Glenwood High
School raises the bar for school productions. (Review by Keith Millar)
Glenwood High
School in Durban is my Alma Mater - and although it is almost 50 years since I graduated
from that institute of learning one can’t help but retain a sense of loyalty to
them and an interest their wellbeing. Over the years, Glenwood has built quite
a reputation as one of the country’s leading schools on the sports field, but I
had little knowledge of their cultural programme.
So it was with a feeling
of anticipation that I attended their production, All Shook Up which had its final performance on March 27. What a pleasurable experience it
turned out to be. Using a backdrop of Elvis Presley songs, and a story rather
loosely based on the Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth
Night, All Shook Up is a
fantastic, feel-good, romp of a musical.
Shakespeare and
Elvis Presley may seem an odd combination at first but in this case it works
well and the result is a frivolous production filled with good fun and great
music. It is jam packed with Presley tunes and no less than 25 of his songs are
performed. Amongst these are memorable hits such as Jailhouse Rock, Love Me Tender, Heartbreak Hotel, Hound
Dog, Teddy Bear, Devil in Disguise, It’s Now Or Never, Blue Suede Shoes, Can’t
Help Falling In Love, A Little Less Conversation and Fools Fall In Love.
The plot sees a
mysterious young roustabout (à la James Dean) arriving in a sleepy town in the American
Midwest in the 1950’s. His presence shakes things up and soon romance is in the
air. However, there are problems with mistaken identities, cross-dressing and a
cranky Town Mayor. This complicates things for the various star struck young
lovers.
Glenwood High
School’s production of All Shook Up was
six months in the making. It features a cast of over 40 performers, both from
Glenwood and from various girls’ schools in Durban. The hard work they all put
in is evident in the slick, assured and skilled performances they give. They
are full of dynamism, unbridled joy, and considerable talent.
The lead role of
Chad, the roustabout who visits the small town, is played by Thomas Oosthuizen.
He gives a strong and confident performance. Playing Natalie, his love
interest, is Maris Stella pupil, Keziah Della Martina (a Sandra Bullock
look-a-like). She has a self-assured presence on stage and a surprisingly
strong voice for a petite young lady.
Other stand-outs
for me were the performances of Carey Swan from Durban Girls High who has a
lovely powerful voice, and Rae du Plooy who played Dennis the delightful nerd with
exquisite comedy timing.
Highlight of the
production was the splendid 10 piece live band, led by Melvin Peters. They were
quite magnificent and lent a real sense of professionalism to the production.
Unfortunately they
also created a few problems. The vocalists were often drowned out by the sheer
volume of the 10 piece band. The employment of a few additional speakers,
particularly on the stage, may have rectified this problem.
The executive director of Glenwood’s excellent
production of All Shook Up was the
school’s Director of Culture Ian Schoeman. Along with his considerable back up
crew, he deserves praise for delivering a show of some quality and for raising
the bar for school productions.
Drama and culture
is certainly alive and well at Glenwood High School and one can only hope that
before too long it receives the same recognition and publicity as does the
school’s exploits on the rugby field. – Keith Millar
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