JETS and Sharks roamed freely in a Shinfield school earlier this month … bringing a taste of the West End in the process.
Leighton Park School’s senior pupils staged their version of West Side Story, showcasing their talent and commitment, and earning rave reviews in the process.
Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story transports audiences to the streets of 1950s New York City where rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, battle for control of their turf.
Amid the tension and violence, Tony, a former Jet, falls in love with Maria, sister of the Sharks’ leader. Their romance ignites a violent chain of passionate events that ultimately leads to tragedy.
In the spotlight as Maria and Tony were Eliza Rincon (Lower Sixth) and Aidan McCarthy (Upper Sixth).
Eliza said: “West Side Story is one of my favourite musicals, as I enjoy the soundtrack so much, so it was a joy to be cast as the lead.
“I really enjoyed preparing for the role, especially as my granny is Spanish. She really helped to develop my accent for the production.
“Bringing the show together at the dress rehearsal was amazing. The tech crew are so slick and the orchestra are absolutely brilliant; there is so much talent in all areas of the production.”
Aidan was making his debut and enjoyed the experience.
“Everyone in the production built closer bonds while working together, it made it much easier to get into our roles and mean what we were acting,” he explained
“It was my first time being in a play, and it was a learning curve, but my main takeaway was I met a lot of people who I hadn’t spoken to much before.
“We built friendships and I built my confidence through this acting experience.”
Leighton Park’s head of drama, Peter Scoggins, said: “I simply love this musical performed by young people. The music, the book and the lyrics are, of course, genius but when creating West Side Story with actors the same age as the characters there is a special feeling that creeps in.
“I am so proud that the cast and crew were ready to fulfil their vision for the show and stood up to the challenge.
“We have worked together as a community to meet that challenge.”
Among the audience members praising the show was Nick Armitage, head of Rupert House in Henley, who said: “We were bowled over with the calibre of the production, which was hugely impressive and of real West End calibre.”
Also fulsome in their praise was Luissa Galloso, the head of English and drama at St Piran’s school in Maidenhead, who said: “The performance was simply stunning. I was enthralled by the creativity, inspiration and sheer talent of all the performers who had worked incredibly hard to bring the stage and characters to life.”
One parent said:” The quality of performance, attention to detail and choreography was way beyond expectations. [My child] totally felt she was at the West End”, while another said it was “mind-blowing”.
