Welcome
The Arts Festival 2010
Welcome
New and exciting ideas, as well as offers to direct events, came from pupils and staff, even before the dancing shoes were put away after the ‘Strictly Come Dancing Finale’ last
summer! In no time at all, 30 different events of all shapes and sizes were being planned and the production team looks forward to sharing some outstanding performances with
pupils, staff, parents and guests over a packed three-day programme.
Normal School routine in the final week of the Trinity term makes way for the Rugby School Arts Festival 2010. Now in its fifth year, a record number of pupils have put themselves forward as performers, technicians, stage managers and reviewers and all pupils from the LXX, E and F Blocks are invited to select the events they wish to see from the What’s On list. There is a 1920s flavour running through this year’s festival: the musical set on the French Riviera, ‘The Boy Friend’, staged by a cast of F and E Block pupils and directed by Richard Dunster-Sigtermans and Adam Naylor, is sure to be popular. There is a Radio play, a Tea Dance, a Silent Film-making workshop and an Egyptian Face-painting workshop in celebration of the spectacular discovery of Tutankhamen in 1922.
Find out about some highlights of the festival such as the Classics play directed by Max Pappenheim, ‘Oedipus as King’, and a ‘Reduced Shakespeare’ English department presentation in the Festival Tent. With this year’s festival of ten concerts, five plays, three workshops, the ‘Weakest Link’ in the OBS, ‘Comedy Sketches’ in the Festival Tent, a Modern Languages open house and a Speakeasy production by the History department, the challenge will be to see all you want to see! By popular demand, the final event will again bring us all together in the TSR: the LXX Designers, under the guidance of Amy Hardy, are joining forces with David Eno’s Festival Big Band, to present the ‘Fashion Show Finale’, directed by Max Pappenheim. The Festival Prize Draw, raising funds for Arts charities chosen by pupils, will take place then – raffle tickets for this are on sale at all of the festival events.
Rugby School’s traditional spaces create ideal performance venues: the Lewis Gallery hosts ‘Jazz in the Afternoon’ and the Staff and Scholars’ Art Exhibition; the Atrium is the platform for a different event each day - it’s where Joe Sutcliffe asks ‘Is Pop Music Art?’ And don’t miss ‘Rock 'n Blues’ when non-music teaching staff share their musical talents; the Dance studio will hold the popular Drama workshops given by professional actor Will Kenning O.R. and ‘Alice in Bed’ is presented in the Rackets Court while the Macready Foyer shows ‘The Lesson’.
As you will see on the forum page, we’re delighted to welcome guests to this year’s Arts Festival. John Harrison - writer and director of many Greek tragedies for schools, universities and professional theatre companies - is speaking about Greek theatre; Marcos - Flamenco artist and broadcaster - will be introducing us to Andalucía's Gypsy culture and performing some of Flamenco's exciting rhythms; and Sam Troughton is giving up an afternoon of his time to talk to us, while performing as Romeo in the current RSC production.
Laura Dixon has designed this fabulous Arts Festival Website and Booking Service. We hope you enjoy looking through it and finding out about the events.
Booking opens on Wednesday 9 June.
Pupils on the Review Team will have their comments published on the website each day of the festival and contributions by all are welcome on the ‘twitter’ page – performers can let us know how the rehearsals are going and audience members can give up to the minute news and views of their festival experience. A special thank you goes to all those pupils and staff who have made the festival possible by working behind the scenes as technicians and back stage crew. We are also grateful to the key businesses in the Rugby area who have chosen to be sponsors of the Arts Festival 2010. Their support helps to finance such items as make-up, costumes and interval refreshments for players. All booking information is found online or contact the Festival Box Office in the TRR on 01788 556 227. As you will see in Food and Drink, this year we are providing pre-booked Festival Teas in the Sports Centre between the afternoon and evening events for parents and guests – do take us up on this offer!
My thanks to all parents, staff and friends of the School for supporting the pupils by attending the Arts Festival 2010. Please contact me with any queries.
Anne Naylor
Co-ordinator of Arts Festival 2010
an@rugbyschool.net