musical this year was Oklahoma!

This has always been regarded as the landmark American musical, a classic celebration of community and the excitement of belonging to a “brand new state”.  The challenge for any director, and his cast, is to breathe life once again into Laurey’s Farm and all who live there.  It is never an easy task, to create a convincing scene.  With its complexities of situation and character, “Oklahoma” demands particular skill.

In the Gregg School production, characters were portrayed with conviction, and often with infectious delight!  The plot presents each actor with a challenging range of situations and feelings.  There is romance and comedy, but also confrontation and the darker themes of jealousy and revenge.  The actors shone in very demanding roles, giving clear interpretations of their characters: the troubled lovers; the farmers and cowboys; dizzy Ado Annie; scheming Ali Hakim; Laurey’s friends and family (governed by wise Aunt Eller) and the brooding Jud Fry.

Dancing is an essential part of the musicals visual feast, and once again the Gregg’s performers rose magnificently to the challenge.  The dances were polished and expressive; it was a pleasure to see both boys and girls performing with such enjoyment.  Every sequence was carefully and attractively choreographed.  The songs were a delight, each singer bringing energy and feeling to a wide variety of musical styles.  Mr Bradley and every musician must be thanked and congratulated, for once again performing a demanding musical score with such enthusiasm and skill.

The Gregg School embodies a wealth of talent.  We must not forget those whose creative and technical skills were invaluable to the success of this production; all who worked with lighting, sound, costume and make-up and of course the stage management crew.

Congratulations to Mr Hart and to his extremely talented cast and crew.  This was yet another accomplished and hugely enjoyable production.