Year 5 and 6 pupils at Edge Grove, an independent Prep school in Radlett, have delighted local families, with an enchanting, staged production of the classic tale, Peter Pan. This was the first major school production in front of a live audience for two years, due to the previous restrictions imposed by the pandemic and marked a special moment for the children, parents and staff.
The production encompassed three different casts and a total of six showings across three days. Each cast involved every single pupil in Years 5 and 6 with roles spanning principle cast and main chorus. Audiences were treated to one of three different Peter Pans, who each brought their own interpretations to the role of the boy who never wanted to grow up. Likewise, each production had its own mischievous Tinkerbell, and all three of the pupils delivered stunning performances ranging from a calm and collected pixie, to a sassy and strong-minded fairy. The infamous role of Captain Hook and Smee were played by three different duos, each bringing their own special rapport to the stage.
Head of Drama, Lucy Neale, commented, “Peter Pan was an absolute triumph for the school, and we are super proud of our talented pupils. They each sang beautifully and enthusiastically throughout the production, with a range of songs designed to lift spirits and also some precious moments that tugged at the heartstrings, such as ‘Do you Believe?’ whereby Peter Pan urges the audience to believe in fairy tales and Tinkerbell to bring her back to life. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!”
The staging and costumes were impressive, and the performance was also set to a live orchestra, headlined by three members of Edge Grove’s music teachers and its Director of Music Karl Leutfeld. The shows were produced and directed by the school’s Head of Drama, Lucy Neale and music and drama teacher, Justine Saville.
Andrea Thornton, a parent of one of the Tinkerbell’s, commented: “I cannot put into words how it felt to see all of those beautiful faces beaming with pride, happiness, joy and excitement. You gave our children back love and hope tonight. They have sacrificed so much over the past two years and tonight, I saw children doing what children do best; having fun and loving life, just as it should be. It was a brilliant choice of script; funny, heartfelt, and every child got a chance to shine.”
Ms Neale added, “We’d like to thank all of our talented staff and children for their fabulous efforts. Every performance was truly memorable, and it was wonderful to see our local families back in school, enjoying live performances again. It really has been too long, and we are looking forward to the next production.”
