College Christmas Production of Honk!
Posted on Friday 14 December 2007
College students delight packed audiences with musical theatre
Honk - Christmas Quackers!
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As the curtain opened on Honk! at Farnborough Sixth Form College’s Prospect Theatre last week, a cheery sunlit stage was revealed showing a village duck pond.
As the curtain opened on Honk! at Farnborough Sixth Form College’s Prospect Theatre last week, a cheery sunlit stage was revealed showing a village duck pond.
Drake,played by Ashleigh Wells, 17, and his long-suffering wife, duck Ida played by Vicky Shillingford, 18, (alternating with Phoebe Hughes, 17) were watching over a clutch of eggs awaiting the birth of a new brood- but the clutch seemed to contain one inordinately large egg. And so began the magnificent production of Honk!, the musical theatre tale of Hans Christian Anderson’s the Ugly Duckling and his transformation into an elegant swan.
Ugly, played with great energy and feeling by Sian Boorman, 17, couldn’t quack – he could only honk! Ostracised by his siblings, Honk began an exhilarating and energetic musical adventure across a brilliantly constructed set to the delight and hilarity of packed audiences.
Luke Edis,16, was superb as the Cat who tried to convince Ugly that he was a friend, all the while intending to eat him for dinner. All the individual parts were played with confidence and great presence by the student actors who rose to the challenge of musical theatre with maturity beyond their years, but it was above all a brilliant ensemble performance.
Director Matt Sheppard said, “The production was a testament to the effort and commitment of all the students and staff involved in what has been a hugely satisfying and enriching experience.”
He added, “Musical theatre is one of the most demanding of challenges but the students have risen to it in amazing way. I am extremely happy at the heights everyone has reached in this year’s show.”
