Children at St John’s Church of England Academy, Worksop, are first school to showcase the new Craig Hawes musical.
Year 6 children at St John’s C of E Academy in Worksop have performed in the world premiere school production of Craig Hawes’ new show, Grossbusters– The Monster Musical!
Following an audition process, children worked alongside school staff and teachers from The Young Theatre Company (based at The Acorn Theatre, Worksop), to fine tune their musical performance which was premiered in front of a packed audiences of friends and families.
Rebecca Pearce is a Year 6 teacher and History and Art Coordinator at St John’s C of E Academy, which is based on Raymoth Lane in Worksop.
Rebecca explained how the opportunity arose for the school to take part. She said, “We have a long history of working with The Young Theatre Company to enhance our children’s performing arts experience at St John’s, and in November, we were delighted to welcome Mrs Hayla Hawes and Zoe Banyard into school to complete an audition process with the children in anticipation of this performance. Once parts were assigned, and with support from their teachers, it was up to our young performers to learn their lines and hone their acting skills!
“After many rehearsals and lots of hard work by our young actors, the final shows were truly amazing! We are so proud of the commitment and enthusiasm children brought to the production. The feedback from our parents has been so positive and our children really put on a show to remember.”
Rebecca says the Young Theatre Company had performed Grossbusters- The Monster Musical! in the summer with their drama school, making the performance by St John’s C of E Academy the first occasion where a school performed the new show.
Written by Craig Hawes, Grossbusters- The Monster Musical! tells the story of Norman Normal, who is hiding a monstrous secret. When his secret is revealed, there’s only one team to call, – the Grossbusters! With the help of some new friends, Norman discovers that being different is what makes him special.
Owen is in year 6 and is also Head Boy at the academy. Owen said, “We really enjoyed doing the show. We all came together as a team and had fun along the way. My favourite song was Monster Street because I got to use the emergency phone!”
Fellow year 6 pupil, and Head Girl, Millie said, “People were saying that the show had the quality of a West End performance. Everyone who took part loved every moment!’
Following the performance, representatives from Craig Hawes publishing company Musicline who attended the evening performance of the children’s show, contacted the school to say, “We want to heartily congratulate you all on producing such a wonderful, vibrant and energetic show.
“There was clearly so much time, care and effort invested in the children to perform their Year 6 Production, which resulted in a ‘Mini West End’ standard show which was enjoyed by all.
“The children were extremely impressive! They were completely absorbed in the show, and you clearly have some very talented children amongst the cast. Their delivery, timing and characterization were infallible, and it was an absolute joy to see so many children having such a great time, working together cohesively and inclusively, as a team, in what can only be described as a fantastic production.
“We hope that the children will lock the experience into their memory banks and look back, fondly and proudly, in future, at the fabulous accomplishment they each achieved as part of the show. Thank you, once again, for giving us the opportunity to be part of your audience at your performance of Grossbusters – it was a privilege to be there, and we thoroughly enjoyed and appreciate your wonderful talents.”
Mrs Casie Bower is a Year 6 teacher at St John’s and she said, “As a school, we are so incredibly proud of the children and their performance of Grossbusters- The Monster Musical! Their hard work, resilience and dedication to put on a great show truly shone through. What a special memory to have from their final year at primary school!”