GREAT EXPECTATIONS FULFILLED!

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

BTEC Performing Arts students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull put on their final production at the College this week, when they staged ‘Great Expectations’. I was one of the lucky members of the audience and what I treat I had!

Most of us know the plot to this Charles Dickens’ classic. If you don’t, here it is: It’s a coming-of-age story, about an orphan named Pip, set in the 1800s. It is a graphic story, depicting poverty, prison ships and fights to the death. The plot starts with the terrifying encounter between Pip and the escaped convict, Abel Magwitch. What follows are intriguing and unexpected twists and turns, with Pip encountering a wealthy spinster called Miss Havisham and a blacksmith called Joe Gargery, not to mention the cold and beautiful Estella.

Although set such a long time ago, the students used some rather modern techniques to get the message of this production across. The dialogue was all appropriate to the time, as was costume and set, but the students also incorporated lots of physical theatre in the production. There was some song and dance, where appropriate, and while these modern twists can sometimes ruin a classic text, these did not. Case in point was the scene in which Pip fell out of a boat; through physical theatre, the students managed to show Pip’s struggle underwater to very good effect.

That’s just one example of why this production was so good. All the performances were excellent, with some outstanding acting skills on display. There were some laughs in there, with funny one-liners, which were very well delivered. In addition, the key roles of Pip and Miss Havisham were played with enormous emotion and as an audience member I empathised with both, which is what you need in all good story telling.

I personally enjoyed the production enormously and everyone else I have spoken to has praised if too, commenting how professional and slick it was in particular. However, perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that the students took on so much to make this production a success. They don’t just learn their lines and act, they take responsibility for all aspects of the production, helping to choreograph the physical theatre, involving themselves in all backstage aspects, including costume, make-up, set, lighting and sound, and taking on a central role in promoting the play and selling tickets. That is a massive amount of work! Staff in the Performing Arts department also deserve a huge amount of credit.

It’s the end of their two years on the BTEC Performing Arts course here at the College and what a way to end. We will be sorry to lose them, but they are all moving onto new challenges and we wish them well, with a confidence that they will achieve success. All we ask is that they don’t forget us when they’re famous!

 

To see photos from this production, see the album on our Facebookpage.