This year hundreds of pupils took part in three productions, Billy Elliot, Animal Farm and Candide, and parents and staff were astounded at the production values and professionalism of the shows.

Billy Elliot was chosen as it encompassed the ethos of our school so closely and was an obvious choice for the College production – its themes of individuality, pride, solidarity and community were a focus for our performance. And there were plenty of laughs too!

Meanwhile Animal Farm captured with gusto the menace and hypocrisy which provide the central theme of Orwell’s allegorical masterpiece. The cast, decked out in distressed linen and cotton costumes, were marked out as different animals by a clever combination of repeated performance actions, expressionistic makeup and hands taped up into claws or hoofs - and, in the case of Napoleon's attack dogs, grim blue overalls. The overall visual effect was powerful, particularly in the set pieces, such as the Battle of the Cowshed, where loud techno and harsh lighting changes supported the brutal repeated movements of the ensemble to grab the attention of audience.