2018 Programme

A message from the Director

So here we are embarking on the next decade of school productions and each year we keep trying to push the boundaries of what we do and try and make the next one better than the last. Grease was a show that I had put off doing for a long time, despite being plagued by students desperate to do it (and High School Musical, but that will definitely not happen!!)

I grew up seeing Grease on film and absolutely loving the songs and the characters but for some reason it never really called out to me as a show that I wanted to direct or be involved with. However, this has been a fantastic experience and I’ve really enjoyed working with the cast and crew over the last 5 months. It has been a huge amount of effort, from building our set from the ground up, re-writing the script using sections from the film, stage version and the recent Grease Live television event, sourcing and making costumes from scratch and re-writing and orchestrating the music.

This really has been the biggest (and hopefully best) thing we have done so far and it has definitely been the most fun!

10 fun film facts!

Grease may be the word, but it’s never said even once in the entire script!

As Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy is approaching Rydell High for the first time, she tells Didi Conn’s Frenchy, “I’m no stranger to heartbreak,” to which Frenchy replies, “Why? You got psoriasis?” It’s a reference to a Tegrin ad that, considering Grease was set in 1959, wouldn’t exist for another five years.

The day they filmed the scene for “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee” — a song in which Stockard Channing’s Rizzo sarcastically bellows “Elvis, Elvis, let me be; keep that pelvis far from me” — was August 16, 1977, the day Elvis Presley died.

John Travolta’s sister, Ellen Travolta, plays a diner waitress with a single line, “Oh, there’s Danny and Sandy,” while watching the dance on TV.

The songs “Grease” (sung by Frankie Valli), “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “You’re the One That I Want,” and “Summer Nights” all became top-10 Billboard hits, but only “Summer Nights” came from the original Broadway production. The other three songs had been written specifically for the film.

“Hopelessly Devoted to You” wasn’t even written until the film was halfway done, and it wasn’t recorded and filmed until everything else was complete.

Rydell High is actually three different real Los Angeles high schools. The facade is Venice High School, the interior is Huntington Park High School, and the field is John Marshall High School.

Grease won every People’s Choice Award for which it was nominated: Favourite Motion Picture Actress (Olivia Newton-John), Favourite Motion Picture Supporting Actress (Stockard Channing), Favourite Musical Motion Picture, and Favourite Overall Motion Picture.

After the success of the first movie — it’s the top-grossing musical in the US to date — Grease was supposed to have three sequels; however, after Grease 2 bombed at the box office, those plans were cancelled.

Travolta and Newton-John reunited in 1983 for the critically panned romantic comedy Two of a Kind, and then again in 2012 for a Christmas album, This Christmas, which had better sales in Newton-John’s home country of Australia than in the US.

St Wilfrid’s Catholic School Proudly Present

Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey

Director

Mr James HaddenMusical Director

Miss Debbie Betts

Choreographers

Mrs Joanne Lintern-Goodall & Ms Megan Kennedy

Production Manager

Mr Josh Smith

Frank Bellord & Henry Oldingas Danny

Jodie O’Connor & Daisy Madkins as Sandy

Bobbie Smith & Naina Trivedias Rizzo

Albie Campbellas Kenickie

Hattie Burrows & Carmen Goddardas Frenchy

Niall O’Maraas Doody

Annie Bell & Holly Scottas Marty

James Tynanas Sonny

Tia Porter & Katelyn Carteras Jan

Diego Silva-Santos & Dylan Penfoldas Roger

ASM/Assistant Director

Clarissa BurdStage Manager

Fraser LeucharsStage Manager

Niamh Slatter

Keys 2

Cristian ViterittiKeys 1

Mr Rob MarrKeys 3/Percussion

Gina ArdinesDrumkit

Vienna Cooper

Guitar 1

Pravin Dhananjeyan & Grace DonohueGuitar 2

Kane Feltham & George CoxBass Guitar

Ethan Oak

Frank BellordDanny

Henry OldingDanny

Jodie O’ConnorSandy

Daisy MadkinsSandy

Bobbie SmithRizzo

Annie BellMarty

Holly ScottMarty

James TynanSonny

Tia PorterJan

Katelan CarterJan

Eoin BaldwinEugene

Thomas DraddyVince Fontaine

Blake GardnerVince Fontaine

Amy O’ConnorJackie Casino

Sergio SantosTeen Angel

Maddie HartneyOpening song/Dancer

Katie ButlerVi/Dancer

Kiera SharpVi/Dancer

Gracy Jia Young ChingMurdoch

Angeli Dela CruzCha Cha/Dancer

Orla GledhillDancer

Grace ReillyDancer

Natalia ArdinesDancer

Harriet CoshDancer

Violet GivenDancer

Ana Silva LouroDancer

Jolie HowickDancer

Maria FurtadoDancer

Emie SarmientoDancer

Rachel FisherDancer

Naina TrivediRizzo

Albie CampbellKenickie

Hattie BurrowsFrenchy

Carmen GoddardFrenchy

Niall O’MaraDoody

Diego Silva-SantosRoger

Dylan PenfoldRoger

Charlotte CrittellPatty

Grace GrahamPatty

Callum BrownEugene

Oscar VaughanTeen Angel

Brooke HillMiss Lynch

Ashleigh-Ann FrenchBlanche/Dancer

Georgia OldingBlanche/Dancer

Betrys HendonOpening song

Harriet CoshCha Cha

Fillipe Goncalves-RibeiroJock

Dominic SmithMr Weaver

Lucie HacquebordDancer

Kitty MayDancer

Sienna ManuelDancer

Amelia BradburyDancer

Libbie RussellDancer

Molly CollierDancer

Natasha WarrenDancer

Ciaran DonohueDancer/Ensemble

Kerrie MurphyDancer

Maeve MooneyDancer

Amber MarshallDancer

Cameo CatCameo Cat

Millie ReevesDancer

Catherine MolloyDancer

Catarina FreitasDancer

Jessica BhattiDancer

Chloe CollierDancer

Shannon KingEnsemble

Rosa GoddardEnsemble

Madeleine MatthewsEnsemble

Brooke GriffithsEnsemble

Catherine Duggan-JakesEnsemble

Darcy GledhillEnsemble

Kiran TrivediEnsemble

Patrick BellordEnsemble

Ben BirdEnsemble

Ewan SparksEnsemble

William PenfoldEnsemble

Alessio CastagnacciEnsemble

Vienna CooperDrumkit

Mr Rob MarrKeys 1

Cristian ViterittiKeys 2

Gina ArdinesKeys 3/Percussion

Pravin Dhananjeyan Guitar 1

Grace DonohueGuitar 1

Kane FelthamGuitar 2

George CoxGuitar 2

Ethan OakBass Guitar

Catherine Duggan-JakesEnsemble

Mr James HaddenDirector

Miss Debbie BettsMusical Director

Mrs Joanne Lintern-GoodallChoreographer

Ms Megan KennedyChoreographer

Mr Josh SmithProduction Manager

Ms Suzy McDonaldBackstage Supervisor

Fraser LeucharsStage Manager

Niamh SlatterStage Manager

Clarissa BurdAssistant Director/ASM

Matthew GeorgeLighting

Luca PelosiSound

Joe ExlerSound

Rory NashSound

Max ThompsonASM

Roman CurrieASM

Kyle SukaziASM

Seb LoloASM

Sam JudsonASM

Archie SaltASM

Kelsey NorrisASM

Oliver FinesASM

Anneka DoddASM

Miss Demi BroadheadCameras

Kirsty HuntCameras

‘Cameo Cat’, as he has become affectionately known, has appeared in 3 of our most recent school productions; ‘The Government Inspector’, ‘Hairspray’ and ‘Wind in the Willows’.

Can you spot him this year?

Starting with our biggest turn out for auditions, our biggest cast and probably the most expensive show we have ever produced, as expected, this has been quite an epic task from start to finish. As always, this is only possible with the help and support of the staff and students and in particular a select few people.

We pride ourselves on the fact that the students have as much responsibility for running the school production as possible and when you look around you will see that it is the students who are running the sound and lights, running the backstage areas, the band, costumes etc. And so I would firstly like to thank all the students involved backstage in the ‘Tech Team’. This year I have had students pulling my arm off to be involved in any way and so it has been a challenge in itself to get as many people involved as possible.

I would like to thank Fraser Leuchars who took up the mantle of Stage Manager this year for the first time and has done an incredible job. From organising the Tech Team and drawing out plans for where the set needs to be stored, to repairing chests of drawers and adjusting other aspects of the set. He has also been known to make the occasional cup of tea.

Next, my thanks to the premises team of Jon, Sean, Sean and Keith for their continued help and support. This year they have supported with aspects of the set, liaising with external lettings and offering the additional bit of advice and support here and there. Thank you for everything you have done. Thanks also goes to Jarushan Mugunthan who has come back to support with lighting, and RC Geeks who kindly loaned us the gimbal for the filming of the ‘Grease is the Word’ intro film. To Darren Smith who has not only helped with the printing of the programmes and posters again but was also in during half term to help with set building and painting.

All the staff who have kindly given their time to man the bar, front of house and backstage areas. The fact that so many people this year have been willing to give up their precious evenings and weekends always humbles me. Mrs Maria Thrower for the help and support. You always deal with my questions and requests in a very calm and amicable way and have total belief if what we do. Thank you. Julia Freeman for her patience and support with all the financial side of the show and ordering of the essentials. I am not sure if much of what we are ordering made sense but hopefully when you see the show it will. Mr Michael Ferry for his belief and trust with each year’s show. You have faith in what we do within the Arts here at St Wilfrid’s and I am not aware of other head teachers in the area who are as supportive as you are. Thank you. To Mrs Debra Riches for her help with organising room changes during this week and I would also like to thank her and the rest of the office staff for all their help with coordinating the ticket sales as well as the vast amount of other jobs you have to do. Mrs Sarah Gildea for all her help with promoting the show, liaising with the press and organising the front of house staff and bar. The PE Department for being patient with losing one of their spaces for an entire week. Mr Richard Stephenson and Mr Peter Chaffe for their IT support. Niamh Slatter, who once again has returned to St Wilfrid’s to be a part of the production. Your enthusiasm, hard work and sense of professionalism is always greatly appreciated. Thank you. My Mum and Dad, who this year helped reupholster the booths and stools for the Burger Palace Diner. A huge job and a great piece of upscaling from where they started from. Thank you for all your hard work! I would again like to thank Mrs Helen Gledhill who has done an absolutely amazing job of the costumes this year. She has managed to provide over 70 students with often 2 or more costumes and making many of them from scratch. You have, again, excelled yourself, thank you. Ms Suzy McDonald for her continued help and support and help backstage. Also the support you offer during show week, helping to ensure classes have their cover, making tea, generally being a fantastic member of the team.

And finally the production team.

Firstly, Mrs Joanne Lintern-Goodall and Ms Megan Kennedy for their superb choreography. They have created some amazing routines this year and made our cast work harder than ever! In fact, I believe that our routines were more complex than the professional tour we went to see back in November. Not only that, they are a constant sounding board and I feel privileged to have them wanting to be involved.

Miss Debbie Betts, you have, again, given so much of your time, effort, life and love to this production that it is quite hard to know how to thank you. You have given up 3 evenings a week for the last 6 months and work through break times to rehearse with students, all in the aid of our production. You are amazing!

And finally Mr Josh Smith, yet again you have pulled out all of the stops and produced a superb set that any professional theatre company would be proud of. It has been great to see Greased Lightning develop over the last few months and I hope the hours and hours of work were worth the 6 or 7 minutes of stage time!

To everyone who has been involved in any way, thank you.

Mr James Hadden February 2018