Treasure Island Performance greeted with prolonged applause
Posted on Friday 24 April 2009
Students from the Henry Tyndale Special School, supported by sixth form college students, in magnifi
Henry Tyndale and College Joint Performance
Students from Henry Tyndale Special School and Farnborough Sixth Form College staged a magnificent but slightly unusual production of Treasure Island before a packed audience of parents and friends in the College’s Prospect Theatre recently. The production was the culmination of a year’s joint activities between the College and the post-16 unit of Henry Tyndale Special School, known as Coppers.
College students went through the story of Robert Louis Stevenson’s epic tale with the Coppers’ students, explaining the plot and asking for their interpretations. They renamed Long John Silver as Captain Josh who was played magnificently, with frequent ad-libbing by Coppers’ student, Josh Stocker. Captain Josh unexpectedly died not once but twice during the production!
Marilla Tolfree, 18, of Fleet, a second year student at the sixth form college studying Biology, Psychology, Sociology and Japanese, master-minded the production along with Nick Elsey, 18, of Windlesham, studying Maths, Physics, History and Psychology, as part of the enrichment activities in the College. Maria said, “It was a bit scary as we came towards the day of the production because so many things could go wrong – but everybody was magnificent and the show was a great success”.
Nick added, “It was really hard work getting the show to performance standard but it was worth it to see both groups of students so engaged with the project.”
The Coppers students, bedecked in theatrical costumes designed by the group, performed magnificently and they were supported on stage by college students dressed in theatrical black.
Congratulating the students from both the Henry Tyndale Coppers unit and the College after the performance, College Principal, Dr John Guy, said, “This production was magnificent and you all carried it off like true professionals with minimal assistance from teachers. We are in awe of what you have achieved this evening”.
Headteacher of Henry Tyndale School, Rob Thompson, told the audience, “This was the fifth year of the joint productions between the school and the college, and we are indebted to the commitment and dedication of the college students and to the staff of both institutions who oversaw the preparations”.
