Pupils recreate parents’ era in school musical

THE cast of Shiplake College’s latest production is huge.

The independent school is to stage The Wedding Singer, a musical set in the Eighties, on two nights at the Kenton Theatre next month.

Director and head of drama Emma Farrell says: “We have got a cast of 78, so we’re going to have to be very creative with how we do the backstage area.

“We’ve got students from year 7 to year 13, so every year group is involved, which is amazing.”

The show is based on the 1998 film of the same name, which starred Adam Sandler as wedding singer Robbie Hart and Drew Barrymore as Julia Sullivan.

Robbie is left waiting at the altar and this has knock-on effects for his day job in wedding entertainment as he falls into a deep depression.

He develops feelings for Julia but she is engaged to high-earning but unreliable Glen.

Friends, family and “Vegas impersonators” rally round but will Robbie pull himself out of this funk?

The students will recreate the music and fashion of the Eighties, which will no doubt delight parents in the audience, who will remember the decade of big hair and shoulder pads.

Emma says: “We’ve got perms, we’ve got parachute pants, we’ve got Madonna-inspired outfits for the girls with plastic crucifixes and we’ve got legwarmers. The students are excited about the costumes and the Eighties style —- it’s like proper fancy dress to them.

“The brilliant thing about The Wedding Singer is that it’s a really modern musical but is set in the Eighties, so the music is contemporary and they’re familiar with the language but they get to play around as it’s also an era that they’re not entirely familiar with.

“We’re always buzzing after rehearsals. Getting stuck into the comedy of the show is really fun.

“It’s such a well-written musical and the themes are funny and the characters really lovable, so you really fall in love with them.

“When you’ve got students and teachers all enjoying the experience, it makes me so proud and happy to be leading on it.”

Emma, who is also head of the school’s sixth form, says two other members of the drama department have choreographed some of the numbers and the school’s musical director, Louise Rapple Moore, has been holding singing lessons.

The former boys-only school went fully co-educational in September, which has been a plus. Emma says: “We’ve been able to integrate our new girls into the cast and get them involved in the production right from their first year here. It feels like the girls have been here the whole time.

“It’s the biggest cast we’ve had in the four years since I joined the school and I think that’s down to a couple of things. We’ve raised the profile of drama quite a bit and the numbers in the lower school have grown, so the year 7s and 8s pretty much take up half the cast.

“Giving them that experience so early on in their school career will hopefully inspire them to do lots of drama as they come through the school, which is brilliant for me.

“We’ve got predominantly sixth-formers in our principal roles but we’ve also got a really strong year 10 cohort so a couple of them have got lead roles as well.

“We’re really proud of that and excited for them coming through in the next couple of years.”

Noah Scotchbrook plays Robbie and Darcey Knight plays Julia.

The other principals are James Lucking (Sammy), Wilf Jennings (George), Leila Nicholas (Holly), Will Nicholas (Glen), Will Griffith (Rosie), Poppy Parsons (Linda) and Imogen Shearing (Angie).

Cameo parts will be played by Zac Fisher (Harold Fonda, Shane McDonnough), Grace McKean (Debbie Fonda, Donatella McDonnough), Felix Collar (David Fonda, Waiter 2, Imelda Marcos), Alec Veitch (Priest, Bum, Ronald Reagan), Tom O’Brien (Sideburns Guy, Second Suit, Mr T), Gio Knight (Crystal, Donatella’s Mother, Cher), Jack Dag (Sales Clerk, Cyndi Lauper), Luke Leamon (Mookie), Pearse Welsh (Tiffany), George Watson (Donny), James Weeks (Waiter 1), Oscar Taylor Coombes (Bad Haircut Guy, Junior Secretary), Romir Pathak (Large Gent) and Albie Ball (Glen’s Secretary).

The senior ensemble is made up of Lottie Bradley, Nate Thornber, Isaac Walmsley, Henry Jacobs, George Ault, Sam Murray, Daniel Wray, Olly Wright, Pav Grewal, Harry Maher, Charlie Cooper, Archie Parmar, James Weeks, Johnny Pearson, James Middlehurst, Zach Miles and Luke Leamon.

There is also a lower school ensemble cast of 34 boys and girls.

The creative team comprises Emma Farrell, Louise Rapple Moore, production manager Alice Griffiths and assistant director Sian Davies, who are all staff, and production assistant Ava Pearson, a student.

• Shiplake College presents The Wedding Singer at the Kenton Theatre, New Street, Henley, on Wednesday and Thursday, February 7 and February 8 at 7pm. Tickets cost £15 adults, £10 concessions. For details and to buy tickets, call the box office on (01491) 525050 or visit kentontheatre.co.uk