Productions


Footloose

December 6th-9th 2010

In December 2010 80, students from Manor College of Technology put on four amazing performances of the musical Footloose. It was touch and go whether we would be able to go ahead with the show due to the amount of snow which had fallen in Hartlepool but the staff decided during the Sunday dress rehearsal that the weather had improved enough for the show to go on.

On Monday 6th December 300 Y6 pupils from our partner primary schools came to watch the final dress rehearsal which gave the cast the chance to perform to a live audience. The rehearsal went extremely well and the cast were ready for the first night.

This cast included over 20 members from Y7 & 8 who had never taken part in a Manor production before so rehearsals had been a challenge for them and they didn’t really know what to expect from show week. However, songs and dances had been learnt, costumes created and cowboy boots bought, so it was on with the show.

Footloose is the story of Ren, who moves with his Mum to a small town called Bomont, from Chicago (Footloose/On Any Sunday). When he gets there he finds out that dancing is banned after a fatal accident involving four teenagers. He attracts the attention of Ariel, the daughter of the local vicar.

Ariel is rebelling against her parents’ authority and is going out with the local bad boy, Chuck and is desperate to leave Bomont. Ren meets Willard a wannabe cowboy, at school and convinces him to start thinking about going dancing (I can’t stand still) and maybe even taking Rusty, Ariel’s friend who he has a crush on, with them(Holding out for a Hero).

Ariel and Ren become friends which frustrates and angers Chuck, and also Ariel’s father as he feels that Ren is a disruptive influence to the town’s teenagers (Heaven Help M/I’m Free). Ren, Ariel, Rusty and Willard go to a dance in the next county and it is there where Willard admits to not being able to dance (Let’s hear it for the boy).

Rusty is disappointed but the group go home ready to convince the town council to change the laws of Bomont (Dancing is not a Crime). Ariel tries to have a conversation with her father but he upsets her and she sneaks out of the house straight into the arms of Chuck who drags her off and hits her for hanging around with Ren.

The teenagers go to the town council and try and convince them to change the laws but they won’t. Vi, Ariel’s Mum tells Rev Moore that he is going to lose Ariel also if he isn’t careful (Can you find it in your heart). Ren goes to Rev Moore and speaks to him alone after finding out from Ariel that her brother was one of the teenagers killed in the accident.

They leave on bad terms but Ren has made Rev Moore think and he eventually relents. The show ends with the teenagers having a prom. Willard finally asks Rusty to the dance and Ariel and Ren get together.

The audience loved the show and many members of the audience said it was the best yet. The main characters were fantastic and really showed their talent for acting, singing and dancing.

Emily and Jason who played Ariel and Ren are in Y10 and Y9 respectively and it was their first time for a lead role in the College Production. They both worked extremely hard and certainly led the show. Emily worried her form tutor with how well she played the slightly more extreme moments of Ariel!

Some favourite moments were Learning to be Silent, a trio by Melissa Sert, Kayleigh Johnson and Emily Burmiston which was sung beautifully and so simply that the audience well drawn into the storytelling of the song.

Lewis McBean’s portrayal of Reverend Moore was underplayed and both his solo’s and his preaching scenes in church set him apart from the other cast members. Jason Blackburn, Rhys Stevens and the Y7-Y9 boys impressed the audiences with their rap Dancing is not a crime and Emma Flint managed to stop the show on a number of nights with her waitress on roller skates and deep southern accent – she is indeed, a comedy genius!

The students played to an audience of over 1500 people during the week and produced another amazing production for Manor College of Technology.

It will certainly be remembered by both cast and audience for a long time to come. We’re already being asked what next year’s musical is and although the department has not yet decided we are certain it will be amazing!

 

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