JEDDAH, 17 December 2006 — In the best tradition of British school life, the end of year play staged by the British International School last week brought the students, staff and parents into the arena of grease-painted dedication to “getting it right on the night.”
School drama is traditionally regarded with horror by many parents as an annual event to be endured as their best beloveds — frequently reluctant first-time thespians — strut their stuff as second cabbage or fifth spear-carrier. This year Neil Hugo, newly arrived head of Middle School whose first production this was at the school, took a different tack.
“We have such a range of cultures and traditions in the school,” he said, “that I felt we needed a neutral vehicle that, if it had any message at all, was one we could all support. The Blue Crystal has one of tolerance and cooperation.”
The lavish production, which took over three months to put together, took the all-volunteer cast of 200 children entirely from the Middle School. Hugo said that the response was tremendous across ethnic groupings and nationalities.
“Those who volunteered,” he said “were as enthusiastic about taking part as their parents were to have them perform. We had 100 percent support from parents.” As usual there were many more volunteers than parts for them. “The whole ethos of the school is child-centered so the response came from them, not the teachers.” Those who could not perform were often involved in the minutiae of pre-show preparation and the ancillary tasks that go into a large production.
This was the first time that year three children had been involved in a production and initially there were fears that the commitment and late nights would place too much of a strain on them. However, they proved to be made of sterner stuff than anticipated and performed magnificently. The old stagers in Year Five were enthusiastic about the whole exercise. “I was an alien rock star and had to sing and dance. I felt really happy as it was my first time performing in front of so many people,” said Arran. “I felt shy at first but then I forgot about them and then I felt as if I was really famous when they clapped.”
Scott found the whole thing exciting. “I really want to do more shows because we all had such fun,” he said.
Other spin-offs from the performance were, some children thought, as valuable as the show itself. “I like doing the show for all the parents because it meant we didn’t get any homework this week,” enthused Yasmine. Parental involvement was essential, thought Hugo as learning the part and the disciplines of acting before a large audience inevitably brings to the surface fears and worry over lines and performance ability. “And involved they were,” he said. “They got behind the idea and made the whole job so much easier just by supporting their children in what, for some, was a significant step outside their everyday culture.”
No less significant was the volunteer input from teachers — 15 or so — and some of the parents to the ‘behind the scenes’ preparations. Music, songs, costumes, set decoration and some very technical lighting were all part of the community mix of over 100 people that worked on the event.
The action, set far in the future, revolves around the theft of a blue crystal by inhabitants of the dying planet Zarcon. The crystal is part of a computer that keeps earth’s survival systems running. Captain Tor is dispatched to retrieve the crystal and encounters opposition from the Zarconians. After a battle and a small but symbolic tragedy, the crystal is retrieved and shared in a spirit of cooperation and, as is right and proper, all ends on a note of celebration.
Martin Murphy, who directed the production, said that choosing a play that was politically and culturally neutral yet had a strong story with a message the cast could get behind was a challenge. “We settled on Blue Crystal because of its very simple yet powerful message,” he said, “that communities only experience success when they work together.”
Eleven-year-old Gerard Murphy who plays Captain Tor said that he got far more out of performing in this and several other productions, than just the fun of doing it. An experienced junior actor — his first production was at the age of 6 — he felt that the benefits of involvement in productions such as this spilled over into his off-stage life.
“The things that I appreciate most are the discipline that comes from having to learn the part and getting it right and the self confidence that comes from that,” he said. Sarah Tabsh, who plays Thea in the play, agreed and added, “The most difficult part though is having to stand on the stage in the lights in front of a large crowd. You just have to take a deep breath, do it and get it right!” She shuddered when she recalled how she ‘froze’ in last year’s production. “I just had to have another go, though.”
Murphy said that teachers strove to make a positive change in the lives of their students. “The experience of working together on ‘The Blue Crystal’ has been just that.”
Hugo agreed: “The self esteem and confidence the children get from applying themselves to the play has a tremendous positive effect on their learning and whole approach to daily life. They were the stars — and so they should be.”
