In the Round Company present Wind in the Willows: By the Riverside
Music written by Daisy Houlder, Script compiled by Maria Leaf
This term we started a creative journey with the newly founded ‘In the Round’ Company. This music and theatre collaboration between Years 3 and 4 is an exciting new area we have pioneered to produce our own in -house repertory. This preparation is an exciting opportunity to enrich our artistes as they move through their performing arts life in school.
This week, Years 3 and 4 presented their version of stories from the Wind in the Willows with music written by Miss Houlder. Their professional and insightful performances brought both smiles and tears to the audiences, as the girls excellently captured the essence of this classic tale of life on the riverbank.
We responded to the characters and settings of The Wind in the Willows generating original and adapted work. Using the original text and various play versions we started to appreciate how a rehearsal room works beyond the allocation of characters and dialogue. We are a collective piece of theatre unique to our ideas, and creativity can only be free when we work as one. Audiences on Monday and Tuesday evenings saw moments of this joy.
Company members considered the different creative roles and artistic components that make a theatre interpretation. Direction came from each other with a culture of making our Kenneth Grahame world through the open space and movement and music. We considered what this Edwardian story teaches us today and how theatre techniques can retell this story.
Miss Houlder, Director of Music
Please find below reviews of the performance:
Performers
Lara Y3 – It was really fun! The Y4s inspired me because they learnt their lines off by heart quickly.
Emi Y3 – My favourite part was when we got to sing. I love how the audience were sat on different sides so they could see all perspectives of the performance.
Charlotte Y3 – The experience was amazing to have music written by our music teacher and the script written by our drama teacher. I am so excited for next year!
Catherine Y3- I liked it because we got to learn songs that weren’t copied by people – Miss Houlder wrote it! We made our own lines and I liked when we made it up ourselves.
Audience
Amal Y5 – I really like Wind in the Willows because I liked how the characters expressed their emotions in different ways.
Matilda W Y5 – I liked how Siena performed as chief weasel and I loved the song ‘Can you feel the Wind’
Ciara Y6 – I like that the Y4s expressed themselves. When they were singing they were all in sync and did really well.
Cecily Y6 – I love the songs and that Miss Houlder wrote them!
Cara Y5 – They knew their parts really well and performed with no hesitations.
Paula Y6 – It was really really good and they were all very enthusiastic. They showed great teamwork and overall it was really nice to see the younger years perform.
Mr Cilveti – As the class teacher of some of these girls and having decided to not be in any of the rehearsals on purpose, I was so impressed by what the girls have been able to achieve together. The show was incredibly well put together and it was just so lovely to listen to them dancing and singing such beautiful words. What is most important to me, I saw the girls taking ownership and pride in what they were doing, as that is the best present for a teacher!
