The Lower School brought a highly successful theatrical year to a close in dazzling style, with their joyful, technicolor production of The Wiz, staged over four nights in May. More than 110 girls from Years 7, 8 and 9 took part – surely the largest cast ever assembled on the stage of the Clarissa Farr Theatre.

This funk-fuelled urban adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, packed with disco and soul numbers, was directed with terrific energy and creativity by Miss Lee and Ms Finn. There were so many outstanding performances. Jasmine Preko was tremendously poised as Dorothy, easing on down the road to the Emerald City in the company of a loveable goofball Scarecrow (Gaby Murray-Panayiotou), a grooving, robotic-dancing Tin Man (Lynelle Kisuule) and a neurotic, therapy-obsessed Lion (Grace Cruttenden).

Scarlet Gerry-Churchhouse played the Wicked Witch of the West with hilarious ferocity, while Tomike Olukanni and Lily Lazarus were terrifically sassy as the Good Witches. The Wiz himself (Beth Toeman), projected Big-Brother style onto an array of giant screens, was ultimately revealed to be a Mad Hatter-style eccentric in a fetching pair of pink fluffy slippers.

The graffiti-covered set designed by Mr Jordan and Mr Bottomley was the perfect setting for this fantastical tale, and the live band, led by Dramatist/Musician-in-Residence Mr Shaw, really added an extra dimension.

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Photographs, taken by Paul Toeman, are available to purchase or download by clicking on the above link.

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