Beacon School performers end busy term on a high note

​School Christmas productions may be all the rage at this time of year but The Beacon School in Banstead came up with a slightly more original choice when pupils took part in their latest theatrical performance recently.

​Nearly 80 students from years seven through to 13 took part in four Brothers Grimm fairy tales as retold by master storyteller Philip Pullman, in what was one of the largest and most ambitious productions the school has ever undertaken.

The four tales - Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel and the lesser-known Juniper Tree – were performed with the audience sitting on either side of the stage, and some of the acting taking place around them, and demand for tickets was so high that they even had to bring in extra seating to accommodate the enthusiastic theatre-goers.

“This was incredibly challenging, with more pupils than ever before involved, but we’re delighted with how it turned out,” said teacher Samantha Ball, who was in charge of the staging. “So many people contributed, both out front and behind the scenes, so they should feel very proud of what they achieved.”

The production rounds off a busy term for The Beacon School, which since September has been part of the GLF Schools multi-academy trust, which runs schools in four counties across the south east of England. Previous highlights included a West End theatre trip and visits by local MP Crispin Blunt and internationally acclaimed Mozart scholar and performer Professor John Irving.

“The performances were a great climax to what has been an extremely lively and enjoyable term,” added Mrs Ball. “The feedback we’ve had from it has been overwhelmingly positive, and that sort of reaction makes all of everybody’s effort well worth it.”