The school has been buzzing this week as the whole school drama production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe took over the Concert Hall, transforming it into Narnia and opening the doors to local primary schools, family and friends.
As always, it has been a frenzy of rehearsals, technical challenges, lost costumes, first night triumphs, and happy fatigue.
Co-writer and Assistant Director Dhyan (Upper Sixth) says, “I am so proud of my team, both cast and crew, who have brought a complicated, high-concept show to life with elegance and resilience. We were especially delighted to welcome primary audiences on Wednesday, whose cheers and screams added a new, special dimension to our performance.”
Pupils from our partner primary schools including Gresham, St James the Great, St Thomas Becket and Pickhurst Academy were delighted with the performance, marvelling at Upper Sixth student Mimi’s singing, the fantastic costumes and characters. It was also lovely to welcome back students from Rutherford, a specialist independent school for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties, whose students joined our A Level Drama lessons last year.
A Trinity whole school production really does mean ‘whole school’, with many members of staff and students volunteering their time to bring the epic children’s fantasy story to life. Ms Catling, Alumni and Engagement Manager, used to be a Wig and Make-up Artist for the Royal Opera House. Her vision and ability to train an army of Sixth Formers to help with the hair and make-up of the cast, transforms them into the well-loved characters we see on stage.
She says, “I was particularly inspired by Sally Cookson’s production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which I saw in 2019 at the Bridge Theatre. We drew inspiration from her portrayal of the Witch and Aslan, adapting them for our version. A special mention goes to Miss Eminsang (Teacher of Maths), who created the stunning braided, colourful wig for Aslan. It’s a nod to a mane rather than a literal interpretation, which was exactly the kind of look we wanted. The same approach was applied to the other animal characters—rather than elaborate costumes and face paint, we used facial hair to evoke a fox or a wolf. Simplicity with high impact.
“One of my favourite pieces is the White Witch’s crown. Although it’s not the easiest headpiece to move around in for Beni, the effect on stage makes it completely worth it. It’s the same for the other characters, when they have their costumes, hair and make-up done, the transformation is truly incredible. You can see them become their characters, they grow right in front of you and fully embody their roles.”
Dhyan adds, “This is my final show at Trinity, and this week has been a summation of my experiences over the last seven years: creative chaos, brilliant energy and a roaring team spirit. Long live Trinity Drama!”
There are many people to thank including the writers, directors, cast, backstage crew, event and partnership management, lighting technicians, musicians, choreographer, costume designers, hair and make-up team and everyone in between. A final thanks to Miss Robinson for stepping in to the Director role in the last few weeks.
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