There’s no business like show business!
There’s no business like show business and at All Saints Primary School, Whiteparish, Wiltshire, they are finding this out big time!
It is the night before the performance of ‘Romeo & Juliet’ by Years 4. 5 and 6. The back cloth is up, the props are made, the actors are rehearsed, the understudies are in place. “Understudies?” I hear you cry – ah yes, a mysterious sickness bug seems to have afflicted some of our actors today and the Nurse, Lady Montague and Tybalt have all been affected. Given that the actors (aged 8-11) have only had three days to learn their parts anyway, this could have proved something of a disaster. But no! One of the greatest lessons learned, in Shakespeare Project Weeks such as this, is teamwork. Therefore, with the minimum amount of fuss, the roles have been taken over, lines and moves learnt, and for the All Saints Shakespeare Company the show must, and will, go on. We feel really sorry for the children who have been ‘struck down’ as all of them have worked incredibly hard this week and were clearly loving the rehearsal process. Get well soon all of you. Sometimes live theatre is very cruel. However we are also very grateful to our brave actors who are taking on two roles to cover for sickness and absence. Fingers crossed, no one else is laid low overnight……..
In the meantime let me introduce you to another of our new Associate Practitioners. This is Linda Hampton:
Linda has a wealth of experience in the arts and entertainment industry as a singer, actress, drama facilitator, scriptwriter, theatre director and producer. She has worked in primary schools as a performer, and as a drama practitioner under the umbrella of her own company, Actitout. She will be appearing with FINDING THE WILL sometime soon!
Now, want to know if the All Saints Shakespeare Company pulled it off? Hang on for 24 hours and I’ll tell you……………….
………..Well that was a quick 24 hours! The simple answer is…………..YES! Not only did they pull it off, but it was a triumph! A member of the Montague gang went off sick today, and even Lord Capulet’s Master of Ceremonies had a dental appointment first thing, but STILL the show went on! Actors covering parts at the drop of a hat and, lest we forget, some of these actors were just 8 or 9 years old. Incredible work! There were many journeys made this week by the sixty children who took part in ‘Romeo & Juliet’ – some greater and longer than others. With luck the performance today is just one of the first stops on an epic journey in life. Here at FTW HQ we are staggered and humbled by the bravery and compassion shown by these children – a lesson in caring and looking out for each other that many an adult could learn from.
So thank you Mrs Heathcote for asking us back and to all our actors in the All Saints Shakespeare Company – take another bow because you were amazing. We are very proud of you and – Funding Gods permitting – we hope to see you again in two years’ time!
