DIRECTOR’S WELCOME
Dear Guests,
Welcome to Clifton High School’s enchanting production of Beauty and the Beast here at the Redgrave Theatre. We are thrilled to have you join us for an evening of magic, music and storytelling.
This production has been a real labour of love for our talented pupils, dedicated staff and supportive community. From the intricate set and costume designs to the captivating performances, every detail has been crafted with passion and care over months of rehearsals. Our cast and crew have worked tirelessly to bring this timeless tale to life and we are incredibly proud of their hard work and commitment.
As the new Head of Drama, I am especially excited to present my first production at Clifton High School. Following on from the huge success of Grease last year, it has been a wonderful journey working with such a dynamic and creative team and I am honoured to be part of this community.
Beauty and the Beast is a story that reminds us of the power of love, acceptance and transformation. It teaches us that true beauty lies within and that kindness and compassion can break even the strongest of curses. We hope that tonight’s performance will inspire and leave you with a sense of joy and pride for our talented pupils.
Thank you for your continued support of the Arts at Clifton High School. Your presence here tonight means the world to us, and we are grateful for your encouragement and enthusiasm. We now invite you to be our guest, sit back, relax and let the magic unfold!
Mrs Holly Adams Head of Drama & Production Director
A
MESSAGE
FROM OUR MUSICAL DIRECTOR
It is always a privilege to work with our talented pupils and guide them through the process of bringing a musical together. Given their impressive stage presence, it cannnot be underestimated the time, dedication and skill it takes to master learning the volume of songs in a musical, whilst also undertaking complicated choreography.
Although mostly unseen during our performances, I must mention our orchestra of both pupils and professional musicians. The focus to play for an entire production, not to mention the difficulty of parts and time taken to learn these both independently and collaboratively, is commendable.
Mrs Donia Pieters Head of Music & Production Musical Director
A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast made its stage debut on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on 18th April 1994, starring Susan Egan as Belle and Terrence Mann as the Beast. The musical featured music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. It included all the beloved songs from the animated film, along with new songs written specifically for the stage.
The show was a commercial success, running for 13 years and closing in 2007 after 5,461 performances. It became Broadway’s sixth longest-running production at the time. The success of Beauty and the Beast paved the way for future Disney stage adaptations, establishing Disney Theatrical Productions as a major player in the world of musical theatre.
https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/from-beauty-and-the-beast-tofrozen-a-brief-history-of-disney-on-broadway
https://variety.com/gallery/a-history-of-disney-theatricals-productions/
Belle - Gemma Howard
“My favourite part of the production is seeing the big chorus numbers come together as well as developing the scenes and staging them. I’ve really enjoyed the play as I’ve made many friendships across year groups and have learnt a lot from my castmates.”
Beast - Alessandro Malavolti
“My favourite part about being in Beauty and the Beast is watching the cast work together to create new ideas and I love playing a developing part because it allows me to make brilliant creative choices.”
PRINCIPAL CAST
Gaston - Kit Caradine
“My favourite part about being in the production is working with other year groups, as I’ve made some great friends who I would have otherwise never known. I really hope that it inspires others to take part in the play as the feeling you get both on and off the stage is unmatched!”
Maurice - Will Sims
“I have really enjoyed performing as Maurice as he is such a fun, erratic character. Being in the show this year has really helped my acting skills and my favourite part of rehearsals is when I see the amazing choreography that the chorus have been working on.”
Lefou - Jack Pauling
“Being in Beauty and the Beast has been an amazing experience. Whether you are in the chorus or a main character, everyone has a part to play in making the production a success. It is a great opportunity to feel part of a bigger picture and part of a team.”
Cogsworth - Leila Mostyn
“I love doing the show because it’s a great chance to make friends across year groups and work as a team. I enjoy rehearsing the big castle scenes, especially developing the relationships between characters like Cogsworth and Lumiere.”
Lumiere - Jacob Lapworth
“Overcoming the needs of the role of Lumiere were challenging but rewarding. It’s always great to be able to work alongside people from different year groups to create something so great.”
Babette - Charlize Hodgson
“Beauty and the Beast has been a great experience to meet others in older years. The dancing has been a huge highlight in the play, working with other years as well as seeing scenes come together. Definitely recommend for younger years.”
Mrs Potts - Katherine Goodson
“The production has always been one of the highlights of my year and working with the other year groups is something that we don’t get to do often!”
Chip - Luna Stevens
“This is my first year at Clifton High School and it has been amazing to be part of Beauty and the Beast and mix with children outside my year group. I have loved embracing the character of Chip because he is so small and fun. It has also been incredible to see the play come together bit by bit.”
Madame de La Grande Bouche - Aidan Evans
“My favourite moment has been watching the play come together and seeing the end result of everyone working hard to create a beautiful performance. Being a part of this production has helped me overcome challenging stage fright and feel more confident when performing on stage.”
Monsieur D’arque - Will Edwards
“In Beauty and the Beast, something that I have always felt exciting is getting to work together with so many different people of different ages throughout the school. I wanted to do the production because I have always felt that it is fun as a co-curricular programme which can help build confidence.”
LES FILLES DE LA VILLE
Kallie Reed
Georgina Finn
Ella Chonkar
Niamh Sloan
Rose Davies
Olivia Greenwood
CHORUS
Malika Henderson
Martha Simson
Florence Campion
Leah Daley
Heidi Coomes
Helena Carota
Zara Atkins Honour Bell-Cosh
Pia Harrap
Ellie Slator
Penelope Fullagar
Rebekah Pantlin
Greg Gkatzoulis
Bella Holland-Smith
Tilly Derrington
Ellie Corke
Farrah Pope
Ethan Reed
Harry Pauling
Edward Lake
Mia Shanley
Isobel Pett
Boaz Cheng
Zac Tregidgo
Eve Timbrell
Elsa Lebleu
Fiona Brown
Sanchia Faal-Sleath
Benji Lyes
Emily Grills
George Lake Arabella Bayliss
Jemima Beck
Ivy Jackson
Ivy Stagg
Flo Simpson
Lucy Dunscombe
BAND
Reed 1
Reed 2
Reed 3
Ella Bryant
Cara Shanley
Verity Cranfield
Aysha Farmer
Lucy Beveridge, Jana Wong, Jessica Hirsch
Martin Packman
Julia Holmes
Horn Alex Stewart
Trumpet
Percussion
Keyboard 2 & Synthesizer
Violin
Cello
Paul Harris, Ivy Taylor-Byrne
Evan Gilray, Thomas Luckman, Tim Bowman
Maria Johnson
Rachel Whitworth, Katy Mason, Sophie Walden
Sue Norton, Janice Yeung
Bass Ben Groenevelt
CAST AND CREW
PRODUCTION TEAM
Production Director Holly Adams
Production Musical Director Donia Pieters
Assistant Musical Director Andrew Cleaver
Choreographer Sophie Pullen
Stage Manager Anna Freire Camacho
Lighting Tom Barge
Lighting Assistants
Set Design & Props
Zach Bennett, Josh Holland-Smith, Timo Lyes
Proscenium Ltd
Sound Peter Larter-Stow
Sound Assistant Gabriel Slater
Costume Design Triple C Costumes
Hair & Makeup
Backstage Help & Special Thanks
Lucy Horton, Lauren Hamblett MUA
Charlie Hicks, Isaac Taylor, Evelyn Davis, Leah Pitts, Paul Billard, Julian O’Sullivan, Bessie Webb, Helen Kelsall, Charlotte Anderson, Susan Johnson-Martin, Craig Pullen
BEHIND THE SCENES
Both above & top right-hand photographs by Coco, Year 12
BEHIND THE SCENES
THANK YOU
I very much hope you will enjoy this evening’s production of Beauty and the Beast in The Redgrave Theatre. Without the dedication and efforts of our Drama and Music Department, a superb evening such as this would not be possible.
Special thanks must go to our Directors, Mrs Holly Adams and Mrs Donia Pieters, Mr Andrew Cleaver and Choreographer, Mrs Sophie Pullen together with the band members in their accompaniment.
I also extend a warm appreciation to everyone who offered technical and sound support, those that assisted behind the scenes in the design of the set, costumes, hair and make-up; all of which have made this year’s performance outstanding.
We are fortunate to have this wonderful space of the Redgrave Theatre to hire for our annual School productions which adds to the experience for performers whilst enabling us to come together as a community in support of them.
To capture the true spirit of this year’s production, it is a delight to welcome Oliver Edwards who will be sharing his professional images with us all shortly.
Finally and most importantly, I congratulate the stars of the show –your children - whose talent and energy in performing here tonight has been an absolute pleasure and joy to watch.
Well done to everyone.
Do enjoy the show!
Mr Will Phelan Head
