Cranford Review 2015

The
Performing Arts Department’s summer production this
year, “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” was performed as
a traverse piece to a sold out audience. The original play by Bertolt
Brecht is a play within a play and one that comments on the politics
and what was going on in society in 1944, in the lead up to the World
War II: the divide between rich and poor and the issue of corruption
and lawlessness.
Our version was set in contemporary India, against the backdrop of
the fast growing economy where the rich are getting richer and the
poor, poorer. Wanting to stay true to the original play we workshopped
around the themes and then looked at the original text and then changed names and
locations. This process was really useful because not only did I want the students to be performers working
towards a production, but I wanted them to engage in depth with the themes that the play raises, so that they can
think about them and act critically.
The cast began rehearsing in March 2015 during WFactor and after school on Fridays and some weekends in
the lead up to the performance. Students started the process with improvising around the text, where they were
given scenarios based on the original text. This proved to be a challenge, especially learning the lines. Three
weeks before the performance dates we had a full run through reading the play, which we had not done before and
discovered it was running at 4 hours and no audience was going to sit through a school play that was this long so
we edited more and more until we got the running time to 2 hours.
The first part of the production was filmed by professionals and starred our staff, Mr Ali, Mrs Bahra and Mr Ladva,
all of whom did a sterling job. We also took on the expertise of a professional lighting and sound technician,
because I wanted the students to have an experience of working with professionals.
The credit for the design and making of the floor cloth goes to two year 7 girls Gursharen Pannu and Arsida Dukaj,
who worked tirelessly to ensure that it was ready in time, seeking the help of others when the pressure was on.
During the production week, when we got into the performance space that’s when it began to feel like everything
was all coming together. Lights and sound, singing and acting... the true ensemble worked creatively to produce
a stunning show, one which the students will not forget in a hurry and neither will I.
The message in Brecht’s original play is about giving to those who are worthy and the message I wanted to
strongly portray was how much we need to preserve the arts within schools, communities, society so that we
are humanised. Productions always bring out the best in people, and the entire school community galvanised in
ensuring that the show went on, especially those friends and colleagues who gave of their time at weekends and
after school to make it a success.
Post-show feelings are always emotional, but the cast and technical crew have created a group chat family...
the chalk circle, and long may it live.
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Seema Sethi (Head of Performing Arts)