A Part for Everyone – The Addams Family
By Lauren C, Year 10 Journalist Leader
The lights dim and a hush falls over the audience. The music begins and we get ready for the musical to start. I am sitting in my school hall which, over the course of a few days, has been transformed into the home of the Addams Family, the name of the production the school is putting on. The acting, singing and dancing is amazing and it is clear that so much effort has been put into making this production happen, particularly with Covid-19 restrictions coming and going and everything which has been happening this past year.
However, the acting and dancing are not the only things which make this production work. Since half the cast play characters from beyond the grave, attention has been paid to makeup and costume, and joined by the set and lighting, they all launch the audience into the crazy world of the Addams Family. With this in mind, I was intrigued to find out how fundamental the work backstage was to the whole production.
An extensive crew of students look after all the backstage elements including lighting, make-up and costumes. I spoke to Liliana, a year 10 who worked in the costume department for the musical, asking her whether she thought the play would be the same without the set, makeup, costume, and lighting.
“It definitely would not have been the same! The tech that we put into it undeniably influenced and elevated the production. The performing and acting of the people is, of course, fantastic, but the added element of set and lighting and makeup made the show to be as good as it was! The set gave the actors something to work with and the lighting added to each character and the different song and dance routines. The make up as well, along with the costumes I think were great and added to each character.”
There can be no doubt that without any of the backstage additions, the whole production would have been completely different and would lack some of the fun and atmosphere that could be found throughout the production.
They’re often the unsung heroes of a play, but our backstage crew takes centrestage here at school, and with the actors as well as all the musicians involved, there really is a part for everyone.
