For many of our campuses, each Session brings with it exciting theatre trips to see the most popular shows in London’s West End.
Balliol – Motown The Musical
ORA pupils at Balliol headed to Motown this week as they went to watch the show full of well-known and catchy songs.
Based on Berry Gordy, who founded Motown records, the show reveals how he started with little and managed to rise to fame as he launched the careers of world-famous singers, including Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.
With such an extensive repertoire of music to choose from, the performance is full of incredible songs and students spent the evening bopping to their favourite classics and recognising more songs than they thought they would.
Clare – Kinky Boots
Inspired by true events and featuring the fabulous music of Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots explores the challenging life of Charlie Price, who struggles to reach his father’s expectations as he works in his family’s shoe factory. After a visit from Lola, a performer, Price’s life is transformed as he attempts to make her some funky new stilettos.
ORA students studying at Clare loved Kinky Boots, with many knowing little about it before they arrived. Cyndi Lauper’s music made everyone boogie in their seats and some even knew the words to her classic songs. With everyone gripped from the start, pupils loved the opportunity to watch this London hit.
Queen’s – Wicked
Queen’s went green this week as they watched an incredible performance of Wicked.
Showing another side of the Wicked Witch of the West, originating in Oz, the play explores the friendship between Glinda (who becomes Glinda The Good) and Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) before they receive their descriptive titles.
Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the show explores the roots of wickedness and how things can turn out differently to how you imagine.
Students enjoyed seeing a new side to the classic story and were captivated by the singing and dancing throughout. The notion that life can take many exciting and unexpected turns appealed to our pupils and made for a thoroughly entertaining evening.
St Catharine’s Cambridge – The Phantom of the Opera
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is an incredibly emotive show. As one of the longest-running shows in London, students were exposed to the incredible music and choreography that is loved by theatre fanatics worldwide.
Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, the show follows Christine Daae on her journey in a 19th Century Parisian Opera House. The storyline unfolds as Christine is stalked by the mysterious and elusive ‘Phantom’, a deformed and misunderstood character who covers his face with a mask. It is an endearing tale of love and loss and students were moved by the evocative performance.
St Catherine’s Oxford – The Comedy About a Bank Robbery
Set in 1958, a bank in Minneapolis receives the difficult task of protecting an invaluable diamond whilst an escaped criminal tries desperately to steal it.
ORA students at St Catherine’s laughed all the way through the performance, loving the complex relationships of the characters as well as the jokey script. Filled with distrust, trickery, love and intrigue, this hilarious comedy kept students on the edge of their seats as they watched the dramatic events unfurl.
University – 42nd Street
ORA students at University danced along to 42nd Street this week, a musical about making it on Broadway. With Peggy Sawyer, the main character, arriving to play a small role in a Broadway show, she quickly realises she might have the chance to soar to stardom.
This tale of exciting adventure and dreams was thoroughly enjoyed by ORA students, who were mesmerised by the hypnotic chaos of the dances. As they bopped to the catchy music, pupils couldn’t tear their eyes away from the exciting events on the stage.
All of the thrilling shows proved popular with pupils across ORA’s campuses and the opportunity to experience the world-famous West End was an amazing bonus.
