High school audience enjoys production in comfort

Work to refurbish a West Norfolk drama studio will see audiences sitting very comfortably long into the future.

The Springwood High School studio now boasts retractable seating, and among the first people to benefit were those who watched a play based on the A Level set text of Live Like Pigs, by John Arden.

Students at the school, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust were even able to sing specially created pieces within the production, which wasn’t originally written with any music.

“We wrote some short pieces to help with the transition of scenes. These were played live by a small band,” said Peter Cuss, head of the arts faculty.

The three performances were well attended by staff and family members of the cast, he added.

The play, written in 1958,  tells the story of a travelling family being reluctantly resettled from their derelict tramcar to a home on a council estate. It’s a move which doesn’t end well for the Sawneys, their neighbours and the police end-up involved.

The new seating replaces those first installed 20 years ago and the flexible space can also be used to accommodate smaller audiences and the floor space can be used as part of the staging when needed.

The old set-up had accommodated more than 60 productions, including five plays written to tour Australia.

“The space gives students an industry-standard style of theatre facilities which allows them the experience of  what a professional working theatre may feel like. The space is used daily for students to rehearse and will enable multiple productions to take place in years to come,” said Mr Cuss.

Next on the update agenda for the studio is the smart lighting and special effects, which are currently being worked on.