A Triumphant Ode to Journey

There is no greater testament to Ms. Martin’s skill as a director than the school play. To be able to get a group of Selwyn boys to perform so eloquently a story as complex as The Hobbit is truly remarkable. It seems like everyone has seen this year's rendition of the school play, perhaps because it was mandatory, but I like to think it is due to the brilliance of the performance. The very fact that they were able to hold the attention of both kindergartners and grade elevens for over an hour and a half should alone be enough to earn everyone involved a standing ovation.

The play was, of course, adapted from the legendary novel The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien and the subsequent trilogy of films that were based on it. I was slightly disappointed that this rendition deviated slightly from the original story, but due to time constraints, one hundred percent accuracy was never truly attainable.

The set was relatively simple, depicting a few mountains and the door of Bilbo Baggin’s hobbit hole, but it proved to be an incredibly versatile set. Throughout the play, the set moved around and adapted to the changing landscapes and scenes.

But of course, the true stars of the show were the actors. Andrea Accurso’s performance as Gollum was particularly enjoyable, and Matthison Avedesian, Ryan Cheema, Harris Woodward and the rest of the gang also gave excellent performances.

This play was ambitious. The school play tends to follow à simple story that does not involve many twists and turns or voice-overs or complex sets. But, like the posters designed for it, the play managed to convey the feel and story of The Hobbit, without taking the many hours the films required, while still allowing the actors to be the main highlight of the performance. It was funny and charming while keeping that iconic sense of adventure and journey that The Hobbit is famous for.

I'll give it...

4.4/5