What's Happening in Narnia (Week 1 Autumn Term)

We are back and now only 9 weeks away from the show taking to the stage. We are now well into Act 2 and will have blocked the whole show and rehearsed every song by the end of next week. We have reached the pivotal moment in the story when Aslan is first introduced and Edmund's betrayal is revealed. In this week's video blog, we get a sneak peak at the chorus song 'Waiting and Wondering' as well as an interview with Rabble member Becca Hughes (Year 10). We are just about to begin looking at the final two songs 'Here Comes The Cat', a truly wild Witch/Rabble song as well as the beautiful Lucy/Susan duet 'How Could They Do It'.

We are at the stage of costumes being completed and Mrs Louden did her first face paint test for Maugrim the wolf (Brianna Armstrong) this week which looked amazing. We will be without our Senior School students for the next two weeks but we wish them well for their exams and look forward to having the whole cast/crew back in Week 4 as we edge closer and closer to performance week!

The Production Team

Message from Irita Kutchmy (Creator and Composer)

Exciting news! We have been able to make contact with Irita Kutchmy, who adapted and composed our version of 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe'. Below is a message from her to our Cast and Crew:

"It's lovely to have the inside information about the Holy Cross production as it brings the musical alive for me! 

In regards to Narnia in Ellenbrook, I noticed the jazz band straight away and thought it was great. Incidentally, I played in the band myself years ago in a performance and there are mistakes in the bass part as far as I remember. I did the woodwinds myself but someone else did the other instruments.

Some of what I have written is really difficult but I was trained as a concert pianist at the Yehudi Menuhin school from 1965 to 1968 and I only began to work in theatres in 1978. So I didn't know how to construct the music in a way that would make it more user friendly to other performers and it remains in the form that I played it in, all those years ago. Some of the songs are in really difficult keys!

Many thanks for the email and I look forward to hearing more Narnia news soon!

Irita

What's Happening in Narnia (Week 9)

As the first term of rehearsals comes to a close, we reach the end of Act 1 and begin to venture into scenes, songs and choreography sequences for Act 2. Our junior school cast members have now also been introduced to our seniors and are full of energy which is fantastic to see. With costumes and props beginning to trickle in and staging and lighting ideas taking shape, anticipation is at an all time high as Production term draws near. After a well deserved break, we will return with 10 weeks until showtime. We have a very busy term ahead, but Narnia is drawing closer. See you next term!

Production Team