School of Rock
Valley Park's production of "School of Rock - The Musical" was sold out and included standing ovations every night. Park Life asked two of the cast what it was like to be in Horace Green Preparatory School for a week...
"Rosalie Mullins"
"I played Rosalie Mullins, Principal of Horace Green Preparatory School," said Ashleigh Smith. "She has a secret passion for all things music but confines it throughout her life. However, all that changes when she meets Dewey Finn."
Ashleigh found the rehearsal process an eye-opening experience. "It was great to work with students my own age," she said, "but I was amazed by the amount of talent and energy brought to the production by the younger members of the cast."
Ashleigh was also surprised by how much stamina the show required. "We soon realised the level of support and teamwork we'd need throughout the run. Because of this, though, we managed to bond and share many laughs and make memories to look back on."
Moving into production week was quite daunting. "It was my first main role in a school production," Ashleigh said. "We had to move the whole production from the rehearsal space to the stage, but once we saw the staging and the effects we could tell this was going to be one of the greatest experiences we could ever have been given!"
School of Rock is a production Ashleigh won't forget in a hurry. "It's been tiring but incredible," she said. "I've made a lot of new friends from different year groups and we now share so many collective memories!"
"Lawrence"
"As it was my first production, I wasn't too sure what to expect," said Tom Culver. "After I was told I had been cast as Lawrence, I felt exhilarated and half-petrified!"
Playing Lawrence required Tom to play keyboard live on stage.
"My part was great," Tom said, "because it combined my passion for playing and listening to music throughout the musical."
"The fact that it was a comedy makes it fun to rehearse and perform - it takes a large part of the pressure off you."
Tom found the whole process of putting on a production a positive one. "Everyone was smiling and the staff and crew supported us at all times," he said. "Without everyone's dedication, we would not have been able to pull off such a great production."
"It definitely boosted my confidence within the school and made it a much more comfortable and happy place for me to learn."