Kids at Sea - A Huge Success!

Annie McDowell

(Director and Producer

of Kids at Sea)

After months of learning songs, rehearsing lines, perfecting choreography and trying on costumes, Belgrave Heights Christian School's first Prep to Year 6 production, Kids at Sea show-cased the talents of our students in a one-night-spectacular performance at the Belgrave Heights Convention Centre.

Two full days of dress rehearsals at the venue and the students were ready for the stage, with the excitement on the night growing as parents (patiently!) waited to be let into the seating area.

Our Prep to Year 2 students opened the evening with a fantastic rendition of Underwater Discovery and Octopus' Garden. Although they certainly maximised on the 'cute factor' with big smiles and creative costumes, they were also very well rehearsed and performed 'swimmingly'. Well done to our youngest performers!

After a brief intermission, all Year 3 to Year 6 students entered the stage for the opening number of the play, Seven Seas, and what an opening it was! It was so exciting to watch 6 classes of students light up the stage with their costumes, energy and enthusiasm. The pirates with their "arrgghhs!" and convincing stage fighting, the Silly Sailors bopping along with their mops and buckets, the Sea Monsters' menacing gestures and scary faces and the Mer People's rellaaaxxeedd rendition of Blue Lagoon. Of course we can't forget the Sultanas in Pink Pyjamas (very tight choreography girls!) and their suave leader, Zolton, the Sultan of Soul. Thank goodness for the Rock Birds, who danced/flew our hero, young Harold Sinbad to the safety of King Neptune and his hysterical Sea Creatures, to be reunited with his father Albert, no thanks to the 'nautical experience' of Cockney con-man, Sid Grummett.

All students contributed to this performance, whether it be as a lead role, ensemble performer, backstage crew member or technical crew member. Not to mention our hard-working staff who took on different stage-roles as we approached performance night.

This experience was another first for me, as I have never attempted a show with over 250 students entering the stage at one point or another, nor have I worked with Junior students. However, I was blown away by their commitment and passion for the stage. Some students embraced the experience right from the onset, diving into their roles with confidence and determination. Others were more uncertain to begin with, and grew into their roles as they learnt some new skills along the way, and a big congratulations to those who really stepped out of their comfort zones. The Belgrave Heights Convention Centre felt very full, and it was wonderful to have the support of our parents and friends of BHCS. It wouldn't be a performance without an audience, and your children loved sharing their gifts with you.

As an educator and performer, one of the greatest joys I experience is seeing students shine on stage. I firmly believe that such formative and fulfilling life experiences stay with young people as positive memories for them to draw on for years to come. I have a slight confession now... I actually performed as a Sultana student in Kids at Sea as a Year 5 student myself! Which should give some indication of the impact being part of such a show can be, and why I wanted to bring this experience to our Junior students at BHCS.

So, congratulations to all, and a big "thank you" for all the help and support given by our leadership, staff and parents.

Bon Voyage for now!

Video Playlist Available

A video playlist of clips from the Kids at Sea Production are available in the Media Library on the School's website:

www.bhcs.vic.edu.au/media-library.html

​If you are unsure of the password, please ask your child's homeroom teacher.