MORE THAN 75 students from Bromsgrove School took part in a sell-out production of outrageous 1960s musical Hairspray at Artrix.
Audiences young and old were left buzzing with excitement and appreciation by the show, which was directed by Lucy McKee and had a 45-strong cast.
Under the musical direction of James McKelvey and Fiona McCanliss, the band tackled a hugely difficult score with true professionalism in every aspect.
Clare Lidbury turned what is essentially a non-stop dance show into a highly disciplined sequence of dazzling synchronised, sinuous movement.
Coupled with the work of a highly trained student crew running all technical aspects of the production, this was a perfect example of how live performance really can bring together the many diverse talents of Bromsgrove’s students into a remarkable, cohesive whole.
Tim Norton, Director of Performing Arts, said “This was an incredibly strong ensemble piece, with stand-out performances that proved there are some extraordinary singers and actors at the school.
“Miles Rosbrook deserves high praise for the hundreds of hours he spent trapped inside both a vast flesh suit and a huge hairspray can to transform himself into the larger than-life Edna Turnblad, while the utterly breath-taking talents of Rachel Xuereb dominated Hairspray from the opening moments to the final note of each evening.
“In every way, Rachel seemed born to have played the role of Tracy Turnblad and we fully expect to see her taking the West End by storm in just a few years”.
While Bromsgrove School hopes to maintain links with Artrix, it is also looking forward to staging productions at its very own new Performing Arts Centre from next September.
