Recently on the 18th, 19th and 20th of June, a cast made up of Thirds and Lower Fours performed Beauty and the Beast. We were a cast of around 70 people and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. I played the clock ‘Cogsworth’ and I found the experience extremely fun but it also helped me to develop my drama skills, my confidence in singing, being able to work with other people and work at a professional level with lights, microphones, fun and incredible costumes and a very impressive set. One of my favourite parts of the production was working with the girls in the year above and also with girls in Thirds that I didn’t know particularly well. It was a really good way to bond as you had to work with each other and everyone was happy to help you when you were confused and even when we made mistakes we worked together to cover them up (as best as we could). I especially enjoyed working with ‘Lumiere’, who was played by Rivonia in LIV, as many people would describe us as a double act we were almost always together on stage and in rehearsals. From joking on stage to off, I feel like the wall between our years was broken and we were able to trust each other and have fun. On the last night of the performance when we had exited the stage - right before the final bows, we were all extremely excited and were hugging each other frantically, this shows the connection between us, even though some of us were in massive costumes! The rehearsals leading up to the performance were extremely crucial, although there was ‘a bit’ of stress that we wouldn’t be ready in time, they were all fun. From acting to singing to dancing, it was all well put together and exciting. It was really nice to see other cast members perform so well and most of that is down to Miss Guttner’s, Miss Torrent’s and Miss Redman’s hard work in rehearsals and many other people who the performance wouldn’t have worked without. All the cast really appreciate your hard work and devotion to the production and we all would like to say a massive THANK YOU! We are all so privileged that we have an opportunity like this and I recommend it to everyone who has the chance to take part in it! From crew to cast, it will definitely be the highlight of the year for everyone!

By Constance (IIIU)