Students draw bows as show hits bullseye
Talk about method acting . . .
Senior students spent weeks practising archery in preparation for their parts in the Brunswick School production, Hoodwinked.
The play featured tales of Robin Hood with a Brunswickstyle twist that also incorporated rugby players, friars, lumberjacks and ghostbusters.
Brunswick School teacher Sarah Lourie said there was a lot of technique involved in archery.
“We went out to the Marangai Archery Club and did four or five sessions with them learning to use a bow and arrow,” Lourie said.
“It was quite amazing over those few weeks of practising how much better the students got.”
Students from the school on Whanganui’s Campbell Rd began learning songs for the production in term three before the seniors began taking things seriously this term.
Approximately 70 students were involved, which meant that everyone had a part to play in the matinee and two evening performances in the Brunswick Hall.
Lourie said the production was amazing.
“The final night was awesome and there have been comments that it’s the best we’ve ever done.
“When you’re hearing comments like that from parents and kids, you know you’ve got it right.”
In Brunswick’s version of events, Robin Hood (Eli Kuehne) is on a quest to win the heart of Maid Marion (Amy Venter) and in doing so must defeat Alice Quigley’s evil sheriff.
The production was very student-driven. They came up with the choreography, costumes and props with a little help from their teachers.
As well as learning archery, the production tied into the senior students’ curriculum, as they had done an inquiry into medieval times.
Lourie said it was incredibly important that the school organised these productions.
“You’ve got every single kid on stage having something to contribute,” she said.
“You have some with real
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natural talent getting up there in the lead roles and then others that are reluctant to start with, but once they start practising they really get into it.”