OLIVER!

In March 2020, over 100 pupils staged one incredible performance of Lionel Bart’s beloved musical about a young orphaned boy who would ‘do anything’ to get just a little bit ‘more’ out of life...

On a Wednesday evening in March 2020, the Hampden Hall hosted a very unusual entertainment. The 110 pupils who had worked so hard for two terms preparing this year’s school musical, Oliver!, gave their first and last performance of the show to a small but enthusiastic audience.

Lionel Bart’s Oliver!, with its episodic structure and vast number of Dickensian characters, is the perfect choice for a school where so many students and staff want to be involved both on stage and off. And after two terms of intense rehearsals, learning intricate harmonies with Mr House and challenging choreography from Mrs Matthews for those in the cast, or weeks of technical preparation with Miss Caffyn, Miss Thorne, and Miss Kerstein, emotions ran high. This was to be my last musical at Emanuel, after nine very happy years, but also the last performance for our 13 Upper Sixth students.

However, due to the evolving situation with Covid-19, it was not to be, and the run was curtailed. I delivered the sad news to the company during rehearsals on Tuesday morning prior, and you could have heard a pin drop. The company was understandably devastated, but they took on my next challenge to them with aplomb. We decided to raise spirits by performing ‘Oom-Pah-Pah’ in the Hampden Hall yard to the lunch queue. I had no idea how popular this would be, with a huge crowd of students and staff watching from the playground and out of numerous windows. In such a strange week this really raised the spirits of the school as a whole, bringing tears to the eyes of the most hardened teachers!

By Wednesday afternoon we were re-rehearsing the show; Seb (L6SMJ), who had done a fine job as Bill Sikes in rehearsals, was forced to self-isolate, as was Piper (9RET) — one of our magnificent Pickpockets. I would like to extend my thanks to them for making this difficult decision. Tate (L6SMJ) stepped up to the plate, learning the role of Sikes overnight, for which he should be commended.

Wednesday evening’s performance flew by almost in a blur. Sam (L6SKR) and Eliza (L6HHM) brought the house down with their hilarious ‘I Shall Scream’; Phoebe (L6PSA) and Ethan (L6SMJ) as the Sowerberries were a macabre masterpiece; Lars (9CMB) won over the audience as the perfect Artful Dodger, while our gang of thieves picked a pocket or two under the watchful eye of the exquisite Rudi (L6PSA) as Fagin, who earned deserved ovations throughout ‘Reviewing the Situation’. Erica (U6HVW) won Oliver’s heart as Bet, and Bluebell (U6RCB) as Nancy tugged at the audience’s heartstrings with ‘As Long As He Needs Me’. The real heart of the show, however, is Oliver, and we were blessed to have Sean (8LVD) in the title role; he played the part beautifully and with great humility.

I would like to thank all the staff and pupils involved for their enthusiasm, compassion and never-ending good humour at such a difficult time.

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