From the Head of Secondary 08.06.2024

Robin Hood!

The school production has definitely been the highlight of this week.

For those of you who don’t know, Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw. Originally depicted in English folklore he has featured in literature, theatre, music and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman and in some stories he is depicted as being of noble birth. In modern retellings of the legend he is sometimes depicted as having fought in the Crusades before returning home to find his lands taken by the Sherrif of Nottingham. Traditionally shown dressed in green, he is most famous for stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Through retellings, additions, and variations, a body of familiar characters associated with Robin Hood has been created. These include Maid Marian, Robin’s followers, the Merry Men and his chief opponent, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin Hood and his merry men lived in Sherwood Forest and it was from there that they plotted against the rich people, stealing their valuables to give to the poor.

The KIS retelling of the legend took a somewhat unusual view of the legend and what we enjoyed in Borneo in the 21^st Century was nothing even approaching what had gone before in the retelling of the fable. Everything about it was amazing on every level: the acting, the lighting, the movement, the timing, the sound effects, the music. However, none of that could have happened without the exceptional originality of the script, Mr Bryant’s tour de force. It had everything, dramatic set pieces, perfect synchronicity, comedic structure.

Audience anticipation, already high, rose even further when Mr Bryant stood in front of the audience just after 7pm to welcome everyone and introduce the show, giving us a hint of what was about to unfold. He told us ‘not to panic’ and that ‘everything would become clear’. If by panic Mr Bryant meant the sharp intakes of breath, the gasps of shock, those moments when everyone just about stopped breathing, the peals of laughter, the irresistible urge to clap along with the music [or even to sing along] then those moments definitely existed, together with awe at the totally believable yet invisible soaring of arrows through the air, or the clash of swords in the fight scenes. At times we did not know where to look, there was so much happening on the stage [sometimes, that was partly hidden by use of the smoke machine, which made it even more effective].

Every member of the cast played their roles to perfection and at no point did any individual step out of character. The huge set pieces included every single actor, all on stage at the same time. Some aspects of characterisation will stay with me, for example, when we are introduced to Maid Marian. She is described to us as ‘a mild mannered young lady’ but then it becomes clear that Marian is not somebody to be dismissed so lightly:

“We’re sorry Sir, she refuses to come out of her room”

“She says she’d rather die” and “She will not marry him”

The scene culminates in Marian making a dash to escape into the forest with her mother plaintively calling after her “Don’t go darling…..take me with you!!” [cue lots of laughter].

I must also mention the Sheriff of Nottingham. With his grey wig, his fancy clothes, his imperious stare, he stood out from the beginning. His highly effective “SHUT UP!” when the rabble became too much was something to be envied and respected.

Huge congratulations must go to the Mr Bryant, Director and Producer. Over many months, weeks and hours, he pulled together his own band of ‘merry men’ to depict a hugely entertaining comedic version of the legend of Robin Hood through physical theatre in the KIS school hall. He has had extensive and much appreciated support and assistance from Ms Tretter, Ms Bateman, Ms Yuen and Reine in Year 12. They worked tirelessly on all of those ‘extras’ without which a show cannot go ahead, such as set design and construction, advertising and media output, props, sound and light.

Well done and many congratulations to all!

In other news this week our Year 7 to 10 students have been sitting their end of year examinations. They have responded really sensibly and taken the tests very seriously; they all deserve to do well. Although it is invariably a somewhat stressful time of year, by sitting exams in this way our students will be better prepared for the future, in Year 11, 12 and 13, when they will be taking their IGCSE and A Level exams as they will know what to expect and how to deal with it.  Next week sees the final few exams in that series. On Thursday IGCSE Biology students will round off the 8 week period.

All of the students sitting these exams now deserve to be able to wind down and relax, as I am sure they will!

Have a wonderful weekend

Mrs Margaret Renshaw

Head of Secondary / Deputy Principal

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