St Andrews High School in Blantyre continues to make progress as far as theatre is concerned, impressing recently with the production Shrek The Musical.
Every year in March, the drama department in partnership with other departments— among them music and information and communication technology — come together to host a production.
Last year, the school staged Lion King and this year they decided to go for Shrek The Musical.
Unlike last year when the cast was smaller, they decided— after realising that an increased number of students is interested in drama— to use a cast of over 40.
The performances for the play started on March 31 with the last on April 4 and all these performances attracted crowds.
With music taking a greater part in the production, the music department had to work hard in training its band to master songs with the actors and actresses playing the vocals.
Drama teacher, Kevin Troughton, said it was not easy for them to work on the production this year.
“It was challenging this year because we had a big cast as compared to last year’s production,” Troughton said.
He also said they were improving with every new production.
“All we want is to help propel theatre in the country and also bring to light students’ skills. We will keep on bringing out different productions,” said the drama teacher.
Talandira Nchingula, who stars in the production as Donkey and was part of The Lion King cast, described this year’s production as challenging.
“I love drama and that it why I always take time to participate in these productions. It has been an experience with Shrek The Musical, especially in terms of learning new songs, but the support we have received has motivated us,” Nchingula said.
Zaithwa Nkungula said combining music and acting was a challenge but rehearsals solved the puzzle.
“I can now consider acting as a career,” Nkungula said.
Shrek The Musical tells the story of a little ogre named Shrek, who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue.
The story is set in a mythical once-upon-a-time sort of land, where a hulking green ogre, who fears for his life upon seeing anything that crosses his path, retreats to an ugly green swamp to exist in happy isolation.
And, suddenly, a gang of homeless fairy-tale characters (Pinocchio, Cinderella, the three pigs, you name it) raid his sanctuary, saying they have been evicted by the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad.
So Shrek strikes a deal with them, saying he would get their homes back, if they get his home back.
But when Shrek and Farquaad meet, the Lord strikes a deal of his own: He will give back the fairy-tale characters’ homes, if Shrek rescues Princess Fiona.
Shrek obliges, yet finds something ap pealing–something strange and different–about this pretty princess. He likes her.
The actors and actresses were on point throughout and they worked hard on the costumes.
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