Cheshire Cat smiles all round at school’s ‘Alice the Musical’
PUPILS from Mottram St Andrew Primary Academy lit up their school’s stage with a riot of colour when they performed song, dance and drama extravaganza ‘Alice the Musical’.
Based on the popular children’s book and film ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the production, performed on two evenings, saw children from years three and four take on a range of larger-than-life characters including the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and the Cheshire Cat.
The youngsters were able to show off all their hard work in front of packed audiences, who were treated to a selection of songs including ‘Music is my Life’ and ‘Here comes the Queen’.
After the show pupils then went on to thank their teachers Maria Hogg, Kathryn Cavanagh and Heidi Watts for working so hard to make the production a success.
Christine Bowen, headteacher, said: “The confidence of every single child was very impressive and obvious enjoyment shone from their faces.
“The performing and creative arts are a real strength at Mottram St Andrew Primary Academy and are a key way in which the school builds the children’s self esteem and well-being.
“Although academic standards are extremely important, we know that we are preparing the children for their futures.
“We believe that the skills learned while performing in front of an audience are vital for whatever faces them in adult life.
“What is more, the skills learned while performing are transferable to many aspects of life. We therefore give every child in the academy the chance to take part in a major production once a year either at Christmas, Easter or in the summer.”
Pupils hailed their classmates’ and their own performances as ‘a massive success’ and said the singing was ‘amazing’.
Parents of the budding young actors and singers also showed their appreciation of the children’s and staff’s hard work.
In a series of positive comments they fed back to headteacher Mrs Bowen, the school was praised for ‘a first class event’.
Children were said to have ‘loved every minute’ of the performance, with one parent reporting her daughter had gone to bed ‘smiling from ear to ear’.
Headteacher Mrs Bowen said: “Parents are very appreciative of the work that goes into the performances.”