Creative Arts Evening

‘Absolutely everybody, everybody, everybody, absolutely everybody in the whole wide world!’ The cheerful, upbeat song that concluded the Girls’ School Creative Arts Evening summed up the sense of support and inclusion that emanated from this year’s show. Over the course of three nights, ‘absolutely everybody’ from Year 1 to Year 8 stepped out on stage to showcase the Arts through music, dance and drama.

The Kapa Haka group opened with an exceptionally polished performance. Year 8 student, Sharmaine Tapling sang the karanga -  the traditional call of welcome, setting the tone for an evening high with expectation. Over the three nights, the group presented a variety of songs with the inclusion of Pokarekare ana on the final night. Xarya Knox and Jade Nomani took the solo spots, both singing with beautifully clear voices.

Next, 45 eager Year 0-3 students commanded the stage as they got ‘All afloat in Noah’s Boat.’ The ark was built on stage in readiness for animals of all shapes and sizes. This was the first inkling for the audience that the tales we thought were so familiar might just have a different twist in this show! The ark was full, busy and noisy…and the animals were bored! It seems they have cabin fever waiting for the floods to subside! Noah finds a solution to ease the boredom – a talent show! The animal pairings strut their stuff building to the caterpillars’ transformative ending, as they spread their wings for a beautiful finale, returning the tale to shine a light on God’s creations.

In complete contrast, the next item was a calm, balletic interpretation of the Chinese folk song, the Jasmine Flower. Originally composed during the Qing dynasty (AD 1616-1912), it was one of the first Chinese songs to become popular abroad. A team of dancers combined classical ballet and traditional Chinese dancing styles in a mesmerising performance, holding the delicate petals that came together to form the flower. This was a truly beautiful piece.

In complete contrast, with Roald Dahl’s Matilda on stage in Auckland, it was only right that the Middle School girls got the chance to be a ‘little bit naughty,’ as they relished the opportunity to explore Dahl’s inverted fairy tales. When Roald Dahl gave the classic stories a work over, they emerged as ‘revolting rhymes’ that the girls clearly loved delivering to their audience! The formerly predictable Snow White, Cinderella and Goldilocks took quite different turns as surprise endings took the place of the traditional happily-ever-after conclusions.

Rollicking along in splendid rhyme that built with each tale, we found Snow White calling on Uber to get to her destination as a maid for seven jockeys who happen to be compulsive gamblers! She sneaks back to steal the magic mirror, to predict the winning horse and make the jockeys millionaires, declaring that ‘gambling is not a sin, provided that you always win!’ Year 6 delivered this offbeat tale with sheer delight!

Year 5’s Cinderella tale followed tradition until one of the ugly sisters swapped the ‘silver slipper’ for one of her own. In a curious twist, faced with marrying the ‘ugly’ owner of the shoe, the prince cuts off her head and Cinders, deciding that marrying a prince probably isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, runs off with a local boy instead!

In Year 4’s production, Goldilocks is a rebel and a most unlikable character! So much so, you can’t help but side with the bears. As she invades their home, decorated largely with furniture from IKEA (‘what a price, Mama Mia!), she cuts a swathe, eventually breaking ‘one small child’s dining chair, bought at Kmart, very rare!’ The narrator finishes by saying it would be a far preferable ending if the bears came back to eat her!

Year 7 and 8 concluded the year group performances with a combined circus act, putting on display the skills they had learned and choreographed themselves as part of their physical education programme. Again, every girl had a part to play.

When the whole school came together at the end to sing ‘Absolutely Everybody,’ the smiles were infectious! With each performance, the girls’ self-confidence had grown and they finished each evening knowing that it was a job well done.

The Arts Show was a fantastic platform for the girls to show off their theatrical creativity, and the enjoyment they gleaned from the buzz of being on stage was palpable. Well done to everyone who contributed to the success of the show and in particular a special thank you to Mrs Janine Bennett and Mrs Judy Norton who took on the role of producers. 

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