Page 8 - Demo

Artz Seniors Finally Take To The Stage With Smash Hit Production
After a period of almost twenty four months of darkness for our Artz Seniors, away from the stage and the spotlight, the determined Birch Green cohort finally took to the stage last weekend to deliver a lot more than just a show.
Once on this Island, was first set to be performed in July 2020; and since it’s casting in March 2020, the show had been re-scheduled no less than four times and the Artz Centres have been closed on full lockdown twice; students once involved in the show took a step back along the way, parts where recast, and at times, motivation was understandably, at an all time low.
Yet, with all this adversity set to cancel this show completely, co-directors Mark and Joe, alongside their talented cast of twenty four students, really did pull out all of the stops to produce a breathtakingly memorable piece that was well worth the wait.
A last minute venue cancellation saw
the production take place at the Birch
Green Artz Centre itself; which, what
was once yet another stumbling block,
stood to become almost the perfect
venue, given the traverse nature of the
piece. And the staging style was not
the only bold directing choice made;
the hour long show was delivered in
one intense act, with all ensemble cast remaining on stage throughout, creating a true feast for the imagination.
What perhaps was most poignant about the whole experience was its storytelling nature. The entire narrative of Once on this Island is delivered by an ensemble of storytellers, who multirole a variety of characters, and ‘tell their story’ to a small island girl. It’s a story about how love will ultimately conquer all, and it draws upon ancient Haitian culture, and Haiti’s rich and colourful history. This Artz Seniors production was storytelling at its most powerful, and the entire cast delivered their performances with true integrity and respect to the original culture of the story.
A production that was littered with stand-out vocal performances, choreography and storytelling; and supported by an exceptional tech team that provided the looks, the sounds, and the perfect atmosphere for our performers to thrive... I think all involved have agreed that this show demonstrated one thing for our staff, students and audiences: it’s good to be back.
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Catch the Artz Centre’s next production; the Addams Family, in Lathom High School this December. Visit their website www.artzcentre.co.uk for more details