Photo courtesy of Nicola Lang http://www.nicolalangphotography.co.uk/
Putting on a school production is a stressful event for all concerned - from the teaching staff through to the student performers, stage technicians as well as the maintenance. Done well, a school production can be as intensely produced and performed as a West End Show from the early stages of planning to the final performance and this really was the case when I worked with Perins School, a high-performing, academy school for children aged 11 to 16 years, based in Hampshire which put school performances way into another league, the like of which I've never seen before. This short film to promote the show was made entirely by the school staff and pupils, from the music through the filming and performing and as soon as I watched it, I knew this performance would be in a league of it's own. https://youtu.be/PldaihkW6N0 The production was the produced and directed by Marilitsa Alexiou, head of Performing Arts.
The school bought the licence to Lloyd-Webber's Phantom of the Opera and anyone who knows anything about theatre and performing rights will know there are strict rules that apply to protecting the Phantom name and reputation so from the outset, the Miss Alexiou knew that everything from the acting, costume, set design and makeup all had to be better than perfect.
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Photo courtesy of Nicola Lang http://www.nicolalangphotography.co.uk/
I was asked to work with the 20-strong student team who would be applying the makeup to the main cast including making and applying the disfigured face of Erik (The Phantom) and basic stage makeup for the full cast. After working out exactly what needed to be taught in a one day session via email and phone calls, I planned and delivered a full and packed day of class tuition, demos and small group teaching sessions. Firstly, I ran a two hour special effects hands-on workshop with the whole makeup team, followed by a two hour session with the art department staff teaching them how to make silicone prosthetics and how to paint and apply them for The Phantom and then finally spent the last two hours with the makeup team teaching them how to apply basic stage and character makeup.
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The school were delighted with the workshop day which was part-funded by NADFAS, the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (who had awarded funding to an especially talented pupil) and the results speak for themselves. http://www.winchestertoday.co.uk/2016/07/perins-youth-theatre-stunning/
Photo courtesy of Nicola Lang http://www.nicolalangphotography.co.uk/
Photo courtesy of Nicola Lang http://www.nicolalangphotography.co.uk/
Next blog coming soon.... it'll be boody as I seem to have not done a bloody one for a while!
