Students blasted off for an out-of-this-world school production of Return to the Forbidden Planet at Fairfax School.
More than 70 pupils were involved in the production of Return to the Forbidden Planet at Fairfax, a rock’n’roll musical that mixes fifties’ tunes, classic science fiction, Americana and Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
The show, which they performed to audiences at the Fairfax Road school on July 9 and 10, even included a pre-flight safety drill for the audience as they prepared to ‘take off’.
Inspired by the 1956 American movie Forbidden Planet, the ambitious musical featured a principal cast of ten pupils with a huge supporting line-up and energetic dancers who punctuated the sci-fi action with jitterbugs, bopping and hand-jiving.
The show’s music – jukebox classics from Great Balls of Fire to Good Vibrations – were expertly performed by a band of 10 talented pupils, while the whole show was put together by director Adam Sheppard and musical director Adam Davie, with lots of support from the drama, music and dance team, Kelly Hunter-Stott, Connie Blake, Louise Tolley and Joanna Paris.
Head of Academy Deborah Bunn said: “Return to the Forbidden Planet at Fairfax was a very ambitious production to stage and we are so proud of the pupils for putting on a terrific show.
“They have been working hard on it for months, and have taken a very professional approach to their rehearsals, putting in so much effort and giving so much time. The backstage team also contributed to a memorable show.
“The whole thing paid off because the audience really enjoyed it. I’d like to thank everyone involved for helping create a show which we will remember for a long time.”