The last note has been sung, and the final fairy has flown away.
Peter Pan and Tinker Bell are back in Neverland, and Wendy and her brothers have returned to London (with Lily, and Smee, and all the Lost Boys…).
Thirty performances, thirty-six performers, a very busy stage crew and one beautiful building. So many children and adults of all ages went home with smiles on their faces, and one or two songs in their hearts.
For me, the assistant director, the reward is in the audiences’ reactions: cheering the fantastic flying sequence, booing Captain Hook and his pirate crew, clapping along to the music. I remember seeing Christmas shows as a child and they were absolutely wonderful. It’s pure escapism, and pure magic. (I now know that it’s not actually magic, but a very tall man called Steve pulling a rope, but at the age of 29 I can deal with that – almost!)
It seems so long ago that we had our first rehearsal, and it’s incredible how productions grow. To every one of the children in the cast – I’m really proud of what you’ve achieved, and you should be too. I had a great time working with our Lost Boys, Darling Boys and Young Dancers, and they have genuinely taught me a lot. Although quite how The Floss will help in my next job remains to be seen… Seeing the whole cast enjoying being together, from professional actor to primary school pupil, is nothing short of heart-warming. We’d also like to say thank you to our chaperones, because without them the children wouldn’t get this opportunity, and the show wouldn’t have been possible without them.
So we’ve wrapped up our Christmas show for another year. And work has already started on the next one!
Come and join us in December 2019 for our telling of The Nutcracker, there’ll be plenty to surprise and delight in this festive adventure.
Happy New Year!
Written by Nicola Pollard / Assistant Director