St James' Wizard Of Oz Production

It was a bold decision to choose a production that wasn’t written for schools to perform. This version of The Wizard of Oz was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Centre in 1987. No pressure then...

The script is very close to the original picture and it’s such a well known and loved film that we didn’t want to veer too far from the source material. The play is set in Kansas and where possible we have tried to remain true to the original. I was keen to keep the light-hearted fun inherent in the story and not to shy away from the more adult themes at play. I hope we have succeeded. At its heart, the tale is about friendship and the warmth of home, about appreciating what you have and the dangers of jeopardising that by making rash decisions and acting impulsively. Maybe there’s a lesson for us all there.

A story about a young person escaping the realities and pressures of her immediate surroundings to a land far far away seemed very appropriate when we were selecting a production to bring to St James’ this year. I think we can all identify with Dorothy’s wish to go beyond the clouds where troubles melt away and life is more colourful. I know I have over the last couple of years. But now that the skies have somewhat cleared, it is with great pleasure that we were able to physically invite you back to school to share in the achievements of our wonderful and talented pupils.

Thank you so much to everyone for coming and for all your support. The students have worked extremely hard over the past few months to bring you a show that we are all very proud of!

Mr Edmondson – Head Director