Pupils Dazzle in Chicago

Over 70 pupils put on the Razzle Dazzle last weekend for around 2,000 audience members over four nights in the school production of the musical Chicago. The first school production in the Olivier Hall, with a set designed and built especially for the show – it demonstrated the incredible talent of our pupils with stellar performances from the cast, top musicianship from the band and precision and expertise from the technical crew.

Along with the phenomenal hard work and enthusiasm of the pupils involved in all aspects of the production, the show was driven by a team of dedicated and passionate staff, with Kat Eden as Producer, Lisa Elkins as Choreographer and Co-Director along with Sam Munday-Webb, Alex Tester as Musical Director, Mayou Trik as Designer and Lara Paul as Stage Manager. 

The Warden said of the show:

‘I have lost count of the number of superlatives that I heard about Chicago from parents, from staff and from pupils.  People who have worked in schools for 40 years saying that they have never seen anything like it… It could have come straight from the West End, and it was put together in record time – just seven weeks of rehearsal from start to finish.’

Directors, Lisa Elkins and Sam Munday-Webb said:

‘We were inspired by the music and locations of the show, not only the ‘razzle dazzle’ but also the grit, strife and darkness that lurks in the shadows of the characters’ lives. Inspired by these factors we developed our ideas for the production, however it’s the pupils who have made those visions a reality. They infuse the show with exciting energy and exuberant character.’

Click here to see our gallery of photos from the show, by Jono Eden and pupils Frank Sekula and Ollie Thomas.

You can also see some behind-the-scenes footage of the work involved in creating the show in our making-of video below, filmed by Jono Eden.