3
S H C ty e i r Va w o h S
3
201
Chad Hamlet, Head of Sixth Form This year’s Variety Show, themed around movie greats, followed on the tradition of lively, light-hearted and hugely entertaining performances from numerous Sixth Form students, and with a smattering of teaching staff cameos, it was truly one of the more memorable evenings of the year. Under pressure from the start, the show had to be rehearsed and performed in a four day window immediately after the Easter holiday, meaning quality assurance was under threat. The acts however responded with typical gusto, embracing this significant challenge and finally producing the spectacle the event demanded. From the start, the hosts, Verity Ayre, Sam McDouall and Joe Worthington, magnetised the audience with their charm and wit. The charismatic comperes produced some hilarious segues covering some of the greatest movies of all time, from The Hobbit (thank you Verity) to 101 Dalmations (there can be only one Cruella de Worthington), and the fun was seamless. Even Darth Vader managed a sense of humour! Those more familiar with the unique sound of ‘Heavy Metal’, in particular its singing style, will have been slightly bemused by the quietest start to a Metal performance ever, though with technical glitches ironed out, a repeat performance livened our ears up later in the show. There was plenty of variety to follow, with Gaelic folk singing, a classical rendition, the Blues Brothers, a brilliant David Bowie duet from
Mr Chippendale and Mr Taylor and an excellently creative medley of hits from Alice Semple and Beth Hale. Viku added his own unique brand of humour to the evening with an unrequited marriage proposal capping an entertaining stand-up routine. Perhaps fittingly, the School Council brought proceedings to a close with ‘the best Council performance ever’, themed around a very original and upbeat recital of the school anthem - Jerusalem. With countless other movie greats squeezed between a top and tail of Sir Hubert Parry’s stirring tune, the appraisers are probably right too; a feast of famous tunes, dynamic dance moves, clever choreography and seamless segues, seemingly built around a compulsory cross dressing code, resulted in what will surely prove to be some of the most memorable moments of my CHS career. Over £600 raised at the door also got the Upper Sixth’s 50 Days to Graduation Legacy Fund off to a great start too, so an enormous thank you to all those who supported by coming along to watch. An enormous thank you to all the acts and performers, the comperes, the techies, the supporting teaching staff and of course Mr Parkin and Mrs Norton for their efficient and wise direction. We are already looking forward to next year!