Gorgeous, wonderful 'GODSPELL'!

A resounding success!

This term, Huntingtower continued its reputation of producing successful performances by bringing to life the award-winning musical ‘Godspell’. ‘Godspell’ was originally conceived and directed by John-Michael Tebelak with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The story is based on the Gospel according to St Matthew and while it deals with the last days of Jesus Christ and includes dramatised versions of several well-known parables, its focus is primarily about the power of community and togetherness. This immensely successful 1970’s rock opera was revamped in 2012, brilliantly updating the well-known and much-loved songs. For this production our story was set in an eWaste alleyway incorporating the full use of different levels and was complimented by ‘steampunk’ fashion styles.

One of the first notes provided in the script for ‘Godspell’ emphasises that it is a very difficult production to direct.  The show calls for high energy and humour, clowning, silliness and pantomime which are elements that potentially can take away from the impact, sincerity and meaning of the story. To suggest that this production requires a strong cast to carry it is an understatement.

With the above in mind, I could not have asked for a more incredible group of actors. Our stunning leads ensemble for 2019 delivered nothing short of a professional performance and included Felix Gould as Jesus, Isambard Knox-Johnson as Judas/John the Baptist, Jack Wu as Nick, Laura Armstrong as Telly, Emma Russell as Georgie, Anna Thompson as Anna-Maria, Emilie Hoyne as Lindsay, Shivani Mahendran as Uzo, Stephanie Barrow as Morgan, Emma Carroll as Celisse, Karina Thompson as Camille, Aiden Fyfield as Tim and Laila Salloum as Rosie.

Huntingtower has several highly successful alumni in the Performing Arts and I can see why: the stamina, intelligence, wit, energy, resilience and commitment that the students brought to rehearsals each week reflected in their abilities to be consistently engaging on stage, to bring the perfect balance of fun and sincerity to the scenes, to find authenticity and truth in their performances and to take our audience on a journey resulting in a roller coaster of emotions ranging from tears to gleeful joy from both actors and audience.

I’m so proud of what they accomplished; the challenges of breaking through personal inhibitions and fears to explore and discover these divine characters is no easy feat for any actor and I applaud their courage, professionalism and their loving support of each other during this process.

What also significantly impacted on the success and standard of the production was the enthusiasm and commitment from our other cast members in the chorus who lit up the stage with a wonderful array of singing and dancing. Their hard work on and offstage brought with it a glimpse of the amazing talent to come in the future. The performing arts at Huntingtower has some exciting years ahead!

I would like to thank the utterly amazing production crew, backstage crew and volunteers for their support, time and efforts. Everything about this show – from staging to lighting, from choreography, make up and costumes to sound, and from musical direction to performance – was of an exceptionally high standard. Thank you all so much for making this possible and a wonderful success!

Finally, a very special mention and thank you to Christine Cochrane for continuing her musical direction for the entirety of the production. We are so grateful that she was able to inspire and help create such a fantastic show!

Vivienne Perry (Director)