Longfield Academy Newsletter

Jack and the Beanstalk Panto

What a joy it is to be back in the theatre again after so long being unable to perform! I cannot put into words how much I have missed being able to direct the brilliant students of Longfield Academy, and how proud I am of this first post-pandemic cast, whose professionalism and high standards of performance in our first panto in 21 months, Jack and the Beanstalk, make it seem like we’ve never been away.

Jack and his mother, Dolly are about to be evicted from their farm by their landlord Farmer Fussbudget when their cow Magnesia stops producing any milk. Desperate to marry Fussbudget’s daughter Florence, Jack sells Magnesia to a mysterious wizard called Wiseacre who gives him magic beans to grow in return. When Florence disappears up the enormous beanstalk that grows, she is taken captive by a hideous Ogre and his two useless henchmen. When Jack rescues her, he hears about the Ogre’s treasures and his servants, who used to be children but who are now cursed to spend their lives in the Ogre’s castle, unable to access the real world. Rescuing all the children, and the Hen who lays the golden eggs in the process, Jack returns with all the treasures and the Ogre is thwarted. The principal cast are ably joined by a chorus of fantastic singers, dancers and actors who capture the very essence of panto so well.

I have enjoyed being assisted in directing this year by Miss Clements, and by Jess Boxall, Pantomime stalwart and current post-16 student; to see a student go full circle, from Wendy in Peter Pan to director herself, makes me incredibly proud of all that the Expressive Arts department offers here.

It is also fantastic to have a band back accompanying the cast, especially a band that, for the first time, consists of current students. I have to thank the extraordinary efforts of Ms Evans for all her work on arranging the music for our musicians and the high quality of performance she has ensured.

My thanks must also extend to the whole expressive arts team; you have gone above and beyond anything I asked for. Thank you Miss Dillon and Ms Evans for your fantastic musical direction with our singers, and thank you to Miss Smith and Miss Marsay for your expert set painting and your wrangling of helpful prop makers. My thanks also goes to Scott, omnipresent sound and lighting designer, and set builder, who has managed to train up a new generation of tech team to help us for years to come.

What I have loved most about this whole process is that this has, above all, been a completely group effort, and I cannot thank the team enough.

Our brilliant cast have brought their energy, their enthusiasm and their passion for performing arts to every rehearsal and to every show night. This cast is one of the youngest we’ve ever had, with many students never having performed before - and some we just can’t get rid of! But this is also one of the kindest groups we have ever worked with, whose patience, inclusivity and positivity has meant that everyone has felt welcomed. Once again, it brings me the greatest joy to watch them developing their skills and their confidence.

Telescope Reopening

On Friday 22nd October, we were finally able to open up our much beloved Telescope restaurant to members of the public for the first time post lockdown. After several weeks of our students trialling their dishes on staff, we were delighted to welcome back 15 members of our local community to dine with us. As always, the feedback was amazing and it was great to see the smiles back on the faces of our returning guests.

After this initial success, we then introduced our Christmas menu on Thursday 18th November. With a menu showcasing delights such as braised red wine marinated gigot of lamb garnished with lardons of smoked bacon, and roasted crown of turkey garnished with sage and onion stuffing balls, the interest was soaring. Within a few days, we had sold out of bookings for the whole of Christmas. It truly is a wonderful feeling welcoming back our members of the local community after such a long time. The experience this gives our students is invaluable and really helps them to prepare for a career within the industry.