The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui

Ui Director’s Notes

What extraordinary and tumultuous times we live in! After battling to stage Macbeth last year I did not expect to be on the same roller coaster in 2021, right down to the wire. But like Stuart Little, in the depths of a hopeless predicament, along came a silver lining and we were able to present The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui to a live audience. Three performances to a limited audience each evening, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I will admit I fought long and hard for this to happen. The Senior School Production is a much anticipated school event each year.  It is a school event we can all celebrate today after two years of many school events being cancelled. 

At first, the fight to continue against each Covid lockdown and restriction was about enabling the students to achieve a sense of completion, to see the production through the full process. The Performing Arts industry and schools around the state have all seen their performance programs decimated since last year. 

However, we were lucky.  We were delivered a gift and were able to perform. The production that happened this year was more than a school production. A team of amazing people came together and rose above the darkness of Covid-19. Our students found an inner resilience that gave them hope and then success. They grew as performers and young adults. They supported, encouraged and celebrated each other. The staff, students and parents who went on this journey together climbed to the peak of the mountain in solidarity. On Friday night at the end of the last show, we laughed and cried together, actors, backstage, tech, adults and kids, knowing we had done something very special. Nothing can take that experience away now. This Girton event happened due to the trust, faith, determination and resilience of a mighty fine group of passionate Girtonians. 

On behalf of the production team, I would like to thank  Dr Massey, Dr O’Reilly and the Coronavirus Action Team for standing by us in the darkest hours. I am indebted to my husband Greg Bowen for coordinating and constructing the set design, as well as Ms Jo Christie, Ms Jacinta Jackson, Mrs Jan Dillon, Mr Adrian Hodda, Mr John McMillan, Mrs Alex Fisher, Mr Mark Beever, Mrs Kristi Mitchell and Miss Shari Williams for their invaluable skills and expertise. And of course, the wonderful students in the cast, backstage, makeup and tech crew who made something extraordinary in the week between lockdowns. For over 6 months we have ridden on this roller coaster and were thrilled to be able to present The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (or ‘I Get Knocked Down But I Get Up Again’ Ui). 

A team of creative, resourceful determined people have achieved the impossible through sheer dedication and an unfailing commitment to delivering the best outcomes for students at Girton. The reward of seeing the elation of the students Friday night made the hard journey worth it. 

As the Taliban take control of Kabul in Afghanistan, I am reminded how much the story of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui resonates in our time. I am sorry more people were not able to see this powerful play, but there will be a video recording made available!

I thank everyone involved for their faith, their resilience, their fortitude and their positive energy. It has been a privilege to be on this crazy ride with you all -  truly a Gansta’s Paradise!

Ms Mandy Ellison 

Director & Head of Drama

Gallery of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Performance

Student Reflections

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui has definitely been the most dramatic show I’ve been a part of. 

We thought after the events of Macbeth (the show that never happened), that this year would be easy -  got that a bit wrong, didn’t we? I have never been a part of a more resilient and flexible cast, throughout the last 6 months we have pushed everyone so hard and asked more from everyone than any cast, ever. 

We started the process back in February with a great round of auditions, I genuinely loved seeing every single person’s audition and interpretation of the script we gave them. Then we jumped straight into rehearsals, it was just so great to see these characters that I had in my head come to life. 

This year has thrown so many challenges at us and I honestly never thought I would be here talking about how great this production was because I had convinced myself many times it was not going to happen. But here we are, what an amazing experience to be a part of. 

The show was such a success and I’m so grateful to everyone who made it happen, all those people who got out there and fought so hard so that a group of teenagers could jump up on a stage together and made some theatre. These characters we have created and the memories we’ve made as a cast will be with us forever. 

So to Abe, Audrey, Lucy, Ruben, Mandy, Solly, Ollie, Mia, Kai, Tommy, James, Bella, Abbey, Erin, Morgan, Jonte, Tia, Henry, Greta, Ava, Stella, Matilda, Georgia, Lucy, Eva, Niccy, Maddy, Estella, Greta and Grace: thank you for sticking with us and I hope every single person is just as proud as I am of what we have achieved. Love to all.  

Indi-Mara Bodin (11 Frew)

Production Captain

It has been such an honour as Production Captains to watch this show come to life. While this year has proven to be challenging we could not be prouder to be presenting this show to audiences. 

In this production, you see everything including glimpses of satire and comedy. In every scene, you witness something different but ultimately this show is very moving and poignant. As the show is an allegory and was written in 1941 it has been fun as Captains to watch the cast understand the play more and put their own spin on the script.

During every rehearsal, progress was made and after every set back the cast of Ui have come back fighting even stronger. We would like to thank the cast for their strong sense of camaraderie and the energy they bring to make this show come to life. Their ongoing sense of commitment and enthusiasm have been outstanding. 

We would also like to thank Ms Ellison for her continuous support and dedication to the Production. Without her creative vision and her commitment to the cast, this show would not have been possible.

Once again it has been a privilege to be your 2021 Production Captains and we hope you enjoy the show! 

Lucy Kitching  (12 Aherne)

Drama Captain/ Vice Production Captain

Indi-Mara Bodin (11 Frew)   

Production Captain

Gallery from Backstage

Ui was nothing short of a whirlwind of emotions. A tumultuous and turbulent production experience that managed to get on stage with an audience by the skin of its teeth! 

Being cast as a lead in my first senior school production was something that both excited and scared me. As time went on though, the anxieties I felt began to fade away and turned into an immense sense of community and enjoyment, turning my Year 12 into something truly remarkable. The character of Giri almost feels a part of me now, which is quite frightening for my friends and family, but nonetheless, merely shows the amount of tremendous engagement that comes in a school production. I urge anyone considering to audition in the future for a school production to throw themselves in the deep end. Lack of experience is never a reason to not do something, only a bigger incentive to start. 

An obscure play like Ui, which many of us were not aware of, is more the reason to give it a go. This was an enormous effort by all cast, backstage crew, directors, makeup team, tech team and everyone in-between. Incredibly thankful for the experience would be an understatement, and I'm sure on behalf of all cast, one of the truly best Girton adventures a student could have!   

Solomon Gibbs (12  Jones)

I cannot put into words how much I enjoyed my first senior school production. But I will try my best to explain it.  The resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is unlike anything I have done on stage before. It was an exciting and interesting production. Every rehearsal was productive, enjoyable and in general just fun. Every time I walked into the Blackbox I could feel the energy in the air and the excitement on people’s faces as it got closer and closer to the performance. Although our cast continuously got knocked down and lost hope we always got back up and continued. This would not be possible without Ms Ellison and the Production Team, so I would like to thank them for their hard work and courage to make this production happen. I would seriously recommend auditioning for future school productions; it is a great experience, you learn, make friends, and build confidence.  

Matilda Lovett (7 Jones)

My entry into the production this year was more than peculiar. It began in term two with a few friends suggesting we check out the meeting announcing the background for the production and that auditions were open. I didn’t think much of it because I hadn’t been in a senior school production since the Year Eight Production was cancelled due to covid restrictions. 

I showed up at the meeting and to my surprise, the friends I was expecting to see were not there. Turns out, they never went to that meeting, and I was going alone whether I knew it or not. I didn’t expect a lot, but I remember walking out of that first meeting thinking “this is awesome”. A few weeks passed and auditions were in full swing. 

Considering how cool I thought this play was you’d think I’d remember to audition, right? Nope. Despite countless reminders, I forgot to audition, and I didn’t send in any documentation whatsoever. Being pretty bummed out that I didn’t audition, I went to my drama teacher and production director, Ms Ellison, and begged her to allow me to at least work backstage. She rejected me saying “You would be better on stage than you would be backstage”. And just like that, I had a minor role in the production without auditioning! (Don’t do this by the way, you should audition for a play. Don’t be like me.) 

Before I knew it, it was time for the first rehearsal and read through of the script. As soon as I started speaking, the five student directors’ eyebrows all raised in perfect unison, followed by the faintest murmur of “told you so” from the teacher who got me into the production. So far, things were going pretty well. Jump forward a few weeks and the only scene I was in gets cut. However, this was around the same time a few Year Twelves discontinued with the production. So as fate would have it, the directors offered me a much more pivotal character that would replace one of the just departed Year Twelves. Naturally I agreed and three emails later, it was done. 

Along the way, I also managed to pick up two other characters. Skip past a few more rehearsals, lockdowns, heartbreaks, and there I was, standing in the bows of our final performance in the presence of a house full of audience members. It was only then when I started to really think back to how I got there. From not auditioning to being on stage for a majority of this production. I guess you could say it was a series of fortunate events that led me to where I was.   

James Forbes (9 Aherne)

The Production was everything to me. It allows you to express emotion in a way you never thought existed. The Production teaches you to speak out and have a voice. It shows you how to be loud and proud. The Production allowed me to learn things I never knew existed. It has shown me how to grow as an actor and as a person. All I could think about was production, when was it on, will we get to perform, how many people would be in the Audience. It was most nerve-racking when the Year 12’s were watching. It was hard and embarrassing if you forgot a line or were late for a line, but you always found a way to incorporate it in the show. If you are looking for something to express emotion and further your acting skills, then I would recommend for you to audition for the Senior School Production next year.

Eva Westbrook (8 Frew)

Ensemble

I think if you're determined about something you can make it happen. 

I honestly lack skills in makeup but slowly, slowly I got better. Not James Charles better but more 4-year-old preschool standard which was pretty good for me. Being a part of the Make-up team was a great experience. Having this opportunity​ to be a part of the crew was so amazing and I'm so grateful that I got to be a part of all of this.  Thank you! 

Olga Ikali-Ngaseke (9 Aherne)