As Director of Performing Arts, there is perhaps no bigger undertaking than a School musical. It requires an enormous effort from a huge team of teachers and students, and to get all these moving parts heading in the same direction is certainly no mean feat. The 2023 co-production of Footloose was my first time involved in a Toowoomba Grammar School and Fairholme College musical, and I found it to be a very rewarding, though exhausting, experience.
The process began in Term 3, 2022, as my Fairholme College counterpart, Ms Karen Hayward, and I started to narrow down options for the musical. We developed a shortlist and discussed the merits of each option with the Heads of our schools, along with the rehearsal schedule. In the end, we decided on Footloose. From there, the course of action was set.
We were very fortunate to secure the services of TGS Old Boy, Chris Thomson (TGS 2009-13) as Director. As a student, Chris took part in the School productions of Jesus Christ Superstar (2009), Music Man (2011) and South Pacific (2013). He went on to complete a Bachelor of Music Theatre at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and further developed his skills by completing his Master of Fine Arts in Directing at NIDA. Footloose was definitely in good hands.
Auditions took place over the final weeks of Term 4, 2022. It is well known that when Schools do musicals, there are generally many interested girls, but convincing boys to get involved can be a challenge. This was certainly my experience when working in co-educational schools. While there were definitely more girls interested in nabbing a role, but I was pleasantly surprised by the number of boys who wanted to be a part of this experience. In the end, we had a total of 25 boys on stage, a further seven in the band and another nine involved in the backstage crew. The strong performing arts culture here at TGS developed through the TiGAA and our music program certainly gives our boys the courage to put themselves in the spotlight.
Rehearsals began the week before school returned for 2023, and this set the tone for plenty of weekend and evening rehearsal sessions over the next five months. Director Chris established a fantastic and nurturing environment for the students, and they responded with great positivity. Morale throughout the musical journey was high. The positive environment created by Chris’s directing style facilitated a wonderful working relationship between our boys and the Fairholme girls, as well as the teachers involved. The opportunity for the boys to work with girls presented the positive benefits of creating mutual respect, collaborating ideas and sharing a common vision. It was not only the students who developed a positive working relationship. The creative team fed off the positive vibes of Chris Thomson and the students to work some magic together.
As we hurtled towards production week, it was evident that our boys continued to grow in confidence. Despite being more and more time-poor, all students were greatly looking forward to the performances. I was very happy with the maturity levels demonstrated by our boys, particularly those in lead roles, who were giving their all and were clear in their understanding that the entire team was working towards something really special. Dealing with very busy schedules, looming deadlines and the stress of big events ahead is a true character-building experience. Our boys handled themselves with great aplomb.
Following what was essentially an eight-month process, production week finally arrived. This was the time when all the parts came together, and these weeks were notoriously stressful. However, the positivity continued, and we took it all in our stride. Opening night was spectacular, with a crowd of well over a thousand people and rave reviews. The hard work paid off, and the students were on a high. The show ran smoothly, the performances were spot on, and everyone was both ecstatic and relieved — something really special had just taken place. The second and final show, performed to a sold-out Empire Theatre audience, was equally well received, though when the curtain came down, there was no time to celebrate as bump out was immediate.
Finally, we were done. No more rehearsals, no more weekend and evening gatherings and no more treading the stage boards. Inevitably, a bit of post-show depression set in, as something that had been a huge part of everyone’s lives for almost a year all of a sudden disappeared. A post-show party to reflect, share our collective feelings and say thank you and goodbye provided closure. While our hearts were still a bit heavy, we were left with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. A job well done. A massive achievement was successfully completed, and a sense of pride filled all who were involved. Our lives were forever enriched by a collective experience like no other and memories that will last a lifetime. Raise your hand if you’re keen to go again in 2025!
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