I was bulldozed with emotion ... the teenagers have transitioned

TRANSITION year is the time when kids get a break from having their brains mercilessly stuffed with information. I can barely cope with the stress of my children doing exams and wanted a year off myself.

It turns out the transition year is not a doss year at all. Certainly not for parents.

‘We need to pick him up at seven tonight from school.’

The team has been in rehearsals for ‘the musical’ for what seems like forever. ‘Again?’ ‘And he’s in all day Saturday.’ ‘I thought he only had a small part.’ ‘He’s painting the sets.’ My husband looked at me dryly. Since the beginning of this term we have been ferrying the Teen back and forth to Crossmolina at odd hours. For a ‘year off’ he is sure as hell spending a lot of time at school. ‘Hairspray — The Musical’ has taken over his life. And ours.

‘And if you are passing Penney’s, can you pop in and get some fake tan — not Sally Hansen — the permanent stuff. Oh — and a tin of temporary hair colour spray. In pink. ’ ‘Ah here….’ I knew I was pushing it. ‘I’ll get it,’ I said, ‘if you collect him.’

‘I’ll be glad when this is over,’ he muttered.

I smiled brightly. The stage mum in me won’t countenance criticism of my darling teen, but even I was getting a bit fed up with the to-ing and fro-ing.

Finally, on Saturday we got to see what all the fuss was about. My mother and I sat in the assembly hall of the school where her younger sister had boarded in the 1950s.

Even back then Jesus and Mary convent, Gortnor Abbey, had a reputation for creativity and liberalism.

Mam looked around at the packed hall, still wistful at how Sheila had escaped a traditional ‘angry Irish nuns’ education.

The hall was buzzing with excitement. Leo had a small part — Mr Pinky — at the end of the first half.

I am not a big fan of musicals, but Hairspray is a good one. Radical and funky and fun — with a great message of inclusion and equality.

Nonetheless, I checked my watch. Experience of school plays told me this was going to be a long night.

Not so. From the moment the curtain came up, I was mesmerised.

The set was amazing, the costumes perfect — but the big shock was the level of professionalism that TY co-ordinator Taryn Kelly and her team, along with musical director Harry Lawlor (ex-pupil and member of acclaimed pop group Flat Out) had got out of the TYs.

The standard of singing and acting on stage was, frankly, extraordinary.

I was thrilled to see Leo’s close friends Mary, Regina and Georgia take their places

When the character of Motormouth got up to sing her sassy anthem, Big, Blonde and Beautiful, my mother turned to me and said ‘I love her.’

‘That’s Sonya’ I said. She looked aghast. ‘Sonya? Are you sure? The quiet girleen that was in our kitchen a few weeks ago?’ she said.

‘Yes,’ I shrugged, but I was as surprised as she was. This was no school play. They were entertaining us — like adults.

No fluffed lines, no wobbling sets or lingering scene changes fraught with angry whispers.

There was not one bum note, lost wig, stumbled step. It was West End seamless.

Every performance was both intelligent and time-perfect.

Even, no, especially the drag performances were mature. Taidy Connor’s Edna and Michael Gillespie as her husband Wilbur, were mind-blowing.

Over the past three months I had been wondering why the teachers had been going to all this trouble. Weekends, evenings? Why all this work?

I saw it during Enda and Wilbur’s hilarious Timeless to Me duet. Jack Sweeney came out as a backing dancer. The last time I saw Jack on stage was with Leo at their crèche Christmas show. They were both three and miming the theme tune to Bob the Builder. Rather badly.

Fast-forward 13 years — which feels like five minutes. I was bulldozed with emotion. The children have grown up.

They have ‘transitioned’. All of them.

Their very presence on stage was saying: see me, hear me — look what I can do. Each one of them, not just the principal roles, but the backing dancers and extras, were pushing their own boundaries by just being there.

None of them will ever forget that experience. Neither will I.

Leo’s Mr Pinky turn came and went. A short scene, but he delivered. The young love between Penny and Seaweed was heart melting. I will never get over Taidy’s teenage Edna. And I’m sure Taidy will never either.

Georgia led us in the final number, You Can’t Stop the Beat, and the whole cast joined her.

And in that moment, you really could feel every heart in the room set alight, from the parents watching to those singing on stage. The teenagers have transitioned.