SEDBERGH SCHOOL LES MISERABLES CAST VISIT WEST END AHEAD OF REHEARSALS

This week Sedbergh School’s 44-strong cast for Les Miserables Schools Edition set off to the West End to see the stage show ahead of their November production. Sixty pupils auditioned, including some from Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School, for the young Cosettes.

Mrs Want, Director of Drama, said: “There is some amazing talent here and it’s going to be fantastic. Everyone involved is going away over the summer to learn their parts so that we can hit the floor running in September.”

“Auditions were ten minutes long for each pupil. Girls prepared part of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ and boys ‘Stars’, and both a section from ‘Master of the House’. The auditions included a specific direction for one of the songs.

Some of the highlights included Megan (now cast as Madame Thenardier) leaping around like a mad thing to show us that she was on hot sand, and Olivia (now cast as Fantine) giving us all goose bumps with her incredibly moving performance.”

Chris Allinson, Director of Music, said: “The musical demands of the show are considerable. This is a sung-through musical, meaning that unlike ‘Guys & Dolls’, there is no dialogue in the show. Our pit orchestra will consist of a combination of pupils and teachers, and will certainly be kept on their toes!

The school edition of ‘Les Mis’, is slightly shorter than the professional show, but the songs are no less challenging. Several of the pupils playing lead roles already receive coaching from our excellent team of singing teachers, and having all three of the full-time music teachers involved in rehearsals means that we can be very effective with rehearsal time.”

When term starts in September, rehearsals will take place four times a week and Mr Loughe (Head of Modern Foreign Languages) will be co-directing.

George Want, a theatre director, will be working on movement sequences with the cast. “We have a new state-of-the-art lighting rig in Powell Hall and will be using lots of projection. We’ll also have a northern tone to the production,” added Mrs Want. 
Follow @SedberghDrama for backstage news once term starts.

Cast List: Jean Valjean – Will Player
Javert – Finn Askins
Cosette – Sahana Grimaldi
Fantine – Olivia Ridsdale
Eponine – Eden McGuire
Thenardier – James Carruthers
Madame Thenardier – Megan Kenyon
Marius – Alex Proctor
Enjolras – Jack Roper

Various:Felicity Brearley
George Bentley
Oliver Cowen
Edward Duerden
Nicola Fleck
David Hendrickse
Ben Jones
Bruce Long
Emily Macmillan
Taylor McGuire
Fern Nuttall
Mollie Richmond
Maddie Robinson
Laylah Scott
Elizabeth Sladden
Bertie Turner
Johann Twietmeyer
Tom Tyrer
Chloe Vigneron

Chorus: Harriet Bramwell
Ella Dennison
Giles Dobson
Candice Dobson
Harvey Ferguson
Marcus Fieldhouse
Olivia Fyfe
Charlie Graham
George Hill
Tom Jones
Sarah Long
Lucy Preston
Georgie Richmond
Andrew Taylor
Anna Walkden
Sophie Webber

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