Winston's Little Shop of Horrors

A Great Night at the Theatre

Last week, students at The Winston Churchill School completed their run of 'Little Shop of Horrors' at the Rhoda McGaw theatre in Woking. This was a special occasion for this cast and crew, as it marked the first time Winston had returned to the theatre since 2019. 

The musical revolves around a flower shop in a rundown neighbourhood in New York City, referred to as “Skid Row”. The clumsy flower shop assistant Seymour, who has fallen for his co-worker Audrey, discovers an unusual plant during a total eclipse. He names the plant Audrey II and soon realises that the plant only feeds on human flesh and blood. The growing plant attracts a great deal of business for the previously struggling shop. Seymour has taken on a task to feed this strange plant, but as the plant grows, he needs to find new ways to satisfy its immense appetite. But what lengths will he go to in order to keep the shop's success?

As staff, we were in awe of the student's dedication and passion throughout the week. The cast and crew worked hard to use the new space at the Rhoda professionally and politely while maintaining the high standards expected of those working at the theatre. The technical teams, under the new leadership of Mr. Major, quickly wrapped their heads around the industry grade equipment and software. Leading to a dazzling display of lights and sound that took fifteen hours to programme and perfect. A team of artists and set designers led by Ella (year 10) spent time transforming the theatre atrium into Mushnik's flower shop while Emma, Catrin and Lara (year 11) had two days to learn and block their way around 4 professional plant puppets, one of which resembled the size of a small car.

The cast themselves brought a special level of care and attention to each scene this year. Having worked for months on Liberato and Lyric, they took to the stage with a special energy that made each part of the play shine whenever a new character entered from the wings. The pit band, working with Mr. Drake, played flawlessly throughout the entire piece, bringing a much-deserved praise each evening. 

Staff at the theatre commented on how impressed they were with the young performers and musicians, stating that they were stunned by the level of professionalism displayed by such a young cast. They showed this appreciation by offering some cast members a private tour of the New Victoria theatre next door, a behemoth of a space with over one thousand seats. 

I have been left in awe this year of what our students have achieved in such a short space of time and hope that the production will leave them with many fond memories for years to come.  

Mr Harrington-Tucker

Subject Leader for Drama

   

 

 

 

Comments from Parents and Guests:

'I just wanted to congratulate you (and the whole team) on the success of the show.  It was brilliant!

I can't begin to imagine how many hours of your time you put in to the organisation but it was well worth it.  Everything, from the set design to the programme to the coordination was remarkable.  And that's without even mentioning the actors!  

The calibre of the singing, dancing and acting was amazing. There are some very talented children at Winston and their confidence and stage presence shone through and that has to be credit to you and the department.'

'Firstly, huge congratulations on the Little Shop of Horrors.  What a fantastic show!  Even my husband, who hated the 80s film version (and generally dislikes musical theatre) enjoyed it - high praise indeed 😊  I expect you’re both in recovery mode now!  (And Mr Drake who didn’t stop all night–I’m in awe of his skills). '

'To the Drama, Music depts and all students
We went to see TSoH at the Rhoda theatre
WHAT a show!!! 5 ⭐️s
I have seen other shows in the main Woking theatre that have been totally unmemorable.
This show keeps coming back in my with little snippets.
‘The Daddy dancing’ ‘the fake arm in the plant pot’ ‘the dentist’ ‘ the gas helmet’ ‘the biggest Audrey II’
> The students from Ensemble to main characters were astounding - and not to forget all the backstage team, voice of Audrey, those we did not see on stage - I commend you all.

The total commitment to the show was very clear.
Team work and collaboration outstanding.
The feeling of school community and support for  all very evident.

Although we do not have children at the school but we come to support the Drama dept. We have seen quite a few productions now but think this is my favourite 🤩
 I am sure the whole team will be very tired today but I hope they are all so very proud and elated.'

***

'We just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how much we all enjoyed the show last night.  It really was phenomenal and the enthusiasm and talent shown by all the students involved was just wonderful to see. Thank you so much for all your commitment and hard work in putting on such a fabulous show.'

***

'I also wanted to pass on my congratulations for another amazing production. Winston has so many talented students it was such a pleasure to watch. Tamsin enjoyed every moment of her involvement and she was sad when it was finished. Thank you for reminding her of the joys of the theatre.'

***

'I wanted to drop you a quick email to say thank you.'

'I am sure I am not alone when I say last week was a week full of highs with some lows too (not to mention the countless trips to the the theatre and back! Lol) but oh my goodness it was so worth it. We LOVED coming to watch the performance on Saturday evening and I know that although the kids were desperate to catch up on some sleep, they are also sad that it’s all over.
They can’t wait to find out what’s next and I just wanted to say thank you for giving them both such a fantastic experience.'

'On behalf of all the teachers and pupils at The Hermitage, a huge thank you to you, your team and your students for a magnificent production on Wednesday. The children absolutely loved it and talked with enthusiasm as we were walking back to school. As teachers, we were thrilled to see so many past pupils taking so many varied roles.
Looking forward to next year's extravaganza!'

***

'Just want to say a massive well done and thank you for today. The production was exceptional from start to finish - from actors, dancers, orchestra, the singing and backstage crew. 

We absolutely loved it! And now have some very inspired year 6 children!'

***

'Congrats to the cast, crew & musicians on a brilliant production last night - I really enjoyed the whole performance,  some stunning individual performances and I still have the songs in my head 🙂 - amazing.'

***

'Firstly may I say what a fantastic production LSOH is, we came on Tuesday and it was completely brilliant!  What a talented bunch of individuals, the band are completely fantastic.  Something for Winstons to be very proud of indeed.'

Little Shop Of Horrors

The Show is Underway!

On Monday 16th January, students from every year group at the Winston Churchill School became the cast and crew of the production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and made their way to the Rhoda McGraw theatre. The cast was shown the set that they will be working on and the props that they will use to add to their performance. Four giant puppets make up the centre piece of this show, growing in size throughout the performance. After a few costume finalisations, they threw themselves into dress and technical rehearsals with a professionalism rarely seen in performers so young. Students were offered training in how to use the set and new technical equipment by external professionals and took the new challenge in their stride. 

As the show opened, it was clear that the dedication and talent of the whole cast and crew was definitely evident in their wonderful performance. The reviews following the first showing spurred on the entire company to further heights as they welcomed their first primary schools on Wednesday. Teachers and students alike cheered and laughed throughout a stunning morning showing. 

The opening cast flawlessly showed why they were selected for the parts. Seymour, played by Dom in year 11, brought an authenticity to the role, playing alongside Seven as Audrey Two. The role of Audrey was played by Emma, who effortlessly displayed an incredible stage presence throughout. The first performance was a complete success and the passion and team spirit of the cast shone throughout.

On Wednesday and Thursday, year 11 completed each day by returning to their academic studies. Ensuring they continued with their commitments to GCSE by taking over the theatre's atrium for sessions in English, Maths and Science. Their focus astounds me each day and I am awe of those undertaking a leading role in this production while keeping on top of their learning. 

Writing for the production has shown me how incredibly dedicated the students of Winston are to the arts. Their talent a passion is evident throughout the entire performance, and I know you will enjoy the show when you see it!        

Emily 

Keep Reading

 Book Fair! 🕮

The Scholastic Book Fair starts on Monday 23^rd January and will run for 2 weeks in the Library. Below is a selection of some of the books that will be available at the book fair! Every student will get the opportunity to visit either in their English lesson or during form time. Payments can be made in cash on the day or via the school payment system Scopay. It's always great to get as many students involved with the book fair as possible because as a school, we get a commission depending on what sales we make so this means we are able to buy new books for our ever-growing Library.

Miss Dodds

New Experiences

 Wellington Outdoor Education

Winston became the 1^st partnership school to take students to Wellington College's new Outdoor Education Day. Twelve students from Year7 had the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities, all led by an outdoor instructor.

The tasks involved aimed to provide an environment of challenge and failure, which our students were tasked to overcome. In the beginning there was a lot of shouting and individuality but by the afternoon the students were more team orientated and thoughtful in their planning which led to better outcomes.

Finally, a high ropes leap of faith proved to be out of the comfort zone of everyone involved. For some, just getting up the ladder was an achievement but it was great to see everyone encouraging and cheering each other on. The final thought of the day for our students to take away was: "Sometimes we are too close to a problem to see everything. Take a step back to make a better change."

Mr Martin

The Van de Graaf Generator

On Thursday and Friday , Dr Lau used the Van de Graaf generator, among other demonstrations, to recap the physics topics across her classes . Static electricity allowed the 'brave' volunteers from both 9CE and 7WN (both pictured)  to feel their hair follicles get charged and let their hair "fly" away.  The insulated generator creates positively charged electrons and the student gets slowly positively charged, too as they touch the silver dome. Due to the fact that like charges repel , they will try to get far away from each other as possible , therefore the hair stands up."

Opportunities to Participate

Boys Basketball

There has been an explosion of Basketball at Winston this year! 

As well as taking part in the usual District Tournaments, Year7 have this year been entered into the Junior NBA Cup for the first time. The squad have been given an NBA team (Oklahoma City Thunder!) and are supplied with free kit to represent them. The team made a confident start in their 1^st triangular, winning one and narrowly losing another. There are 8 more games to come in the group stages this Spring.

Winston have also entered the U16 National Basketball Cup for the 1^st time. Although competing against Yr11's, our squad is predominately made up of Yr10's who have shown that they are more than capable of competing. Fixtures against more established Basketball schools (John Fisher, Bohunt etc.) is great experience for the players. 

Finally, the Yr7 & 8's continue to enter the usual District Tournaments and the Yr10's and 11's begin their District League fixtures this term. It is great to have increased participation and a buzz around Basketball this year. 

Mr Martin

Chelsea FC Foundation Programme

A number of workshops, provided by Isaac from Chelsea FC are held weekly here at Winston which focus on a variety of topics such as reading, social media and sustainability. 

This time it was the turn of our cohort to visit Isaac at Stamford Bridge. 2 minibuses arrived full of excited students, ready to spend their day here. To begin, the students were taken around Stamford Bridge by a tour guide who took them to various points of the stadium, including the tunnel, press room, team dugouts and changing rooms. A visit to the interactive museum followed over lunch. 

In the afternoon, students were tasked in groups to develop ideas for a sustainable and eco-friendly project that they could implement. Groups considered recycling of old football boots, making blankets for the homeless and eco-gardens to name a few. Over the coming weeks the groups will refine their ideas before presenting and bringing them to fruition. Students are learning the importance of creating a sustainable lifestyle, ways they can impact it as well as using techniques in design, problem-solving and teamwork to form ideas in order to overcome current issues.

Gasp Mechanics

This half term 8 boys from Year 10 and Year 11 completed the GASP Mechanic's 6-week project. Over the six weeks course the boys learnt about the different aspects of mechanics including working on different types of engines. The group also worked on improving teamwork and communication skills. The course finished with the boys building a small Go-Kart. Well done to the students who took part and thank you to Mrs Walton for driving them over there every week.

  

Let's Get reading

 Reading for Free!

The Winter Concert

 

Enjoy more performances from our Winter Concert.

I apologise for the late posting but this programme is challenging to use when trying to upload video footage!  Additional technical help was required.