Seeing our HOD Music, Mrs Katie Beer, perform in Les Miserables at the Isaac Theatre Royal was the best theatre experience of 2018. The epic tale of broken dreams, passion and redemption set against a nation in the throes of revolution astounded students with the scale of the set and costume design.

Stunning scenery combined with gorgeous costumes and excellent hair and make-up within the beautiful surrounds of the Isaac Theatre Royal. They learned that the singing and live orchestral accompaniment really immerse you in the story in a way that watching a movie just can’t beat. The magic of a live musical theatre performance is in the power and immediacy of the connection between performers and audience. A group attended New Zealand Opera’s production of Tosca which transported them to the politically turbulent Italy of the 1950s, the production had stark, towering sets looming darkly and imposingly over the characters in the drama, stoking our sense of impending doom. The power of the operatic voices amazed our senior singers. We have also been aware of the amazing design work done in productions - costume, set, lighting - and how the technology supports the themes of the show.

Titus Andronicus at the Court Theatre was a play senior Drama students were looking forward to after having done the Shakespearean play in 2017. This bloodthirsty play is one of Shakespeare's early Roman works, its wider frame concerns power and rulers, but the gory heart is all about revenge and more revenge. The set allows the world of the play to disintegrate from triumphant Roman order through a wild wood. Another tense play was Misery, a stage adaptation of Stephen King's 1987 psychological chiller, a cult classic. The tense soundtrack kept us on the edge of our seats ready to shut our eyes tight when the blood spattered.

Ariana Reti and Kowhai Green were our Court Theatre Ambassadors in 2018 which involves attending numerous performances and workshops at Christchurch's professional theatre. They enjoyed evenings at the theatre sharing shows [and pizza] with an interesting range of people from other schools. Kowhai had several tearful moments , such as the death scene in Biggest but the highlight show for them was In the Next Room by Sarah Ruhl. Set in New York in the 1880s, post-Civil War and at the dawn of the age of electricity it offered a funny and poignant account of connection, frustration and isolation. The beautiful set and it’s final transition into a garden with falling snow was impressive.

We encourage students to see a wide range of live theatre as it is a wonderful way of expanding their critical literacy by learning to analyse and evaluate a show. As Eleanor Roosevelt said “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”